Deadline: 30 December  2020
Open to: researchers or research teams who have limited access to other sources of funds, and which engage with one or more of the thematic areas.
Benefits: grants are normally between GBP 500 and GBP 1,000, but up to GBP 1,500 may be awarded.

Description

Applications are open for the British Institute in Eastern Africa (BIEA) Thematic Research Grants 2020/2021. The BIEA’s small grant scheme particularly seeks to help researchers who have limited access to other sources of funds.

In doing so, the BIEA seeks to support early career researchers and scholars in Eastern Africa, and is keen to fund small projects that lay the ground for larger projects. Researchers may include postgraduate students in Eastern African or the UK; people who have not followed conventional research careers but whose local knowledge or contacts make them well-fitted to conduct high quality research; and/or collaborative projects which might involve more established scholars but where the resources are ring-fenced for early career or Africa-based project partners.

Thematic Areas

• Epidemics, pandemics and epizootics
• Citizens and science
• Knowing environments
• Technologies of politics
• Urban lives
• Retelling the past

Eligibility

• Open to researchers or research teams who have limited access to other sources of funds, and which engage with one or more of the thematic areas.
• Priority will be given to researchers based in the UK or Eastern Africa.

Benefits

• Grants are normally between GBP 500 and GBP 1,000, but up to GBP 1,500 may be awarded.
• The grant should contribute towards actual research costs and not include institutional overheads, equipment, and applicant’s stipend or publication costs.

How to apply

Applicants are required to prepare and submit the following documents:

• A cover letter making your case for a grant and explaining the background to your project, details of any permits required and information on any other funds applied for/awarded;
• Description of project. This should set out the research question and context (including how the research fits under one of the BIEA thematic areas of research), the methodology to be employed, ethics, and dissemination plans (or how the results of the research will be disseminated to potential users). For this call, the discussion of research methodology and ethics should make explicit reference to COVID-19 and detail how – in light of social distancing and local rules/regulations – the research will be both clearly do-able and ethical. It should also set out clearly the time scale and identify the personnel involved (maximum 2,000 words);
• CV (maximum 2 pages);
• Total itemised budget detailing how you will use the amount requested (1 page);
• You will need to arrange for two references to be sent directly to BIEA by the closing date. In the case of postgraduate students, one of these referees should be the supervisor of the student. For other applicants, at least one referee should not be employed at the applicant’s institution. It is the applicant’s responsibility to send a copy of his/her application to the nominated referees and to ensure that their references reach BIEA by the closing date. N.B. BIEA reserves the right to consult additional referees of its own choice.

All applications and references must be submitted by email to [email protected] by Wednesday 30 December 2020. Please note that late applications will not be considered.