Call for Research Proposals: Research in Primary and Secondary Schools
Background
Research is meant to be utilized as its findings, especially in education, can provide valuable insights to underpin effective teaching practices. However, research findings remain inaccessible, difficult to interpret, or difficult to translate into practice for teachers. Debate continues in the Arabic practitioner and research community over the most appropriate approaches for teaching Arabic. And while research has been conducted in this space, it mostly exists in the higher education sector, and with adult learners. Little, if any, research has been conducted in primary and secondary schools.
Leveraging QFI’s work, experience, and expertise, QFI has developed a Research Agenda that explores 5 Priority Areas related to the teaching and learning of Arabic language in primary and secondary schools: Arabic as a Global Language; Teacher Pipeline; Teaching About Arab Culture; Motivation to Include Arabic in School Offers; and Students. The research generated by this agenda will contribute to, expand, and enrich the existing body of literature in addition to informing QFI’s own programming.
In 2023, one deliverable from a research partnership with the University of Oxford resulted in A Scoping Review into the Teaching and Learning of Arabic as an Additional Language, which identified over 700 studies across a wide range of topic areas. This led to the development of the first Arabic as an Additional Language (AL2) Database housed on the Oxford University Research Archive (ORA). This scoping review further confirmed that there is relatively little research focused on school-aged learners who may differ in important ways from adult learners, who are more often the focus of existing research. In response to this finding, attendees of the first annual QFI Oxford Research Forum identified 10 priority research questions in a Priority Setting Partnership. These 10 research questions naturally aligned with QFI’s 5 Priority Areas that have shaped all call for research proposals. In 2024, QFI released two requests for proposals (RfPs) which resulted in 5 winning projects focusing on:
Research Area 1: Arabic as a Global Language:
- What might an effective multiglossic approach to teaching Arabic look like?
Research Area 4: Motivations to include Arabic in School Offers:
- What factors influence, generate, and sustain learners’ motivation to study Arabic?
This year’s second annual QFI Oxford Research Forum explored how evidence-based strategies can enhance Arabic language instruction across diverse learning environments. The event focused on three key themes: student motivation, the integration of research into practice, and preliminary findings from the Study of Arabic Language Programs (SALP). The updated Arabic as an Additional Language (AL2) Database was also officially released during the Forum. While some gaps in the research literature identified in 2023 had been successfully addressed with the 2025 update, namely the lack of experimental studies, other significant research gaps remain, such as the lack of studies specifying the variety of Arabic (MSA or regional varieties).
Building on the success and momentum of this year’s Forum, this year’s Call for Proposals is focusing on the remaining priority research questions.
Building the Base of Research in Primary and Secondary Schools
This Call solicits research and/or action research that addresses one of the following Research Areas and Questions below. Please note that these are starting points and are not meant to be exhaustive or limiting.
Research Area: Teacher Pipeline
Research Question: What approaches to teacher development are effective for teachers of Arabic?
Research Area: Teaching About Arab Culture
Research Question: How can critical cultural competence be taught effectively to different categories of learners?
Research Area: Motivations to Include Arabic in School Offers
Research Question: What resources are available for teaching Arabic at different levels, and to students of different backgrounds, and how effective are they?
Research Area: Students
Research Questions:
- How do we design valid, reliable, inclusive, and fair assessments of proficiency for learners of diverse backgrounds?
- How can we ensure that instruction and materials are appropriate for learners of different levels within the same classroom (across different language skills and areas of learning)?
- How do we develop heritage learners' positive sense of identity through their Arabic learning?
- What strategies can learners use in relation to different skills (reading, writing, listening, vocabulary, learning, etc.) to help improve their proficiency?
- How can students be encouraged to use Arabic inside and outside the classroom?
Eligibility
To be eligible for this QFI research grant:
Proposed research must take place in classrooms in QFI’s geographical areas of focus (UK, Europe, US, and Canada).
Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate (candidates who do not meet all these criteria are still encouraged to apply):
Is an established researcher with demonstrated experience designing and setting up studies on language teaching and learning and has identified a strong collaboration with a school or a teacher to conduct this proposed research;
Has previously published on language teaching and learning (and more specifically in schools);
Demonstrates how they will leverage this funding with matching real or in-kind contributions;
Has had experience teaching Arabic or have identified someone on their team who is or has been an Arabic teacher at the primary or secondary level.
Completed submissions should include:
Fully completed application (see below)
Demonstration of Human Subjects Approval and other approvals needed; or clear steps on how you will gain appropriate approvals.
Application
Please be sure to answer the below questions thoroughly:
Relevance & Significance (max 1000 words)
Please describe how this proposed research contributes to the research priorities. Specify which research priority and drill down to your proposed research question, and why it is needed.
What are the possible implications of this proposed research for classroom teaching and official educational policies?
What will your research contribute to classroom teaching? (It is important to consider dissemination of findings beyond articles and chapters. How will your findings get into the hands of Arabic teachers?)
What expertise do you and your proposed team already have in this research area?
Approach & Methodology (max 1250 words)
Articulate a clear research question.
Which aspect of Arabic teaching will be researched?
Which teaching context (e.g. national school system, community schools, etc.) will be centered in the research?
Which learner populations (e.g. primary or secondary school students, non-native or heritage learners, etc.) will be centered in the research?
Specify the approach/methodology of the proposed research. Include a description of data collected & analysis.
Be sure to address how your data collection will comply with relevant laws including GDPR (or related in your context, when applicable).
Be specific about what types of data you are collecting.
What will the nature of the collaboration with stakeholders be like? Be sure to clearly articulate roles.
What school(s) will you be collaborating with? Have you obtained the appropriate permissions? Please include evidence of this.
Be sure to include an estimated timeline for the research, including a timeline for tangible research outputs/deliverables, that are directed at primary and secondary schools and classrooms.
What permissions (e.g. human subject / IRB approval) are necessary to conduct this research? How will these permissions be obtained?
What challenges do you anticipate may arise during this research and how will they be addressed?
Briefly describe the possible limitations of this research.
Budget
All budgets must include clear formulas / descriptions as to how amounts are being calculated and budget line items must match what is happening in the research proposal. If you are charging someone’s time you must provide documentation on all rates. This could be from the university or school district or the like. QFI will consider indirect expenses up to 15% of direct project expenses. QFI reserves the right to negotiate a rate with the university depending on the project and budget and, at its discretion, remove certain categories of expenses from the direct project expenses calculation.
Documentation of cost share from your university, school, or institution must be documented as part of your proposed budget and all financial reporting, if awarded.
Terms of Award Agreement
All research award recipients are expected to:
Submit all required reporting:
Any interim reporting (financial and narrative) requested by QFI, included but not limited to, financial reporting for each calendar year.
A final report of the research that includes key recommendations based on research findings. This report may be circulated by QFI via its website and other social media. This report must use the American Psychological Association (APA) citation style (http://www.apastyle.org/);
Co-own (with QFI) all the data collected using award funds. This means all the data must be shared / sent to QFI & this must be made clear to all research partners (schools, universities) at the onset of your research;
Present at various conferences about your work. Let QFI know ahead of time any time this research is presented at a conference or symposium and complete this Conference Feedback Form each time such a presentation is made granting permission to QFI to use your PowerPoint presentations as described; Credit QFI in all future publications & presentations where this data is used.
Credit QFI in all future publications & presentations where this data is used, using the following language:
“This [publication, report, etc.] was made possible by the work of [Grantee Name], aligned with QFI's mission to advance the value of teaching and learning Arabic as a global language. QFI supports the entire Arabic language education ecosystem by helping to make the teaching and learning of Arabic as accessible and professional as other world languages. To learn more visit www.qfi.org”
Award recipients will work closely with and receive support from QFI on their research design (including all tools being created/used) and participant recruitment (this includes access to any QFI resources, network, and previous data). Award recipients will receive 75% of the total approved amount at the start of their research. Final research reports and financial expenditures will be due, and the remaining 25% of the total approved amount will be disbursed upon the receipt and approval of this final reporting.
Application Timeline for Awards
September 10, 2024 | Application Opens |
December 10, 2024 | Research Proposals due |
February 1, 2025 | Award letters sent out |
How to Apply
To submit a proposal, you must register on QFI’s Grants Management Portal, SM Apply, at qfi.smapply.org. Please create a user account and profile. Upon completing your login credentials and user profile, you will be prompted to confirm your eligibility before submitting your application materials. Once you have confirmed your eligibility, you can access the application directly at https://qfi.smapply.org/prog/fall_2025_research_rfp Should you have any questions regarding the application process, please email research@qfi.org.
About QFI
Qatar Foundation International (QFI) is a U.S.-based organization committed to advancing the teaching and learning of Arabic as a world language. QFI supports the entire Arabic language education ecosystem, working to ensure that Arabic is as accessible and professionally taught, and learned, as other global languages.
Operating in select international regions, including the United Kingdom, Europe, the United States, and Canada, QFI has helped build and sustain networks of educators, researchers, administrators, and other experts in the field. The organization's work is anchored in a dynamic research agenda that fosters a reciprocal exchange between research and practice, with each informing and strengthening the other. This integration is central to QFI’s approach and will contribute to a growing body of knowledge, particularly in primary and secondary Arabic language education.
Through evidence-based initiatives and long-term partnerships, QFI is expanding the capacity for research in Arabic language education and supporting the development of high-quality, sustainable programs.
Fall 2025 Research RfP
Call for Research Proposals: Research in Primary and Secondary Schools
Background
Research is meant to be utilized as its findings, especially in education, can provide valuable insights to underpin effective teaching practices. However, research findings remain inaccessible, difficult to interpret, or difficult to translate into practice for teachers. Debate continues in the Arabic practitioner and research community over the most appropriate approaches for teaching Arabic. And while research has been conducted in this space, it mostly exists in the higher education sector, and with adult learners. Little, if any, research has been conducted in primary and secondary schools.
Leveraging QFI’s work, experience, and expertise, QFI has developed a Research Agenda that explores 5 Priority Areas related to the teaching and learning of Arabic language in primary and secondary schools: Arabic as a Global Language; Teacher Pipeline; Teaching About Arab Culture; Motivation to Include Arabic in School Offers; and Students. The research generated by this agenda will contribute to, expand, and enrich the existing body of literature in addition to informing QFI’s own programming.
In 2023, one deliverable from a research partnership with the University of Oxford resulted in A Scoping Review into the Teaching and Learning of Arabic as an Additional Language, which identified over 700 studies across a wide range of topic areas. This led to the development of the first Arabic as an Additional Language (AL2) Database housed on the Oxford University Research Archive (ORA). This scoping review further confirmed that there is relatively little research focused on school-aged learners who may differ in important ways from adult learners, who are more often the focus of existing research. In response to this finding, attendees of the first annual QFI Oxford Research Forum identified 10 priority research questions in a Priority Setting Partnership. These 10 research questions naturally aligned with QFI’s 5 Priority Areas that have shaped all call for research proposals. In 2024, QFI released two requests for proposals (RfPs) which resulted in 5 winning projects focusing on:
Research Area 1: Arabic as a Global Language:
- What might an effective multiglossic approach to teaching Arabic look like?
Research Area 4: Motivations to include Arabic in School Offers:
- What factors influence, generate, and sustain learners’ motivation to study Arabic?
This year’s second annual QFI Oxford Research Forum explored how evidence-based strategies can enhance Arabic language instruction across diverse learning environments. The event focused on three key themes: student motivation, the integration of research into practice, and preliminary findings from the Study of Arabic Language Programs (SALP). The updated Arabic as an Additional Language (AL2) Database was also officially released during the Forum. While some gaps in the research literature identified in 2023 had been successfully addressed with the 2025 update, namely the lack of experimental studies, other significant research gaps remain, such as the lack of studies specifying the variety of Arabic (MSA or regional varieties).
Building on the success and momentum of this year’s Forum, this year’s Call for Proposals is focusing on the remaining priority research questions.
Building the Base of Research in Primary and Secondary Schools
This Call solicits research and/or action research that addresses one of the following Research Areas and Questions below. Please note that these are starting points and are not meant to be exhaustive or limiting.
Research Area: Teacher Pipeline
Research Question: What approaches to teacher development are effective for teachers of Arabic?
Research Area: Teaching About Arab Culture
Research Question: How can critical cultural competence be taught effectively to different categories of learners?
Research Area: Motivations to Include Arabic in School Offers
Research Question: What resources are available for teaching Arabic at different levels, and to students of different backgrounds, and how effective are they?
Research Area: Students
Research Questions:
- How do we design valid, reliable, inclusive, and fair assessments of proficiency for learners of diverse backgrounds?
- How can we ensure that instruction and materials are appropriate for learners of different levels within the same classroom (across different language skills and areas of learning)?
- How do we develop heritage learners' positive sense of identity through their Arabic learning?
- What strategies can learners use in relation to different skills (reading, writing, listening, vocabulary, learning, etc.) to help improve their proficiency?
- How can students be encouraged to use Arabic inside and outside the classroom?
Eligibility
To be eligible for this QFI research grant:
Proposed research must take place in classrooms in QFI’s geographical areas of focus (UK, Europe, US, and Canada).
Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate (candidates who do not meet all these criteria are still encouraged to apply):
Is an established researcher with demonstrated experience designing and setting up studies on language teaching and learning and has identified a strong collaboration with a school or a teacher to conduct this proposed research;
Has previously published on language teaching and learning (and more specifically in schools);
Demonstrates how they will leverage this funding with matching real or in-kind contributions;
Has had experience teaching Arabic or have identified someone on their team who is or has been an Arabic teacher at the primary or secondary level.
Completed submissions should include:
Fully completed application (see below)
Demonstration of Human Subjects Approval and other approvals needed; or clear steps on how you will gain appropriate approvals.
Application
Please be sure to answer the below questions thoroughly:
Relevance & Significance (max 1000 words)
Please describe how this proposed research contributes to the research priorities. Specify which research priority and drill down to your proposed research question, and why it is needed.
What are the possible implications of this proposed research for classroom teaching and official educational policies?
What will your research contribute to classroom teaching? (It is important to consider dissemination of findings beyond articles and chapters. How will your findings get into the hands of Arabic teachers?)
What expertise do you and your proposed team already have in this research area?
Approach & Methodology (max 1250 words)
Articulate a clear research question.
Which aspect of Arabic teaching will be researched?
Which teaching context (e.g. national school system, community schools, etc.) will be centered in the research?
Which learner populations (e.g. primary or secondary school students, non-native or heritage learners, etc.) will be centered in the research?
Specify the approach/methodology of the proposed research. Include a description of data collected & analysis.
Be sure to address how your data collection will comply with relevant laws including GDPR (or related in your context, when applicable).
Be specific about what types of data you are collecting.
What will the nature of the collaboration with stakeholders be like? Be sure to clearly articulate roles.
What school(s) will you be collaborating with? Have you obtained the appropriate permissions? Please include evidence of this.
Be sure to include an estimated timeline for the research, including a timeline for tangible research outputs/deliverables, that are directed at primary and secondary schools and classrooms.
What permissions (e.g. human subject / IRB approval) are necessary to conduct this research? How will these permissions be obtained?
What challenges do you anticipate may arise during this research and how will they be addressed?
Briefly describe the possible limitations of this research.
Budget
All budgets must include clear formulas / descriptions as to how amounts are being calculated and budget line items must match what is happening in the research proposal. If you are charging someone’s time you must provide documentation on all rates. This could be from the university or school district or the like. QFI will consider indirect expenses up to 15% of direct project expenses. QFI reserves the right to negotiate a rate with the university depending on the project and budget and, at its discretion, remove certain categories of expenses from the direct project expenses calculation.
Documentation of cost share from your university, school, or institution must be documented as part of your proposed budget and all financial reporting, if awarded.
Terms of Award Agreement
All research award recipients are expected to:
Submit all required reporting:
Any interim reporting (financial and narrative) requested by QFI, included but not limited to, financial reporting for each calendar year.
A final report of the research that includes key recommendations based on research findings. This report may be circulated by QFI via its website and other social media. This report must use the American Psychological Association (APA) citation style (http://www.apastyle.org/);
Co-own (with QFI) all the data collected using award funds. This means all the data must be shared / sent to QFI & this must be made clear to all research partners (schools, universities) at the onset of your research;
Present at various conferences about your work. Let QFI know ahead of time any time this research is presented at a conference or symposium and complete this Conference Feedback Form each time such a presentation is made granting permission to QFI to use your PowerPoint presentations as described; Credit QFI in all future publications & presentations where this data is used.
Credit QFI in all future publications & presentations where this data is used, using the following language:
“This [publication, report, etc.] was made possible by the work of [Grantee Name], aligned with QFI's mission to advance the value of teaching and learning Arabic as a global language. QFI supports the entire Arabic language education ecosystem by helping to make the teaching and learning of Arabic as accessible and professional as other world languages. To learn more visit www.qfi.org”
Award recipients will work closely with and receive support from QFI on their research design (including all tools being created/used) and participant recruitment (this includes access to any QFI resources, network, and previous data). Award recipients will receive 75% of the total approved amount at the start of their research. Final research reports and financial expenditures will be due, and the remaining 25% of the total approved amount will be disbursed upon the receipt and approval of this final reporting.
Application Timeline for Awards
September 10, 2024 | Application Opens |
December 10, 2024 | Research Proposals due |
February 1, 2025 | Award letters sent out |
How to Apply
To submit a proposal, you must register on QFI’s Grants Management Portal, SM Apply, at qfi.smapply.org. Please create a user account and profile. Upon completing your login credentials and user profile, you will be prompted to confirm your eligibility before submitting your application materials. Once you have confirmed your eligibility, you can access the application directly at https://qfi.smapply.org/prog/fall_2025_research_rfp Should you have any questions regarding the application process, please email research@qfi.org.
About QFI
Qatar Foundation International (QFI) is a U.S.-based organization committed to advancing the teaching and learning of Arabic as a world language. QFI supports the entire Arabic language education ecosystem, working to ensure that Arabic is as accessible and professionally taught, and learned, as other global languages.
Operating in select international regions, including the United Kingdom, Europe, the United States, and Canada, QFI has helped build and sustain networks of educators, researchers, administrators, and other experts in the field. The organization's work is anchored in a dynamic research agenda that fosters a reciprocal exchange between research and practice, with each informing and strengthening the other. This integration is central to QFI’s approach and will contribute to a growing body of knowledge, particularly in primary and secondary Arabic language education.
Through evidence-based initiatives and long-term partnerships, QFI is expanding the capacity for research in Arabic language education and supporting the development of high-quality, sustainable programs.