INEE/Dubai Cares announce E-Cubed Research Fund 2020

Deadline: 6 July 2020

The Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE) and Dubai Cares have announced a Call for Proposals for E-Cubed Research Fund 2020.

The 2020 call for E-Cubed proposals aims to generate and disseminate relevant and usable research to support evidence for education during crises and large-scale disruptions.

They call on applicants to share proposals that address the gaps in evidence for education that have been further highlighted as a result of this global emergency. They ask you to consider preventative solutions as well as immediate responses to addressing education needs during large-scale disruptions.

Dubai Cares considers education a human right and is committed to ensuring access to quality education for all children and youth globally. Dubai Cares is focused on investing in research that generates actionable evidence for EiE actors to better the education of children and youth in crisis contexts.

The main goal of E-Cubed is to fund research that generates valid and reliable evidence which is openly accessible to international, regional, national, and/or community actors, and which is shared and translated in such a way so that these actors are able to act upon the research findings.

Funding is NOT limited to robust RCTs or restricted to questions of “what works.” Rather, Dubai Cares seeks proposals that include rigorous methodologies relevant to the research proposed which could include research and questions of how and intervention works, why, and for whom.

Please note that while this call for proposals encourages research in response to current COVID-19 large-scale education disruptions, proposals are not limited to this crisis.

What E-Cubed will not fund?

E-Cubed will not fund program design or implementation, and will not substitute any funding that should be available as part of existing programmatic funding.

Eligibility Criteria

• Academic Institutions
• Research Institutions
• Private and nonprofit organizations
• UN agencies
• Governmental agencies
• Private companies

Who is NOT eligible

• Individuals, including undergraduate or PhD research, and scholarships
• Endowments
• Capital Campaigns
• Unincorporated associations or groups

Assessment Criteria

• Research Relevance & Rationale
  • Proposal outlines “usable” research which contributes to the evidence base in EiE by identifying and responding to a gap in data or evidence. The proposed research is relevant to the particular needs and issues of the context on which it focuses.
  • Relevance
    • Proposal is well referenced, presenting an accurate conceptual framing, and including a critical evaluation of existing research on proposal topic.
    • Proposal is contextually grounded.
  • Rationale
    • The proposed research responds to a gap in EiE data or evidence and addresses the needs of the local/regional/global community.
    • The proposed research does not duplicate other ongoing efforts. *Research may intentionally replicate other studies to further learning, but should not duplicate existing or ongoing work. If you believe research is duplicative, please reference the duplicated study in your review.
• Research Design & Methodology
  • The proposed research clearly outlines the research question and justifies forms of data that will be collected and analysed, with concern for rigour and validity/reliability (as appropriate to the methodology). The work plan appears to be feasible with proposed tasks and research objectives likely to be met in the specified timeframe.
  • Objectives
    • The proposal states clear research objectives that link directly to the research rationale.
  • Research Question
    • The proposal states a relevant and feasible research question.
  • Design
    • The proposal describes what specific data will be collected.
    • Data collection protocols or instruments are identified, and/or the processes for their development and validation is described.
    • The methodology and study design are well justified, and appropriate to the research question.
    • The proposal outlines a clear and appropriate system of analysis.
    • Potential limitations and/or assumptions are addressed.
    • The methodology, study design, and timeline as reflected in the workplan, are feasible and cost effective.
      • Proposal budget demonstrates a realistic consideration of costs including all required resources outlined in the methodology.
• Research Partnerships & Ethics
  • Research design, implementation, and dissemination is led by, and/or inclusive of voices of people and institutions within crisis-affected contexts. The proposed research demonstrates a clear commitment to equitable research partnerships and to elevating the voices of people and institutions within crisis-affected contexts. The proposed research takes into consideration issues of ethics and cultural dimensions of the work.
  • Partnerships
    • If research is proposed in partnership, research partners have been and are engaged throughout all stages including identification of the research problem, design, validation of research tools, field work, analysis, and dissemination.
    • Where possible, research design supports partner capacity development.
      • Commitment to local capacity development may also be reflected in the budget:
        • How much of the budget is going to partners in the research context and how much is going to global partners?
  • Ethics
    • Potential risks to human subjects are addressed.
    • Proposal identifies specific ethics review process that research will undergo, e.g. International Review Board (IRB) review.
  • Cultural Sensitivity
    • Proposal takes into account issues of language and cultural sensitivities of conducting research in the context.
• Research Outcomes
  • The proposed research makes a clear contribution to the EiE evidence base. The proposal outlines a commitment to producing work that will be “usable” – widely disseminated and shared, not only with donors and academia but also with local stakeholders. Research outputs should be accessible to policy makers, ensuring correct interpretation of findings and evidence-based policy and planning. Evidence should function as a “Global Public Good.”
  • Global Public Good
    • Research will produce a Global Public Good. *In its simplest form a Global Public Good is a resource that is freely available with no restriction in access.
  • Dissemination Plan
    • Proposal outlines a clear dissemination plan with a commitment to sharing evidence widely with donors, academics, policy-makers, and most importantly local stakeholders.
    • Research outputs are made accessible through innovative publication and dissemination methods to ensure that evidence contributes to policy and implementation.
    • Research outputs and learning are promoted through meetings, presentations, workshops etc. with a variety of actors, not only upon completion, but throughout the research process.
      Budget reflects costs associated with reporting and dissemination.

For more information, visit https://inee.org/evidence/e-cubed/call-for-proposals