2014 Innovative Research Grant

Linking Country Policies to Agricultural Development Outcomes 

Applicants should examine individual country policies and the resulting agricultural development outcomes through econometric or CGE approaches. Under this theme, research projects may focus on any topic and policy that is at a stage of implementation where it can be evaluated. Some suggested topics include trade policies, agricultural policies, and climate change. Specific policy(ies) chosen for analysis should fall under the general topic. For example, if the broad topic is agricultural policy, the effects of a specific fertilizer subsidy policy can be examined.

Analyses can be conducted on any African country(ies) or region, but AGRODEP strongly encourages research on policies in one or more of the following countries:

The AGRODEP management team encourages teamwork in order to increase networking among AGRODEP members. Therefore, submitting joint research with several AGRODEP members is highly recommended, particularly with members from different countries. 

The management team will identify experts and academics to act as mentors for each accepted proposal. These mentors will be selected for their renowned competences on the topic of the proposal concerned. Mentors will advise each team during the research process and will ensure that the research delivery meets a high quality standard. 

DEADLINEs

AGRODEP members will be given until December 1, 2014 to submit a proposal that presents the research topic, its scientific and policy relevance for Africa, the methodology to be used, and its justification. Please click here to apply.

The AGRODEP management team will announce the list of accepted proposals to the AGRODEP network by the end of January 2015. 

Guidelines

• Primary investigators for the project must be AGRODEP members, but co-authors do not need to be members. Co-authors may not be members of  the AGRODEP Steering Committee, Scientific Advisory Board, or Network Advisory Committee, with the exception of NAC member representatives.
• Applicants must submit an Online Application, where two documents will need to be uploaded:
  1. A proposal document, 6 pages maximum, with the following information:
     • Introduction
     • Brief literature review, including any previous or ongoing research on the topic that you have conducted
     • Methodology & Data
     • Project Timetable
     • Authors: who will be involved in the study and in what capacity
     • The total funding amount required from AGRODEP. Please do not include a budget breakdown in your proposal document.
     • References
  2. A separate document containing a detailed budget.

Grant amount

The budget for each innovative research proposal is between US$10,000-US$15,000 with a maximum of US$20,000. The maximum duration of a project funded by a grant for innovative research is one year starting February 15, 2014.   

About AGRODEP

AGRODEP is an initiative led by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in collaboration with the ASARECA, CORAF/WECARD, and FANRPAN. The Consortium aims at positioning African experts to take a leading role in the study of strategic development questions and the broader agricultural growth and policy debate facing African countries.

For more about AGRODEP or if you have questions about this proposal please visit www.agrodep.org and write to info-agrodep@agrodep.org.