Call for Applications: PhD Research Grants

The ReCIPE Programme PhD Research Grants provide up to £15,000 for research on conflict, economic performance, and development issues with clear policy relevance to ReCIPE Focus Countries. Funding can support data collection, research assistance, research stipends or teaching buyouts where justified, and travel to field sites, with multidisciplinary and international research collaborations encouraged.

What Are the ReCIPE Programme PhD Research Grants?

The ReCIPE Programme supports research examining the relationship between conflict, economic performance, and development, particularly in countries experiencing conflict, fragility, or severe development challenges.

The PhD Research Grants are intended to help researchers conduct primary or secondary research that produces policy-relevant evidence for ReCIPE Focus Countries.

Proposals are particularly encouraged to examine the intersection between conflict and economic performance and should explain how the research could generate useful lessons for policymakers.

What Research Does the Programme Support?

Applicants can propose research addressing conflict-related issues within one or more of ReCIPE’s nine research themes.

Priority is given to research that:

• Examines conflict and economic performance.
• Addresses challenges in low-income or fragile countries.
• Produces evidence relevant to policymakers.
• Uses multidisciplinary research approaches.
• Generates lessons applicable to ReCIPE Focus Countries.
• Strengthens understanding of conflict-related development challenges.

Research may involve both primary research, such as collecting new data or conducting fieldwork, and secondary research, including analysis or purchase of existing datasets.

How Much Funding Is Available?

PhD Research Grants provide up to £15,000 per project.

Funding may support:

• Research assistance.
• Data collection.
• Purchase of research data.
• Research stipends.
• Teaching buyouts where adequately justified.
• Travel to field research sites.
• Other eligible research-related expenses.

Applicants should demonstrate that their proposed expenditure is necessary, cost-effective, and provides good value for money.

Who Is Eligible?

The programme primarily supports researchers conducting PhD-level research.

Principal investigators must:

• Hold a PhD; or
• Be enrolled in a PhD programme.

Exceptions may be considered for applicants with a strong record of academic or policy-relevant research.

The programme particularly encourages:

• Multidisciplinary research teams.
• Collaboration between researchers from lower- and higher-income countries.
• Research with clear policy relevance to ReCIPE Focus Countries.
• Projects examining conflict and economic performance.

Projects involving researchers based at Russian institutions are not eligible.

Requirements for PhD Students

PhD students applying as principal investigators must provide a letter of support from their PhD supervisor.

The supervisor’s letter must be submitted within two weeks of the application deadline.

Applicants should therefore contact their supervisor well in advance and allow sufficient time for the letter to be prepared.

What Is Policy Relevance?

Policy relevance is a central requirement of the ReCIPE Research Grants.

Applicants should clearly explain:

• What development or conflict-related problem the research addresses.
• Why the issue matters in the relevant Focus Country or countries.
• What evidence the project will generate.
• How policymakers could use the findings.
• What lessons the research may provide for countries experiencing conflict or fragility.

Research proposals should not simply describe an academic question. They should demonstrate how the findings could improve understanding of real-world development and conflict challenges.

Fieldwork and Research Safety Requirements

Projects involving research in countries affected by conflict or instability must address safety and security risks.

Applicants should explain:

• Potential risks to researchers and participants.
• How those risks will be managed.
• Whether fieldwork is necessary.
• Alternative approaches if face-to-face research becomes unsafe.
• How ethical requirements will be met.
• How institutional and in-country research rules will be followed.

Where appropriate, proposals should consider alternatives such as remote interviews, existing datasets, digital research methods, or partnerships with researchers based locally.

How to Apply

Step 1: Identify a Relevant Research Question

Develop a clear research question related to conflict, development, or economic performance.

The question should correspond to one or more of ReCIPE’s research themes.

Step 2: Establish Policy Relevance

Identify the ReCIPE Focus Country or countries relevant to the project.

Explain why the research matters for policymakers in those countries.

Step 3: Develop the Research Methodology

Describe how the research will be conducted.

This may include:

• Primary data collection.
• Secondary data analysis.
• Fieldwork.
• Interviews.
• Surveys.
• Policy analysis.
• Comparative research.

Step 4: Prepare a Realistic Budget

Request only the funding necessary to conduct the research.

Eligible costs may include research assistance, data, travel, research stipends, and justified teaching buyouts.

The budget should demonstrate cost effectiveness and value for money.

Step 5: Address Ethics and Security

If the research involves fieldwork or vulnerable populations, explain the ethical safeguards and risk-management measures.

Projects involving in-country research should also provide alternatives to face-to-face research where appropriate.

Step 6: Obtain Supervisor Support

If the principal investigator is a PhD student, obtain the required supervisor support letter.

The letter must be provided within two weeks of the application deadline.

Step 7: Submit the Proposal

Complete the application according to the programme’s requirements and ensure that the proposal, budget, supporting documentation, and ethical considerations are consistent.

Tips for a Strong Proposal

Applicants can strengthen their proposals by:

• Defining a focused research question.
• Clearly connecting conflict with economic or development outcomes.
• Identifying a specific policy problem.
• Explaining why the selected Focus Country matters.
• Providing a realistic research methodology.
• Demonstrating how the findings could inform policy.
• Justifying every major budget item.
• Including realistic fieldwork safety measures.
• Considering alternative research methods where fieldwork is risky.
• Demonstrating value for money.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Avoid:

• Proposing a topic with no clear connection to ReCIPE Focus Countries.
• Focusing exclusively on academic theory without explaining policy relevance.
• Providing an unclear or overly broad research question.
• Requesting costs that are not adequately justified.
• Ignoring security risks associated with conflict-affected field sites.
• Failing to provide alternatives to face-to-face research.
• Overlooking institutional or in-country ethical requirements.
• PhD students failing to arrange the required supervisor letter.
• Submitting a proposal that does not explain lessons for policymakers.

Why the ReCIPE Grant Matters

Conflict and fragility can significantly affect economic performance, institutions, livelihoods, and development outcomes. Research that generates reliable evidence can help policymakers better understand these relationships and design more effective interventions.

The ReCIPE PhD Research Grants provide early-career researchers with targeted financial support to collect evidence, conduct fieldwork, analyse data, and engage with policy questions that matter to conflict-affected and developing countries.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ReCIPE Programme?

The ReCIPE Programme supports research on conflict, economic performance, and development, with a focus on producing policy-relevant evidence for countries facing significant development challenges.

How much can researchers receive?

Researchers can apply for up to £15,000 through the PhD Research Grants.

What can the grant pay for?

Funding can support research assistance, data collection or purchase, justified research stipends or teaching buyouts, and travel to field sites.

Who can be the principal investigator?

Principal investigators should hold a PhD or be enrolled in a PhD programme. Exceptions may be considered for applicants with a strong academic or policy-research record.

Can PhD students apply?

Yes. PhD students can act as principal investigators, but they must provide a letter of support from their PhD supervisor within two weeks of the application deadline.

Is international collaboration encouraged?

Yes. The programme encourages multidisciplinary teams and collaborations between researchers from lower- and higher-income countries.

Are there special requirements for conflict-zone fieldwork?

Yes. Proposals involving in-country research must address safety and security risks, explain risk-management measures, provide alternatives to face-to-face fieldwork where appropriate, and comply with relevant ethical requirements.

Conclusion

The ReCIPE Programme PhD Research Grants offer up to £15,000 for researchers investigating conflict-related development challenges and their economic consequences. Strong applications should combine a focused research question with clear relevance to ReCIPE Focus Countries, a credible methodology, a justified budget, appropriate ethical safeguards, and practical lessons for policymakers.