Stimulating Research on HIV/AIDS and Population Studies in Southern Africa

With support from the Andrew Mellon Foundation, the University of KwaZulu-Natal has extended and refined its grants programme to stimulate research in Population Studies and HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa over the 2004-2005 periods.

The objective of the programme is to stimulate research on HIV/AIDS in the broad arena of Population Studies that will contribute both to scientific knowledge and to the mitigation of the epidemic. This specification is intended to promote research that examines the social and community effects of the epidemic and to stimulate research that promotes the mitigation of the epidemic through innovative studies of HIV/AIDS prevention, care, treatment, and particularly monitors the rollout of anti-retroviral and other treatment regimes.

It is evident that in order to come to grips with the implications of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, further understanding of the dynamics of HIV/AIDS protection and care require new forms of collaborative, multi-disciplinary, and inter-disciplinary partnerships. Such partnerships should aim to promote closer working relationships between different academic disciplines as well as between theorists and practitioners. It is also hoped that applications will come from collaborative ventures that draw together researchers and practitioners from less advantaged and advantaged educational and community backgrounds.

Aims:

It should be noted that the broad aims of the Andrew W Mellon Foundation are to:

• Reach out to good scholarship in South Africa and Southern Africa;
• Foster collaboration and communication among those engaged in research and training in demography/population in the Region;
• Stimulate and facilitate the strengthening of research expertise in key areas that are critical to population policy in South Africa and the region.
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  Specific Research Themes in HIV/AIDS
  
  Within the context of broader Population Studies, the following themes have been identified as priority areas:
  
  
• The development and evaluation of methods for collecting data on sexual behaviour;
• Comparative analysis of high- and low-prevalence groups with the objective of understanding both intended and unintended protective factors against HIV/AIDS;
• Individual, household, and community responses to HIV/AIDS;
• The circumstances, care, and treatment of people living with AIDS and the implications of this for the wider community from which they come;
• The role of faith-based institutions in reducing risk of AIDS and support for people living with AIDS;
• Research that is designed to investigate the interface between HIV/AIDS, population movements and migrancy in Africa;
• Projects that stimulate innovative thinking about future directions and research on the repercussions of HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa might take, are encouraged.


Forms of Grant

The programme seeks to foster and stimulate research predominantly from within the themes outlined above. We are looking for innovative proposals from individuals and research teams that desirably would include senior and junior researchers. In addition, work should serve as a bridge between different institutions and include mechanisms for building capacity specifically in Population Studies and Demography at both institutional and individual levels. Partnership between community based organizations and academic institutions will be particularly welcome. Proposals from younger researchers, to enable them to spend time working at a South African/African institution and receive mentoring and support from established experts/research groups are encouraged.

Applications

Interested researchers and/or research teams should submit their proposals to Millicent Atujuna, School of Development Studies, University of KwaZulu-Natal ([email protected]). The deadline for submission of proposals is the 30th of February 2004. Successful applicants will be notified by the 15th of May 2004, and funding will be made available soon thereafter. Fieldwork will be expected to begin in June or July 2004.

Proposal Format

The main proposal text must not exceed 10 single spaced pages. Tables, figures, appendices and references may be in addition to this. Proposals received must be in electronic formats. Incomplete submissions may disqualify candidates. Proposals should include:


• Introduction: the issue to be addressed;
• Aims and objectives (including any hypotheses);
• Study design and time frames;
• Methods and data to be used (this section should be very detailed and could extend to 5 of the 10 page limit if necessary);
• Significance/impact of the study;
• Research outputs expected (publications, graduate research, policy papers, other);
• Capacity building activities;
• One page budget and rationale for line items;
• Curriculum vitae of involved researchers including mailing details;
• Letter(s) of recommendation from institutions/referees (this applies particularly to individual applications);
• Proof of acceptance of the concept by all team members (and institutions, if applicable).


Please Note: If necessary, applicants and their institutions will be responsible for obtaining ethical clearance for the study before the funds may be used.

Details of Likely Grant Categories

(The description below is indicative rather than restrictive). Proposals from research teams would be initiated by established researchers but may comprise multiple mentor-student partnerships collaborating on a particular area of research. The grant for these types of proposals will not exceed SAR 300,000. At the completion of the grant period, a summary of the work undertaken will be required with particular emphasis on project outputs, including publications. Individual grant holders need to demonstrate their relationship with a Southern African University or research institution. Such grants will not exceed SAR 170, 000.

Conditions

Projects with existing funding may qualify for a grant if such funding would expand the range of research undertaken and the grant would develop a clearly-definable Mellon component within the project.

This invitation is open to all universities, technikons, non-profit research institutions and community based non-profit projects. Preference will be given to proposals in which there is a partnership with a 'lesser-resourced' institution. Private sector 'for profit' institutions will not qualify for funding.

The full document can be downloaded on the righthand side of this page.