Sumernet capacity building programme aims at assisting to generate regional driven, policy relevant knowledge on key dimension of sustainable development of Mekong region, through developing and improving:
Collective capability to produce researches that are policy‐relevant.
- Reading/interpreting polices and identify critical policies gaps;
- Conduct timely research with cogent and constructive policy messages;
Collective ability to engage in policy influencing
- Identify key stakeholders, venues/opportunities for policy engagement;
- Create opportunities for policy engagement;
Sumernet is launching a Research Fellowship Programme to compliment its research agenda. The emphasis is placed on trans‐boundary or regional issues, and on fostering collaborative effort in research design, data collection and analysis amongst the partners and with other collaborators. It will also support collaborative work between partners and seasoned journalists exploring ways to effectively communicate research issues and findings to targeted audiences.
The Sumernet Research Fellowship Programme provides an exciting and challenging pportunity for a wide variety of actors to join a multi‐country and multi‐disciplinary team of researchers. Successful applicants will be able to join a dynamic team of researchers and wider support of the Sumernet partners to explore together, policy‐relevant knowledge on emerging development issues in the Mekong region.
Eligibility and Qualifications
This initiative is open to all nationalities; however, priority will be given to people from Myanmar, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, Vietnam, and China.
Research applicants will be expected to either have a demonstrated record in research with appropriate academic qualifications (at least a Master’s Degree) or significant practical experience in selected thematic topics. Applicants from journalist background will need to demonstrate their communication skills through previous in‐depth investigative reporting.
Opportunities and Obligations
The grant will provide an opportunity to conduct original research and have work published.
Those receiving a grant will:
- Conduct research on a full‐time basis for a minimum of 6 months and a maximum of 9 months;
- Work directly with one of the Sumernet partner organisations that will act as the host organisation;
- Collaborate with members of the Sumernet network including other Research Fellows in the region;
- Submit brief quarterly research updates regularly for network wide dissemination;
- Present research findings through original working papers (minimum of 10,000 words per paper), policy briefs, presentations and other formats for public distribution (innovative use of
multimedia, and submission of research papers to national, regional and international journals
and publications are also encouraged); - Acknowledge the funding source in the publications arising from the research;
- Be committed to writing for in‐depth media reporting for raising public awareness or policy
briefing targeting at enhancing policy engagement (for those from journalism background).
Fellowship Management
The Fellowship grant awards will range between USD 5,000 to a maximum of USD 10,000, and is expected to be made by October 2007. Deadlines for applications are 1st September. Fellowship awards will be announced by the end of September 2007.
The grants will be administered by host organisations who take ultimate responsibility for progress reports, production of deliverables and financial reporting. In addition, the hosting institution will receive compensation equal to 15% of the grant directly from Sumernet to honour the hosting institutions’ roles and responsibilities.
Applications must be submitted in English with endorsement from one of the Sumernet partner
organisations willing to act as the host organisation. Applicants are strongly encouraged to work
with host organisations to develop their applications. Selection will be made by Sumernet Multicountry Steering Committee. Research Fellows will be selected based on their applications in a competitive process. Sumernet is committed to diversity and equal opportunity. Women and people from minority groups are particularly encouraged to apply.
Fellowship is making small‐grants, and is meant to support catalyst research activities with the emphasis on lifting up individual researchers’ capacity to do collaborative and trans‐boundary research work. Typically applicants are salaried by his or her organisation that views fellowship research complimentary rather than interruptive to the organisation’s strategy and on‐going programme work. However, given the fact the most perspective organisations are limited with financial resources, the staff time of the successful fellowship grantees might be re‐prioritised within the organisation. When formulating the following fund management principles, the Sumernet capacity building programme has taken into consideration of the above‐mentioned practical issues, and expects applicants, their hosting organisations and employer organisations observe the following principles:
- The fund can not be used as salary, but can be used for field work allowance. The allowance in each month should be kept with maximum value of 300 USD;
- The fund can be used for research‐related travel, accommodation, expendable supplies and other field work activities;
The fund can be used to host research‐related workshop, and or support to attend relevant conferences to present the findings of the research;- The fund is prohibited from purchase of vehicles, computers, camera or any other office property higher than the amount of 500 dollars;
- The host organisations will take ultimate responsibility for progress reports, production of deliverables and financial reporting.
Location
Research Fellows will be hosted by Sumernet partner organisations. We encourage Research Fellows to locate at an organisation that is not their usual workplace.
Selection criteria
- Relevance of proposal to Sumernet themes
- Demonstrated relevance to regional and transboundary issues
- Strong linkage to policy engagement
- Significance of action research to furthering case study objectives
- Experience and qualifications of applicant
- Motivation of applicant to be demonstrated
Sponsors
Sumernet is supported by the efforts and resources of the partner organisations. It is financed by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). Sumernet welcomes expressions of interest from other donors wishing to support the programme.
Sumernet partner organisations
Sumernet Secretariat contact address is: 9B, 9th Floor, Park Place Building 231, Sarasin Road,
Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330 Thailand
Phone: +66(0) 2 254 2260‐1
Fax: +66(0) 2 253 2234, 651 9868
Email: fellowship@sumernet.org
Sumernet Research Programme
The Sumernet research programme has evolved over time and seeks to sustain the production of independent, regionally derived, policy‐relevant knowledge on key dimensions of sustainable
development with a particular focus on vulnerable communities and ecosystems. The vehicle
proposed for this agenda is a combination of applied research, capacity building, engagement and network development.
Sumernet is focusing to three groups of thematic subjects:
Regional Futures and Scenarios
- Drivers of change and long‐term regional trends.
- Principal impacts and sources of concern.
- Potential positive and negative changes as results of policy and development programmes.
- Scenarios of regional futures, including short‐term variations to longer term trends.
Integrated Assessment:
- Integrated assessment of the key drivers of socio‐economic change.
- Impacts of water utilization, including upstream‐downstream issues.
- Development and integration of regional energy infrastructure and markets.
- Development of transportation infrastructure.
- Regional climate change and sustainability.
- Payments of ecosystem services.
- Poverty and vulnerability, including ecosystems and livelihoods of the most vulnerable groups.
Globalisation and Sustainable Development:
- Capacity of the region, especially the poor, to benefit from key global trends.
- Effects of trade liberalisation on ecosystems and sustainability development.
- Global value chains.
- Impacts of emergence of the global knowledge economy in the region.
- Growth of information technology and impacts on sustainability.
- Opportunities of development cooperation while minimising potential adverse impacts.
- Migration and civic entrepreneurship.
- Development of social capital.
- Sustainable livelihoods of the vulnerable communities.
- Empowerment of poor communities.
- Conservation of critical ecosystems.
- Sector environmental sustainability.
- Economic corridor sustainability.
- National and regional strategies for sustainable development.
- Sustainability of biodiversity corridors.
- Sustainable financing.
- Regional institutional development.
The Sumernet research programme also brings the regional and transboundary dimensions into the topics of national and local concern to Sumernet partners. The research issues are clustered around four “place‐based” zones:
- Uplands regions
- Tonle Sap
- Mekong Delta
- Regional or Basin wide.
Research ideas to be considered under the fellowship programme should relate to the thematic
subjects (regional future and scenarios, integrated assessment or globalization and sustainable
development) and “place‐based” research zones.
