PEP GUIDELINES FOR SUBMITTING A RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Initial research proposals need not necessarily be very long (they can be as short as 10-12 double-spaced pages). If the proposal is shortlisted, advice and technical support will be provided in order to further develop and revise the proposal before the final decision. The objective here is to introduce the basic idea, explain its scientific contribution and policy relevance, and show its feasibility in methodological and data terms. Research proposals should normally correspond to one or more of the priority themes identified by the relevant program:

•     Modeling and Policy Impact Analysis (MPIA)
  
  
•     Policy Impact Evaluation Research Initiative (PIERI)
  
  
•     Poverty Monitoring, Measurement and Analysis (PMMA)

but other interesting subjects will be considered.

The research should be completed within 18 months of the approval of the proposal, with an interim report presented at roughly the nine-month mark. No itemized budget is required as all accepted projects will receive, in several instalments linked to project outputs, a lump-sum amount of CAN $20,000 per project (plus up to $CAN 30,000 in additional funding to participate in various PEP activities outlined in the MPIA-PIERI-PMMA grants manual). To be successful, researchers should demonstrate that the proposed research will lead to substantial capacity building in economic analysis, as well as high quality and policy relevant research. The ideal team is led by an experienced researcher who supervises a team composed of a number of less experienced researchers, including at least as many women as men, who all contribute in a substantial manner. At any given time, no researchers may have more than two proposals under evaluation, nor participate in more than one team financed by the PEP network.

To submit a proposal:

You must submit your proposal yourself directly on the PEP web site (www.pep-net.org). Here are the steps to follow:

1. The leader and all members of the project must first register before submitting a new proposal. To register, click on "Register" just above the "Login" button and follow the instructions. You will receive a username and password by email, normally within minutes.
   
   
2. Note that all members of the project must post their CV. To do this, each member should "Login" to the PEP web site and then select "Profile" and "Upload CV".
   
   
3. To then submit the proposal, the team leader must login, click on "Submit New Proposal" and fill out the required information.
   
   
4. To check that the proposal has been submitted, click on "My Projects".

If you have any difficulties with the above steps, please contact us at pep@ecn.ulaval.ca for assistance. If the problem cannot be resolved, you may send us your proposal and CVs for all team members.

Contents of proposals

All of the following sections should be included and clearly labelled in a concise presentation of the research proposal. If any sections are missing or incomplete, your proposal may not be evaluated and you will be requested to complete the missing sections.  Please make sure to date your proposal and indicate the authors' names.

1. A short abstract (100 to 250 words)
   
   
2. Main research questions and core research objectives
   
   
3. Scientific contribution of the research: including a short list of key literature references and knowledge gaps
   
   
4. Policy relevance: with references to specific existing, planned or possible policies where possible. Evidence of consultation with potential users of your proposed research is strongly encouraged.
   
   
5. Methodology: Presentation of the specific techniques that will be used to answer the research questions and how exactly they will be used to do so
   
   
6. Data requirements and sources
   
   
7. Consultation and dissemination strategy: How, in the elaboration and execution of your project, will you consult with relevant policy makers and other stakeholders for the issues examine? How and where research results will be disseminated to relevant policy-makers, other stakeholders, researchers and the public: publications, policy briefs, media, seminars, policy conferences, etc. (see PEP's consultation and dissemination strategy for ideas)
   
   
8. List of team members: indicating their age (or whether they are under 30), sex, prior training and experience in the issues and techniques involved
   
   
9. Description of the research capacities that team members and their institutions are expected to build through their participation in this project: This is an important aspect in the evaluation of proposals and should be presented in some detail. What techniques, literature, theories, tools, etc. will the team and their institutions learn or deepen their knowledge of? Please also indicate what specific tasks each team member would carry out in executing the project
   
   
10. Any ethical, social, gender or environmental issues or risks that should be noted
    
    
11. List of past, current or pending projects in related areas involving team members: name of funding institution, title of project, list of team members involved.

 Download the template here

Who can apply?

Teams composed of developing country nationals who will all reside in a developing country during the full course of the project. PEP welcomes proposals from all developing countries, especially the poorest countries. University-level training in economics or equivalent experience will generally be required. Interested researchers who are ineligible for funding are nonetheless encouraged to use the training material, readings and other information available on the PEP web site, as well as sharing their research results with us. Researchers currently funded by the PEP network are eligible to participate in a team that submits a new proposal only after the final report of their current project has been formally approved.

For further information, please contact:

PEP office at Consortium pour la Recherche Économique et Sociale (CRES)
Rue de Kaolack x Rue F, Point E,
C.P. 12023, B.P. 7988,
Dakar, Sénégal
Telephone/fax: 221 864 7398
E-mail : pep@ecn.ulaval.ca
or consult our web site: www.pep-net.org