Grants | Scholarship for Nigerians and Africans

JACOBS FOUNDATION FOR DISSERTATION AND YOUNG INVESTOR GRANTS IN ADOLESCENCE AND YOUTH RESEARCH

/ June 26, 2012 Leave a Comment

The Jacobs Foundation

The Jacobs Foundation was established by Klaus J. Jacobs in December, 1988, in Zurich, Switzerland, as a private philanthropic organization. It operates throughout the world.

The Foundation supports scientific research projects and their implementation which
• lastingly enhance the quality of young people’s lives
• promote their personal and professional development, and
• enable them to personally contribute to shaping tomorrow’s world

Grant Application Procedure

The Jacobs Foundation makes a range of grants available to qualified applicants, from Research Grants to Dissertation and Young Investigators grants. Candidates for grants are invited to submit first:

A short initial request, not exceeding 3 pages in length, which clearly describes the project or program and its objectives
·An itemised list of the amount of financial support requested
·A summary description of the applicant’s qualifications and accomplishments
·A list of all foundations or agencies to which requests for support for this proposal have been made

We propose that you use one of our 2 standard initial request forms and send them to our e-mail address: jf@jacobsfoundation.org

  • Preliminary Research Proposal (Research Grants or Young Scholars)
  • Implementation Project Proposal; Preliminary Application Form

Please note that there are no deadlines for submitting initial requests.

Please also note that we do not maintain any scholarship or tuition assistance programs, that we do not support construction or building projects, that we do not support publishing projects and that we do not contribute to fundraising drives or operating budgets.

On the basis of the initial request, the proposal is reviewed in consideration of the Foundation’s goals and objectives. If it is determined that the project could possibly be supported, a supplementary and more detailed proposal may be solicited.

Grants are decided upon by the Board of Trustees three times a year. To ensure a timely review of proposals, applicants should submit their projects in either January, May, or September.

Both the initial request and the full proposal must be submitted in the English language.

The criteria for the evaluation of all applications, solicited or unsolicited, are:
· The relevance of the project to the Foundation’s objectives
· The quality of the proposed project
· The applicant’s qualifications and capacities to execute the project successfully.

Further information about the Foundation is provided in the brochure “Priorities, Programs, Procedures”, which is available upon request.

Dissertation and Young Investigator Grants in Adolescence and Youth Research

The Jacobs Foundation runs a competitive grant program for empirical research investigations conducted either as dissertation projects or as young investigator projects (postdoc). Fields covered include the behavioral, educational, and social sciences.  

The program is directed towards young investigators from Central and Eastern Europe (former communist countries) and from developing nations in Asia, Africa, Central and South America.

Topical Emphases
The Jacobs Foundation has identified three general areas of interest in research on youth and adolescence:

  • Development of life skills and social competence 
  • Sensitivity toward nature and the environment 
  • Capability to effectively use modern information technology

Within their general framework, the following topics are of special interest. These are not meant to be exhaustive:

  • Beliefs about self agency and the future
  • Social relations and generational nexus
  • Life skills and life planning
  • Cultural and individual diversity
  • Educational values and citizenship
  • Individual development and institutions (education, youth organizations, etc.)
  • Interplay and improvement of cultural literacies
  • Communication skills

Dissertation Grants
Dissertation grants are available to pre-doctoral students whose dissertation proposal has the approval of a dissertation mentor or committee. Funds up to USD 5’000 are available for materials, subject fees, research assistance, and other expenses required for conducting the study, analyzing data, presenting the results at conferences, or other forms of technical support. Personal stipends (salaries) are not covered by the grant program.

Young Investigator Grants
This program is aimed at postdoctoral investigators within a four-year period following the attainment of the doctoral degree. Applicants are expected to initiate their own research in the field of adolescence and youth. Funds up to a maximum of USD 10’000 are available for materials, subject fees, research assistance, and other expenses required for conducting the study, analyzing data, presenting the results at conferences, or other forms of technical support. Personal stipends (salaries) are not covered by the grant program. Institutions which host the investigator can claim an overhead of up to a maximum of USD 1’000.

Application
The application procedure is twofold: firstly, an Initial Request is to be submitted to the Jacobs Foundation. If the Initial Request is evaluated positively, a Full Research Proposal then has to be elaborated and sent to the Jacobs Foundation.

Initial Request
The Initial Request describes (1) the study goals and (2) their congruence with the Foundation’s mission statement; (3) the specific research questions; (4) design; (5) sample; (6) a preliminary budget;
(7) an approximate time schedule for the completion of the project, and finally, a short Curriculum Vitae of the applicant. The Initial Request should not exceed 5 pages. If the project is evaluated positively, the applicant is invited to submit a Full Research Proposal to the Jacobs Foundation.

Full Research Proposal
The Full Research Proposal contains three sections, i.e., (I) research project, (II) budget and timing, and (III) personal career. The Full Research Proposal should not exceed 15 pages.

I. The research section contains (1) the project title, (2) a summary, (3) the research questions, (4) a review of the relevant literature, (5) hypotheses, (6) detailed information about methodological procedures (sample, instruments, analyzing techniques), (7) expected results with reference to the Jacobs Foundation mission statement.

II. The budget and timing section contains (1) a time schedule for the completion of the project and (2) a detailed budget.

III. The personal career part contains (1) a Curriculum Vitae, (2) a statement of how the project would promote the applicant’s career, (3) an approval of the mentoror the committee for dissertation projects, or for young investigator grants a short recommendation from a mentor and an institutional confirmation of the applicant’s status as a young investigator.

Evaluation

The Initial Request should be sent to Jacobs Foundation, Seefeldquai 17, P.O. Box, CH-8034 Zurich, Switzerland. Submission by e-mail is requested (jf@jacobsfoundation.org). Submission deadlines for Full Research Proposals are three times per year, i.e., February 1st, June 1st and October 1st. Applicants receive a response within three months.

An Expert Committee of scholars in the field of adolescence and youth will review the Full Research Proposals and make a funding recommendation to the Jacobs Foundation.

Country: Deadline:RollingContact Person: Contact Email: Organization:The Jacobs FoundationWebsite:http://www.jacobsfoundation.org/

 

Filed Under: Doctorate Degree, Information Technology, Medical Science, Social Science Tags: , , , , , ,

The African Women’s Development Fund

/ May 26, 2012 Leave a Comment
Region: Africa
Grant Type: Project Grants
Description: The AWDF funds local, national, sub-regional and regional organisations in Africa working towards women’s empowerment. The AWDF is an institutional capacity-building and programme development fund, which aims to help build a culture of learning and partnerships within the African women’s movement. In addition to raising money and awarding grants, the AWDF will attempt to strengthen the organisational capacities of its grantees.

 

The AWDF funds work in six thematic areas:

 

  • Women’s Human Rights
  • Political Participation
  • Peace Building
  • Health & Reproductive Rights
  • Economic Empowerment.
  • HIV/AIDS

The AWDF will prioritise programs which develop and promote women’s leadership and advocacy across all these themes. These thematic areas have been chosen because they feature very highly on the agenda of the African women’s movement.

 

Who can apply?
Organisations can be local, national, sub-regional or regional African women’s organisations, from any part of Africa.
Local women’s organisations should send in the names of two referees, one of who should be a member of a women’s organisation that operates nationally.  
 

 

What types of grants do we support?
The AWDF will give grants for projects related to any of the thematic areas specified above. We expect applicants to build in relevant and reasonable running/core costs into their project proposals.

 

We will give grants to national and regional organisations for aspects of organisational growth and development such as strategic planning, developing fundraising strategies, communications systems, retreats, governance systems, etc.
We will give grants for capital costs such as purchase of computers, printers, photocopiers.

 

Frequency of grant making
AWDF will make grants in three cycles each year. Applications can be sent in at any time.

 

Size of grants 
Organisations can apply for grants ranging from $5000 – $50,000. Kindly note that most grants will be for less than the maximum. Grants over $20,000 will only be made to organisations which operate on a regional basis.

 

Criteria for the review of grant applications:

 

  • Applying organisations should preferably have been in existence for at least three years.
  • Women’s organisations have to be led and managed by women.
  • National or regional civil society organisations may apply for a women-specific project, but will have to demonstrate that there are women involved in their governance, and that the project will be managed by a senior woman in the organisation.
  • Potential grantees should show how the project proposal fits into the organisation’s overall strategy for the area of work or community in which it is located.
  • Organisations have to demonstrate how their work fits into either a local, national or regional strategy for the empowerment of African women.
  • Applying organisations should have basic organisational systems and structures in place. We will look for evidence of effective leadership, planning and networking.
  • The organisation should have a clear evaluation and sustainability plan for the project
  • The potential to raise additional funding.
  • Ability to manage funds and account for them in a transparent manner.

The AWDF will not support the following projects:

 

  • Organisations that aim to convert people to any religious belief
  • Political parties or women’s wings of political parties
  • Individuals
  • Government departments
  • Scholarships and fellowships for academic studies
  • Women’s organisations which are not led by women

How to apply
Interested organisations should send in their proposals to the AWDF secretariat in Accra, Ghana, using the grant application guidelines. Applications can be sent in English, French, or Portuguese, by email, fax or post. Please note that whilst we will accept applications by email and fax, we still expect a hard copy. 

 

Grant Application Guidelines
In order to consider your request, we need basic and specific information about your organisation, its composition, and its purposes. We need to know how your organisation believes its work can be supported with a grant of $5,000- $50,000 from the African Women’s Development Fund. Please write your project proposal using the following guidelines:

 

Contact Information

 

Name of organisation
Address ( Physical & Postal)
Telephone and Fax numbers
E-mail address, and World Wide Web site address (if any)
Contact person’s name and title
Who completed this proposal? Please sign and date.
Contact details of two (2) referees
How did you learn about the African Women’s Development Fund?

Organizational Information

 

1. Purpose of the organization?

 

  • What are your organisation’s main goals?
  • When was your organisation formed?
  • Who started your organisation and why?
  • Is your organisation local, national, sub-regional or regional?
  • In which region(s) does your organisation work?
  • Who are the main beneficiaries of your organisation’s activities?
  • What are your organisational strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats?

2. Structure

 

  • How does your organisation make decisions? Does your organisation have a staff, a board, advisors, or volunteers?
  • How many of each? What are their roles? How many are women? What are their positions?
  • How many people participate in your organisation? Do you have members? If so, how many? How many are women? What are their positions?
  • Is your organisation a women’s organization? If not, please explain the role women play in making decisions about your organisation’s activities.

3. Activities and/or Programs

 

  • What would you describe as the key areas of work for your organisation, i.e. women’s human rights issues, economic empowerment, etc.
  • What are the key challenges your organisation faces in this area of work?
  • Describe your organisation’s past activities and/or programs.
  • Describe your organisation’s present activities and/or programs.
  • What are your organisation’s plans for the future?
  • How does this project you are applying for fit into those plans?

4. Financial Situation

 

  • Please include your budget for your current financial year
  • What sources of funds does your organisation have for the next twelve months? (Please list sources and amounts.)
  • Enclose a set of audited accounts for your last financial year. If these are not available, a financial statement signed by your Treasurer and one other officer or member. The audited accounts/financial statement should include sources of funds for your activities and details of income and expenditure.

Grant Request Information

 

  • How much money are you applying for?
  • For what purpose are you seeking a grant from the African Women’s Development Fund? State project objectives.
  • How many women do you expect to benefit from this project and how?
    Please tell us specifically how this grant will be used, and include an activity plan and monitoring plan.
  • Clearly describe project sustainability plan
  • How will this grant enable your organisation to achieve its strategic objectives?
  • What is the change you expect to see at the end of this grant?
  • How will the grant benefit the women you wish to work with?
    a) What are the views/perceptions within your community on the issues covered by the project?
    b) How do you expect to change these views by the end of the project?
  • What, if any, changes will the project make at policy and legislative levels?
  • Any other changes achieved?

Provide a detailed budget for the project. If you have prepared the budget using your local currency, please include the US dollar or Pounds Sterling equivalent.

Please include the following information:

  • A copy of your most recent annual report and financial statement
  • Brochures/leaflets describing the work you do
  • Relevant photographs, press clippings, posters, videos (if available)
  • Kindly note that these will not be retuned to you, so you should only send information which you are willing to part with.

Whilst we will accept applications by email and fax, we still expect a hard copy by post. We receive a lot of applications, so we will prioritise those proposals which arrive complete with all the information we have asked for.

All applications should be sent to:

 

African Women’s Development Fund
Plot Number 78,
Ambassadorial Enclave,
East Legon – Ghana

 

Mailing Address
PMB CT 89 Cantonments,
Accra, Ghana.
Tel:+233 21 521257

 

E-mail: awdf@awdf.org

 

Click here for more information

 

 
Country:  
Deadline: Rolling
Contact Person:  
Contact Email: awdf@awdf.org
Organization: The African Women’s Development Fund
Website: http://www.awdf.org
Filed Under: Grants and Fellowships, Physical Science Tags: , , ,

$80,000 Grant :Africa-Brazil agricultural innovation marketplace

/ March 11, 2012 Leave a Comment

The Africa-Brazil Agricultural Innovation Marketplace is an international initiative supported by different donors aiming to link Brazilian and African experts and institutions to develop cooperative projects.The objective of this initiative is to enhance agricultural innovation for development on the African continent through the establishment and strengthening of partnerships between African and Brazilian organizations.

GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPMENT AND SUBMISSION OF PRE-PROPOSALS
I.  OVERVIEW
Agriculture represents an important segment of the economies of Africa and Brazil. In addition, similarities in climate, ecosystems, agricultural practices, and culture may facilitate knowledge sharing and technological cooperation. Over the past 30 years, Brazilian agricultural growth and development has been guided by policies and technologies based on research for development. Brazilian policies, experience, and focus in social programs such as Fome Zero (Zero Hunger) targeting social protection networks for the poor, provide an important linkage between the regions. In Africa, the importance of agriculture in development has been recognized through initiatives such as the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) of the New Partnership for Africa´s Development (NEPAD) and the Framework for African Agricultural Productivity (FAAP). Therefore, partnerships between agricultural scientists and experts in Africa and Brazil could be instrumental in supporting African nations in their efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Such South-South collaborations complemented by relevant basic science developed in industrialized countries could make an important contribution to more productive agriculture and more affordable food for the poor in Africa.
This is an initiative of Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) and the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) ) with support from the Brazilian Cooperation Agency of the Ministry of External Relations (ABC-MRE), the World Bank, the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID), the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD), and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (B&MGF).

The overall objective is to enhance agricultural innovation and development on the African continent through the establishment and strengthening of partnerships between Africa and Brazil.

II. THEMATIC AREAS
Proposals will be accepted under the thematic areas described below.  In addition, since part of the available funding targets specific countries and products, within each thematic area, high quality proposals focusing on Ethiopia, Tanzania, Ghana,  Burkina Faso, Mali, Nigeria, or Uganda and in maize, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava, yams, sweet potatoes, groundnut, cowpeas, beans, cattle, goats, or chickens will receive additional consideration.

1. Productivity Enhancing Technologies:
•    Development of land productivity enhancement and saving technologies.
For example: approaches to biological nitrogen fixation and utilization; improvement of livestock breeds and health; molecular and conventional approaches for genetic improvement and adaptation of crop plants, arable crops, fruit trees and forestry species; biodiversity management; molecular characterization and conservation of plant genetic resources; soil, water, and crop management; storage technologies; and food  processing.

•    Development of technologies for adaptation and mitigation of climate change.
For example: forestry and agroforestry options for fighting desertification, poverty and hunger; livestock distribution, health, and productivity, plant breeding, crop management, water harvesting and management techniques, soil reclamation, and re-forestation.
2. Natural Resource Management Improvements:
•    Generation of natural resource and soil conservation technologies with reduced drudgery and low cost.
For example: regeneration of degraded lands, conservation agriculture including soil and water conservation, usage of legumes in cropping systems, crop rotation techniques, and development of organic farming.
3. Policy, Institutional and Market Strengthening and Knowledge Management:
•    Strategies for knowledge management and improved access to knowledge and information by stakeholders in the commodity chain.
For example: policy analysis; market studies; ICT for development; communication strategies to farmers, policy makers, and private sector; gender sensitivity in communication; and trade in agricultural commodities.

•    Strategies and policies for institutional strengthening.
For example: capacity building; re-engineering institutions; engagement of private sector in agriculture; innovation systems; and engagement of government support in research.

4. Smallholder and Poverty-Alleviation Targeted Technologies:
•    Development of technologies and strategies/systems to reduce poverty and hunger.
For example: improvement of cash flow for farmers, and improvement of information flow and of agricultural lending systems.

•    Mechanization appropriate for smallholders.

III. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Who can apply
•    Individuals representing a partnership between African-based public or private, governmental or non-governmental research and development organizations, and one or more of Embrapa´s centers. Projects with only African or Brazilian organizations or with a Brazilian co-leader organization other than an Embrapa center are not eligible at this time.
•    Individuals must possess the required competencies to support innovation within the institution or consortia of institutions.
•    The ability to read and write in English is essential.
•    Preference will be given to countries/regions without on-going conflicts and that have institutions and policies that favor innovation.
•    Other desirable characteristics of applicants include young to mid-career category individuals with interest in professional growth; excellent networking in the country; and active engagement in research, development, and innovation in one of the thematic areas.

IV. PRE-PROPOSALS: GENERAL GUIDELINES

•    Proposals must be submitted through 1 thematic area only. Proposals submitted in duplicate to more than 1 thematic area will not be considered. However, different proposals submitted to different thematic areas by the same group of individuals are acceptable.
•    Projects must be planned to be implemented in Africa. Supporting activities such as, for instance, testing of samples, might be conducted outside of Africa if capacity is not available, accessible, or reasonably affordable on the continent.
•    Projects addressing questions that are part of larger, multi-year, on-going projects funded by another source are eligible to the extent that the objectives, expected outputs, the timeline for completion, and the inclusion of the appropriate African and Brazilian partners are clearly defined, and in accordance with these guidelines.
•    Proposals addressing highly sensitive issues such as tests involving human subjects will undergo additional scrutiny.

•    Proposals must be written in English and in accordance with these guidelines in order to receive full consideration. Pre-proposals must be submitted through the website (www.africa-brazil.org) following the outline and instructions in Annex 1
•    A budget is not required for pre-proposals. It will be requested for full proposals at the appropriate time. However, please see the potential funding size below to guide the pre-proposal development.

V. FUNDING AND PROJECT LENGTH
At this time, it is expected that projects will be funded up to USD 80,000 in total for a maximum duration period of 2 years.

VI. ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
Pre-proposals will be assessed according to the preliminary criteria outlined below. Please note that the assessment criteria might be modified by the Africa-Brazil Agricultural Innovation Marketplace Steering Committee (SC) for different calls.
a. Innovation
Innovation is a major differentiating element for the Marketplace. All proposals selected for funding should go beyond standard innovation development projects, including approaches on new technologies, new products or services using existing technology, new processes, including new mechanisms to deliver products or services, among others. The proposal will be assessed according to how it differs from existing approaches. Note that transferring an approach to solve a common problem from one beneficiary group or from one geographic area to another is not considered innovative by the Marketplace.

b. Competencies of the team
The proposed team should reflect the competencies and experience required to achieve the project objectives in the 2-year period. See Annex for required information.

c. Project Design, Objectives, and Measuring of Potential Impacts
The project should have an appropriate design to address the proposed objectives including concrete steps and activities. The objectives and methodology must be clear and the results measurable with an indication on the potential impact on improving individuals’ or communities’ ability to adapt to innovation. The expected results should be achievable within the 2-year timeframe.

d. Sustainability of Impact
Projects should indicate how the results and development impacts will be sustainable after the end of Marketplace funds. This should include the nature of sustainability such as financial or organizational.

e. Growth Potential
The Marketplace encourages projects with potential for a large scale development impact. Assessors will evaluate constraints as well as the opportunities to scaling up and replicating.
Note: Replicability is when a project can be adopted by other groups. Scalability is when a project can be expanded within a geographic area to benefit more people in the project area.

VII. SELECTION PROCESS
This call for proposals is a 2-step competitive process. Applicants are requested to submit a pre-proposal for evaluation and, if selected, will be requested to submit a full proposal. Further information is presented below on these guidelines for pre-proposal. Guidelines for full proposals will be made available at the appropriate time.
Step 1. All submitted pre-proposals will be screened by the Africa-Brazil Agricultural Innovation Marketplace Executive Committee (EC) for eligibility. Eligible proposals will be evaluated by the Steering Committee (SC) based on the assessment criteria. If necessary, external expert advice will be requested by the SC. The top pre-proposals in each thematic area will be selected and invited to present full proposals

Step 2. Full proposals will be evaluated by the SC and the top proposals will be selected for funding. The total number of pre-proposals invited to present full proposals and the total number of full proposals selected for funding will depend on the available funds and the quality of the proposals presented and will be determined at the appropriate time.

VII. IMPORTANT DATES
December 12th, 2011:  Call for pre-proposals opens
February 29th, 2012: Call for pre-proposals closes at 5pm Brasília Time
March 15th, 2012: Announcement of selected pre-proposals, and invitation for full proposal development and submission. Further information, guidelines, and timelines will be provided at that time.

VIII. HOW TO APPLY
1. Pre-proposals must be submitted online through the Marketplace website
(www.africa-brazil.org). If not possible, please contact us via email at contact@africa-brazil.org . For further information and instructions on how to apply, please visit our website at www.africa-brazil.org
2. The online form allows applicants to save a draft of their pre-proposal in the system while they work on it. Note that only submitted applications will be considered for the competition and that any pre-proposal in draft form will be automatically deleted after the submission deadline. To be considered for this competition, please make sure that you click the “Submit” button on your application by the dates and times stated in the above timeline.
3. The SC must receive your complete pre-proposal according to the dates and times specified in the previous section.
4. For further information, please contact us via email at: contact@africa-brazil.org. If you are unable to access the internet or our website, please contact the Marketplace team at +55 61 3448-4256 (Embrapa, Brazil) or +233 21 772823 Fax: +233 21 773676 (FARA, Ghana).

Filed Under: Grants and Fellowships Tags: , ,
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