Africa Small Research Grant Competition

ROAPE is a refereed journal committed to encouraging high quality research and fostering excellence in the understanding of African political economy, and is listed in the Thomson Reuters Social Sciences Citation Index. Published quarterly by Taylor & Francis for the ROAPE international collective, it has since 1974 provided radical analysis of trends, issues and social processes in Africa, adopting a broadly materialist interpretation of change. It has paid particular attention to the political economy of inequality, exploitation and oppression and struggles against them, whether driven by global forces or local ones such as class, race, community and gender. It sustains a critical analysis of the nature of power and the state in Africa in the context of capitalist globalisation. For more details about the journal and examples of published articles please go to www.roape.org

The small grant competition is based on the premise that the shortage of funding for critical research is one of the problems faced by Africa-based scholars/activists wishing to carry forward a political economy agenda. In response to this, ROAPE is offering up to four small research grants (each up to £3000). . The process of selection of proposals, as well as their expected format, is outlined below.

QUALIFICATIONS OF APPLICANTS

Applicants should be nationals of an African country and residents in an African country. African scholars who are based outside Africa will not be considered.

DOCUMENTS FOR THE APPLICATION

Applicants are expected to submit:
1. A brief CV (2 pages maximum);
2. An outline of their research proposals in no more than 1200 words. This will consist of
a. A title.
b. An abstract of no more than 150 words.
c. The research problem and the key research questions to be addressed.
d. The methodology to be adopted in the proposed study.
e. A budget of how the grant would be used. This may include costs incurred for travel, accommodation, subsistence, equipment (for example a voice recorder), research permits, research assistance, and/or photocopying and printing. The grant can also be used as remuneration for time spent writing up the findings of previously completed research (If this is the case it should be reflected in the application).

Recipients of the grants are expected to submit a one-page final report two months after the end of the research period. Successful candidates are also expected to submit for consideration to ROAPE an article based on the research funded by the small grant. The article will be peer-reviewed according to the standard procedure followed by the journal.

THE PROCESS OF SELECTION OF APPLICATIONS

ROAPE will establish a selection panel drawn from its Editorial Working Group.

PAYMENT OF THE SMALL RESEARCH GRANT

Grants can be held for up to 1 year and will be paid in two tranches. Upon acceptance of a research proposal, ROAPE will disburse half of the grant to successful candidates to contribute towards research expenses. The remaining half will be paid to authors following the submission of an article to ROAPE on the research funded by this small grant.. (Please note that if the applicant feels that there are specific reasons why a larger percentage of the grant should be given up front they must make a special request in their application).

DEADLINES

1. Deadline for applications: 31 July 2013.
2. Selection of successful proposals and notification to its authors: 30 September 2013.
3. Payment of first tranche of grant (50%).
4. Short Report: by 30 November 2014.
5. Submission of paper to ROAPE and payment of the second tranche of the small grant: no later than 30 September 2015.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications and enquiries should be sent to [email][email protected]