Donna E. Alvermann Excellence in Research Award

This annual award recognizes high-quality research accomplishments by a part-time language and literacy education (LLE) doctoral student. The nominee’s research should address literacy, literacy development, literacy education, bi/multiliteracies, or a related area.

The award is supported by generous donations from long-time LLE faculty member Donna Alvermann and her husband John Alvermann.

At a Glance

• Deadline: March 15
• Audience: LLE doctoral students
• Financial Aid Type: Scholarship
• Semesters: Spring
• Contact: jgraff@uga.edu

Eligibility

Nominees for this award must meet all of the following criteria:

1. The student is a part-time doctoral student in LLE (i.e., is seeking the Ph.D. in LLE on a part-time basis; full-time students whose work is divided between two or more departments are not eligible)
2. The student has conducted research as a part-time doctoral student in LLE
3. The student is not a previous recipient of this award
4. The student has not yet graduated as of the date of the nomination (anticipated May graduation is acceptable)

Selection Criteria

The primary criterion for this award is the quality of the student’s overall accomplishments in research on literacy, literacy development, literacy education, bi/multiliteracies, or a related area. The nominee’s quality may be judged by any of the following criteria or by other indicators, as appropriate to the student’s work:

1. Adherence to common quality expectations for the research tradition (quantitative, qualitative, or other research traditions)
2. Creativity in combining research traditions or applying existing models to new areas
3. Volume of work produced, including amount of contribution to collaborative work
4. Impact of work on instruction or scholarship, or at community, professional, or other levels

Because the intent of the award is to recognize the accomplishments of students who are pursuing a doctoral degree on a part-time basis, preference will be given to nominees who have been part-time students throughout their doctoral programs.

One recipient will be selected each year, unless in the awards committee’s judgment, no nominee meets the standards for the award. The financial component of the award, if available in any given year, will be provided as a scholarship applied to the student’s UGA account.

How to Apply

One nomination package is submitted to the graduate coordinator by the student or faculty member. A complete package must include all of the following and adhere to the following limits:

1. Statement from the student (maximum 2 written pages, or 8-minute recording, or equivalent)
2. Statement from the student’s major advisor or another faculty member (maximum 2 written pages, or 8-minute recording, or equivalent)
3. Student’s resume, CV, or other complete record of accomplishments

For 2020, nominations must be submitted to the graduate coordinator by March 15.