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The AALA Outstanding Dissertation Award for 2025

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Purpose

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To indicate AALA’s recognition of Asia-based outstanding doctoral dissertation research that makes a significant contribution to the field of language assessment.

 

In this round, applications for the 2025 award are invited.

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​Award Value

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  • USD500 (this amount will contribute to the recipient's traveling cost for attending AALA 2026)

  • Waiver of AALA 2026 conference registration/banquet and free accommodation.
     

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The winner(s) of the award will be required to give a presentation on the dissertation at the 12th Annual International Conference of AALA (dates and location to be announced).

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Eligibility

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To be considered for the award:

  • Applicants should have successfully completed their doctoral dissertations, which include Ph.D., Ed.D., and other professional doctorates, in language assessment in a tertiary-level institution in Asia.

  • The candidate’s institution must have accepted the dissertation within three years to be considered for the awards. Dissertations accepted between June 16, 2022 and June 15, 2025 are eligible for the 2025 award.

  • The dissertation under consideration must be in English, though the research may be related to testing of any language.
     

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Note: Candidates who have submitted abstracts for this award in previous years and recipients of equivalent awards from other organizations will not be considered.

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Important Dates

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June 15: Deadline for receipt of application documents (see Application Process, below).

July 7: Invitation for shortlisted candidates to submit their dissertations.

July 21: Deadline for receipt of dissertations.

September 15: Selection of the award recipient

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Application Process

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Applicants must submit the following supporting documents by June 15, 2025:

  • A summary of the dissertation (maximum 3,000 words, excluding references; format: Microsoft Word or PDF). The dissertation summary should provide a concise and clear overview of the applicant's research, including the title, research questions, theoretical framework, methodology, key findings, and conclusions. It should highlight the significance of the study, its contribution to the field, and the implications of the research. The summary should be no more than 3,000 words in length and offer a comprehensive yet succinct snapshot of the dissertation. Key references should be included but will not count toward the word limit.

  • A completed, signed letter from the dissertation advisor or director, using the template form (form: Microsoft Word)

  • Proof of acceptance of the dissertation by the candidate's university  (format: Microsoft Word or PDF)

  • A completed application form (form: Microsoft Word or PDF)

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Note: The application form must be printed and filled out, then scanned and submitted electronically to: awardsaala@gmail.com.

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A short dissertation abstract of the winner will be posted on the AALA website.

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Evaluation Criteria

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Proposals are evaluated according to the following criteria:

  • Scholarly or professional significance to the field of language assessment

  • Relevance to promoting language assessment in Asia

  • Originality and creativity

  • Technical quality

  • Quality of presentation
     

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Note: The Executive Board of AALA reserves the right to decline selection of a recipient should there be no suitable applicants.

 

Applications should be sent to the AALA Awards Committee via the following email: awardsaala@gmail.com
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