Regional environmental centre for Central Asia

with the support ofthe U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

Competition on applications

of students research

Guidelines for applicants

Deadline:

No later than 30September2016

  1. Introduction

Formation of independent states in Central Asia contributedto forming ownstateeducation systemsineachcountry and weakening of the links between education, research and academic institutions.Todayit is obvious that there is necessityincreating common educational space for strengthening exchange of experiences and solvingthe regional and global challenges which the regionis facing.

This competition is held within the framework of the project “Preparation and execution of student competition among the master students, part of building theKnowledge and Community of Practice Institutions"executed by the Regional environmental centre for Central Asia (CAREC)in the frames of the Smart Waters project with the financial support from the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

The competition is held in all Central Asian countries and Afghanistan among the educational institutionswhich have master's programs on management of water, land, energy resources and their sustainable use.

The competition promotes developing action-oriented researchesof master students so that they are based on real problems of research objectsand could be developed in communication with managers of the research objects and potential users of research results.Besides, the competition is the first practical action of the Academic knowledge network in Central Asia and starting from this year it will seek to expand and to include representatives of Afghanistan.

  1. Aim and tasks of the competition

Support to the student community in conducting scientific researches to address specific issuesrelated to the management of water and energy resources andenvironment protection in Central Asia and Afghanistan.

Important! The competition of applicationsto conduct researches, not the researches competition.

  1. Thematic areas

Research proposals should cover the following thematic areas:

  • Water resources management:institutional arrangements, law, policy development, water governance at the community level;
  • Efficient agriculture and connection between water and energy resources;
  • Economic efficiency of water use;
  • Implementation of advanced water-saving technologies in irrigated areas in the basins of transboundary watercourses;
  • Drinking water supply in rural areas in Central Asia;
  • Alternative sources of water supply for agriculture;
  • Automation of water measurement systems;
  • Re-use of water resources;
  • Rehabilitation of hydraulic structures;
  • Evaluation on the previous field researches. What had been before and what is happening now? (comparative analysis)
  • The role of women in:

Promotion of efficient use of water resources.

Practice ofhousehold water use.

  1. Objects of research

The objects of research could beareas, enterprises or any economic entities, requiring the improvement of systems / processes / practicesfor improving their efficiency and sustainability.Working in the pilot areas of CAREC (Aspara,Isfara river basins, Kazakhstan part of the Ugam river, Sudoche lakes system, Chon Ak-Suu river basin, Turkestan, Zerger) are welcomed.

  1. Mandatory requirements to the participants

Master students of the 1st year of study from Central Asian universitiesor last year bachelor students of those universities that do not have Magistracy ofthe given specialty areinvited to participate in the competition.

  1. Partners of research

Each application should include information about the partners,with whom and / or for whom the research will be performed. It could be:

  • university where theapplicant is studying;
  • research institutions and applied research organizations, which can provide specific service to the research;
  • «research objects»which provide all the necessary information and support for research and then use the results of research.
  1. Awards to competitors

The winners will receive:

  • support to carry out their of research in the amount of up to two thousand five hundred US dollars.Support will cover the expenditure required to carry out research work, such as transport costs, laboratory analysis, the purchase of reagents, publishing abstract, etc.
  • opportunity to participate in the next stage of the competition – Stage 2 «Competition of the researches», as the result of which the winners will be given a variety of opportunities to improve their professional level and to complete the internships in regional or international organizations.
  1. Special conditions
  • Application should be submitted in English with the short one-page abstracts;
  • Only the expenses on conducting the research will be covered: expenses for travel to the place of research, laboratory testing, purchasing reagents, publishing the abstract and etc.
  • Research proposed to the competition should be part of the applicant’smaster thesis and be completed before October 31, 2016.
  1. Application procedure

The application should be sent by E-mail no later than 30June to the Director of CAREC Country Office, depending on the applicant country.

Kazakhstan –ShynarToilybaeva,

Kyrgyzstan – Meder Seitkasymov,

Tajikistan –Farkhod Abdurakhmanov,

Turkmenistan –Dovlet Jumagulyyev

Uzbekistan - Shakhnoza Umarova,

For students from Afghanistan: Yekaterina Strikeleva, Smart Waters project Chief of

The title of the letter which is sent as the application should include an indication that it is being sent to the Competition of research applicationsand indicate from which of the Central Asian countries it is submitted. Example ofthe letter title: “The competition of research applications. Uzbekistan"

Application template can be found on the CAREC website:

  1. Evaluation of applications

The process of theresearch proposals evaluation will involve representatives of the regional structures,such as: the Scientific-Information Center ofthe Interstate Commission for Water Coordination (SIC ICWC), Scientific-Information Center of the Interstate Commission for Sustainable Development (SIC ICSD),International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS), Regional Centre of Hydrology (RCH), Central Asian Institute for Applied Geosciences (CAIAG);CAREC,USAIDand others.

The evaluation process will be held in two stages:

  1. Primary evaluation in the applicant's country. National evaluation commission will consist of one or more representatives of the above-mentioned regional structures,USAID and CAREC representativeswhich are based in the applicant's country.The National commission will evaluate the applications according to their compliance with the technical requirements, themes, the reality of research performance and the partnership. National commission also conducts personal or distantinterviews with the applicants.
  2. Approval of candidates at the regional level. Regional evaluation commission will consist of one or more representatives of the above-mentioned regional structures, USAID, CAREC representatives from the offices based in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The evaluation will be carried out at the CAREC headquarterin Almaty involving representatives of USAID. In case of necessity, additional consultations with members of the national commissions and interviews with applicantswill be conducted.

The Evaluation Commission will use the following evaluation criteria:

  • relevance of the proposed research;
  • clarity and validity of objectives, selection of problems and the methodology of research;
  • balance between the application content and the requested amount of funding;
  • feasibility of the aims, timing and research budget(up to 2500USD);
  • possibility of practical implementation;
  • applicant's qualifications and experience in conducting the researches (if any);
  • novelty of the proposed research and itspotentialfor the Central Asian region.
  • partnership (with which organization the research will be carried out).

Additional criteria:

  • interdisciplinary approach

For more information and consultations please contact:

CARECheadquarter in Almaty:

Yekaterina Strikeleva, Smart Waters Project Manager,

Anna Inozemtseva,WIS program manager,

Diaz Pupo Juan Jose, project specialist,

Doskeeva Aigerim, project assistant,

Address: Orbita-1, building 40, Almaty, Kazakhstan

Tel.: +7 727 265 43 34 (ext 275,191,133.)

Country offices:

Kazakhstan –Shynar Toilybaeva, director of CAREC Country Office in Kazakhstan

Address: Orynbor 11/1, KazHydromet building, office 207Astana 010000, Kazakhstan

Tel.: +7727265 43 34 (ext 204).

E-mail:

Kyrgyzstan –Meder Seitkasymov, Director of CAREC Country Office in Kyrgyzstan

Address: Tolstoy str. 3B, Bishkek, 720005

Tel. / Fax: +999 312 543876

E-mail:

Tajikistan –Farkhod Abdurakhmanovacting director of CAREC Country Office in Tajikistan

Address: 734034, Republic of Tajikistan, Dushanbe, Shamsi street 5/1

Tel.: +992 917 09 68 22, +992 988 43 91 28

E-mail:

Turkmenistan –BagirovaIrana, head of CAREC project officein Turkmenistan, Dovlet Jumagulyyev, acting Head of CAREC project office in Turkmenistan

Address: Bitarab Turkmenistan str. 15, office. 42, Ashghabat, Turkmenistan

Tel.: +993 659 567 57

E-mail ,

Uzbekistan –Shakhnoza Umarova, acting office director

Address: 100043, Tashkent,BunyodkorAvenue, microdistrict "I", building 7, office 217;.

Tel. / Fax: +998 71 277 37 87

E-mail: