Ghana Inclusive Development Research Network

Application Template

INTRODUCTION:

In recent years, Ghana has experienced positive economic growth and a reduction in poverty to achieve the first MDG target. However, the Ghana Poverty and Inequality Report shows that 1 in 4 people in Ghana remain trapped in poverty, and inequality is now at its highest level ever. While policy and civil society commitments to reduce inequality have increased in Ghana over the last year or two, the participation of academia in this important national dialogue could be enhanced.

The new Ghana Inclusive Development Research Network (GIDRN), hosted jointly by the University of Development Studies and UNICEF Ghana, aims to provide a multi-faceted platform for local researchers to increase their provision and impact of quality research on inclusive development through improved research capacity, networking, and policy engagement. It will offer an important opportunity for successful research teams to add to national evidence base on inclusive development; benefit from mentoring, training and networking on similar research; and to be connected into the policy dialogue on the challenge of promoting inclusive development.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Each research team must submit their application by completing this single template, no other documents are required to be sent separately.However, further clarification or submission of additional documents may be requested if applications are unclear. The application must be in English. No team member can be involved in more than two of the research network’s proposals.

Please ensure that you team meets the criteria for application before applying.

Applications are encouraged to be concise and must remain within word limits where given.

CRITERIA

Each research team and its members must meet the required criteria as below:

-Research teams must comprise of 2 to 4 researchers, each team should aim to comprise at least one female researcher. Members can come from different institutions and from any institution (lead researcher must be from a Ghanaian research institute);

-All team members must be graduates from economics, policy analysis or related programmes. At least one researcher must have or be studying for a PhD. At least one team member has had published research.

-All research team members must either be Ghanaian or some team members may be non-Ghanaian but residing in Ghana;

-Each team must designate a lead member. Teams with female lead members with clear track record will be prioritised in selection.

Please ensure that you foresee that your team will be able to deliver on all the requirements of the research cycle and contribute as active members to the research network.

Unsuccessful applications from promising research teams can still be invited to join the Network (though would not receive the research grant nor the mentoring.) Such teams would benefit from (i) networking across other research teams, (ii) access to the online course, (iii) possible invitation to the conferences depending on numbers.

SUBMISSION TEMPLATE

Each research team must complete the below application by providing the requested information within the body of this document.

  1. Thematic area

Check one (or a maximum two if necessary) of the thematic areas below targeted by the research network, into which your application falls.

Inequity: Lessons learned and/or drivers affecting inequity (income and/or non-income) in Ghana
Poverty: Lessons learned and/or drivers in reducing poverty in Ghana; promoting growth for the poorest in Ghana; promoting inclusive development
Child poverty: Lessons learned and/or drivers in reducing child poverty (income and/or non-income) in Ghana
Social Protection: Relationship between social protection in reducing poverty and/or inequality
  1. Abstract

Provide a short abstract of your research proposal of no more than 250 words.

-

  1. Research questions and objectives

Summarise the main research questions, as well as the key objectives of the work (less than half a page).

-

  1. Key literature references and knowledge gaps

List the main references in the current literature and summarise the main gaps that remain, which the proposal seeks to address(less than half a page).

-

  1. Methodology overview

Overview of main methodologies to be used, either qualitative and/or quantitative (less than half a page).

-

  1. Data requirements and sources

Summarise main data sources to be used in brief.

-

  1. Teams

Provide a list of all team members, mentioning in brief:

a)experience,

b)training,

c)list of past related research projects,

d)gender.

  1. CVs:

Copy and paste the CVs of the team members below. Concise/summary CVs are sufficient.

SUBMIT TO:

Submit your completed application by October 19th2017 to.