Applications Open for Compact Research Grants

Applications Open for Compact Research Grants is sponsored by ReCIPE Programme. These grants support policy-relevant research on conflict, economic performance, and development challenges in designated ReCIPE Focus Countries, including Bangladesh.

##### Compact Research Grants Compact Research Grants (CRGs) of **between £10,000 and £25,000** are the primary funding vehicle of ReCIPE. Applicants to this call are strongly encouraged to read **ReCIPE's Research Strategy** before applying. Research may address conflict-related topics within one or more of ReCIPE’s nine research themes.

ReCIPE will also give particular encouragement to proposals which address three cross-cutting development issues that are simultaneously related to conflict and economic performance. These issues are directly and indirectly connected to ReCIPE’s main research themes. CRGs can fund research assistance, data collection and/or purchase, and potentially research stipends/teaching buyouts (if sufficiently justified).

Grants can also support travel to field sites, even when secondary data is utilised.

While we view this kind of travel (with the possibilities for field visits and conversations with policymakers) as particularly valuable for researchers who lack prior experience in the countries that they intend to study, applicants proposing in-country activities will need to strongly justify the activities and outline relevant security and safety considerations.

Please note that cost effectiveness and value for money are important evaluation criteria and submitted budgets must adhere to the CRG Budget Guidelines. When in-country activities or travel are part of the grant proposal, the researcher(s) may be required to sign an institutional rather than individual contract. This will be determined on a case-by-case basis, depending on the specific country and circumstances.

##### PhD Research Grants PhD Research Grants of **up to £15,000** are a key aspect of the ReCIPE programme. Applicants to this call are strongly encouraged to read ReCIPE's Research Strategy before applying. Research may address conflict-related topics within one or more of ReCIPE’s nine research themes.

ReCIPE will also give particular encouragement to proposals which address three cross-cutting development issues that are simultaneously related to conflict and economic performance. These issues are directly and indirectly connected to ReCIPE’s main research themes. PhD Research Grants can fund research assistance, data collection and/or purchase, and potentially research stipends/teaching buyouts (if sufficiently justified).

Grants can also support travel to field sites, even when secondary data is utilised.

While we view this kind of travel (with the possibilities for field visits and conversations with policymakers) as particularly valuable for researchers who lack prior experience in the countries that they intend to study, applicants proposing in-country activities will need to strongly justify the activities and outline relevant security and safety considerations.

Please note that cost effectiveness and value for money are important evaluation criteria and submitted budgets must adhere to the PhD Budget Guidelines. When in-country activities or travel are part of the grant proposal, the researcher(s) may be required to sign an institutional rather than individual contract. This will be determined on a case-by-case basis, depending on the specific country and circumstances.

##### Country and Policy Relevance ReCIPE has a specific list of Focus Countries that make up the core of the programme. The list is available at the bottom of this page. Please note that a crucial criterion for funding of proposals is the relevance to policy in one or more of these countries, especially for Focus Countries that are low-income.

Proposals outside the ReCIPE Focus Countries will need to make a strong and clear case for the relevance of the research to policy in one or more of the Focus Countries. Please also note that research does not have to be at the national level. See the ReCIPE Research Strategy for more details.

All funded projects, regardless of location, will have to discuss within their final report and research summary the potential lessons for policymakers in Focus Countries. We welcome applications to our CRG calls from researchers all over the world, and encourage applications that propose collaboration between researchers from lower- and higher-income countries.

In view of the current political situation and the imposition of economic sanctions on various Russian entities by Western governments, we are not currently able to accept proposals for projects that include researchers or members of the research team who are based at Russian institutions. In view of the nature of ReCIPE's research themes, we also strongly encourage applications from multidisciplinary teams.

Principal investigators applying to CRG calls should currently have a PhD or be enrolled in a PhD programme. In exceptional circumstances, we will consider applications submitted by principal investigators who do not fit these criteria; however, they must be able to demonstrate a history of high-quality academic and/or policy-relevant research.

Although there are no formal qualification requirements for co-investigators, co-investigators on ReCIPE-funded projects usually have a PhD or are enrolled in a PhD programme. The knowledge, expertise, and qualifications of the entire research team will be taken into account when evaluating the proposal. Please note that ReCIPE can be running a simultaneous PhD Research Grant call.

As applicants can only apply for one call with the same project, we strongly encourage PhD students to consider which call is right for them. ##### PhD Applicants and Letters of Support CRG calls for proposals are open to those currently enrolled in a PhD programme, however applicants should also note that ReCIPE offers other grants exclusively for PhD students.

For all PhD students acting as principal investigators, we require a letter of support from your PhD supervisor no later than two weeks after the deadline. A PDF of the letter can be sent to the ReCIPE Team at ReCIPE@cepr. org.

For the advisor: Please discuss the feasibility of the research proposal, the intellectual support which the student will receive from advisors and others, an assessment of the student’s ability to carry out the research, and of the student’s longer-term potential as a researcher. ##### In-country Research For research projects conducting in-country studies in conflict or post-conflict settings, additional restrictions may apply.

Funding decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the country’s current situation, applicable sanctions, and any necessary risk assessments and requirements. Researchers whose proposals rely on the collection of data in-country will be required to outline in their proposal the implications for the project of potential delays and the alternatives to face-to-face fieldwork.

This can be included in the methodology section of the proposal template. Any fieldwork will need to be cleared by the researcher’s university and, where possible, in-country IRBs. Decisions on fieldwork should follow the advice of governments and should especially consider the security situation of the location.

Crucially, any proposal that includes face-to-face interaction should also briefly make clear how the researchers intend to ensure the safety of researchers and any participants involved in the study. PhD and Compact Research Grants are **designed to be contracted directly with an individual** and typically run for 12 months.

In certain cases where travel to high-risk areas is involved, **an institutional contract may be required**to ensure that the appropriate policies and safeguards are in place. This will be determined on a case-by-case basis, depending on the specific country and circumstances. **All contracts are non-negotiable.

** For PhD and Compact Research Grants that are required by ReCIPE to be contracted with an institution, the budget may include a contribution towards administrative charges or institutional overheads, reimbursed at a maximum flat rate of 20% of the total grant award, and added to the total grant award.

For individual contracts or in cases where an institutional contract has been arranged but not required by ReCIPE, no overhead fees can be taken. All institutional contracts are non-negotiable, and **all institutions are expected to complete our due diligence process.

** Please also note that due to local Indian regulations regarding the return of foreign funds, any contract with an Indian institution will be invoice based with no funds paid up front. In cases where international travel is planned by the project team, **travel insurance will be required**, covering at least the length of the travel. Proof of insurance cover may be requested.

We strongly recommend researchers and institutions look at our contract template as well as other documents, available at the bottom of this webpage, before applying. ##### Call and Grant Timeline We aim to issue funding decisions within three months of the deadline for receipt of proposals. Successful proposals are then announced on the ReCIPE website, together with a description of the work supported.

The contract for a CRG is 12 months long. More detailed information on the call and grant timeline can be found in the CRG Applicant Guide.

##### Evaluation and Selection Evaluation and selection are based on the following criteria: * Quality of the proposed research * Feasibility and credibility of the proposal * Contributions to expanding the field More detailed information on the weighting of these categories and the evaluation and selection process can be found in the CRG Applicant Guide.

##### Further information **ReCIPE Research Directors recently hosted a webinar on how to write a successful grant proposal for ReCIPE. Feel free to check out the****slides****and****recording****of the lecture. **