Deadline: 18-Jan-23
The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) is now accepting Expressions of Interest (EOIs) for the Scaling Quality Teacher Professional Development (TPD) Grant Program.
Through the Scaling Quality Teacher Professional Development Grant Program, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) will support research teams working in eligible Global South countries to conceptualize and undertake research in support of effectively and sustainably scaling quality TPD relevant to national or sub-national needs. By doing so, this Grant Program aims to expand the evidence base on how to design, implement and improve quality TPD at scale in developing countries.
Research Themes
Research funded under this Grant Program must be related to one or more of the following research themes:
- Theme 1: Adaptations in modality to increase equity in access and participation in large scale TPD programs. In many contexts, teachers have a choice between in-person and online TPD; there are rarely hybrid offerings or there is only one hybrid offering for all teachers.
- Theme 2: Adaptations in the form of quality mentorship, coaching and tutoring within large-scale TPD programs. Currently, very few large-scale TPD programs provide quality mentoring, coaching or tutoring for teachers. This theme explores how quality tutoring (external experts usually with novice teachers), mentorship or coaching can be undertaken at scale in ways which are contextually appropriate for different subgroups of teachers.
- Theme 3: Personalizing assessment of teacher learning in large-scale TPD programs with a focus on peer and self-assessment. Sustainable improvement in practice requires teachers to become proficient in evaluating their own practice and identifying their own professional learning needs. But current assessment in many large-scale TPD programs fails to address this and is not customized for teachers’ own problems of practice and classroom needs.
- Theme 4: Scaling and sustaining teacher-driven models of professional collaboration. During the pandemic, as teaching and learning shifted to distance and online modes, there was tremendous pressure for improved TPD.
- Theme 5: Understanding localizations in large-scale TPD programs. There are large-scale TPD programs in operation where the original design included adaptation or localization at different levels or where those involved in the implementation have created variations of the initial model to improve equity and quality.
Funding Information
- Grants of up to CAD 500,000 are available through this Call for research projects of up to 30 months involving one to two eligible Global South countries.
- Teams whose EOIs are accepted will be invited to develop a full proposal. They may apply for funding of up to CAD 13,000 for full proposal development, specifically for conducting background research and stakeholder engagement activities to inform the full proposals.
Types of scaling research to be funded
Grants under this Call will support applied research that investigates adaptations in models or components of models for large-scale quality TPD. Note that the grants will not fund the implementation of large-scale TPD nor the expanded coverage of existing programs without localizations or variations to improve equity and quality. The Grant Program will fund scaling research such as:
- Investigations of adaptations within existing or planned large-scale TPD programs to improve equity for all teachers;
- Designing a new model for large-scale TPD that includes adaptations for different subgroups of teachers and contexts, and piloting of the model; and
- Explorations of the conditions and support required to enable local actors to exercise agency in strengthening ownership, sustainability and teachers’ depth of engagement with an informal or formal TPD program either at scale or with potential to be scaled.
Eligibility Criteria
- This Grant Program is open to organizations only; individuals may not apply. Organizations may be public, private non-profit or private for-profit.
- Research projects may be proposed in up to two countries in the same or different regions.
- Research projects may be proposed by one lead organization or by a consortium of up to three organizations with a designated lead organization. If the grant application is successful, the lead organization will be the grantee and therefore must be an independent legal entity that has the ability to enter into contracts in their own right and name, and to administer and transfer foreign funds. The lead organization must be based in the region (for a single country project) or one of the regions (in a two-country project in different regions) where the research will take place. If the lead organization is not based in the target country, it must have a partner organization based in that country.
- The research team must include members based in the target country or countries.
- Research must be related to at least one of the themes.
- The TPD program to be studied may or may not involve the use of ICTs.
Criteria
- Relevance and priorities of research and research questions
- Research design and methodology
- Organizational and individual capabilities
- Gender, equity and social inclusion (GESI) considerations
- Engagement, impact and learning
For more information, visit IDRC.