AICPA SEEKS ASSURANCE RESEARCH PROPOSALS FOR A SECOND YEAR 

Published : 7 years ago, on 03/06/2017

The American Institute of CPAs’ (AICPA) Assurance Research Advisory Group (ARAG) has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for research that addresses assurance topics of interest to the CPA profession. Insights gleaned from the research will support the private company standard-setting process, as well as the AICPA’s Enhancing Audit Quality (EAQ) initiative.

ARAG, a group of practitioners and academics formed in collaboration with the American Accounting Association, will review and approve academic research proposals that address questions with a nexus to the following topics:

• Audit Quality
• Risk Assessment and Response
• Materiality
• Sufficiency and Appropriateness of Audit Evidence
• Limited Assurance
• Evolving Skillsets

Research topics were solicited from various AICPA and state CPA society committees and are focused on domestic assurance engagements that are not required to be performed in accordance with PCAOB auditing standards. The AICPA is interested in supporting empirical research using any appropriate research method, as well as literature reviews and syntheses, descriptive analyses and meta analyses. Approved research proposals will be eligible for up to $15,000 in funding and, where applicable, access to personnel, peer reviewers or firm data gathered by the AICPA Peer Review Program. The program was developed in coordination with the Center for Audit Quality, whose research award program has a public company focus.

“The AICPA will again provide funding and resources to support academic research related to the most relevant private company audit issues,” said Susan S. Coffey, CPA, CGMA, AICPA executive president for public practice. “Our first year of research shed light on some critical matters, including group audits and tone at the top. I’m confident the academic community is up to the challenge of examining this year’s areas of interest, led – as always – by audit quality.”

Any accounting educator is eligible to submit a proposal. Research teams are encouraged to utilize the ARAG proposal template to ensure all required elements are included. The deadline for submission is on or before 12:00 midnight EDT, Friday, October 6, 2017. ARAG anticipates announcing research grant awards no later than February 28, 2018.

For proposal submission instructions and other pertinent information, visit www.aicpa.org/arag