We are pleased to announce the 2026 TIRF-British Council Research Mentoring Award (RMA) recipients!

Now in its fourth year, the RMA program is designed to support new researchers and improve the quality of research undertaken by students in doctoral programs within the field of English language education on issues of mutual interest to TIRF and the British Council. The awards are offered to doctoral students in approximately 60 countries from four different geographic regions around the world: Africa, Latin America, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. For further background information about the awards, the program’s key features, and past recipients, click here.

Once again this year, six individuals have been awarded RMAs. The recipients’ names, bio statements, home countries, dissertation titles, and the TIRF Research Topics investigated are provided below.

2026 TIRF British Council RMA Recipients

	Name & Bio: Ahmed Mekete Ali is an Ethiopian English language educator, university lecturer, and Ph.D. researcher in TEFL at Wollo University. His research focuses on AI in language education, particularly the development, validation, and evaluation of a pedagogically grounded AI-Supported Extensive Reading Framework (AI-SERF) to enhance EFL learners’ reading engagement and comprehension in resource-constrained contexts. Hometown: Dessie, Ethiopia Project Title: Developing, Validating, and Evaluating an Artificial Intelligence-Supported Extensive Reading Framework for Enhancing Reading Engagement and Reading Comprehension Among EFL Learners TIRF Research Topics Investigated: (1) Artificial Intelligence; (2) Individual Learner Difference and Effective Language Education; and (3) Teaching Second and Foreign Language to Young Learners
	Name & Bio: Danica Hanna Pastor-Bagayas is a doctoral candidate in English Language Studies at the University of Santo Tomas, Philippines. Her dissertation examines the integration of forensic linguistics in criminal justice education, with a focus on curriculum development and interdisciplinary competence. Her research interests include forensic linguistics, sociolinguistics, language education, curriculum development, and English for specific purposes. Hometown: City of Batac, Philippines Project Title: Integrating Forensic Linguistics in Criminal Justice Education: Toward a Framework for Curriculum Development and Interdisciplinary Competence TIRF Research Topic Investigated: English for Specific Purposes
	Name & Bio: Gizachew Kindie is a faculty member and a Ph.D. candidate in ELT at Hawassa University, Ethiopia. His doctoral research project focuses on investigating the implementation of ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies) in EFL pre-service teacher training programs in Ethiopia, specifically focusing on EFL teacher educators’ and trainees’ perceptions and current experiences and practices, as well as the promises and barriers to the successful integration of ICTs in teaching and learning. Hometown: Burie Damot, Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia Project Title: An Investigation Into the Implementation of ICTs in EFL Pre-Service Teacher Training Programs in Ethiopia: Perceptions, Practices, Promises, and Barriers TIRF Research Topic Investigated: Language Teacher Education
	Name & Bio: Nguyen Thi Thuy Linh, an English teacher with about 15 years of experience, is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Theory and Methodology of English Language Teaching at Hue University, Vietnam. Her research investigates how English teachers develop their competence from the pre-service stage through the early stages of their in-service practice. Using a qualitative, longitudinal multiple-case study design, the study aims to provide deep insights into the continuum of teacher competence development. Hometown: Hue, Vietnam Project Title: A Case Study on the Development of English Teachers’ Competence: From Pre-Service Preparation to In-Service Practice in Vietnam TIRF Research Topic Investigated: Language Teacher Education
	Name & Bio: Veronica Nkeiru Oboh is a doctoral researcher of English language education at the University of Nigeria. Her work focuses on technology-enhanced language learning, academic writing development, and the responsible integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in education. Her dissertation investigates the effects of generative AI writing assistance on academic writing achievement and writing self-efficacy among English language learners in Nigerian federal universities. Hometown: Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria Project Title: Effects of Generative AI Writing Assistance on Academic Writing Achievement and Writing Self-Efficacy Among English Language Learners in Federal Universities in Northeast Nigeria TIRF Research Topic Investigated: Artificial Intelligence
	Name & Bio: Winnifred John is a doctoral student in Arts Education at the University of Jos, Nigeria, and teaches in an orphanage in Jos. Her research examines the effects of the Language Experience Approach on upper-primary pupils’ reading comprehension in Jos North, Plateau State. She is passionate about improving English language teaching outcomes in multilingual Nigerian classrooms. Hometown: Gusau, Zamfara State, Nigeria Project Title: Effects of Language Experience Approach on Upper-Primary Pupils’ Reading Comprehension Achievement in Jos North Local Government Area, Plateau State, Nigeria TIRF Research Topic Investigated: Teaching Second and Foreign Languages to Young Learners

TIRF aims to continue to offer the RMA programs next year and beyond. Please follow our updates by signing up to receive TIRF Today – our monthly newsletter – if you have not already done so.

Please join us in congratulating the 2026 TIRF-British Council Research Mentoring Award recipients!