Scholarships for the 53rd OCIES Conference

Application Deadline: Monday, 15 September 2025

One of the aims of the Oceania Comparative and International Education Society (OCIES) is to support early career CIE researchers in the region. To this end, OCIES annually provides scholarship awards for attendance at the OCIES conference. The 2025 Awards will provide successful applicants free conference registration and AUD 500 towards transport and accommodation costs to attend the 53rd Annual OCIES conference in Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand (23-26 November 2025). The scholarships are open to postgraduate students (research masters or PhD) and emerging researchers (up to five years following completion of postgraduate degree). In addition to being a postgraduate or emerging researcher, applicants must be current members of OCIES at the time of application submission. They must have an abstract accepted by the Conference convening committee for presentation.

Selection process and criteria

All applications will be reviewed by a small committee comprised of representatives of the OCIES Executive Committee and wider membership. Eligible applications will be assessed based on the following criteria:

• The current and future potential of the applicant to contribute to CIE research, teaching and/or practice and to the broader aims of OCIES;

• Level of need of applicant for financial assistance, based on other resources that may be available to the applicant from their home institution or employer;

• Ensuring equitable representation across gender, geographical location, and research focus of awardees will also be a consideration.

Applicants will be notified by 26 September 2025 of the outcome of the selection process.

How to apply

To apply for an OCIES Conference Scholarship:

1. Have received acceptance of an abstract for presentation at the 2025 OCIES Conference.
2. Send the following information in an email to hello@ocies.org with the subject line OCIES Conference Scholarship Application by 15 September 2025.

• A cover letter including your name, current organisation affiliation, and a brief explanation of why you are applying for the Award; what you believe you will gain from and contribute to attending the conference; and your vision for your future engagement with OCIES.·
• A copy of your submitted conference abstract and acceptance email.
• Evidence of indicative travel costs, e.g. a quote from a travel agent or a screenshot of flight options.
• A letter of recommendation from a supervisor/manager who can attest to:
  • Your current and future potential to contribute to Comparative and International Education (CIE) research, teaching, and practice in the region and beyond
  • Your level of need (i.e. are there other resources available to the candidate for attending the conference within the institution) for receiving such an award
• Evidence of current enrolment (for research masters/PhD) or a completed qualification in the past five years (for ECRs)

Summary of Key Dates

• Abstract Due 1 September 2025
• Application for Scholarship Due 15 September 2025
• Outcome Notification 26 September 2025

For any inquiries related to the OCIES Conference Scholarships, please email: hello@ocies.org.