Call for Applications OBJECTIVES: The Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) is pleased to announce its Small Grants Programme for Thesis Writing for the year 2011. The grants serve as part of the Council’s contribution 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 postgraduate students and professionals. Hence, candidates whose applications are successful are encouraged to use the resources provided 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 theses/dissertations. As the Council is strongly committed to 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. They will also be encouraged to apply for participation in CODESRIA research methodology workshops. ELIGIBILITY: The CODESRIA Small Grants Programme is open to graduate students and professionals currently registered in African universities, and preparing their theses and dissertations in all social science fields and other disciplines involving social or economic analysis. Preference is given to those registered for doctoral studies (PhD or equivalent), though few grants are available for Masters theses. APPLICATION PROCEDURES: Grants are awarded solely on merit, that is, on the strength of each individual application received by CODESRIA. All applicants are required to use the application forms designed by CODESRIA which is made available along 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 bear the following guidelines in mind: RESEARCH PROPOSAL: Candidates’ research proposals should each 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. The proposal should not be more than 6 pages, single spacing, and 12 font-size. BUDGET: Applicants should present a detailed budget with expenses clearly linked to specific phases of their research. The budget should not exceed USD 3,000 for PhD (or its equivalents), USD 2,500 MPhil, and USD 2,000 Masters. Only trips for fieldwork in the country in which the research is actually conducted is funded under this grant. STATEMENT OF INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT: A statement is required from each applicant’s institution of affiliation, giving approval to the proposed research and an assurance of continued institutional support throughout the preparation of the thesis/dissertation. This should be done on the institution’s letterhead and must carry the official stamp. Contact details of the officer issuing the statement must also be included. 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 the other 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. Contact details of the thesis or dissertation supervisor must be included in the letter of reference. CURRICULUM VITAE: Applicants must include their 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. Please note that any application which is submitted without duly completed application forms will be automatically disqualified. APPLICATION DEADLINE: The deadline for the receipt of applications is Friday 17th June, 2011. Incomplete and late applications found to will not be considered. 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: small.grants@codesria.sn Website: www.codesria.org 
Training of Trainers Theme: Quantitative and Qualitative Methods in Social Science Research Date: 22 – 26 November, 2010 Venue: Dakar, Senegal Are you a lecturer in an African university? Are you in charge of the teaching of courses on research methods? If so, this announcement is for you. The Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa is pleased to announce its initiative targeted at those members of the African social science research community who have responsibility in their universities for teaching undergraduate and graduate-level courses in social science research methods. Over the last one and a half decades, in cognisance of the multi-faceted crises confronting the African higher education system in general and the universities in particular, CODESRIA has invested itself in offering platforms for postgraduate students and mid-career professionals to be trained in quantitative and qualitative research methods. Organised as advanced research seminars at which participants are exposed to various methodological techniques and their roots in the history and philosophy of science, the first set of such training opportunities centred on quantitative research methods, and over the last few years, the emphasis was shifted to qualitative research methods. CODESRIA organises five research methodology workshops every year, one per sub-region, and one for countries just coming out of conflict situations. In the context of the decentralisation of the management of the workshops to various university and advanced research centres, the Council now also organises an annual advanced Training of Trainers Methodology Workshop, bringing together those who are responsible for equipping others with the basic skills they need in order to be successful researchers. The rationale behind all CODESRIA methodology workshops remains the same. As a field of knowledge, quantitative and qualitative methods have a specialist status which only few social scientists have fully to mastered, in terms of both its technical details and philosophical underpinnings. Also, the field of social science research methods has undergone a considerable amount of evolution, marked by increasing improvements in the tools and techniques available to the researcher; and yet, historically, it is an area of pedagogy that was relatively weak in African social research. The weakness was exacerbated by the massive brain drain that affected the university system in the aftermath of the crises in the university system in the recent past. This development constituted a major disadvantage for the younger generation of social researchers, with serious attendant implications for the overall quality of research carried out. Remedying the gap became a matter of urgent concern, and the Training of Trainers programme represents the latest in the series of interventions developed by CODESRIA, launched in the context of the organic inter-connection between the research purpose of the university system and the mandate and programmatic strategy of the Council. The 2010 edition of the Training of Trainers Workshop will involve about 25 participants, selected from various universities across the continent. The workshop will be conducted in English and French. In addition to the presentations that would be made by invited resource persons, the workshop will also serve as a forum for close interaction and networking among the participants so that, beyond the formal sessions, they would be able to continue to share experiences on a continuous basis. There will also be practical lecture-room exercises, while each session will be facilitated by a convenor who will be assisted by three resource persons. The workshop will be run for five working days. Each participant will be given access to the latest materials – electronic and non-electronic – available on research methods. Presentations will also be made on the philosophy of science. Interested applicants for the 2010 edition are hereby invited to each submit a written application, a copy of their course outline, a short write-up on the major problems they encounter in teaching their methodology classes, a letter of attestation from their departmental heads or faculty deans, indicating that they teach courses in methodology, and a copy of their latest curriculum vitae. Those interested in being considered to serve as convenors or resource persons are also invited to each send a short letter of application, a copy of their curriculum vitae, a copy of the outline of issues they wish to cover in their presentations, and a sample of one or more of their most recent publication (s). All applications must be received at the CODESRIA Secretariat by 15 October, 2010. Applications should be addressed to: The CODESRIA Training of Trainers Methodology Programme CODESRIA Secretariat BP 3304, Dakar, CP 18524, Senegal Tel.: +221-33 825 98 22/23 Fax: +221-33 824 12 89 E-mail: training.trainers@codesria.sn Website: www.codesria.org | Categories
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