English Language Teaching Research Mentoring Scheme (ELTRMS)

Any person(s) resident in India and professionally involved in English language teaching with an affiliation to an educational institution in India.

This scheme was not intended to fund PhD studies or similar research leading to an academic degree.

We encouraged collaborations with other academics/ researchers in the field of ELT. 

Desirable areas of focus were:

1. Assessment (of English and 21st-century skills)
2. Harnessing technology for the teaching and learning of English (online / MOOCs / self-access / blended)
3. English for specific purposes and 21st-century skills for employability
4. Teacher education and development
5. Inclusive education practices for the teaching and learning of English
6. Using multilingual practices for the teaching and learning of English

but applications were not confined to these areas. Preference was given to studies rooted in the local ELT context and practice with potential to contribute something to the field of ELT in India and build towards enhancing our wider understanding of ELT contexts, practices and community.

There was a requirement for a clear research output in a form that could be shared publicly and without cost throughout the world (see the resulting research papers here). In addition to this output, researchers were encouraged to publish further outputs elsewhere, for example in peer-reviewed journals and at conferences. 

The following were the criteria in the selection of awardees:

• The potential impact of the research on ELT practice in India and beyond.
• The relevance of the project and research output to ELT professionals.
• The quality of the research design and the qualifications and experience of the researcher(s).
• The amount of funding requested and proportion of funding from other sources.
• The proposal's contribution to the aims of the scheme.
• The research must not have already taken place or be under wa

Awards were available for amounts starting from GBP 500 up to a maximum of GBP 2500, payable in INR. Funding was for a period of one year. 

Support was given over the 12-month period which included:

• Face-to-face induction with an ELT specialist and British Council academic team 
• Monthly webinars facilitated by the ELT specialist and/or British Council academic team 
• Participation in a digital community of practice
• Presenting research findings at an online dissemination event

Twelve selected researcher groups: 

• Dr. R. Vennela and KMC Kandharaja
• Kalyan Chattopadhyay, Kuheli Mukherjee and Mizo Prova Borah.  
• Jasti Appa Swami and SK Akram
• Saroja Ganapathy, Shamini Joshi and Kirti Nakhre
• Atanu Bhattacharya, Sunil S. Shah, Annaashirvadita Sacha and Bhavisha Vyas
• Ekta Goel
• Dr. PR Sujatha Priyadharsini and Dr. Veena Selvam
• Sujata Noronha, Anandita Rao, Melcom Braganza and Jewel Gomes 
• Dr. Khamseng Baruah and Dr. Parismita Sarma
• M Sarpparaje Saravanan,  Dr. VR Jeyasala, Rathiga Karuppasamy 
• Anindya Syam Choudhury
• Shree Deepa, Narji Baruah and Yalala Prakash Kumar 

Induction workshop on 27 and 28 April 2019

The ELTRMS cohort for 2019-20 came together in April for their face-to-face induction in Mumbai from nine states in India: Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, West Bengal. Some of the key highlights from the workshop included: the ELTRMS cohort presenting each other’s research projects and give constructive feedback; Dr Rama Mathew, ELTRMS Super Mentor, led sessions on: key features of quality research, ethics and research tools; Radhika Gholkar, Senior Academic Manager Higher Education and Skills, led a session on developing a theory of change to encourage and promote accountability and build a shared send of purpose for the programme. The workshop was a great success, participants left the induction empowered and inspired to carry out and uphold quality in all aspects of their research projects. Furthermore, they now had a new professional community to engage and learn from.

Online dissemination events from 18 to 20 May 2020

Nine researcher groups presented their research findings during these series of webinars. The session was hosted on Microsoft Teams with a turnout of more than 450 attendees overall. 

*Throughout the year the ELTRMS cohort met online on a monthly basis with their mentors.