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The Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) is pleased to announce the seventeenth competition under its Small Grants Programme for Thesis Writing. The grants are designed to contribute to the development of the social sciences in Africa, and the continuous renewal and strengthening of research capacities in African universities through the funding of primary research conducted by post-graduate students and professionals.

OBJECTIVES: The Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) is pleased to announce the seventeenth competition under its Small Grants Programme for Thesis Writing. The grants are designed to contribute to the development of the social sciences in Africa, and the continuous renewal and strengthening of research capacities in African universities through the funding of primary research conducted by post-graduate students and professionals. In this connection, candidates whose applications are successful are encouraged to use the resources available under the grants to cover the cost of their fieldwork, the acquisition of books and documents, the processing of data which they have collected and the printing of their thesis/dissertation. As the Council has a strong interest in encouraging African researchers to engage one another on a sustained basis, recipients of the small grants will also be supported to order books and journals produced by African scholarly publishers, including CODESRIA itself.

ELIGIBILITY: The Programme is open to graduate students and professionals currently registered in African universities preparing their theses and dissertations in all social science fields and in other disciplines involving social or economic analysis.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES: Grants are awarded solely on the strength of the applications received by CODESRIA. All applicants are required to use the application forms designed by CODESRIA and available with this announcement. The application forms can also be downloaded from the CODESRIA website (www.codesria.org). In filling out the forms, applicants are requested to keep the following guidelines in mind:

RESEARCH PROPOSAL: The presentation by candidates of their research proposals should contain a clear statement of the research hypotheses, a critical review of the existing literature, the methodology to be used, the expected results of the work, and a detailed work plan and timetable. The research proposal should be based on an innovative problematic which sets out the originality of the theme in relation to on-going research in the same area;

BUDGET: Applicants should present a detailed budget with expenses clearly linked to specific phases of their research. The budget should not exceed USD 3000 for those preparing a PhD, USD 2500 for those preparing an MPhil, and USD 2000 for those preparing an MA or MSc. Apart from trips for fieldwork in the country in which the research is actually conducted, travel abroad is not funded under the grant.

STATEMENT OF INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT: A statement is required from the applicant’s institution of affiliation giving approval for the proposed research and an assurance of continued institutional support throughout the preparation of the thesis/dissertation. This statement of institutional support should be done on the institutional letterhead and must carry the official stamp;

LETTERS OF REFERENCE: Two letters of reference must accompany each application, one from the thesis/dissertation supervisor assessing the applicant’s research proposal and abilities and another from a faculty member assessing the applicant in relation to other graduate students and commenting on the scientific merit and validity of the proposed research;

CURRICULUM VITAE: Applicants should include a current curriculum vitae which, among other things, indicates their discipline and nationality, and provides a list of their recent publications and on-going research activities in which they are involved.

APPLICATION DEADLINE AND SELECTION PROCEDURES: The deadline for the receipt of applications is Friday 15 May, 2009. Applications found to be incomplete or which arrive after the deadline will not be taken into consideration. The independent Selection Committee charged with screening all applications received will meet in Dakar, Senegal, from 26 to 30 June, 2009 and the results of its deliberations will be announced shortly thereafter.

All applications should be submitted to:

The Small Grants Programme for Thesis Writing
CODESRIA,
BP 3304, CP 18524,
Dakar, Senegal.
Tel.: +221-33 825 98.22/23
Fax: +221-33 824 12.89
E-mail: [email][email protected]
Website: http://www.codesria.org