2025 LD SIG Grants

updated 23 January 2025

1. Introduction
Every year, the Learner Development (LD) SIG provides grants to support members’ professional development.  To get a better idea of the kind of work we’ve supported over the years, please see our Past Recipients page, with links to reflections, reports, and publications that resulted from grant-supported projects and conference presentations.

2. Types of grants available
In 2025, the LD SIG will provide up to two conference participation grants worth 40,000 yen each to current SIG members.

Members may apply for the following grant category:
Conference participation (PanSIG, JALTCALL, JALT International Conference)

All applications will be judged on merit according to the grant selection criteria (see below).

3. Restrictions
Applications for conference participation are restricted to members who do not receive institutional funding. Past grant awardees are eligible to make future grant applications, however previous receipt of a grant may be taken into account during the selection process.

4. Obligations
As a condition of receiving a grant, all grant awardees must write a piece for the SIG’s newsletter, Learning Learning. For further details, please see the Grant Recipients’ Obligations page.

5. Timing of grant payment
Conference participation grant awardees will receive their grant during the actual conference which they have been supported to attend, typically during the LD SIG forum.

6. Selection criteria
All applications will be judged on merit according to the selection criteria below:

(1) Clarity of the applicant’s purpose for applying for the grant
(2) Connection between the applicant’s purpose and the LD SIG’s aims*
(3) Necessity of receiving the grant & Appropriateness of proposed budget allocations
*To understand what LD SIG aims for, reading past issues of Learning Learning is also recommended.

7. How to apply

Fill in the 2025 LD-SIG Grant Application Form, and email it to learnerdevelopmentsiggrants AT gmail DOT com
In the attached application form, answer the following items in English or Japanese:
(1) Name
(2) E-mail address
(3) Institution/s and role/s
(4) JALT membership number
(5) Name of the conference you are attending
(6) Statement of grant purpose:
In approximately 600 words in English (1200 characters in Japanese) explain a) your purpose for attending the conference; b) how you intend to contribute to learner development and the LD SIG by attending this conference; c) your need for funding and how you plan to use the grant money; d) a statement confirming that you do not receive institutional funding.

8. Deadlines
The application deadline for all grant categories is Monday, 31 March 2025, 23:59 (Japan Standard Time). Applications will be reviewed over a three-week period, and we aim to announce the successful applicants within a month of the deadline.

9. Inquiries
Any questions regarding the grants or any feedback should be sent to the grants team:
learnerdevelopmentsiggrants AT gmail DOT com