Call for Applications: Research Grants on Inclusive EWEA

Deadline: 31-Jul-23

The Global Disaster Preparedness Center (GDPC) is proud to announce the launch of its Small Grants Research Program focused on inclusivity and accessibility of early warning early action among last mile communities.

In collaboration with the Risk-informed Early Action Partnership (REAP) and in support of the achievement of the REAP Global Targets, this program aims to enhance literature on early warning early action and contribute to the expansion of the evidence base for more inclusive and people-centered approaches.

The program intends to provide support to scholars who traditionally have limited access to funding. As a result, grants offered through this program are exclusively available to researchers from low- and middle-income countries. By doing so, they hope to support and amplify the voices of researchers from diverse backgrounds and regions.

Research Objectives

• Investigate barriers faced by last mile communities in accessing, understanding and acting upon early warnings, and explore factors that impact inclusivity of early warnings.
• Draw lessons and insights from the field to make early warning more inclusive and effective .
• Identify and map existing local solutions that enable effective early warning early action among vulnerable groups .
• Gather evidence of early actions taken by individuals following the receipt of a hazard alert or evacuation order and outline financial resources needed to support those actions.

Funding Information

• The research grants are limited to $10,000 and must be completed by April 30, 2024.

Research Topics and Questions

• The research grant program aims to stimulate new knowledge and exploration in priority research questions under the following topics. Research proposals should address only one or two of the research questions under one of the topics listed.
  • Topic 1
    • Accessibility, inclusivity, and actionability of early warning messages among last mile communities
      • Question 1.1: What are the barriers to accessing early warning messages?
      • Question 1.2: What factors impact comprehension and inclusivity of early warnings?
      • Question 1.3: Are last mile communities able to take preventative action based on early warning messages? What influences the actionability of early warning messages among last mile communities?
  • Topic 2
    • Strategies to improve accessibility and actionability of early warning messages among last mile communities
      • Question 2.1: What community-developed solutions to early warning early action challenges help enhance their inclusivity and accessibility?
      • Question 2.2: What policies or interventions employed by local governments, civil society organizations, or RCRC National Societies help increase uptake and improve inclusion and accessibility of early warning early action among last mile communities?
  • Topic 3
    • Resource accessibility in facilitating early action among last mile communities
      • Question 3.1: If given financial support (cash and voucher assistance (CVA), remittances or other financial resources) in a forecast window of a hazard, what actions do individuals or communities take that they wouldn’t have taken otherwise?
      • Question 3.2: What are the impacts of financial support (cash and voucher assistance (CVA), remittances or other financial resources) when used in advance of hazards to reduce impact and save lives?

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must be affiliated with an accredited university at the time of submission, including undergraduate, graduate, post-doctorate students, and faculty members. Teams of researchers are welcome to submit proposals, and collaboration among different institutions is highly encouraged.
• Identification of an experienced supervisor is required for any student research teams. The supervisor should provide guidance and oversight throughout the research process.
• Applications are open to researchers from low and middle-income countries only, and their research must focus on those countries.
• Abstracts should address only one or two of the research questions under one topic provided.
• Researchers have the flexibility to conduct their research in a language of their preference. However, the final research paper must be submitted in English. If translation in English is needed, the budget proposal should include the estimated costs for translation services.

Selection Criteria

• Affiliation to an accredited university at the time of the application. Undergraduate, Graduate, Post-doctorate students and faculty members in good standing.
• Strong background, experience, and/or research interest in disaster preparedness and risk reduction, specifically in early warning early action, community engagement and accountability, gender and inclusion, and other relevant fields.
• Prior experience and/or interest in working with vulnerable and marginalized groups.
• Competitive and relevant budget proposal.
• All research to be submitted in English, translation costs can be supported.
• Letter of support from a faculty supervisor, for student applicants.
• Ability to carry out independent work as well as working in and managing teams.
• Ability to comply with technical and financial reporting and documentation requirements as outlined.
• All research to be submitted in English, translation costs should be included in needed.
• Research must be completed and delivered by April 30, 2024, or sooner.
• Added Value
  • Cross-collaboration and partnership between various institutions. Letter of support from a relevant partner institution should be included in the application.
  • The proposal clearly demonstrates how their work is adding to the state of knowledge in their country.

For more information, visit GDPC.