NCBE Validity and Fairness Research Award

NCBE Validity and Fairness Research Award

Funder: National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE)

Purpose: Provides support for research that identifies aspects of validity evidence for licensure and certification testing. Conceived by Hon. Phyllis D. Thompson, a judge on the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and former member of the NCBE Board of Trustees.

Eligibility:

Graduate students in any discipline

Faculty in any discipline

Research must focus on validity evidence for licensure and certification testing

Focus Areas:

Validity evidence including:

- Scoring
- Response processes
- Impact of licensure and certification testing
- Cognitive and affective processes in performance assessment
- Cultural fairness and comparability of scores
- Bar passage indicators
- Effects of institution type on bar passage rates
- English language proficiency and bar passage
- International LL.M. and J.D. student success

Geographic Scope: No geographic restrictions stated

Contact Information:

National Conference of Bar Examiners

302 South Bedford Street

Madison, WI 53703-3622

Email: communications@ncbex.org

Website: https://www.ncbex.org

Background: This award is one of two research funding opportunities provided by NCBE. Recent recipients include:

2024: Jade Caines Lee, PhD (University of Kansas) and Brian Sites (University of Miami)

2026: Roza Nalbandyan (Harvard University)