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Quick Link to this page: www.unesco.org/shs/antipoverty/call_smallgrants
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| UNESCO Small Grants Programme on Poverty Eradication in Sub-Saharan Africa: the deadline for submission of proposals deferred to 31 May 2009 |
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| In the framework of UNESCO’s programme for poverty eradication, the Social and Human Sciences Sector calls for project proposals for small grants for an amount of US $10,000. These research proposals must contribute to write, revise, re-read and amend strategy documents of Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs), through the normative human rights framework. The projects must concern Portuguese speaking countries of Africa (3 fellowships are available), Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal or Togo. Submission of applications is extended until 31 May 2009 at midnight. |
 UNESCO promotes international co¬operation among its Member States in the fields of education, the sciences, culture and communication. The Sector of Social and Human Sciences (SHS) – one of the five specialized Sectors of UNESCO – has the mission of advancing knowledge, standards and intellectual cooperation in order to facilitate social transformations where the values of justice, freedom and human dignity can be fully realized. UNESCO advances its mission through a diversity of actions, including the SHS Small Grants programme on the theme “Poverty eradication – building national capacities for research and policy analysis” outlined in this announcement.
UNESCO wishes to encourage research and policy analysis focusing on the relationship between poverty and human rights. The Organization also wishes to promote analysis on the impact of public policies on the rights of the poor, especially on the extent to which “pro-poor” policies and related national actions in development programming are actually contributing to improved livelihoods and participation of the poor.
In cooperation with partners, UNESCO hopes to support work that moves toward a view of poverty as a human rights violation. In so doing the Organization hopes to contribute to a heightened awareness of the injustice of poverty, in accordance with the U.N. Committee on Social, Economic, and Cultural Rights which describes it as "a human condition characterized by the sustained or chronic deprivation of the resources, capabilities, choices, security and power necessary for the enjoyment of an adequate standard of living and other civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights".
Eligible countries are: Portuguese speaking countries in Africa (3 fellowships); Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Senegal, Togo.
The eligible themes are those related to Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) writing, re-reading and amendment when tackled through the human rights framework and integrating the human rights based approach to poverty eradication.
The themes are extended to - The budgeting process of the PRSP based on human rights
- The training of thematic groups in charge of writing the PRSP
- The definition of minimum norms identified for the strategic and sectoral PRSP as a new poverty line based on human rights. It is also developing a tool to assist decision-making in negotiations on foreign aid, as a force of opposition to any conditionality of aid coming into conflict with the objectives of the PRSP namely the fight against poverty
- Any other matter relevant involved in improving the PRSP so that it reaches those most in need and it is a real tool for meeting the needs of poor as a fundamental right to dignity, will also be considered.
Policy research along the following lines would be of particular interest to UNESCO:- Effectiveness of the existing legal and policy frameworks in ensuring and promoting pro-poor policies and eradication of poverty within a human rights framework
- Extent to which the existing framework of human rights law needs to be strengthened to promote abolition of poverty
- Role and capacity of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other civil society groups in executing collective action to claim the (legal) rights of the poor
- Collection of case studies that serve to illustrate the dimensions of poverty as a human rights violation and establish the relationship between these violations and the responsible agents and duty-bearers
- Compilation of a body of relevant domestic and international case law, legal precedent, and best practices data to serve as a resource base to support systematic efforts at human rights-based policy reform
- Demonstration or recommendations of effective approaches to promote collective action (i.e., the legal ‘actio popularis') and equal participation of the poor in poverty abolition programmes.
Funding and eligibility
The UNESCO Small Grants Programme will provide team project grants in the amount of $10,000 (upper ceiling) to institutionally-based mid-career professionals at universities, specialized research centres, relevant Government departments, NGOs, etc., in the targeted countries – selected on a competitive basis. The team should comprise a sociologist, a lawyer and an economist specialised in the budgeting process.
Candidates must hold a PhD or be doctoral students (only if they are endorsed by a senior researcher) in the domain of political sciences or in a relevant discipline in social sciences, specialized in human rights. Nevertheless, the proposals submitted by younger or senior specialists could also be examined.
This funding is intended to cover the direct costs of the research, including the local travel and subsistence of the principal researcher(s) and research assistants, acquisition of relevant literature and supplies, data collection, analysis, and report preparation. The grant will not cover the salaries of the principal researcher(s) or international travel.
The duration of the research should coincide with the PRSP process in the country and would not exceed December 2009.
Application, approval process, notification
Eligible candidates are invited to submit their applications to UNESCO Poverty and Human Rights Programme Coordinator, Chifa Tekaya c.tekaya@unesco.org.
Complete application will comprise a detailed curriculum vitae of the applicant (and of each team member when it is a joint effort), as well as a detailed research proposal (up to 20 standard pages) providing background on the issues to be studied, policy justification and expected results.
To be successful, a project proposal will need to demonstrate the contribution the activity will make, over and above previous efforts.
The deadline for submission of proposals is extended until 31 May 2009.
For more information, please contact: Chifa Tekaya c.tekaya@unesco.org.
Photo: © UN/Martine Perret
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| Author(s) |
UNESCO – Sector for Social and Human Sciences |
| Publication Date |
18-12-2008 |
| Source |
UNESCO |
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Quick Link to this page: www.unesco.org/shs/antipoverty/call_smallgrants
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