CFP: Sheik Nahayan Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships (TIRF)

Fri Dec 14 15:30:32 UTC 2007

http://www.tirfonline.org/nahayanfellowshipscall.html

Sheik Nahayan Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships

Deadline: February 29, 2008

Sheikh Nahayan Bin Mubarak Al Nahayan of the United Arab Emirates has made a generous contribution to TIRF to stimulate language education research on issues of specific relevance and importance to educators in the Arab world. The fund will support three doctoral dissertation grants per year for each of three years for a total of nine Sheikh Nahayan Fellowships. 

This research will address topics of concern and provide input for policy makers. The fellowships will generate such research by providing financial support for graduate students enrolled in doctoral programs in language education throughout the world who focus their own dissertations on topics that would inform education policy makers in the Arab world. A second competition will be conducted in 2008-2009, and a third in 2009-2010.

Applicants can choose any one of the following topics: 

Integration of Grammar Instruction into EFL Curricula: Approaches and their Effectiveness 

Teachers' English Proficiency and Effective English Language Education 

Students' Age and Effective English Language Education in Schools 

Optimal Uses of Technology in the Delivery of English Language Instruction <http://www.tirfonline.org/technologypriority.html>  

Doctoral candidates may also submit research proposals on any other topic of direct relevance to the teaching and learning of English in the Arab world (for example, the cultural content of instructional materials). 

Sheikh Nahayan Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship Features

Each fellowship will be in the amount of US $25,000. The first installment will be in the amount of US $12,500. The second installment will be paid when TIRF receives clear evidence that the fellowship recipient has made substantial progress toward completing the research project. 

Research involving multiple research methods (e.g., qualitative and quantitative approaches) is encouraged.

Research that involves the synthesis of existing data sets and research findings will also be considered. 

No grant funds can be used to cover indirect costs or university overhead. 

Additional sources of funding applied for or received for the same research project or a larger project should be declared. Note: seeking or obtaining other sources of funding for the project does not prevent you from applying for the Sheikh Nahayan Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship. However, it is important that you state the unique contribution that receiving this fellowship would make to your doctoral research project. 

Application Procedures

The deadline for receipt of complete proposals is February 29, 2008 (11:59 p.m., Mountain Standard Time in Salt Lake City, UT, USA). No extensions are allowed.

All applications must be submitted electronically by email using a single Word attachment that includes all parts of the completed application. Please send completed applications to the Sheikh Nahayan Fellowship Committee at u0067397 at utah.edu <mailto:u0067397 at utah.edu> . 

Please indicate "Fellowship Application" in the Subject heading. This format will permit us to review applications in a timely way. Faxed or mailed applications will not be accepted. Applications will be acknowledged upon receipt to the email address from which the application was sent. 

Please do not submit your application more than once. If more than one application is submitted by the same person, only the first application will be read. 
Applications must comply with the appended proposal format. Applications that do not follow these specifications or are incomplete will be automatically rejected. 

Questions about the 2007-2008 application procedures only may be addressed to Dr. Kathi Bailey at kbailey at miis.edu with "Sheikh Nahayan Application" in the subject line.

Grant Adjudication

Research proposals will be adjudicated by a committee comprised of at least two currently appointed Board members and other internationally recognized researchers. 

This committee retains final authority over all decisions. We regret that we are unable to provide feedback to unsuccessful applicants about the reasons for which they were not funded. Unfortunately, because of the limited funds available, not all applications worthy of funding will be approved for funding. In 2007-08, up to three Sheikh Nahayan Fellowships will be awarded. 

Notification of Results

Notification of results will be made by May 1, 2008. 

By September 1, 2008 and again by March 1, 2009, recipients of the 2008 awards will submit one- to two-page written progress reports.

Fellowship recipients will acknowledge TIRF's support and the Sheikh Nahayan Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship in the dissertation and in any derivative publications.

When the dissertation is completed, fellowship recipients will submit an electronic copy of the dissertation to TIRF. 

At project completion, researchers must also electronically submit a report (3-5 pages) summarizing their findings. The Foundation reserves the right to use information from project proposal summaries and final reports for dissemination on its website. 

In addition, all conference presentations and publications based on the doctoral research must acknowledge the Sheikh Nahayan Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship and the support of TIRF. 

Sheikh Nahayan Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship Application Format

1. Cover page
Title of project
Full name and affiliation of applicant.

Email, phone, fax, and mailing address for applicant. It is crucial that the email address for the applicant is correct; be sure to indicate the email address to which you would like the results of the competition to be sent. 

Proposals must include the name and email address of the research supervisor or advisor. 

2. Project summary (200-250 words): 
The summaries of successful proposals will be made public on TIRF's website as well as the through other media.
Summaries may be edited by TIRF's representatives prior to posting. 

3. Detailed proposal (6 pages maximum, single-spaced, 12-pt font), using the following section headings:
Statement of research issue or problem phrased as clear research questions.

Relationship to the research priorities of the Sheikh Nahayan Fellowship topics.

Theoretical background. (Please integrate within this section the research literature that you are drawing upon to situate your study; you must convince the committee that you are familiar with current, relevant research.)

Research methodology (a clear description of data collection and data analysis procedures to be used).
Statement of implications of research for theory, policy, and/or practice.

A clear timetable of plans for conducting the study.

Plans for dissemination (i.e., identify the scholarly conferences at which you would be likely to present the results and the specific journals or other forms of publication to which you would submit your research findings).

Brief explanation of how principles of research ethics will be upheld. If you are not familiar with guidelines for ethical research, you may wish to consult the Informed 

Consent Guidelines published at the back of each issue of the TESOL Quarterly or in most current research methods textbooks in education. 

Selected bibliography (2 pages maximum, not included in the 6-page limit)

4. Detailed budget and brief rationale for all items (2 pages maximum)
Itemized expenses (e.g., personnel, transportation, communication, supplies and other expenses), dissemination, costs of hiring a replacement teacher to release you for research purposes; and a rationale for budget items. Please be as specific as possible and indicate all costs in US Dollars.

Statement about other research funding applied for or received for the same project or for a larger/related study, and how the Sheikh Nahayan Fellowship will make a unique contribution to the successful completion of the project. (Note: applicants are permitted to seek or obtain additional funds to complete the research project, but should explain the nature and function of the funding from the different sources.) 

5. A short, current CV of the doctoral candidate
Two (2) pages maximum; 
Must be contained within the master document

Please note: Each application must consist of one Word document. Do not send separate attachment files for the various sections of the proposal. Do not send more than one version of the proposal. The first version of the proposal received by TIRF is the application which will be reviewed by the committee.

In addition: An email letter of verification must be sent by your doctoral supervisor.

Your research supervisor must email a letter directly to TIRF at u0067397 at utah.edu.
The subject heading of the email should say "Supervisor's Letter for [your full name]" by the application deadline to verify your status in your doctoral program. 

To be eligible, you must have completed all doctoral program requirements apart from the dissertation and must have had a research proposal or topic already approved by a supervisory committee or appropriate Faculty Board. 

The letter from the research supervisor should comment on your readiness and ability to undertake the proposed project with support of a Sheikh Nahayan Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship. 

Please do not submit letters from more than one supervisor. 

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