The ACSS Small Grants Program is a funding opportunity that aims to support scholars and professionals in the Arab region in undertaking five kinds of activities: conference presentations, internships, pilot studies, dissemination events, and organizing workshops.
This competition is funded by grants provided to ACSS by the Ford Foundation and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). Small grants of $4,000 on average will be available to individual Arab researchers and activists residing in the Arab region, and whose work focuses on Arab societies.
The two themes of the Small Grants Program are “Youth” and “Urban Spatial Inequalities.” The first topic, “Youth”, encompasses topics related to youth (defined roughly as those between the ages of 14 and 25) in the Arab world, and issues related to this age group (health, education, family, employment, civic engagement, etc.). The second topic, “Urban Spatial Inequalities”, focuses on systems, processes, and policies that increase or mitigate unequal access to housing, land, property and services in urban settings. The duration of grants offered under these two themes is a maximum of 6 months.
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The Small Grants Program is a competitive grant, and thus they are particularly interested in innovative, cutting-edge proposals that question existing paradigms or contribute to establishing and advancing new paradigms and move them forward. They are particularly interested in proposals that work at the intersection of both themes of the program. Addressing new topics, methodologies, and audiences is necessary to advancing social and research agendas in the region.
Awarded individuals are expected to abide by the following project requirements:
- Submit final narrative and financial report within 30 days of the end of the grant term (Financial reports should include the original receipts for all project expenses).
- Produce project related content for the ACSS website (such as project descriptions and profiles of researchers).
Applications are open for three rounds during the year: Each round has a distinct deadline.
- Round 1:
- Applications Open: November 19, 2018
- Applications Close: December 20, 2018
- Round 2:
- Applications Open: February 15, 2019
- Applications Close: April 19, 2019
- Round 3:
- Applications Open: June 3, 2019
- Applications Close: August 20, 2019
P.S. – Only travel grant will be eligible for regions both inside and outside Arab region. All other activities have to be conducted in Arab region.
Benefits
The aim of the program is to provide small amounts of funding ($4,000 on average) in a timely manner. The program funds five kinds of activities:
- Travel Grant: Travel to and from a conference and expenses related to the conference, including registration fees, airline ticket, hotel reservation, meal costs while at the conference, and transportation at the conference location (excluding any costs related to the research to be presented).
- Workshop Organizing: Costs associated with the workshop, including room rental, food & beverage, transportation, honoraria for speakers/consultants, and print materials.
- Internships: Costs associated with travel to and from the internship and housing accommodations, and daily food allowance (as applicable).
- Pilot Studies: Costs associated with conducting research, including costs for transportation/commuting to and from research sites, software needed for research, books, materials, stipends for research assistants, and printing of study.
- Dissemination Event: Costs associated with disseminating research, including room rentals, publication costs, food & beverage costs, and print materials.
Eligibilities
Nationality/Residence
- Applicants must be citizens of an Arab League member state or nationals of an Arab country (defined as long-term residents, even if they do not hold citizenship as in the case of refugees or stateless residents).
- Applicants must reside in the Arab region. This program does not fund applicants who reside, work, or study outside the region.
- Priority will be given to scholars and professionals who are marginalized, at risk or dispossessed.
Educational Degree
- Applicants must hold at least a Master’s degree in a core social science or a field allied to the themes of the Program. The core social science fields are anthropology, demography, economics, education, political science, psychology, and sociology. Allied disciplines include architecture, cultural studies, development studies, gender studies, geography, law, and urban planning/studies.
Age
- Preference will be given to applicants under the age of 40.
ACSS grantees (principal and co-investigators) who have benefited previously from another ACSS grant are only eligible if their grants were closed one year prior to submitting their application for the Small Grants Program.
Eligible Regions: Arab League member states, Arab countries.Application Process
- Applicants are required to create a profile page on the ACSS applications platform and submit both an online application and supporting documents depending on the type of funding requested. Application materials can be submitted in Arabic, French or English. Only completed applications will be examined by the Selection Committee.
- Applications are open for three rounds during the year: Each round has a distinct deadline.
- A complete application includes:
- Complete profile page on the ACSS applications platform
- Online application form
- Supplemental material specific to your particular funding request
- CV/Resume of the applicant
- Budget request form
- Copy of passport or identification card
- Other details can be found in the official link.
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Application Deadline: April 19, 2019
Application ClosedOfficial link
