1. Background

The Government of Australia, one of SEAMEO's Associate Member Countries, has been actively supporting education, science, and culture in Southeast Asia since 1973. This support involves collaborations and initiatives on education, science, and culture with the Ministries of Education in SEAMEO Member Countries and SEAMEO Regional Centres. These engagements seek to advance sustainable progress in the region and Australia.

One of the flagship partnerships between SEAMEO and Australian Government Department of Education, Skills, and Employment is the SEAMEO-Australia Education Links Award (SAELA) which was initiated in 2013. The main goal of SAELA is to offer opportunities to individuals or educational institutions to propose and implement education-related projects, activities, or policy initiatives aligned with the annual theme. These initiatives must also aim to strengthen collaboration and partnerships between Southeast Asia and Australia. SAELA underscores that international education cooperation can bring forth new ideas, expand educational opportunities, enhance education quality, build enduring people-to-people connections, and promote mutual understanding to benefit our learners and education stakeholders.

SAELA recognizes and financially supports winning project proposals or existing projects that benefit Southeast Asian communities, organizations, or educational institutions. Ultimately, we envision that these projects contribute to enhancing the quality of life in the region in the long term.

Specifically, SAELA aims to:

  • facilitate the development and implementation of effective educational projects and initiatives through partnerships among countries, organizations, and communities;
  • showcase cooperation in education, training, and research activities and emphasize their value in fostering stronger people-to-people and institutional connections; and
  • create a platform for sharing and learning about new ideas in educational cooperation.

 

2. 2024 Theme: Building Strong Educational Foundations through Literacy and Numeracy

SEAMEO and the Department of Education, Australia recognizes that foundational skills in literacy and numeracy are critical for the personal and professional development of individuals. These core competencies underpin effective communication, problem-solving, and lifelong learning. In 2019, the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM), a regional assessment for the primary level, showed the “large differences in learning outcomes between countries and between groups of students within each country.”1 The outcomes also reveal that there is a substantial need in supporting students to achieve the standard of learning expected at the end of primary education. While there is much room for improvement, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing educational disparities, leading to significant learning losses and widening gaps in these fundamental areas. This year’s theme, Building Strong Educational Foundations through Literacy and Numeracy, addresses these critical challenges by supporting initiatives aimed at strengthening literacy and numeracy skills, thereby ensuring that learners are well-equipped and have strong educational foundation. These initiatives should be anchored on the principles of inclusion, community engagement, and technology integration.

1 SEA-PLM 2019 Main Regional Summary Report

 

3. SAELA 2024 General Details
  • Interested applicants must submit a written proposal outlining their concept, implementation plan, and how the grant funds will be utilized (see item 7 for reference).
  • One (1) winner will be selected and awarded a grant of AUD$10,000 to carry out activities related to the winning project or idea.
  • The grant will be provided in three (3) tranches: 70 percent after the Awarding Ceremony, 20 percent upon submission of a progress report (after 6 months of project implementation), and the remaining 10 percent upon project completion and submission of the final report.
  • The winner will also receive a Plaque of Recognition during the 47th SEAMEO High Officials Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand on 27 November 2024. 
  • Shortlisted candidates will receive a Certificate of Recognition.
  • Certificates of Participation will be issued to applicants whose proposals meet the minimum requirements, including relevance to the theme and adherence to submission instructions.
  • Participation in SAELA is entirely free.

 

4. Eligibility of Interested Applicants
  • SAELA welcomes proposals from education leaders, educators, teachers, researchers, and students representing educational institutions at all levels (basic education, higher education, TVET)
  • Applicants must be a citizen of a SEAMEO Member Country (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Timor-Leste)
  • Applicants must not have received any SEAMEO Awards in the past 3 years.
  • SEAMEO Secretariat and SEAMEO Regional Centres/Network staff, as well as their immediate family members, are ineligible to apply for SAELA.
  • Applicants should not be employed by any private company.

 

5. Guidelines for Submission
  • Individuals and groups (maximum of three members per group) can submit their proposal related to the theme “Building Strong Educational Foundations through Literacy and Numeracy" from September 2 to October 15, 2024.
  • For group proposals, a lead proponent should be identified. The lead proponent will be where all coordination will be coursed through.
  • The deadline for submitting entries is midnight of October 15, 2024.
  • Each individual or group may submit only one (1) proposal.
  1. Preparing the Proposal
    • Use the provided 2024 SAELA Proposal Template, available for download on the website or by requesting it via email address: SAELA@seameo.org.
    • The proposal must be written using the English language.
    • Keep the proposal under four (4) pages of A4 in total, using Calibri with a font size of 11.
    • The template includes the proponent and proposal information.

  2. Submission of the Proposal
    • Please note that proposals sent to the email address SAELA@seameo.org will NOT be accepted.
    • To align with environmental sustainability and energy-saving efforts, hard copies of the proposal will not be accepted.
    • All entries submitted to the SEAMEO Secretariat will be acknowledged within one week after submission. If you do not receive an acknowledgment within this time, please contact via email: SAELA@seameo.org.

  3. Selection of Winner
    • The selection and evaluation of entries will be conducted by a committee comprised of experts from Southeast Asia and representatives from relevant international organizations, the SEAMEO Secretariat, SEAMEO Regional Centres, and the Australian Government.
    • The evaluation process will consider the following criteria for the project, whether it's already in progress or a proposal:
      • Benefit and Relevance to Southeast Asia and Links to Australia (30%): The extent to which the proposal will contribute to social value, benefit the region, and enhance mutual understanding, including the transfer of new ideas, expanded educational opportunities, improved education quality, and long-term people-to-people connections
      • Innovation, Practicality, and Originality (25%): The originality, innovativeness, and feasibility of implementation of the proposed project.
      • Value for Money and Sustainability (25%): How well the project proposal demonstrates value for money and its sustainability beyond the initial grant funding.
      • Potential for Replication and Scaling Up (20%): The extent to which the project or proposal can be scaled up and applied to other contexts.

6. Important Dates


Activities

Schedule
  • Call for Entries

2 September 2024
  • Period for submission of entries to the SEAMEO Secretariat

2 September to 15 October 2024
  • Deadline for entry submission

15 October 2024

  • Entry evaluation and shortlisting

October 2024
  • External Evaluation

October 2024
  • Announcement of Winner on the SEAMEO Website

10 November 2024
  • Awarding Ceremony at the 47th SEAMEO High Officials Meeting

27 November 2024
Bangkok, Thailand

 

7. Focal Person

For further information, please contact:

Mr Emiljohn Sentillas
Policy and Planning Specialist
SEAMEO Secretariat
Bangkok, Thailand

Email: SAELA@seameo.org
Website: www.seameo.org


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