Fidelity Investments and Rutgers University's School of Management and Labor Relations have partnered to sponsor a new research fellowship delving into the issue of stock option programs for employees – and why employees participate in the way they do.

The new research will uncover emerging trends and issues regarding stock options, employee stock purchase plans, performance shares and other forms of equity compensation used by corporations to share ownership and capital income with employees.

Ilona Babenko, an assistant professor of finance in the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, has been selected as the first recipient of the Fidelity fellowship. Babenko, who will begin her one-year research project this month, will explore why some workers do not invest in employee stock purchase plans. Rutgers University will provide her a $25,000 stipend funded by Fidelity.