Research Grants

Apply for a Research Grant

Michigan Language Assessment supports two research grant programs annually. Project reports may be published in the Michigan Language Assessment Working Papers.

Proposals related to one or more Michigan Language Assessment tests are invited from faculty, graduate students, and other language assessment professionals.

The Mary Spaan Research Grant

This research grant program was established to recognize Mary Spaan’s contributions to the field of language assessment through her more than three decades of work at the University of Michigan. The grants support research projects related to second or foreign language learning, assessment, and evaluation.

This year, we are particularly interested in receiving proposals to investigate:

The use and impact of MET, particularly in higher education and healthcare high-stakes contexts
The use of the Michigan English Placement Test in North American contexts
Learners’ language growth over time
The relationship between learning and assessment
The impact of automated item generation

The Barbara Dobson Latin America Research Grant

The Barbara Dobson Latin America Research Grant (formerly Latin American Research Grant program) has been established to support research on language learning, assessment, and evaluation in Latin America.

This year, we are particularly interested in receiving proposals related to:

The use of MET among teachers and in other public sector contexts
The impact of MET and/or MET Go! on academic programs, curricula, and learning outcomes
The relationship of MET and/or MET Go! to national and regional standards, frameworks, and curricula
Other investigations in applied linguistics, learning, and assessment set in the Latin American context and using MET or MET Go! as a measure are also welcome.

Important Dates

Wednesday, March 6, 2024	Call for Proposals
Sunday, April 28, 2024	Deadline for Applications
Friday, May 31, 2024	Notification of Results
Monday, July 1, 2024	Project Start Date
Monday, June 30, 2025	Deadline for Project Report

Grant Proposal Application

Applications will be judged according to alignment with Michigan Language Assessment’s areas of interest, quality and clarity of the proposal, likelihood the project will be completed in the stated time frame, significance of the project within current scholarship in the field, and likelihood that the project will result in a publishable paper.

Submit Research Proposal

Applications must include:

Applicant(s) name(s) and contact information
Which program submission is for
Research project details
Curriculum vitae for each researcher named on the application form
For student applications, contact information for two academic references
For collaborative research, role in study and expertise of Michigan Language Assessment staff needed

Learn More About the Grant Programs

Selected projects from both programs will each receive up to $5,000 USD. Funding is for twelve months, although projects on a different time frame will be considered where necessary and justified.

Successful applicants must sign a research agreement before receiving funding. The research agreement confirms funding arrangements, the security of data and materials, and the terms and conditions governing publication of the research results. Grant recipients also must prepare a final report of their project by the stipulated deadline for inclusion in the Michigan Language Assessment Working Papers.

The research grant projects may be done independently or in collaboration with Michigan Language Assessment staff where appropriate.

Applications are judged according to alignment with Michigan Language Assessment’s areas of interest, the proposal’s quality and clarity, the likelihood that the project will be completed in the stated time frame, the project’s significance within current scholarship in the field, and the probability that the project will result in a publishable paper.

Applications must be received by Sunday, April 28, 2024. Applications are submitted using the online application form.