Call for Applications

 

International TESOL Union Seed Research Fund 2025                                                              

 

International TESOL Union (ITU) invites applications, worldwide, for its annual seed research fund program. The program provides two grants (US$500 per grant) to researchers engaged in new research projects relevant to topics of applied linguistics and English language education.

 

Eligibility

Applications for seed research fund may be submitted by any public or private academic institutions worldwide. To qualify for the competition, the lead applicant needs to be an International TESOL Union member (it is free to join online at https://www.tesolunion.org/membership/  or https://www.tesolcommunications.com/membership/); the proposed project can be undergoing, near completion, or completed upon submission, but it should not be published.

 

Application Procedures

Deadline for the application is October 30, 2025. Winners will be notified by email before November 30, 2025. The applicant is expected to render a final report by November 30, 2026. The winning projects will be featured on ITU sponsored journal websites (www.tesolunion.org, www.tesolcommunications.com) and in the journals’ publications. A complete application needs to consist of the following documents:

1. A research proposal, written in APA format of no more than three pages, outlining the following points (if any): the problem or hypotheses addressed; the theoretical framework; the methods for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data; and the expected results and their significance. Remove any identifying information, including applicant’s name and institution from this document.

2. A current academic Curriculum Vitae of the lead applicant.

3. A Letter of Endorsement by the applicant’s supervisor (if applicants are research students) or the applicant’s institutional line manager or equivalent, such as department/school heads. This letter should come along with the application.

 

All documents need to be submitted electronically to info@tesolunion.org with the subject line “ITU Seed Research Fund 2025”.

 

Review Considerations

Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical merits by the ITU Scholarship Committee. Reviewers will mainly consider the following criteria: relevance to the topics of applied linguistics and language education, innovativeness/significance of the research idea, and creativity and validity of the approach including the research design, methods, and analyses.

 

Enquiries about this program shall be directed to info@tesolunion.org.

 

International TESOL Union Best Paper Award 2025                                                                   

 

This initiative underscores the International TESOL Union’s commitment to fostering global academic exchange and supporting cutting-edge research in English language education‌.

 

Eligibility‌

Papers published in International Journal of TESOL Studies (www.tesolunion.org) and TESOL Communications (www.tesolcommunications.com) between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2025 are eligible for the selection.

 

Selection Process

No author application required. ‌The ITU Scholarship Committee will evaluate all eligible papers published in the two journals. The review process will focus on the paper's originality, methodological rigor, and theoretical or practical contributions.

 

Review outcome will be notified by March 30, 2026.

 

Award

‌The winner will receive a certificate recognizing their outstanding contribution and a cash prize of 100 US dollars.

 

Publication Highlights

The winning paper will be featured on ITU sponsored journal websites and authors will be invited to present their work at ITU annual TESOL conference.