ELTRA guidelines

English Language Teaching Research Awards (ELTRAs) 2024–25

Through this successful and popular scheme, we aim to facilitate the production of original research to contribute to the body of knowledge related to English language teaching and learning by co-funding a number of partnership awards.

Resulting papers will be published as part of the British Council ELTRA series.

Please read the ELTRA Call for proposals carefully as some details of the ELTRA scheme have changed since the last call.

What is the purpose of the ELTRA scheme?

  • To facilitate the production of high-quality research relevant to ELT practitioners.
  • To improve access of ELT policy makers and professionals worldwide to high-quality and relevant research.
  • To facilitate and encourage the establishment and maintenance of active research links between ELT professionals, researchers and policy makers in the UK and internationally.

Who may apply?

Any person with a formal affiliation to a UK higher educational institution may submit a proposal. The award agreement will be with the institution and not with the individual. Applications must include a letter from the institution confirming they are prepared to accept and manage the award.

The scheme aims to encourage effective research partnerships between academics and institutions in the UK and those in ODA-eligible countries (see https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/topics/policy-sub-issues/oda-eligibility-and-conditions/DAC-List-of-ODA-Recipients-for-reporting-2024-25-flows.pdf  for the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) list of ODA-eligible countries).

The person submitting the application (the co-Principal Investigator) must be formally attached to a UK university. However, applications will only be considered if they include at least one additional co-Principal Investigator who is a national of and is based in a recognised institution in an ODA-eligible country which is included as a research location in the proposed study. The research should, in whole or in part, take place outside the UK, with additional co-researchers and research participants based predominantly in ODA-eligible countries. Priority will be given to proposals that also include an early-career researcher.  

What type of activity can be considered?

For this year’s awards, the British Council wishes to fund research focussing on empowerment through English language teaching and learning. This could include:

  • research in contexts where English language teaching and learning can be linked to the removal of barriers to education and skills development, and the provision of equal access to knowledge and opportunities to build capacity
  • research exploring circumstances where English language teaching and learning enhances individuals’ access to decent work, economic and social well-being, voice, influence, agency and control over their lives and the institutions that affect them
  • research exploring the role of English language teaching and learning in crisis settings, such as conflict zones or areas impacted by climate change, where access to education and skills is limited.

Relevant themes within these contexts that research projects might focus on could include: girls’ education; crisis displacement and migration (including as a result of climate change), including rural-to-urban displacement and urban marginalisation; life skills for young people; disabled teachers and/or learners; multilingual teaching strategies; digital literacy; teacher and learner wellbeing; language learning and conflict resolution/prevention; English language learning and indigenous languages.

What type of activity is outside the scheme?

  • We define research as original investigation undertaken in order to gain knowledge and understanding.
  • The research must not have already taken place or be underway.
  • The research outputs, including the final paper, must be in English (though there may also be a version of all or part of the output(s) in another language or languages).
  • Funding will usually only be agreed for a period of one year. If your project will require more than one year, you will need to give a clear justification for this on the application form.
  • This scheme is not intended to fund the field work of Ph.D. candidates or similar.
  • Researchers/institutions who have yet to complete an existing ELTRA-funded project are not eligible to apply for another ELTRA. Recipients of awards will become eligible to submit research proposals when the research paper from a previous ELTRA award has been accepted for publication by the British Council.

How can I apply?

Please read the ELTRA Call for proposals carefully as some details of the scheme have changed since last year.

See terms and conditions:

Annex 3a Schedule 3 for awards up to £20k
Annex 3b Schedule 3 for awards over £20k

On Friday 15 November we held a webinar for potential applicants, where we discussed the details of the scheme and addressed questions.

Watch the webinar recording

Read the ELTRA 2024-25 Q&As

 

To apply, please submit:

A completed application form (Annex 1)
A completed budget form (Annex 2)
CVs of all project researchers
Signed letters of support from both co-PIs’ universities

by 23.59 on Friday 31 January 2025

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