Scholarships and prizes

The Australian Linguistic Society is involved in the administration of the Gerhardt Laves Scholarship, which covers fieldwork expenses for postgraduate researchers in indigenous languages, and the Michael Clyne Prize, for the best postgraduate research thesis in immigrant bilingualism and language contact.

Past recipients

The past recipients of the Michael Clyne Prize are:

• 2007: Brigitte Lambert from the University of Melbourne, for her PhD thesis on German language maintenance in Australia
• 2006: Jo-anne Hughson from the University of Melbourne, for her PhD thesis on Address in Spanish in an Australian context

The past recipients of the Gerhardt Laves Scholarship are:

• 2007 (joint): Jeremy Hammond from the University of Sydney, for fieldwork on the Whitesands language of Vanuatu
• 2007 (joint): Laura Dimock from the Victoria University of Wellington, for fieldwork on the Nahavaq language of Vanuatu

Michael Clyne Prize

Following a very generous contribution by Michael Clyne, the annual Michael Clyne Prize has been established for the best postgraduate research thesis in the area of immigrant bilingualism and language contact. This Prize is jointly administered by the Australian Linguistic Society and the Applied Linguistics Association of Australia.

Details of the Prize, including eligibility requirements, timeline and submission process, are as follows:

(a) Prize to be awarded to an MA(research) or PhD thesis examined (or passed by examiners) in the previous year - for example, the 2006 prize will be awarded to an MA(research) or PhD thesis awarded (or passed) in 2005 - that focuses on some aspect of immigrant bilingualism and language contact. The thesis should have been submitted at an Australian university.

(b) Submissions to be made by mid-March. Submissions should include: (i) a copy of examiners' reports; (ii) a 300-500 word summary of the thesis and its main findings; (iii) a supporting letter from the supervisor.

(c) Submissions to be assessed by a panel of 3, being the presidents of ALS and ALAA (or suitable representative from each society) and a representative from the area of sociolinguistics to be selected by the two presidents. Membership of the panel is determined on a yearly basis.

(d) Recipient to be notified by early April.

(e) Award to be $1000 cash prize plus contribution of up to $500 to cover costs (e.g. travel, accommodation, conference registration) for the recipient to attend either ALS or ALAA (their choice) to present a paper on their research.

(f) The recipient is to have a guaranteed slot in the conference of their choosing (i.e. either ALS or ALAA in the year of the award) since the reviewing of their abstract has been achieved via the award process.

(g) Summary of thesis to be published in newsletters of both associations when award is announced.

(h) Award to be announced at the AGMs of each society (presumably recipient will be present at (at least) one of these).

(i) Information about the prize, including a list of recipients, to be linked to both ALAA and ALS web pages.

(j) The prize will not be awarded in a given year if none of the applicants reach a suitable standard (as determined by the panel).

Submissions for 2007 Michael Clyne Prize

The Applied Linguistics Association of Australia and the Australian Linguistic Society invite submissions for the annual Michael Clyne Prize, to be awarded to the best PhD or MA (Research) with a focus on some aspect of immigrant bilingualism and language contact. The thesis must have been passed or the degree awarded at an Australian university in 2006.

The winner will be awarded a $1000 cash prize and a contribution of up to $500 to cover costs (e.g. travel, accommodation, conference registration) for the recipient to attend either ALS or ALAA in 2007 to present a paper on the research. The recipient will be guaranteed a slot at their chosen conference.

Submissions should include: (i) a copy of the examiners' reports; (ii) a 300-500 word summary of the thesis and its main findings; (iii) a supporting letter from the supervisor(s).

Further details of rules governing the prize are listed above.

Please submit documents by Friday 16 March 2007 to:
Dr Julie Bradshaw
Linguistics Program
School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics
Building 11
Monash University
VIC 3800

Tel: (03) 9905 5451
Email: julie.bradshaw-at-arts.monash.edu.au

The Gerhardt Laves Scholarship

In 2006 the Australian Linguistic Society established the annual Gerhardt Laves Scholarship to encourage postgraduate researchers into the field of indigenous languages, by helping cover linguistic fieldwork expenses. Details of the Scholarship, including eligibility requirements, and the application process and timing, are as follows:

(a) The Gerhardt Laves Scholarship is open to students who are (i) enrolled in a University undertaking an Honours or postgraduate research degree; and (ii) undertaking fieldwork on an indigenous language of Australia or its immediate region as part of their research towards that degree. Students who have already received a Laves Scholarship are permitted to reapply, but preference will be given to new applicants by the committee.

(b) Applications should be submitted to the ALS president before the deadline of March 31st. The name and contact details of the current ALS president can be found by clicking here. The recipient (and unsuccessful applicants) will be notified in late April. Retrospective claims for fieldwork conducted or begun earlier in the year (between Jan 1st and late April) will be considered.

(c) Applications should include: (i) a 1 page summary of the research plan; (ii) a budget; (iii) a supporting letter from the supervisor; and (iv) contact details of both the applicant and the supervisor. There is no form, just a Word document is sufficient.

(d) Applications are assessed by a panel of 3 ALS members selected by the president who have interests in field-based linguistics. Membership of the panel is determined on a yearly basis.

(e) The scholarship consists of an amount, approximately $2,000, to cover costs (e.g. travel, accommodation, subsistence, consultant's payments, etc.) that the recipient will encounter in undertaking fieldwork. A year's membership of the Australian Linguistic Society is also provided.

(f) Scholarship recipients are asked to account for their budget in a letter to the ALS president within 12 months and return any unspent funds to ALS. A list of recipients is maintained on the ALS website.

(g) The scholarship may not be awarded in any given year if none of the applicants are of a suitable standard (as determined by the panel).