East

Asian
Development
Network

Call for Proposals for Individual Research Grants

Closing date: 13 October 2014


The East Asian Development Network (EADN), a network of research institutions in
developing countries of East Asia, invites research organizations and independent
researchers to submit proposals for the EADN Individual Research Grants. This program
aims to strengthen the capacity of institutions and young, independent researchers in East
Asia to undertake high quality, development-focused and policy-relevant research in the
social sciences.

Research proposals related to economics, human development, political and social
dynamics, gender issues, international relations and other topics within the social sciences
will be considered. Proposals which are development-oriented and have implications for
policy will be given preference. Topics related to the research priority areas of the Global
Development Network (GDN) are encouraged (please see annex for details).

The grants are awarded on a competitive basis. Proposals will be accepted at any time until
13 October 2014. Awards will be announced in December 2014.

Who are eligible to apply?

Researchers who are nationals and residents of any East Asian developing country
1
are
eligible to apply. Applications can be made by individual researchers or by research teams.

In case of a proposal by a research team, the team may include researchers who are non-
nationals or non-residents of any East Asian developing country (although this is not
encouraged). Such researchers must hold a minor role in the team and the team leader
must be a national and resident of an East Asian developing country.

As part of research capacity building, joint research proposals by senior and junior
researchers are encouraged. The junior researcher, in this case, should be the lead
researcher of the proposed project.

Those who are currently studying for a degree are not eligible to be an applicant whether
individually or as part of a team. In addition, those who received an EADN grant in the past 3
years are not eligible to apply.


1
Countries include Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Korea, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar,
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam.
How much funding and for how long?

The amount of the research grant varies depending on the quality of proposed content,
scope of the research subject, complexity of the research methodology e.g., data acquisition
and field work necessary in collecting primary data, length of time required to complete the
research and the number of researchers involved. In general, the grant will range from US$
5,000 to a maximum of US$ 15,000. Proposals of less than US$ 15,000 and which cost of
methodology forms a substantial portion of the proposed budget will be viewed favorably.

The research project should be completed within one year from the time the grant is
formalized.


What are the selection criteria and how is the decision process?

Selection will be based on the originality, quality and policy relevance of the topic.
Proposals which encompass a range of topics within the social sciences, address capacity
building concerns and are cost effective will be favorably considered.

Once a proposal has been submitted, the selection process will proceed as follows:

1. The EADN Country Coordinator of the country that is the focus of the research
proposal (or the country of the project leader) will be asked to make a quick
review of the originality of the proposed research topic and its policy relevance to
the country. This is done to make sure that the proposed research has the
potential to generate useful new knowledge.

The focus at this step is not on the quality of the research in terms of methodology
and the ability to answer the question addressed, but simply on whether other
researches covering similar topics have been or are being carried out.

The Country Coordinator will use his/her contacts with colleagues familiar with the
field of the proposed research to get relevant information. In the case where the
proposed research comes from researchers associated with the Country
Coordinators organization, another senior researcher in the country will be sought
to perform this role instead.

The Regional Coordinator will use this information as well as other relevant
considerations to decide whether the research topic is worth pursuing.

2. A technical review of the proposal will be done by a member of the EADN
Research Advisory Panel (RAP), the Regional Coordinator and other senior
researchers as selected by the Regional Coordinator. The review at this stage will
be mainly on the technical merits of the proposal, that is, the clarity of the
question(s) being addressed, research design, and the ability of the proposed
methodology to answer the question(s).

The Regional Coordinator will make the final decision on the approval of proposals
and the size of grant based on the recommendations of the reviewers, the scope
of the project and the funding available.

For capacity building purposes, one of the RAPs or a senior researcher
knowledgeable on the topic may be assigned to be the Advisor of the project that
is selected for funding. The Advisor provides advice to the research team for
improvement of the study through various stages of the project.

The research will be presented at the EADN Annual Forum or some other EADN meetings to
solicit comments and suggestions from the wider EADN membership.

The completed research studies will be published online as EADN Working Papers.
Researchers are also encouraged to submit their research for publication and to disseminate
their research results to policymakers in their countries.


What is required in the Proposal?

Proposals should include the following:

A clear statement of the research question to be addressed and the significance and
policy relevance of the research

A brief review of the literature to indicate what is currently known about the
research question and knowledge gaps together with relevant bibliography

The methodology to be used to answer the research question including the
analytical framework, data to be used and methods of analyses

The research team together with brief CVs and an explanation of the
appropriateness of the research team for this particular research

The length of time required to complete the research (not more than 12 months)

A detailed budget breakdown of the main cost components of the project (Note that
the grant cannot be used to purchase capital equipment such as computers etc.;
Overhead or indirect costs should be no more than 10% of the total budget)

A one page summary containing the research question, the novelty, significance and
policy relevance of the research, the methodology to be used, the research team and
qualifications and the proposed overall budget

A cover page containing the research question, names and profiles (institutional
affiliation, current position, age, gender, nationality, highest educational attainment)
of researchers involved

The proposal must also be accompanied by a letter of approval from the head(s) of
the organization(s) that the research team member(s) belong to (e.g. university
faculty, research organization, etc.).


Deadline for Proposal Submission

Research proposals should be sent as e-mail attachments to Dr. Gilberto M. Llanto, EADN
Regional Coordinator, at gllanto@mail.pids.gov.ph, with copies to Ms. Maureen Rosellon
(mrosellon@mail.pids.gov.ph) and Ms. Christine Salinas (csalinas@mail.pids.gov.ph).

Submissions must be received by the close of business on Monday, 13 October 2014. Upon
receipt of the submission, a confirmation e-mail will be sent to you. Awards will be
announced in December 2014 and all applicants will be notified.


Inquiries

East Asian Development Network
Philippine Institute for Development Studies
NEDA-Makati Building
106 Amorsolo St., Legaspi Village
Makati City 1229
Philippines
www.eadn.org

Phone: +632 810 6261
Fax: +632 816 1091
Email: gllanto@mail.pids.gov.ph ; mrosellon@mail.pids.gov.ph ; csalinas@mail.pids.gov.ph


ANNEX: Priority Research Themes of the Global Development Network

The Global Development Network (GDN) is a leading international organization of developing and
transition country researchers, policy and research institutes promoting the generation, sharing, and
application to policy of multidisciplinary knowledge for the purpose of development.

In view of its activities and goals, GDN collaborates with various international donor organizations,
governments and with the 11 GDN regional network partners which are based in developing,
transition, and developed countries. The East Asian Development Network (EADN) is GDNs regional
partner in East Asia, whose activities aimed at strengthening research capacity and networking in
developing countries in the region has been continuously supported by the GDN.

More details about GDN and its activities can be found in their website (www.gdn.int). Below are the
current priority research themes of GDN
2
:

1. Urbanization and Development
As development has become synonymous with urbanization, urban planning and its
environmental impact have also become a more critical issue today. Urbanization and
development are closely related to each other, yet urban poverty emerges as a critical issue.
Urbanization experience varies substantially. There is little research done on cities in
developing countries. Some research questions include: what makes a successful and
sustainable city, what factors make them productive, and others.
While it has yielded to a wider network of knowledge and cooperation, urbanization also
creates enormous challenges and externalities. One research question is what policy
interventions would alleviate crime, congestion and contagious disease in cities in the
developing countries.

2. Development Finance (Foreign Aid and External Capital Flows, and Financial Sector
Development for Growth and Poverty Reduction)
After the recent global financial crisis, the interest on development finance has been
renewed. Particularly, the debate on whether aid promotes growth and reduces poverty
ensues. The relationship between aid and capital flows (FDI, remittances) needs to be
studied.
The aftermath of the financial crisis has also emphasized the need to re-evaluate aid
effectiveness, as issues such as targeting sector-specific aid and scaling up aid arise.
It is becoming more critical to shed more light on the channels and transmission mechanisms
through which financial sector development can promote poverty reduction. In addition,
further study on the institutional and regulatory framework, as well as the financial structure
in domestic financial markets, should be explored.

3. Agriculture, Development and Natural Resources
As new challenges are being faced by agricultural productivity, such as climate change,
population pressure, and scarcity of land and water, more robust research still needs to be
done to maintain and sustain food security and rural livelihood and to achieve adaptability
and resilience in this sector.
There is a call for more research in innovation in agriculture and the overall link between
agriculture and education, and for probing deeper into the literature on land reform.
What would be the right policies and role of institutions as far as effectively managing
natural resources is concerned.


2
More background information and a list of key research questions can be viewed at
http://www.gdn.int/html/page10.php?MID=12&SID=38.
4. Inequality, Poverty, Social Protection and Social Policy
Social protection and growing inequality are emerging as more critical issues in the post-
financial crisis world; hence, it becomes a more pressing need to measure structural
economic vulnerability and to reexamine social policies and social protection systems in
discussing development policies.
Measures to protect people from being trapped in poverty, to empower them and promote
productivity are among the key issues that need to be addressed.
It is also necessary to know more about the mechanisms and channels through which social
protection systems and policies can extend a wider impact to more vulnerable people, their
families, communities and nations. What can we learn from country experiences in social
protection policies and schemes?

5. Rule of Law, Governance, Institutions and Development
Weak institutions have undesirable effects and hamper economic growth; accordingly,
improvements in these contribute to higher economic growth.
More research on the political economy of the institutions-growth nexus, which includes
institutions, resources and growth, is needed. Are institutions needed for better resource
management?
There is a need to probe deeper into the mechanisms through which the rule of law, over
which institutions and the bureaucracy are founded upon, affects the whole development
process. This also includes re-assessing the relationship among institutions, governance, rule
of law, and fiscal capacity.

6. Human Capital Formation, Education and Development
Competition is revitalized due to modern forms of knowledge-based technology. Because
education and vocational training have become paramount issues, investing heavily in
education and skills becomes crucial for development.
More research on the overall benefits of investing in education, determinants of educational
incidence, role of career aspirations, interaction between the private and public sectors in
funding and the implications of such an investment is necessary.
What mechanisms are needed to improve education delivery and performance? What
policies can be implemented to shift the emphasis from the quantity to the quality of
education?

7. Labor Markets, Employment and International Migration
Labor remains the main source of income for a significant population of the developing
world; therefore, good quality jobs are necessary to improve the standards of living and lift
people out of poverty.
More and better research is needed on issues related to employment creation, upgrading of
skills, job matching, social insurance programs and other issues that tackle structural
problems.
What policies can facilitate job creation? How will emerging economies affect global labor
markets and how will it affect the labor markets of low income countries?
International migration is also emerging as an important issue to be addressed. Research on
determinants of international migration, overall developmental impacts of migration, and
policies to facilitate the migration process and flow of capital (remittances) is needed.







EADN Individual Research Grants 2014
Application Cover Page


RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Project Title:
Discipline - Economics, Pol. Science, Sociology, Multi-disciplinary (Pls Specify):

Total Budget (USD):
Project Duration (months):


RESEARCH TEAM
No. of Members:
Project Leader:
Name:
Institution:
Current Position:
Highest Educ. Attainment:
Nationality:
Gender:
Age:
Mailing Address:
E-mail:
Phone (incl country+area codes):
Mobile (incl country+area codes):
Fax (incl country+area codes):

Members:
Name:
Institution:
Current Position:
Highest Educ. Attainment:
Nationality:
Gender:
Age:
Mailing Address:
E-mail:
Phone (incl country+area codes):
Mobile (incl country+area codes):
Fax (incl country+area codes):