ACTR Professional Development Fund 
in honor of Olga E. Kagan
Up to $300 for each of two awardees per year

Applications are due April 1, 2024

Honoring Olga E. Kagan, an expert in second language and heritage language pedagogy and a colleague who was renowned for her dedication to professional development, the purpose of this grant is to support the professional development of Russian language instructors.
 
This fund offers support for Russian language instructors, including, but not exclusive to, graduate students. Two grants (up to $300) awarded annually will help offset the cost of professional development in language pedagogy. Eligible reimbursable expenses include travel to professional and academic conferences, conference registration fees, pedagogical workshops, and other professional development and/or training activities which focus on language pedagogy.
 
In each grant period, the focus will be on a specific group of Russian language instructors (graduate students, adjuncts, limited-term faculty, etc.). The 2023-2024 grant period will support adjunct instructors with less than 100% employment at any one post-secondary institution (2- or 4-year college/university).
 
Requirements for the current grant period:
  • Must be enrolled an adjunct (part-time, with less than 100% employment at any one post-secondary institution) instructors teaching in a program in Russian language, literature or cultural studies or in a related discipline
  • Funds must be used within 12 months of notification of the award
  • Grants will be disbursed upon presentation of receipts
  • Must be an ACTR member if awarded (membership is not required to be considered)
    ​
The application includes: 
  • an application form 
  • a statement explaining how the chosen activity or event will support the applicant’s professional development as an instructor of the Russian language 
  • an itemized budget showing eligible expenses
  • a letter from the program director or department chair stating that the full cost of the professional development opportunity cannot be covered by other resources available to the applicant at their home institution​
Applications are due by April 1, 2024
This fund is made possible by generous donations by ACTR members and Olga's colleagues outside of ACTR.
Questions?
Email Irina Dubinina at 
​idubinin at brandeis.edu
Selection Committee 
Susan Kresin, UCLA (chair)
Evgeny Dengub, USC
Irina Dubinina, Brandeis U
Olga Klimova,
​U of Pittsburgh
Kaylin Land, McGill U
Benjamin Rifkin, Fairleigh Dickinson U
Past Grant Recipients
​
2023
  • Liubov Kartashova (University of South Carolina), Varvara Kurylova (University of Cincinnati) and Daria Smirnova (University of South Carolina) attended the STARTALK Russian pedagogy workshop at Middlebury College, Vermont in the summer of 2023

2022
  • Natalia Petrova (University of Wisconsin-Madison) attended the workshop "Connecting Learning Target to Checks for Learning" organized by PEARLL Summer Institute at the University of Maryland
  • Kamila Saifeeva (University of Kansas) attended the workshop “Using the Target Language​" organized by PEARLL Summer Institute at the University of Maryland
Olga Kagan (1947-2018) was a professor of Russian at UCLA for more than 30 years and directed both the UCLA International Institute’s Center for World Languages and the National Heritage Language Resource Center. She co-authored 11 Russian-language textbooks, as well as numerous articles and book chapters on the study and teaching of Russian as L2 and heritage language. A talented educator, a dedicated researcher, and a passionate advocate for bilingualism, she made fundamental contributions to the field of heritage language study and pedagogy. She served on the ACTR Board of Directors for many years and supported Russian language teachers both in the US and internationally through professional workshops, mentorship, and research collaborations.​