Request for proposals

About the African Peacebuilding Network

The APN promotes independent African research and analysis on peacebuilding in or near countries and regions affected by violent conflict in Sub-Saharan Africa.

About the APN Research Grants Program

A core component of the APN, the Research Grants program is a vehicle for enhancing the quality and visibility of African peacebuilding research regionally and globally and for making such knowledge accessible to key policymakers and research centers of excellence in Africa and around the world.

Substantial support is available for research and analysis on issues such as:
- Conflict prevention, mediation, management, resolution, and transformation
- Environmental change and conflict
- Post-conflict democratization, governance, and reconstruction
- The relationship between peacebuilding and statebuilding, including state-society relations and state reconstruction
- Transitional justice, reconciliation, social and economic justice
- Peacekeeping and peace support operations
- Disarmament, demobilization, and reinsertion
- Security sector reform
- The role of the media and civil society
- Peace partnerships involving the UN, the AU, and Regional Economic Communities
- Gender, youth, identity, and culture
- International actors and peace interventions

Grants are awarded on a competitive, peer-reviewed basis and are intended to support six to seven months of research. Up to fifteen grants of a maximum of $15,000 will be awarded.

All grantees are required to participate in two Africa-based workshops that will provide opportunities to refine research focus and methodologies, present findings, explore ways to make work accessible to multiple peacebuilding constituencies, and develop constructive working relationships with other grantees, senior academics, and practitioner facilitators.

Research Grant Proposals

The APN is interested in innovative projects that demonstrate strong potential for producing high-quality research and analysis that can lead to practical action on peacebuilding and/or facilitate inter-regional collaboration and networking among African researchers and practitioners.

Proposals should clearly describe research objectives and significance (with a clear alignment between research design/method and research questions and goals), demonstrate knowledge of the research subject and relevant literature, and address the feasibility of proposed research activities, including a time frame for project completion. Applicants should also discuss the likely relevance of the proposed research to existing knowledge on peacebuilding practice and policy. Individual and joint proposals are welcome.

Eligibility

Applicants must be African citizens currently residing in a Sub-Saharan African country.

Academics must hold a faculty or research position at an African university or research organization and have either a PhD or a master's and at least two years of research experience.

Policy analysts and practitioners must be based in Africa at a regional or sub-regional institution, a government agency, or a non-governmental, media, or civil society organization and have a master's with at least two years of work experience.

Application Process

Available on the APN website: http://www.ssrc.org/programs/apn/

The APN strongly prefers that applications be uploaded through our online portal. Alternately, completed applications can be e-mailed or delivered by post or courier service.

Deadline for Applications

Applications are due by 9 p.m. EDT, June 15, 2012.

Additional Information

If you have further questions, please contact APN program staff by telephone at (212) 377-2000 or by e-mail at [email protected]