| Call for Proposals |
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| Agriculture and Rural Development in the ERF Region |
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Agriculture is an important economic sector in the ERF region, not only from the point of view of economic growth and self-sufficiency but also from the perspective of reducing poverty and creating productive opportunities for disadvantaged groups. To better understand how the agriculture sector may contribute to rural development, poverty alleviation, job creation and food security, researchers are encouraged to submit proposals under the following themes or related questions, covering either one sector, one country or comparatively:
1. Rural development and poverty alleviation
2. Rural employment, wages and quality and security of jobs
3. Rural non-farm economy
4. Agriculture, productivity and innovation
5. Government support to agricultural institutions and to rural development
6. Networking for agriculture - Agricultural organizations, cooperatives networks and initiatives
7. Food security
ELIGIBILITY
The following eligibility criteria will be applied:
- Researchers should have expertise in the topic being researched.
- At least one of the main researchers should be from the ERF region, whether residing inside or outside the region.
- Researchers from disciplines other than economics may apply.
SELECTION CRITERIA
All proposals will be evaluated by a refereeing committee on the basis of the following criteria:
- The value added from the project in terms of contributing to existing knowledge,
- The methodological soundness, be it econometric or in-depth case studies,
- The policy relevance of the findings,
- The effectiveness of the dissemination strategy, and
- The extent to which the project involves a capacity building component.
PLEASE FORWARD YOUR SUBMISSION, TOGETHER WITH:
TO: ehadary@erf.org.eg
Cc: rnada@erf.org.eg
For further inquiries, please contact Ms. Eman El Hadary, Program Officer, E-mail: ehadary@erf.org.eg.
IMPORTANT DATES
- Submission of proposals deadline 30th August 2012
- Announcement of winning proposals 30th September 2012
- Budget revisions and contracting 1st - 10th October 2012
- Submission of draft papers 10th February 2013
- Workshop for discussing draft papers March 2013 (TBD)
- Submission of final papers 14th April 2013
GUIDELINES FOR PROPOSALS
Authors should submit a proposal of a maximum length of twenty pages. It should be structured to contain seven sections in the following format. ERF reserves the right to exclude proposals that are not consistent with these guidelines.
1. Statement of the research problem: A clear and concise description of the nature and importance of the proposed research; its scope and boundaries; its general context; and objectives with explicit reference to feasibility and policy relevance.
2. Value Added: A selective and analytical review of the relevant literature, with a view to both demonstrating knowledge of past theoretical and empirical work, as well as identifying the knowledge gap that the proposed research is intended to address.
3. Conceptual Framework and Research Methodology: A clear statement of the conceptual framework should be provided elaborating on the set of specific, identifiable and concrete questions for which the proposed research is intended to provide answers. This is to be followed by an elaboration of the research methods to be employed and why they are best suited to answer the research questions. The section should also indicate the nature of the information required and the data collection techniques, whether primary or secondary or a combination of the two. Finally, it should explain how the information will be analyzed and interpreted using quantitative and/or qualitative methods.
4. Publications and Dissemination Strategy: This section should describe the research products that will be delivered at various stages of the research process. It should also outline a strategy on how these products will be disseminated to different stakeholders (working papers, edited volumes, workshops, etc.)
5. Time Frame: A clear plan of the timing of all stages of the research project as well as any dissemination activities (including workshops), taking into account that all projects have to be completed before 14th April 2013. The timetable must specify due dates of draft and final papers as well as any planned events. The proposed events should have a description of the purpose, size and approximate dates.
6. Budget: should be submitted in US dollars, itemized and inclusive of all research and dissemination expenses. Research costs should be by deliverables. Other budget items may include travel, if necessary, research assistance, data collection, office supplies and photocopying. The purchase of equipment is not allowed under ERF grant rules. If events are planned, separate costing is required.
7. References: A list should be attached to the proposal specifying the suggested references to be used in writing the proposed paper(s).
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