INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH PROJECT O

INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH PROJECT ON EPIAM POLICIES IN LOW-INCOME COUNTRIES

The New Rules for Global Finance Coalition is launching an international research project on issues related to the Exante Poverty Impact Assessment of Macroeconomic Policies (EPIAM) in low-income countries. The key goal of the project is to obtain the perspectives and insights of academics and practitioners based in low-income countries on how to overcome constraints for EPIAM.

The New Rules for Global Finance Coalition is soliciting proposals for research projects from academics and other researchers based in low-income countries that address the constraints for a more effective Exante Poverty Impact Assessment of Macroeconomic Policies (EPIAM) in low-income countries: (1) constraints in tools, (2) constraints in capacity, and (3) constraints in participation of macroeconomic policy formulation. Research proposals should attempt to answer all three of these constraints. Proposals are being sought for empirical studies of individual countries or groups of countries.

A. SUBMISSION PROCEDURES

Proposals submitted for this research project should not exceed 4000 words maximum (excluding supporting documentation), and should include the following sections:

1. Summary Sheet (1 page maximum):

Project Title.
Lead Researcher, Applicant Institution and Address.
Other Members of the Research Team or Institutions.
Summary of the approach to be used (about 250 words).

2. Description of the Methodology and Research Team:

Capacity statement – i.e. why you think your institute/team can do this study well(maximum 500 words).
Methodology and coverage of the study including how it will add to existing knowledge and understanding in this area (maximum 2000 words).
Brief (maximum 1 page) CVs for each member of the research team.

B. APPLICATION AND APPROVAL PROCESSES

1. Eligibility

The primary residence of the lead researcher must be in a low-income country (see list below). All members of the research team must be citizens or residents of a low-income country (see list below).
At least 50% of the research team (including the lead researcher) must have their primary residence in the same country as the lead researcher.
Employees of international financial or United Nations organizations are not eligible.

2. Submission Details

The deadline for submission of proposals is May 31, 2004.
Proposals (as well as the Research Paper) will need to be in English.
Proposals should be sent by e-mail to bernhardgunter@earthlink.net and must also be cc-ed to jbaker@new-rules.org
Your submission will be acknowledged. If you do not get an explicit receipt within three days, your proposal may not have been received.

3. Honoraria

The selected proposal for participation in the project will be eligible for an honorarium of US$7,500; of which half will be paid upon submission of a satisfactory draft and the other half upon completion of the research paper.
The paper prepared for this project may be presented at an international conference planned for Spring/Summer 2005.

4. Approval Process

The most suitable research proposals will be selected by a Steering Committee of the New Rules for Global Finance Coalition.
The selection will be guided by the following criteria: (a) Question(s) addressed—Broad area and proposed methodology – Is the research proposal likely to generate meaningful/new findings? (b) Quality of research team; and (c) Policy relevance.
Successful proposals will be notified by June 15, 2004.

List of Eligible Countries: Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo (Republic of), Congo (Democratic Republic of), Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Dominica, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Kiribati, Kyrgyz Republic, Laos, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Moldova, Mongolia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa (Republic of), Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Yemen (Republic of), Zambia, and Zimbabwe.