Print VersionCall for Applications 2010
The full text of the Call for Applications 2010 can be seen here or below.
The following documents are available for the applications:
Application Guide, October 2009
Application Form A (Final Application for Larger Strategic Research Projects)
Application Form B (Application for Prequalification for Larger Strategic Research Projects)
Application Form C (Individual PhD and Postdoc Projects)
Call for Applications 2010 – Development Research
Within the framework of Danish development assistance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark hereby invites applications for research grants related to development research.
1. Objectives of the support to development research
The objective of the support is to generate knowledge to promote the overall objective of the Danish development assistance to reduce poverty. Grants will be awarded to projects generating new knowledge relevant to Denmark’s development assistance and contribute to solving the problems of developing countries. It is further important that the research contributes to the enhancement of the research capacity within developing countries, and that it is driven by the countries’ own demands and strategies.
The Consultative Research Committee for Development Research (FFU) is appointed by the Danish Minister for Development Cooperation and for 2010 the FFU has identified 3 research themes.
2. Research themes for 2010
In 2010, the following research themes are of particular interest to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs because of their relevance to development.
Theme 1: Climate, Energy and Sustainable Use of Natural Resources
It is generally recognized that poor communities in developing countries will be significantly affected by climate change in the near future. Temperature increases and altered patterns of rainfall, as well as extreme events, will impact natural resource use and management strategies, such that adaptation will be necessary. At the same time increasing access to energy in both cost effective and “climate friendly” ways is a major challenge in many developing countries.
Relevant research areas could include investigation of climate change adaptation strategies in developing countries, particularly in Africa. Both the socio-economic and ecological consequences of climate change could be studied, as well as local community based responses; involving planning, decision-making and implementation through appropriate institutions to enable development and adoption of sustainable production systems. As far as sustainable energy is concerned, research could include analysis of production and consumption opportunities and constraints, with a focus on the role of small and medium sized private enterprises in the sector. Prospects for the development of bio-fuels and other environmentally friendly technologies could also be of interest.
Theme 2: Agriculture, Growth and Sustainable Development
Increasing agricultural productivity and development of agribusiness can play a significant role in economic growth and as driver of change. Agricultural and agribusiness development can also have an important influence on poverty reduction, including through creating jobs for young men and women.
Understanding the economic performance in many developing countries requires more knowledge about the role of the state and the private sector in sustained pro-poor growth and of the political economy of policy-making and implementation. What are the drivers of private sector development and which broader growth models are appropriate in different contexts?
Relevant areas of research could be how government’s support and maintain a framework for inclusive and sustained economic development based on the private sector, including agriculture and agribusiness. Focus could be on the dynamics and processes that bring about positive development outcomes, including the challenges that arise along the value chain, and the role the various stakeholders may play in fostering this development. Research in development and adoption of production and market strategies to increase the financial revenue of small holders in the private sector in order to improve their livelihood is also of relevance in this context.
Theme 3: Fragile states, Conflict and Civil Society
The fragility of states, civil society and livelihoods in conflict and post-conflict situations constitutes a huge challenge in the attempt to secure sustainable peace and stability, growth, and good governance, both in a national and regional context. This can, in particular, be seen in a number of African countries as well as in some Asian countries
Applications may address the social, political and/or economic dynamics in conflict and post-conflict situations and for instance focus on their positive and negative impact on development issues such as state formation, civil society, economic growth, social inequality, human rights, livelihoods, internal displacement and migration.
3. Types of grants
The applications can only be submitted by an organisation, such as a governmental institution, business enterprise or private organisation in Denmark. The main applicant must be attached to the Danish organisation, which will be responsible for the approved project.
Applications can be submitted for funding to the following types of grants in 2010 primarily within the themes of the year 2010:
1) Larger strategic research programmes (> DKK 5 million) with substantive elements of capacity building and with focus on national priorities and ownership.
2) Individual PhD and post-doc applications.
All larger strategic research applications will to go through a prequalification process.
Deadline for prequalification applications for larger strategic projects will be Wednesday 9 December 2009 at 12.00 noon. The conclusions of the prequalification process will be known in week 3 in 2010.
Priority will be given to larger strategic research projects/programmes with joint collaboration between several Danish institutions and partners in the South.
The incorporation of PhD educations and post-doc. projects into larger research programmes instead of their submission as individual applications will be favoured.
For larger research projects, grant applications may generally be submitted for phases of 3-5 year durations. The plan is to support a total of 4-6 large projects for a 3-5 year period.
PhD educations to students from partner countries can only be supported if they are part of a larger strategic project and, if possible, are enrolled at an institution in their own country, as described in the guide to applicants.
In the case of individual Danish PhD applications, grant funding may be sought for a maximum timeframe of 3 years.
4. Application requirements
Grants under theme 1 and 2 will only be awarded to research programmes with developing countries below the GNI threshold set by the World Bank (USD 2.570 per capita 2008) and will primarily be awarded towards research in Danish programme countries.
Grants under theme 3 can also be awarded to non-programme countries but only to countries where Denmark supports other types of development activities.
The main applicant researcher (except for individual PhD applicants, see below) must at the time of submitting the application hold a PhD or equivalent qualification. Applications for individual PhD projects must have completed a Masters degree at the time of submitting the application.
The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has outsourced the administration of the support to development research to Danida Fellowship Centre (DFC). The requirements regarding the applications as well as the application procedure, formats and assessment criteria are described in the guide to applicants. The formats for the application, budget form, and guide etc. can be downloaded above.
The application should be submitted before the following deadlines mentioned to:
Danida Fellowship Centre
Research Unit
Hostrupsvej 22
DK-1950 Frederiksberg
Questions about the application procedure can be directed to the Research Unit, Danida Fellowship Centre at email: research@dfcentre.dk
5. Assessment criteria
In assessing the applications, importance will be on the factors in the application requirements as described in guide to applicants. The FFU applies the 3 criteria used by the Danish Council for Strategic Research – the relevance of the research, the quality of research and the potential effect of the research. The three criteria are more specified in the application guide.
6. Application processing
No later than three weeks after receipt of the application, the main applicant will receive an acknowledgement giving a schedule for the processing of the application.
Applications will be rejected without substantive consideration if the deadlines and requirements set out in this Call for Applications and guide are not met, including if the application form is not completed correctly, cf. § 4 (2) of Executive Order No. 274 of 20 April 2004 on the funding function of the Danish Council for Independent Research, the Danish Council for Strategic Research and the Danish Research Coordination Committee.
All eligible applications will be assessed by Consultative Research Committee for Development Research.
Applications for pre-qualification will not be subject to an external reviewing process but will be assessed by the Consultative Research Committee for Development Research.
For prequalified larger strategic applications, external international reviewers will be used followed by part-consultation and they will also be forwarded for evaluation by relevant departments and embassies in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Larger strategic applications not being prequalified cannot apply again under this call as individual PhD and Postdoc.
All applicants can expect to learn the outcome of their application within the third quarter of 2010, so that the funded projects can be initiated at the turn of the year 2010/2011