Providing early-career support to promising young developing country researchers has been the mandate of the International Foundation for Science (IFS) for many years. Building on this experience, the new IFS Strategy 2011-2020, launched in 2011, emphasizes three approaches:
- Individual Research (this call)
- Collaborative Research
- Contributing Innovation
In the Individual Research Approach, IFS continues its commitment to support excellent individual research and to build capability of early-career scientists in the developing world to undertake research on the sustainable management of biological and water resources.
Applicants are encouraged to tackle research issues linked to these areas, and to develop solutions that are relevant to local contexts. By encouraging local researchers to work in their home countries, generating cutting-edge and locally relevant knowledge, we hope to contribute to strengthening their countries’ research capability and ultimately contributing to a global research community aimed at reducing poverty and supporting sustainable
development.
The Research Areas for Individual Research
Proposals are sought under one of three research areas:
- Biological Resources in Terrestrial Systems:Including but not limited to:
Biodiversity, Forestry, Natural Products, Renewable.
Energy and Climate Change.
- Water and Aquatic Resources
Including but not limited to: Water Resources Research; Research on all aspects of freshwater, brackish and marine aquatic organisms and their environments.
- Food Security, Dietary Diversity and Healthy Livelihoods
Including but not limited to: Research on Food Production; Animal Production and Veterinary Medicine; Crop Science including Underutilised Crops; Food Science and Nutrition, and Food Security issues.
For further information see:
IFS Research Areas (A detailed description on the IFS website)
Eligibility Criteria
Country eligibility
To be eligible for support from IFS Individual Research, applicants must be citizens of a developing country that is eligible for IFS support, and carry out the research in an eligible country (this does not have to be the country of citizenship).
Eligible Countries list
Personal eligibility
Within Approach 1 individual research grants will be awarded to individual early-career scientists in developing countries in support of excellent science.
Applicants should be at the beginning of their research careers and have a minimum academic degree of an MSc/MA or the equivalent. To be of eligible age, men should be younger than 35 years and women should be younger than 40 years on 31st December 2014 (closing date for this call). If the applicant’s 35th (men)/40th (women) birthday is on the closing date of the call, he/she is still eligible.
Researchers from eligible countries, who are already IFS grantees, are eligible to apply for a renewal grant irrespective of age.
Institutional Affiliation
Applicants must be attached to a national research institute (e.g. university, non-profit making research centre, or research-oriented NGO) in a developing country. The institution is expected to: administer the grant, guarantee that the applicant has a salary (or other source of income), and provide basic research facilities. Researchers employed at international research institutes or NGO’s are NOT eligible. However, researchers doing part of their project at an international institute can apply for an IFS grant, if their principal affiliation is with a national institution.
Funding
Individual Research grants are awarded on merit in amounts up to USD 12,000 for one to three years. Grants are intended for the purchase of basic tools for research: equipment, expendable supplies and literature, as well as field activities.
Application Deadline
The deadline for submission of research grant applications is 31st December 2014 and applicants will be informed about the outcome of the competitive review process before the 31st July, 2015.
To apply:
Read the guidelines:
- English Guidelines
- Directives en franҫais (Guidelines in French)
Read also:
Fill in the Application Form:
- Application Form (the form is in English, but may be filled out in either English or French)
- Renewal Application Form (the form is in English, but may be filled out in either English or French)
Deadline for applications: December 31, 2014
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