The University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Russian and East European Studies will award up to two Language Teaching and Learning Research (LTLR) Grants for scholars to conduct research projects on-site at the Summer Language Institute in June – July 2018. Funded projects must focus on the teaching and learning of one or more of the following priority languages: Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, Polish, Russian, Turkish, and Ukrainian. Other languages that are taught at the SLI may be included in a project proposal in addition to these priority languages; click here for the complete list of language courses offered. Applicants may propose to be in residence in Pittsburgh for either all or a portion of the two-month duration of the SLI, according to the needs of their projects.

Guidelines: Applicants should propose projects that will take advantage of the unique environment and resources available at an intensive campus-based summer language institute, while not placing excessive demands on the time of SLI instructors or students. Projects involving the development of online language instructional materials are of particular interest, but other types of projects that make significant contributions to language teaching and learning will also be considered. Successful applicants will be responsible for obtaining IRB approval or exemption for research projects involving human subjects and for obtaining the informed consent of research subjects, if applicable, before starting to work on their projects.

Applicants may request a total of $2,000 to $4,000 for housing, food and other living expenses; round-trip travel to Pittsburgh, if applicable; and research-related costs such as materials or software purchases, statistical or technology consulting services, etc. (please note that hardware purchases are not eligible for LTLR funding). All expenses should be justified in a brief budget narrative. Applicants are encouraged to seek supplemental funding from their home institutions.

LTLR grant recipients will be expected to submit a report of their research results to REES by no later than October 2018; to acknowledge REES and the SLI as sponsors in any publications based on their funded projects; and to make their research products (including raw data, if possible) available for dissemination to other language instructors and scholars on a University of Pittsburgh website.

Eligibility: Applicants must hold a master’s or doctoral degree in an academic field related to foreign language education or be enrolled in a relevant graduate degree program. As REES and the SLI are unable to provide mentors to supervise research projects, applicants must demonstrate the ability to conduct self-directed research by presenting evidence of academic publications or other documentation of their capacity for independent work.

How to Apply: Applications will be processed via the Submittable online system. Upon first accessing the application form, applicants will be directed to a welcome screen at Submittable.com and invited to create a new user account. All other required documentation may then be uploaded through this account.

Applications must be submitted by February 1, 2018 to receive priority consideration. Only complete applications will be considered. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all documentation is submitted by the deadline. A selection committee at the University of Pittsburgh will review all eligible applications. Award notifications will be made by March 15, 2018. For questions about the LTLR program, please contact REES Assistant Director Gina Peirce at gbpeirce@pitt.edu.

• This topic was modified 6 years ago by Marina Duka.