There are a number of funding opportunities available to students, and we strongly encourage you to apply. Although these awards are competitive, CRELLA students have an outstanding record of success, earning prestigious recognition from leading organisations in language testing and applied linguistics.

This page highlights some of the smaller funding schemes you may wish to consider and showcases the honours our students have received, illustrating their contributions to research, scholarship, and professional practice. These achievements reflect both the high calibre of CRELLA’s training and the dedication, innovation, and impact of our emerging scholars.

Please see the awards highlighted in each section below.

Assessment Research Awards (British Council)

The purpose of the assessment research awards is to assist doctoral level research students (PhD/EdD) in their data collection and/or analysis activities or in presenting their work at an international conference.

The application should be completed by the research student and his/her academic supervisor and should include details of how the award will contribute to the completion of the student’s work, or details of the paper accepted for presentation at the conference. There are a number of awards available on an annual basis, to a maximum value of £2,500 per award.

Our past winners include:

• Jamie Lesley, 2024
• Katie Halley, 2024
• Carolyn Westbrook, 2017
• Edit Ficzere, 2015
• Tanzeela Anbreen, 2015
• Suwimol Jaiyote, 2014
• Yumiko Moore, 2014

Dissertation Research Awards in Language Assessment (Duolingo)

The Duolingo Dissertation Awards Program supports dissertation research by doctoral candidates specializing in language assessment. The awards program is open to doctoral candidates worldwide; previous winners of this award who have not yet completed their dissertation are eligible to apply. Each winner will be awarded $5,000.

Language Learning Dissertation Grant Program

The Language Learning Dissertation Grant Program is aimed at facilitating the research work of doctoral candidates in the language sciences. Language Learning seeks to receive and review proposals for dissertation studies that are within the mission, scope, and areas of research published in the journal. Please note there is only one dissertation grant application deadline, specified below, and that up to 10 applications will be funded in total.

These grants are designed to cover actual expenses—up to $2,000 per grant, connected with the research component of the dissertation (e.g., travel for data collection, essential equipment, compensation for participants, materials)—that have not yet been incurred prior to the date of the application. Applicants should be at the level of "advanced candidacy" (i.e., have completed required courses and comprehensive exams), and their dissertation proposal should have been approved by the relevant departmental authorities at their institutions.

Caroline Clapham IELTS Masters Award

Annually: 30 June is the deadline for submission of dissertation extracts and supervisor's reference to Cambridge English for the Caroline Clapham IELTS Masters Award

The £1000 prize is given in memory of Caroline Clapham, recognising her contribution to IELTS and the wider field of language testing.

To be eligible, theses must have been written as part of a Master's degree or its equivalent, and must be supported by a letter from the applicant's academic supervisor. The work should be focused on language testing, but need not be IELTS-related.

Submissions are reviewed and evaluated by the IELTS Joint Research Committee using the criteria set out below. The Committee’s decision is final and we reserve the right not to make an award.

The award is usually presented at a major language testing event during the following year. The winner’s attendance at this event will be sponsored by the IELTS Partners.

TIRF Doctoral Dissertation Grant

The TIRF Doctoral Dissertation Grants competition's research priorities are (1) Language Planning and Policy; (2) Curriculum, Instruction, and Teacher Preparation; and (3) Language Assessment.

Since 2002, TIRF has supported students completing their doctoral research on topics related to the foundation’s priorities. Each year, applicants who have been advanced to candidacy in legitimate PhD or EdD programs are invited to submit proposals for Doctoral Dissertation Grants (DDGs). (By “advanced to candidacy” we mean [a] having completed all required course work, if any, and [b] having had a research plan approved by the candidate’s university committee.) Proposals are reviewed by a TIRF committee of established international researchers. DDGs are provided in the amount of up to US $5,000 per awardee.

TOEFL® Grant for Doctoral Research in Language Assessment

The TOEFL® Grant for Doctoral Research in Language Assessment supports the timely completion of doctoral research in foreign or second language assessment. PhD candidates around the world working on dissertation research in language assessment are encouraged to apply.

Our past winners include:

• Margarida Pato 2024
• Edit Ficzere 2015

Jacqueline Ross TOEFL® Dissertation Award

The TOEFL Dissertation Award recognises doctoral dissertation research that makes a significant and original contribution to knowledge about second or foreign-language tests and testing and/or the use and development of such tests and testing.

The award value is up to $2,500 (U.S. dollars) plus round-trip economy airfare, expenses and hotel accommodations for three nights at the Language Testing Research Colloquium (LTRC), where the award is presented.

Past winner:

• Nicholas Glasson 2024

The LanguageCert Post Graduate Research Awards

The LanguageCert Post Graduate Research Awards support and recognise the contribution of high-quality research in the field of English language assessment.

The Awards are open to PhD candidates and Master students.

PhD Research Award Category

Two awards for the top two PhD Theses in English Language assessment

• First Award: £4,000
• Second Award: £2,000

MA Research Award Category

One award for the top Master Dissertation in English Language assessment: £2,000

Our past winner:

• Alun Roger 2023

Christopher Brumfit Essay Prize

The winner(s) of the Christopher Brumfit Essay Prize will receive (or share in the case of co-authors) a £500 credit to be used to purchase books available in the current Cambridge University Press catalogue.

The winning essay - revised where appropriate in line with referees’ comments - will be prioritised for publication in the first available issue of the journal.

The winner will be nominated for a one-year period as a member of the Language Teaching Editorial Board and designated in all outlets of the journal as the “Christopher Brumfit Award Winner”.

The Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation (GBSF) award

The Foundation supports stronger UK–Japan relations by funding educational, cultural, and research activities that deepen mutual understanding across fields such as arts, humanities, social issues, science and technology, medicine and health, Japanese studies, and language education. The GBSF grants provide seed funding rather than core support and typically cover travel, accommodation, workshops, exchanges, research collaboration, and cultural programmes, but not salaries, consumables, or materials. The UK and Japan offices run separate award cycles, with UK deadlines in March, September, and December, and Japan deadlines in February and September. Standard travel grants range from £2,000–£2,500 for UK applicants and up to ¥300,000 for Japanese PhD students, with up to £5,000 available for long-term fieldwork; undergraduate and master's study is not funded except through nominated studentships. In addition to regular grants, the annual Butterfield Awards offer up to £10,000 per year for up to three years to support high-level UK–Japan collaboration in medicine and health.

Our past winner:

• Jamie Lesley 2024

EALTA student travel grant

EALTA offers a student travel grant that helps PhD students cover costs associated with attending the EALTA Annual Conference. The grant is designed to support emerging scholars in language testing and assessment by enabling them to participate in professional events, present their research, and engage with the international assessment community.

Our past winner:

• Katie Halley, 2024

UKALTA Student Travel Grant

UKALTA offers annual sponsorship and grant funding opportunities to support members and the wider field, promoting activities that are consistent with our organisational objectives. Applications for funding are normally reviewed by a UKALTA Awards and Sponsorship sub-committee and evaluated against specific criteria. Recommendations are ratified by the Executive Committee and award recipients may be asked to write up a short post-event report for the UKALTA website.

Our past winners include:

• Jamie Lesley 2025
• Margarida Pato 2025

TOEFL New Scholar Award

The TOEFL New Scholar Award recognizes an early-career researcher whose work has already made an outstanding contribution to second- or foreign-language assessment. Eligible nominees must have completed their doctorate within the past seven years, and the award provides $2,000 and a commemorative plaque. Nominations—due October 15, 2024—must include an application form, a nomination letter, an additional recommendation from someone at a different institution, a current CV with graduation dates, and up to five representative works; self-nomination is permitted. A committee convened by the TOEFL Committee of Examiners evaluates candidates based on demonstrated contributions, future promise, and eligibility, with the recipient notified by November 15, 2024.

Our past winner:

• Stefan O’Grady