Call for Applications – Action Research Mentoring Scheme, 2026-2027

The Action Research Mentoring Scheme is designed to support teacher educators and academics as they mentor a small group of English language teachers through classroom-based research projects.

Mandatory

• The applicant is an ELT institute with the capacity and expertise to conduct action research with teachers currently teaching English at the primary or secondary level in government schools in India.
• The proposed action research addresses a relevant and clearly defined issue aligned with the priority themes outlined in the call.
• The project implementation plan is clear, feasible and realistic, including an appropriate mentoring model, teacher support plan, workshops, timelines and budget.
• The proposal appropriately integrates considerations relating to gender, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), and climate change into the project design and implementation.
• The applicant has the necessary institutional approvals, permissions and ethical clearances (where required) to undertake the proposed research.
• The applicant is a legally registered organisation in India and is FCRA compliant and eligible to receive international grant funding.
• The applicant demonstrates the organisational capacity, project management expertise and financial systems necessary to successfully deliver and manage the research grant.

Desirable:

• The applying institution has prior experience of conducting action research in English language teaching or related educational contexts.
• The applying institution has access to and established engagement with a suitable cohort of English teachers in government primary or secondary schools who can participate in the action research.
• The applying institution has experience of designing and delivering teacher professional development programmes, including mentoring, workshops, or capacity-building initiatives for teachers.

The topics for research will fall under the following themes –

1. Teaching English in a multilingual classroom
2. Assessments for multilingual classrooms
3. Use of edtech to teach multilingual classrooms
4. Language-responsive pedagogy for foundational learning
5. Teacher professional development for multilingual education

Applicants should fill the below application pack that forms part of the call and submit it at TeachEnglish.India@britishcouncil.org . 

Application documents should include:

• Proposal response
• Budget

 Application deadline: Monday 14 September 2026 by midnight India time.

 Applications submitted after this date may not be considered by the reviewing panel.

 For questions, please email TeachEnglish.India@britishcouncil.org by 22 August 2026.

 Subject line for applications: Action Research Mentoring Scheme (ARMS), 2026-2027, India

Applications will be reviewed by a panel from the British Council. This will be evaluated as set out below:

• Applications will be checked to ensure that they have been completed correctly and all necessary information has been provided.
• Applications should correctly complete all relevant information being provided and all mandatory requirements as outlined in the proposal
• A scoring matrix will be used to evaluate the applications.  The principles underlying the assessment of applications will be:
• All questions on the application form are answered
• The proposed research project provides a clear rationale of the research project being undertaken and the objectives of the research.
• The project implementation plan is clear and mentions the research outputs, outcomes and timelines.
• A rational budget plan is provided stating the costs required to conduct the research.