The TIRF-British Council Research Mentoring Awards (RMA) program is now open!
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.
RMAs 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. Below, we outline goals of the program, eligibility criteria, the award timeline, and more.
Goals: The main goals of the RMA program are (1) to elevate the research capabilities of the mentees, thereby increasing the mentees’ ability to improve their skills as researchers, and (2) to support doctoral research supervisors in guiding their students’ research design and development.
Eligibility: Promising doctoral students who will have opportunities to influence pedagogy and research in the future in their home countries are encouraged to apply. Early-career doctoral students are welcome to apply, as are those who have applied for TIRF Doctoral Dissertation Grants (DDGs) in the past but have not been selected as DDG awardees. We welcome applications from admitted doctoral candidates in selected nations in Africa, East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Latin America who are planning to do research on any of the topics listed below. The list of focal countries can be found by clicking here and selecting the “Eligibility” tab.
Topics: Applicants’ doctoral research areas must include one of the TIRF Research Topics listed below. Click here for detailed descriptions for each of the topics.
- Content-based Instruction
- Digital Technology in Language Education
- English as a Medium of Instruction
- English for Specific Purposes
- Individual Learner Differences and Effective Language Education
- Language Assessment
- Language Policy and Planning
- Language Teacher Education
- Migrants and Refugees: Teaching and Assessing English
- Plurilingualism and Multilingualism in Business, Industry, the Professions, and Educational Contexts
- Revitalization of Endangered Indigenous Languages
- Teaching Second and Foreign Languages to Young Learners
Mentoring: The mentoring sessions will be delivered online. They will include focused, small-group webinars, mentor-mentee pairing to facilitate tailored training, and feedback on research proposal drafts.
Participants: Four or five doctoral students will be selected for this award. TIRF mentors will be identified, based on the research students’ interests and needs.
Timeline: Applications will be accepted through June 30, 2025. Recipients will be selected and notified by TIRF by mid-August 2025. Online meetings of TIRF mentors, the selected research students, and their university-based research supervisors will take place between August 2025 and January 2026.
Funding: RMA recipients will receive a stipend of $500, delivered after successful completion of the mentoring program.
Application Process: Application forms can be found by clicking here. Submit the application form, including a current copy of the doctoral candidate’s two-page curriculum vitae and the university research supervisor’s signed statement form in one single document by June 30, 2025 by clicking here.
Please write to [email protected] with any questions about the program.
