Awards and Grants
John Mabry Student Travel Grant: Currently not open (click for more information)
Student Research Grant: Currently not open (click for more information)
Student Paper Competition: Currently not open (click for more information)
John Mabry Research Grant: Currently not open (click for more information)
Early Career Researcher in Verbal Behavior Award: Currently not open (click for more information)
Supporting Students
The VB SIG Student Research Grant Award provides monetary support to conduct empirical research in verbal behavior led by a graduate or undergraduate student. Eligible proposals may be relevant to any topic in verbal behavior (e.g., private events, rule-governed behavior, assessment, second language acquisition, primary or secondary verbal operants) and may include work with non-human animals.
The VB SIG Student Paper Competition provides monetary awards for research papers in verbal behavior led by a graduate or undergraduate student. A submitted paper must be original research/work in the area of verbal behavior with an undergraduate or graduate student as the first author.
2026 Professional Awards and Grants
The VB SIG strives to promote the research and clinical excellence in the practice of verbal behavior and supervision and teaching of other professionals in the field. Specifically, the Early Career Researcher in Verbal Behavior Award recognizes an early career researcher (within 10 years of doctoral degree) with outstanding contributions to verbal behavior research, the Clinical Supervisor in Verbal Behavior Award recognizes one supervising clinician who is implementing assessment and treatment based on Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior, the Jack Michael Award recognizes one individual for their outstanding contributions to the advancement of the study of verbal behavior, and the John Mabry Research Grant supports an early career researcher in their empirical work.
Past Professional, Student Award, and Grant Winners
2025 Jack Michael Award
Dr. Alice Shillingsburg
University of Nebraska Medical Center
2026 Clinical Supervisor Award in Verbal Behavior
Dr. Willow Hozella
May Institute
2025 Early Career Researcher in Verbal Behavior Award
Dr. Mirela Cengher
University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
2026 John Mabry Research Grant
Dr. Eilís O'Connell-Sussman
Endicott College
Title: Effects of Contingent Imitation on the Emerging Vocalizations and Echoics of Infants with Down Syndrome
2026 John Mabry Travel Award
Tianjiao Li
University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
Project Title: Assessing the Effectiveness of the One-Person-One Language Approach in Bilingual Language Instruction
​Advisor: Dr. Mirela Cengher