Call For Proposals - Strengthening Gender Research To Improve Girls' And Women's Education In Africa

The initiative, which is supported by the Norwegian Development Corporation (NORAD), promotes girls and women's education through the integration of gender into education policy and practice in sub-Saharan Africa. Grants are awarded to provide support to institutions and research centres working in the areas of gender, education, or policy advocacy. FAWE believes it is imperative to invest in research in Africa asway producing relevant, up-to-date information to buttress advocacy in education policy. Thus, this three-year research initiative aims to work collaboratively with established research institutions to produce pertinentand robust research that can be used to constructively engage government, policy makers and other regional bodies on strategies to advance girls' education in Africa.

Findings from the research will be used to inform FAWE's advocacy work and help redress gender inequities that hamper girls' and women's fulfilment of their right to education and meaningful participation in Africa's social and economic advancement. The initiative has three main objectives:

Objectives:

• The first is to support research institutions in conducting research that uses gender as an analytical category in education research. Sub-Saharan Africa has a long history of gender-biased practices that have translated into entrenched gender inequalities in education, the labour market, and the political and social arenas. Research is a vital tool for demonstrating thehigh cost of missed opportunities for African girls and women to policy anddecision makers and for suggesting innovative strategies for redress.
• The second is to strengthen the research base in Africa through a mentoring component whereby senior female researchers will groom female graduate students or recent PhDs, in the area gender in education research.Given the limited amount of applied research from a gender perspective anchored in the African context, training mentees to engage in this processwill equip budding researchers with valuable experience on gender research.3. To participate in the strengthening of the study of gender-responsive research methodologies in African Universities through the development of agender-based research methods course, specifically geared towards education. The course will combine gender analysis and innovative rights-based research methodologies in order to strengthen current gender research training at university level. 2

Grants:

FAWE will award five grants ranging from USD 30,000-35,000 for research project to be conducted during the grant period. Research findings will be published in the FAWE Research Series and submitted to referred academic journals for publication. FAWE will also facilitate a dissemination of research findings through conferences and relevant education fora. The lead researcher and one mentee will be expected to attend two to three workshops during the grant period; a planning/induction workshop at the beginning of the grant period In Januaryand a colloquia style forum for presentations of final reports in July 2012.

Eligibility:

Applicants must be female professors or researchers affiliatedwith universities, research institutes, or centres working on the issues ofeducation, gender, and/or development in Africa. Applications from individuals not connected with an institution will not be considered. Research projects can use quantitative, qualitative, or mixed method approaches to address issues specific to gender and education at national and regional level. Proposals should not replicate past work on gender, butshould raise new questions and offer innovative strategies.

Application Requirements

All applications for Research Grants must include:

• A current curriculum vitae (CV) for principal researcher and mentee (s).
•  A research proposal (limited to 5 single-spaced pages) that addresses the following: Statement of the research problem - Brief review of relevant research/policy literature - Conceptual/theoretical framework - Description of methodology including proposed data set and criteria for selecting data,and sampling.
• Importance of findings to education policy and practice
• A proposed budget
• A sample publication Application Deadlines and Submission
• Proposals for Research Grants must be received by Nov 23, 2011.
• Applications are accepted in English and French.
• Materials must be submitted as a Word or PDF document to pfielding@fawe.org.

Possible Research Themes and Topics: Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Emerging technologies and girls' education Higher Education and Gender Gender education and the 21st century labour market Women as entrepreneurs The implication of gender-neutral education policies on girls' education Comparative country performance in eliminating gender gaps Gender empowerment measures and analysis Elements of a Standard Proposal Statement of the Research

Problem/Justification: This section should offer a clear and concise description of the nature and importance of the proposed research, provide a brief background to the research question, and demonstrate a grasp of the research topic and its complexities. Avoid lengthy surveys and focus on thescope of the problem with explicit reference to feasibility and policy relevance.

Literature Review: The review of literature demonstrates familiarity with the major theoretical and empirical work in the field, and an understandingof the current gaps in literature. The review should draw attention to the expected contribution of the proposed research and justify the relevance ofworks cited. Proposals should include a list of references at the end of the proposal.

Conceptual Framework: The section should display a clear statement of the theoretical and conceptual approach(es) that will guide the research. A sound research approach should be introduced by elaborating on specific andconcrete questions for which the proposed research intends to provide answers. Working hypotheses should be falsifiable. This section should be free from jargon.

Research Methodology: This section should elaborate on the research methodsto be employed, their appropriateness and how they answer the research questions. The section should also indicate the type of the information required and the data collection techniques that will be employed. It should explain how the information will be analyzed and interpreted. Sufficient details should be provided on any one technique to be used. For example, ifa survey is to be undertaken, how will the sample be chosen, what is the research design, and what are some of the questions that will be included. If the work involves a case study, or series of case studies, what is the basis for selection of cases, and what are the main questions to be answered

Time Frame: The time frame for the research project will be 6 months, January 2012 -July 2012. Provide a general breakdown of activities to be performed during this period that will enable timely completion of the proposed project. Project must be completed and prepared for presentation by July 2012.

Budget: Research costs must show the following categories of expenditure: research assistants, data collection expenses, administrative costs. FAWE will cover the cost of travel and accommodations for a lead researcher and one mentee to all workshops, seminars and conferences researchers are required to attend.

For further inquiry you could contact: Patience Fielding, email : patience@berkeley.edu Hassana Alidou, email :h.alidou@unesco.org - Tel:Ê +221 33 8492338 (Office) +221 77 2393008 (Cell)