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GCRF / PaCCS: Inter-Disciplinary Research Innovation Awards on Conflict and International Development

GCRF / PaCCS: Inter-Disciplinary Research Innovation Awards on Conflict and International Development

Award offers for the 13 Interdisciplinary Research Innovation Awards have now been announced.

Click here to see the full list of awards.


This call is now closed. The following is for information only.

The AHRC and the ESRC, working together as a part of the conflict theme of the Partnership, have issued a joint call for Interdisciplinary Research Innovation Awards on Conflict and International Development. This call is funded from the initial allocations the AHRC and ESRC under the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF).

Closing date: 16:00 on 28 July 2016

Summary

This call aims to support inter-disciplinary research innovation and international collaboration focused on the interconnections between conflict and international development and with the potential to contribute to the welfare (broadly defined) and/or economic development of Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs).

Full proposals are invited for Interdisciplinary Innovation Awards of up to £100,000 (fEC) and up to 18 months duration. Applications are invited for innovative, adventurous, collaborative and interdisciplinary research. The call welcomes applications for projects that are at an earlier stage of interdisciplinary evolution, involve the development of international collaborations, support the development of future research capabilities and/or are led by early career researchers. Proposals are required to span the remits of the AHRC and ESRC, combining substantial insights and expertise from both the social sciences and arts/humanities as well as involving wider disciplinary inputs where appropriate.

The types of interdisciplinary collaborative proposal that could be supported include, for example:

  • exploratory, pilot, experimental, feasibility or proof of concept projects
  • conceptual and methodological development or innovative combinations of approaches and methods
  • novel integration, re-use or re-interpretation of diverse, disconnected or under-utilised research data, literatures, case studies and/or evidence from the past
  • uncovering ‘hidden’ conflict narratives and/or under-explored local knowledges and experiences
  • support for the development of new interdisciplinary, international and non-academic research capabilities, partnerships and collaborations and/or opportunities for research co-production.

“Wills and McLaughlin’s PACCs project is to research and produce a feature documentary film (70 minutes) on use of lethal force by peacekeepers in Cité Soleil, Haiti, during the period 2004-2007, using participatory practices so as to ensure a sense of community ownership. Rather than focusing on the extreme poverty that exists in Cité Soleil as the backdrop to gang violence, this film will focus on the aspects of life that citizens of Cité Soleil have in common with most other societies, rich or poor: schools, local businesses, shopping, house repairs, domestic chores, and religious services. The reason for this is to minimise the process of ‘othering’ that sometimes creeps in to international development approaches and that inevitably leads to differences in standards of expectations and instead draw attention to the community’s successes and strengths and the ways in which the community can be supported in initiating and leading economic development that serves the community as its first priority”

[Example of an existing Conflict Innovation Award-winning project]

Siobhán Wills, Professor of Law, Transitional Justice Institute – Ulster University 

 

Proposal Topics

Applications under this call can address any topic of relevance to the PaCCS conflict theme provided that they are focused on conflict in LMIC contexts and its interconnections with issues of international development. Proposals may focus on any stage of the lifecycles of conflict at a variety of scales from the community level through to the global which affect the welfare of people in LMICs, including: conflict avoidance; historical, deep rooted and protracted conflicts; phases in the development, (de-) escalation, (re-) emergence or spread of conflict; the prosecution of conflict; in-conflict development; living with conflict; international and local responses to conflict and its impacts; transitions from conflict; conflict resolution; post conflict development; peace-building; and addressing the legacies from conflict.

Proposals under this call could explore the intersections between conflict and a wide range of issues such as: international aid, humanitarian relief and development strategies; fragility; geopolitics; heritage; faith, ideas and ideologies; social cohesion; identities; gender; children in conflict; vulnerability; marginalisation; urbanisation; access to resources; equalities and rights; participation; migration and displaced populations; communication, media and technology – to provide just some illustrative examples from a wide range of possibilities which could fall within the scope of this call (the full call document (PDF, 298KB) outlines a wider range of illustrative research areas). Proposals which explore the interconnections between conflict and other PaCCS themes of transnational organised crime and cybersecurity will also be welcomed.

The call encourages co-design and co-production of knowledge with policymakers, practitioners and communities affected by conflict, and engagement between researchers and users of research in international public and private sectors and civil society in LMICs and/or international development agencies. A key call requirement is for applications to include at least one non-academic partner /collaborator in a LMIC or from an organisation which supports international development who will be fully involved in the design, implementation and dissemination of the proposed research. Projects involving international research Co-Investigators, particularly in LMICs, will also be welcomed.

We anticipate making approximately 8-15 awards under this call with projects expected to start on or by 1 November 2016.

AHRC is leading and manging the call in collaboration with the ESRC and other Research Councils.

How to Apply

Full details of how to submit an application can be found in the full call document.

Full proposals must be submitted via the cross-council Joint Electronic Submission – (JE-S) System. If you need any assistance to use the system, please contact the JE-S helpdesk on or on JesHelp@rcuk.ac.uk

Further Information

AHRC is leading on this call and queries about the specific call requirements should be addressed to AHRC’s Histories, Cultures and Heritage Team.

Further information on the call can be found in the full call document and the AHRC website.