Nepal Open University (NOU) has opened applications for its 2026 Research Fellowship program, a key initiative under the project, "Establish Research-Based Basic Teacher Education Programme in Nepal (2021-2026)."
The project executed by Nepal Open University in partnership with NLA University College, Norway, in collaboration with 'NORHED II-Norwegian Program for Capacity Development in Higher Education and Research for Development', is looking for research fellows to work from March – Nov, 2026.
Number of Fellowships:
- Open: 3
- Female: 2
- Total: 5
Research Themes and Areas:
Selected fellows will work on one of the following themes:
Theme 1: Cosmologies, Culture, Context and Pedagogy
Sub-themes: Cultural heritage, teachers’ pedagogical practices in the Nepalese context, Gurukul education system, teacher motivation, teaching as a collective approach, cultural expectation of teacher community, teachers’ orientation towards local community and their role in society, influence of teacher experiences in understanding of teaching and how the experiences align with the local culture and context.Theme 2: Diversity, Inclusion and Equity in Education
Sub-themes: Diversity as a resource and challenge, diverse cultural capital from critical perspective, diversity in the classroom, inclusion in education, teacher professional development in multilingual environments, role of local resources in education, intervention strategies in diverse classrooms: intervention as case by case or making a strategic/mass approach more meaningful, local governance/leadership/communities in relation to diversity in education, mismatch between the reform programs of the government for diversity and education: local perspectives and expectations of education.
Theme 3: Teacher education for the changing contexts: Social realities and transformations
Sub-themes: People’s realisation and desire for change (freedom), Bridging local and Western Perspectives in Nepal, unfolding teachers’ capacity for sustainability, innovations in teacher education: Harnessing local wisdom and international insights in Nepal, perspective on teacher education approaches, assessment of pedagogical emancipation, relevancy of teacher training approaches in relation to the cultural heritage, role of foreign teacher educators and international educational programs in Nepal, local educationalists and the Western educational programs, Information Communication Technology (ICT) and education, the student drain in Nepal (the causes of student distraction to Nepali education and the risk of no return).
How to Apply
Candidates are required to submit their application consisting of the required documents along with a 4-5 paged research proposal to the Faculty of Social Sciences and Education. Submission can be made by emailing to fosed@nou.edu.np or dropping it in the Faculty office.
Plagiarism and the use of AI in the proposal will result in unconditional disqualification.
Deadline: February 21, 2026
Selection Criteria: The selection of the research fellows will be based on:
a) Academic credentials; b) Proposal; and c) Interview.
Eligibility Criteria:
A candidate preferably must be a full-time faculty member at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Education, NOU. However, part-time instructors or MPhil students at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Education are also eligible to apply. He or she must have at least one paper published in an indexed, or UGC recognized journal; two years' of teaching experience; research experience with at least one field work.
Job of Research Fellows:
Selected research fellows are required to
(a) conduct field work;
(b) produce a publishable paper;
(c) publish the paper in recognized journal;
(d) disseminate paper as required or instructed by the Project.
Remuneration and Benefit
Selected fellows will be provided with the cost of field work, and remuneration for paper writeup and presentation. Full-time faculties at NOU, if selected, will have their workload reduced. Fellows will also be assisted in the publication of paper.
Duration of Fellowship: March-November, 2026
Women are encouraged to apply.
Download: NOU Research Fellowship 2082.pdf
