The NFMLTA/MLJ invites proposals for funding small conferences or symposia/colloquia. The chosen theme should be of significant current theoretical or practical interest in the field of language teaching and learning.
For 2026, one award in the amount of up to $10,000 will be made.
Proposals should be submitted electronically as a single PDF attachment to The Modern Language Journal editorial office at modernlanguagejournal @ gmail.com.
2026 proposal submissions due by: 11/30/2025
Grant decisions sent out by: 1/9/2026
The NFMLTA/MLJ Roundtable Conference Grants are open across a range of topical areas. However, the topic should align with the mission of the MLJ, to link cutting-edge research with applications/implications for teaching and learning in diverse educational settings, to diverse student groups, and with diverse languages. Preference will be given to events that include a focus on non-English language teaching and learning. The roundtables can take a variety of formats, among them meetings of a group of researchers to chart future research and practice in a particular field; small conferences that are open to the public; or symposia/colloquia held in conjunction with existing conferences.
The proposed event is intended to lead to a paper or set of papers to be published in a scholarly venue, including, potentially, articles, a guest-edited special issue, or the Perspective columns in the MLJ. A requirement of the grant is that the MLJ be given the first option to consider publication of scholarly work that comes out of the NFMLTA-funded event.
After its conclusion, roundtable organizers are expected to submit a summary of the event of approximately 1,000 words.
Proposals are to be submitted by a principal organizer, who will assume responsibility for the event and for subsequent publication of the results. Proposals should be presented in a document roughly 1,000–1,500 words in length and should include the following materials:
- Title of the event
- Description of and rationale for the proposed roundtable/conference/colloquia, including likely audience and possible outreach beyond the language studies field
- Short description that situates the topic of the event within the relevant literature and ongoing work in the field
- Location, timing, length, and format of the event, including, where applicable, names of presenters and topics/titles of presentations; inclusion of presenters’ names assumes that they have been contacted and would commit to the event upon funding availability.
- Budget table and brief accompanying narrative.
- Names and short (< 2-page) curricula vitae of the organizer(s) (NB. This final component does not count toward the overall length)
Eligible proposals will be assessed by a committee of the MLJ’s editorial team. Decision-making criteria include timeliness and likely impact of the proposed event and topic, the likely contribution of participants, and potential interest for the MLJ readership and broader communities of applied linguists and language educators.
Note that funds are intended to be spent on participant travel, accommodation, meals, and conference-related incidental expenses; the NFMLTA/MLJ does not pay indirect costs to institutions. Funds should be spent by no later than the end of the calendar year 2026 as funds from this grant will not rollover past the end of the award calendar year. Also, grants will not be made to individuals; instead, they go to hosting institutions.
Applicants are responsible for determining the institution’s requirements to ensure that it is prepared to administer the funds if the grant is awarded.
After notification of the award, transfer of the funds to the proposer’s institution will be arranged in a timely manner.