The Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. Center for Leadership and Ethics is proud to announce the recipients of its annual  research grants for the 2020-2021 academic year for projects pursuant to the Center’s mission and concentrating on the topics of business ethics, values-based leadership, corporate social responsibility, governance, workplace culture, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). 

This year, The Center prioritized grant funding for the doctoral student population in order to support our future thought leaders who are working on particularly relevant research during this unprecedented time. Data and results from each research project will further bolster the Center’s curricular and programmatic endeavors aligned with our mission to better prepare current and future business leaders to champion ethical and inclusive organizations. 

Check out our Leadership Digital Collection to see the 2019-2020 grant recipients present their research focusing on tangible, real-world leadership applications. For the second year, The Reuben Mark Initiative for Organizational Character and Leadership, a joint initiative between Columbia Business and Law Schools house within the Bernstein Center, sponsored three projects focusing on promoting effective organizational leadership.  

The Center congratulates all of its grant awardees and looks forward to our next research symposium to be held during the 2021-2022 academic year. 

Grant Recipients 

  • Sophie Cho, Management Division Research Project: “Formation of Organizational Values in Entrepreneurial Firms” 
  • Kim Cramer, Finance Division Research Project: “Access to Banks and Household Resilience” 
  • Qingkai Dong, Accounting Division Research Project: “Financial Statements: Microscopes on Micro-governments” 
  • Naz Koont, Finance Division Research Project: “Branch Quality and Bank Market Power: Demographic Determinants” 
  • Ran Liu, Finance Division Research Project: “Imperfect Data Processing and Capital Market Opening in China” 
  • Maayan Malter, Marketing Division Research Project: “Role of Identity and Moral Trade Offs” Vrinda Mittal, Finance Division Research Project: “Role of Nonbank Lending for Middle-Market Firms” 
  • Kunjue Wang, Accounting Division Research Project: “Foreign Currency and Firm’s Operating Decisions”