Procedures:

To be considered for this award, submit electronically (PDF format) the files indicated below: 

1. Title page with the following information--author’s name, address, institutional affiliation, telephone, email, name of dissertation committee chair(s), committee members, and year of graduation.
2. Dissertation Summary (3-4 pages, single space) addressing the following items: 1) Relevance to bilingual education and/or bilingual populations; 2) Theoretical frameworks used; 3) Description of the methodology; 4) Key findings; 5) Significance to the field of bilingual education, bilingualism, and/or bilingual populations.
3. One-page letter of support written by dissertation chair, on university letterhead, speaking to the quality of the study and its impact to the field.

Selected finalists will be asked to submit the following for further consideration: 

• A journal-length manuscript stemming from the dissertation data that adheres to the APA manual’s (7th ed.) guidelines for manuscript preparation. The manuscript should be approximately 15-25 pages (double-spaced) and should be geared toward publication. By submitting your manuscript, you agree to have it go through the review process for possible publication in the TABE Journal of Bilingual Education Research & Instruction (JBERI). Refer to tabe.org for sample issues and articles. The manuscript should include: objectives/purpose; perspectives/theoretical framework; methods/mode of inquiry; data sources and analyses; results/discussion; and conclusion and educational/scientific importance of study. It will be judged primarily by a panel of scholars in the field. Failure to submit a manuscript as a finalist by the given deadline will remove you from further consideration for the Outstanding Dissertation Award.

Selected finalists will also be invited to present their research at the 2026 TABE Graduate Symposium following the Annual TABE Conference in San Antonio on October 19, 2026.

First place winner will receive a $500 award.

IMPORTANT DEADLINES

- Call for Nominations for the TABE Outstanding Dissertation Award: April 1-June 1, 2026

- Committee Initial Review of Applications: June 2-June 30, 2026

- Notification to Finalists: July 1, 2026

- Deadline for Finalists to Submit Article Manuscript: September 1, 2026

- Top Winners Announced: October 1, 2026

- Awards Ceremony: October 17, 2026 (2026 TABE Conference in San Antonio)

- Graduate Symposium Presentation: October 19, 2026

You will receive a confirmation email indicating that all files have been received.

The TABE Higher Education Committee, chaired by Dr. Christian Zúñiga, will select the winner based on the established criteria and make a recommendation to the TABE Executive Board no later than October 1, 2026. The winner will be notified at the latest the first week of October 2026.

Please note that members holding the office of president of local TABE affiliates or who have served on the TABE Board for the past two years are ineligible to receive this award. Dissertations needed to have been completed within the past two years. All applicants must reside in Texas and have their doctoral degree conferred from a Texas higher education institution.