Call for Proposals: Research support Grants on Sanitation Workers

Deadline: 20-Aug-21

The WaterAid and Initiative for Sanitation Workers is offering an exciting funding opportunity for postgraduate students and institutions researching sanitation workers.

The Initiative for Sanitation Workers (ISW), a global advocacy partnership between the International Labour Organization, the World Health Organization, the World Bank, WaterAid and SNV Netherlands Development Organisation, is offering support grants for research on sanitation workers in the following categories:

• Masters and PhD students
• Institutions

Themes

• Occupational health and safety: access to PPE and its use, safety protocols, mechanisation of sanitation work, COVID risks
• Labour rights, wages, working conditions, access to social security, and institutional arrangements for engaging workers (the modalities of contracts between employers and sanitation workers, and management of these contracts)
• Sustainable livelihoods, rehabilitation, business models
• Social challenges and the root causes of marginalisation, discrimination and exclusion (such as caste or ethnic identity), as well as the empowerment and mobilisation of sanitation workers
• Gender dimensions, disparities and intersectionality
• Legal frameworks, policies, regulations, standard operating procedures and their enforcement
• Interventions to support sanitation workers, good practices and learnings

• The support offered to selected students includes: Monetary support to cover research costs: up to US$2,000 and up to US$6,000 each for Master’s and Doctoral students respectively. This can include research costs such as: accessing data/publications, interpreters, travel, meetings, communication, stationery, equipment, etc. However, the monetary support would not entail any stipend/scholarship for the students themselves.
• Thematic mentorship support: As a complement to the existing supervisory support available to the students from their institutions, students would have the option to be connected to a thematic expert on sanitation workers, who would provide inputs at various stages of the research. Students will also be offered opportunities to network with their peers, in order to discuss, share and colearn among themselves.
• Publication support: Support with the fee for publishing their research paper in fully Open Access journals or journals which have committed to fully transition to Open Access.

Eligibility Criteria

This call is open to students based in low or lower-middle income countries, or belonging to these countries. Female and transgender students are encouraged to apply.

Evaluation Criteria

• Well defined research objectives, and their relevance to one or more themes
• Clear outcomes which potentially contribute to improvement in the situation of sanitation workers
• Clearly defined research scope and methodology
• Mechanisms for participation of and/or consultation with sanitation workers, their representatives or their communities, as well as linkages to local authorities/governments, and/or other local stakeholders, at various stages of the study
• Research ethics considerations (including COVID-19 safety protocol; respecting agency and ensuring dignity of sanitation workers; informed consent, etc.)
• Well-defined budget and timelines
• Plan for dissemination of the study and engagement plan with stakeholders

For more information, visit https://washmatters.wateraid.org/blog/call-for-proposals-research-support-grants-on-sanitation-workers