MenuThe initial grants, sponsored jointly by Kaplan Professional and the Financial Planning Association (FPA), are for $5,000 each and represent a commitment to encouraging the development of financial planning as an academic discipline in its own right.
Speaking about the grants, Chairman of the Grant Standing Committee of the FPEC, Ms Sharon Taylor of the University of Western Sydney said, “Academic research in financial planning is essential for underpinning the growth of financial planning as a profession. FPEC acknowledges the sponsorship of both the Financial Planning Association and Kaplan Professional in making this scheme possible.
“The two grant recipients were chosen from a total of nine applications and we look forward to the presentations of their research next November,” said Ms Taylor.
The project from Griffith University is titled ‘The economic, financial and psychological benefits of financial coaching in the professional financial planning and advice context’. The lead investigator is Ms Julie Knutsen, working with Assoc. Professor Mark Brimble and Dr Robyn Cameron.
The consortium project is titled ‘Financial Planning Value Proposition: Laying the Groundwork Based on Clients’ Perspective’. It is co-led by Mr Lujer Santacruz, Lecturer at University of Southern Queensland and Associate Professor Mark Brimble of Griffith University. Dr John Teale of the University of New England is also a participant.
Presentations of both projects are due to be made in November at the academic Personal Finance and Investments Conference (PFIS) in Queensland.
According to FPEC, it plans to award annual Research Grants with the assistance of its sponsors Kaplan and the FPA. A call for submissions will occur in May 2014. The scheme is open to universities with an FPEC-approved degree.
Mark Rantall, CEO of the Financial Planning Association said, “The FPA is proud to be involved in the FPEC grant program. Education is key to ensuring a strong future for the financial planning profession. I am confident that the FPEC Research Grants Scheme will grow as the FPA‟s Professional Partners join the FPA in investing in the education of the future by sponsoring the FPEC Research Grants.
“An approved degree is a requirement for all new practitioner members of the profession and as such, support for academics is essential. The FPEC Grants Scheme is just another way we can ensure that we develop strong and lasting relationships between the tertiary sector and the profession.”
Dr Michael Evans, Vice President, Academic, Kaplan International Australia, said, “Kaplan is supporting the development of a more scholarly foundation in the areas of its teaching strengths in applied finance and financial planning. To that end we are proud to support schemes that aim to encourage more research in the field of financial planning, a field that has been often neglected by the academic research community.”
