MuchGames.com awards a $1,500 student research grant each semester, to study the social and psychological effects of video game addiction.
4.8 stars with 1,283 votes
Rules and Requirements
Essay Topics
According to a study published in the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, an estimated 72% of American households play video games. Of the 3,034 children studied, researchers reported that nine percent exhibited signs of addiction. Your essay will consist of a research proposal outlining how your experiment or study will further the understanding of the biological, social and psychological consequences of video game addiction.
Research Design
You may choose to use only one research design, or, you can combine multiple designs into your proposal. Please view our list of possible research designs for help choosing the type that is best suited for you.

All undergraduate & graduate students can apply

Enrolled in an accredted college or university in the U.S.

Minimum GPA of 3.0

Essay should be between 750 and 1,000 words

Basic research outline is required

Deadline: April 30, 2018

Grant Award Payment
A one-time payment will be sent directly to the winners’ schools.
Types of Research Design
The list below offers you a number of possible research designs.
Choose one (fixed design) or combine different types (flexible design).
  • Descriptive (e.g., case-study, naturalistic observation, survey)
  • Correlational (e.g., case-control study, observational study)
  • Semi-experimental (e.g., field experiment, quasi-experiment)
  • Experimental (experiment with random assignment)
  • Review (literature review, systematic review)
  • Meta-analytic (meta-analysis)
Write Your Essay
The essay must include your informal research proposal. Please keep the essay between 750 and 1,500 words.
Submit Entry Online
When you've completed your essay, please submit it online, along with a copy of your student ID and a current transcript.
Provide Proof of Enrollment
MuchGames.com will contact the finalists and request official college transcripts to verify academic eligibility.
Selection Process and Winner Announcement
How Will Winners Be Chosen?
Our judges will evaluate essays based on attention to detail, uniqueness and creativity and the quality of the research proposal. Grammatical errors and misspellings should be corrected before submission.
When Will Winners Be Announced?
After every entry is read, the judges will announce the final winner prior to May 2018.
What Are the Judges Looking For?
Joe Lahav
Look for large patterns in the research that can help professionals predict addiction early, and the relation to the age at which a child begins gaming.
Karen Selby
The data is important, but don’t forget to explore the personal angle of video game addiction, which, like most addictions, is solitary in nature.
Greg Edmunds
Highlight how this data could shape future diagnosis and treatment programs. Showcase the gaps in current treatment programs this data exposes.
Michelle Whitmer
Closely follow the methods of the research design you choose. If using multiple designs, clearly show how the data correlates across each one.
Resources for Video Game Addiction
An organization dedicated to educating parents on the hidden dangers of video game violence and addiction in today’s culture.
A professional society of professionals in the field of addiction medicine dedicated to increasing access and improving the quality of addiction treatment and prevention.
An agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that’s mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness in the United States.
An anonymous fellowship that works collaboratively to recover and heal from problems caused by excessive game playing.
Research Grant Entry Form

Attach your essay in PDF format only.



2017 MuchGames.com