IsDB-TWAS Research Grant
The goal: provide incentives for researchers from 57 IsDB member countries to work together on shared challenges.
The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and TWAS have partnered to promote and support research on key challenges related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The IsDB-TWAS Grants for Research Collaboration in Sustainability Sciences programme is fully funded by the IsDB and established to develop collaboration between researchers of IsDB member countries. Under this programme, qualified researchers from 57 IsDB countries working in the fields of sustainability science are invited to form a joint research collaboration consisting of two groups from different countries working on a common problem.
The grant amounts to a maximum of USD 50,000 per group – USD 100,000 total per grant. A grant is normally provided for a period of 24 months. The programme will choose one project per year.
Grants will enable the collaborating groups to purchase the research equipment and strengthen the facilities they need to enhance their partnership and productivity and to support the mobility of young scientists between the participating institutions for training purposes. Such visits should have a duration of two-four weeks. Partners should ensure, through the grant, that enough consumable supplies are available during such visits.
One of the two groups must be based in an IsDB Least Developed Member Country (see detailed guidelines for details). The application must be filled in and submitted via the TWAS Online Forms system by Principal Investigator 1 (PI1); where one PI is not from an IsDB Least Developed Member Country, he or she will fill out the form. In cases where both PIs are from IsDB Least Developed Member Countries (listed in green in the guidelines, below), either one may submit the form. The PI submitting the form will be responsible for inserting correct information for both parties. Each institution will be required to submit a declaration form that should be downloaded from the TWAS Online Forms portal, signed and uploaded back to the portal.
The IsDB-TWAS Grants for Research Collaboration in Sustainability Sciences will be awarded to those projects, which demonstrate the best potential for transformative research and most likely to yield a concrete impact on society.
A grant may be used to purchase scientific equipment and consumables and support the travel of scientists between the two participating institutions. The grant may also cover, where justified, expenses related to field work. The grant does not cover salaries of researchers and/or students. In addition, the purchase of laptop computers and laboratory animals are not supported.
Research Areas
The Research Grants programme provides support for research projects in the following fields (please refer to the guidelines for details):
- Sustainable Agriculture
- Education
- Education for Sustainable Development
- Climate Change
- Energy
- Sustainable cities
- Responsible growth
- Waste management
- Population growth
- Green chemistry
- Biodiversity
- Plastic pollution and Micro-plastics
- Water and hygiene
Eligibility Criteria
- Each Principle Investigator (PI) must be a national of an IsDB member country and hold a PhD with good research experience and lead each research group. (Note: The PI will be responsible for the coordination of the research, submission of requested documentation and reporting of the expenses. All TWAS correspondence will be with each PI).
- One PI MUST be from an IsDB Least Developed Member Country (listed in green below) and the other from any of the eligible IsDB member countries.
- Each member of the group should operate in a university or research institution in one of the IsDB member countries and should be represented in the proposal by a PI. No age limit is applied to the applicant.
- Applications from women scientists are especially encouraged.
- Individual young scientists or leaders of research units currently holding a TWAS Research Grant in the Basic Sciences are not eligible.
IsDB Member Countries:
- Afghanistan
- Bangladesh
- Benin
- Burkina Faso
- Chad
- Comoros
- Djibouti
- Gambia
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Mozambique
- Niger
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- Sudan
- Togo
- Uganda
- Yemen
How to apply:
- Applications must be submitted online via the TWAS online portal. The link to this page is found at the bottom of this page.
- Applications not submitted via this online portal will not be considered.
- No applications will be accepted after the deadline. Therefore, it is recommended to submit your electronic application as early as possible.
- Incomplete applications will not be considered.
- Please note that a researcher may only submit one application at a time and for only one kind of grant (either as an IsDB-TWAS grant or as an individual grant, as a research unit, COMSTECH or the OWSD Early Career Women Scientists (ECWS) Fellowship). Applicants cannot apply for other TWAS programmes i.e. Postdoctoral, Visiting Scholar and Visiting Researcher programme within the same year in order to be present in their home country throughout the duration of the grant.
- For any queries please write to [email protected]
When to apply
- The deadline for receiving applications is 12 September 2019. We strongly recommend that you do not wait until the deadline but submit the application as early as you can to enable us to process your application as quickly as possible.
- Application doc(s):
isdb_-_twas_research_grants_sustainability_guidelines.pdf
