Call for proposals

Any researcher specialising in economics or related social sciences may apply for the small research grant and/or the full research grant (please note, the lead PI should be pursuing or have obtained a PhD). The IGC gives equal opportunity to researchers from all over the world, and particularly welcomes proposals from local researchers. International teams that include local researchers will be given preference. Please see below for some guiding principles. 

1. A researcher from any country is allowed to apply for the full research grant and the small research grant. 
    
2. A single researcher can be included in more than one proposal during the same call for proposals with different proposals. A single institution is allowed to submit multiple proposals. If multiple proposals are submitted, the researcher and/or institutions involved should have the capacity to conduct the research according to the proposed timescales. 
    
3. The Lead PI of a proposal must hold or be currently pursuing a PhD. Co-PIs generally should have the same qualifications, but candidates with a master’s degree can be considered.
    
4. For the small grants, researchers must conduct their research in one of our 10 IGC countries, or Tanzania, India, or Yemen. They must also get in touch with the IGC Country Team as they work on their proposals.
    
5. For full research grants, the IGC will not fund projects over GBP 125,000, and our average project value is GBP 60,000. 
    
6. The IGC will not fund projects that are a) purely qualitative, b) not grounded in sound economic research principles, or c) relevant only to middle- or high-income countries.
    
7. Applications that are in line with IGC research priorities, empirically rigorous, advance our knowledge about inclusive growth policy, and have strong value for money are favoured. 

Applicants should carefully review the country and thematic research priorities on the IGC website to understand the areas the IGC focuses on, and to ensure that their proposal is eligible for funding. Proposals that align with a specific IGC country’s areas of focus but are not directly tied into one of the four research themes will not be discounted. Likewise, proposals that involve one of the four research themes but are not directly tied into one of the IGC countries' areas of focus will also be considered for funding. Proposals in IGC countries are more likely to be approved. 

Low- and middle-income countries are striving to balance increasing living standards and reducing poverty through job creation and income enhancement, while minimising the negative environmental consequences of growth and boosting their resilience to climate shocks.  

The IGC’s research focuses on sustainable and inclusive economic growth in low- and middle-income countries. This includes understanding the drivers of economic growth and development, and identifying effective policies and interventions, to enable countries to develop in a way that improves social, environmental, and economic wellbeing for all. We particularly seek projects that directly address environmental externalities across our four themes. Research on mitigation and adaptation strategies is highly encouraged.

Our research strategy emphasises productivity and innovation, and the microeconomic transformations that drive sustainable growth. We embrace all quantitative research methods and approaches that are grounded in data, and encourage the use of administrative data where possible.

We are particularly interested in projects that address these issues through one of our four themes:

• Firms, trade, and productivity – Increasing productivity through structural changes in firms’ capabilities, the functioning of markets and how firms interact with world markets, while promoting green innovation and enhancing resilience against climate shocks.
   
• State effectiveness – Escaping fragility and improving the capabilities and effectiveness of states to deliver higher rates of inclusive growth, while addressing the challenges of environmental externalities.
   
• Cities – Making cities more productive and inclusive while addressing the downsides of density and ensuring resilience where climate change accelerates urbanisation.
   
• Energy and environment – Improving access to reliable, cost-efficient energy and supporting the transition to clean energy to reduce damaging externalities and more effective management of natural capital.

In this call, we also encourage proposals at the intersection of agriculture, finance, and SMEs, which help explain how these sectors interact and which policies can affect change, particularly those that focus on Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia, and/or Tanzania. We would like to better understand the mechanisms and impact of the flow of investment funds to agricultural SMEs to improve livelihoods and environmental performance.

We have resident teams in 10 low- and middle-income countries across Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. Our country offices enable us to sustain long-term policy engagement, and ensure our work is demand-led. Our partner countries are Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Ghana, Jordan, Mozambique, Pakistan, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Zambia. We also have ongoing work in Tanzania, India, and Yemen, and encourage select research in these countries as well.

Information on our research priorities in partner countries can be found here. 

Researchers are strongly encouraged to conduct their research in IGC partner countries and to contact our IGC country offices (or the London Hub for information on Tanzania, India, and Yemen), as they develop their proposals, and during the implementation phases of their projects:
 

IGC country offices

Bangladesh: [email protected]

Ethiopia: [email protected]

Ghana: [email protected]

Jordan: [email protected]

Mozambique: [email protected]

Pakistan: [email protected]

Rwanda: [email protected]

Sierra Leone: [email protected]

Uganda: [email protected]

Zambia: [email protected]
 

IGC initiatives:

Firms: [email protected] 

Cities that Work: [email protected]

State Fragility initiative: [email protected] 

Tax for Growth: [email protected] 

Energy and Environment: [email protected] 

Tanzania, India and Yemen, and other low- and middle-income countries without an IGC office: contact [email protected]
 

Conducting research in countries where we have a country office comes with advantages – access to local research partners, datasets, and established, well-connected country teams. IGC staff can provide dedicated support for policy engagement: facilitating meetings with policymakers and key stakeholders, and providing feedback on proposals and project outputs.

We also accept exceptional proposals for research in any other low- and middle-income country that have the potential to influence global debates on sustainable growth, demonstrate a potential to significantly push the frontier of knowledge on a particular issue, and provide clear policy recommendations that are also relevant for IGC countries. These proposals will receive a higher level of scrutiny, and we expect them to be subject to a much higher level of competition.

We offer two types of awards: full research grants and small research grants. 

Small research grants: These grants are for exploratory research and pilot studies. Small research grants are designed to enable researchers to further refine and test innovative research ideas with high potential policy impact by conducting preliminary research and engaging with partners, which will enable strong applications to the full research grants in future rounds. 

Researchers must conduct their research in one of the 10 countries where the IGC has an office (Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Ghana, Jordan, Mozambique, Pakistan, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Zambia) or Tanzania, India, and Yemen. They are expected to connect to the IGC country team during proposal development, which comes with several advantages including potential access to policymakers, access to feedback, and data. 

We encourage any researcher to apply for the small research grant, but in particular PhD students, early-career researchers, and local researchers. The maximum amount we will award for a pilot study is GBP 30,000, and the maximum amount we will award for purely exploratory research that does not involve a pilot component is GBP 20,000.

• Exploratory research: this relates to preliminary research ideas, such as conducting background research, developing partnerships, visiting field sites, and collecting preliminary data. Funding for exploratory research should be used to support costs related to the researcher’s travel and engagement with the relevant IGC country team and policymakers, to develop a proposal for a pilot or full research grant proposals to submit to subsequent calls for proposals.
   
• Pilot studies: will be awarded to projects with a reasonably well-developed research question, but for which the design and implementation requires further testing and pilot data before it can be scaled-up into a larger research study. New evidence from the pilot can lead to an adjustment or reformulation of the research question. Grant awardees are expected to engage with relevant policy stakeholders, implementation partners, and the relevant IGC country team for feedback during the pilot, to further shape their interventions and research design for scale-up. 

Full research grants: These grants are for fully-developed research projects. Not only must the research question be clear, but applicants must also demonstrate a commitment from implementing partners (if applicable), and a clear and compelling research design. Proposals can be for any type of research, and we encourage the use of a variety of approaches, including using secondary data. Proposals can also be submitted for funding the continuation of research projects that have already started where new research opportunities arise. The expectation is that projects funded by full research grants will result in a paper publishable in a top economics journal, and generate significant policy impact. 

Researchers must conduct their research in a low- or middle-income country, and researchers are strongly advised to conduct their research in a country with an IGC office.

Projects are capped at GBP 125,000, and the average award per project is GBP 60,000.

The IGC gives equal opportunities to researchers from all over the world, and research proposals are assessed based on their ability to show empirical rigour, relevance to inclusive growth policy, and value for money. 

The main criteria against which proposals are evaluated are as follows: 

1. Alignment with research strategy: Does the research question address the IGC research priorities identified in the IGC Research Strategy and IGC Country Priorities?
    
2. Quality of research design: This captures the academic rigour and quality of research design. Only projects that can demonstrate methods likely to produce valid and reliable results are considered.
    
3. Policy impact: The potential for direct policy impact from the research, reflecting both the importance of the policy target and the current and future engagement with relevant policy makers.
    
4. Academic impact: This entails the potential for research to advance scientific understanding of a particular issue, by significantly contributing to the existing literature and being published in a high-profile economic journal. 
    
5. Engagement with local institutions: IGC prioritises proposals that involve local researchers, use researchers embedded in a ministry or government agency, and/or partner with local institutions. This includes PIs who reach out to country teams during proposal development or who have strong track records of engagement with policymakers.
    
6. Value for money: This involves scrutinising the budget and considering whether it is cost-effective. Key questions to consider: is the budget proportional to the task? Could the same results be achieved more inexpensively? Do the costs reflect local market rates?

1. View our How to apply webpage.
    
2. Carefully review our Application guidelines.
    
3. Complete the application form/s below.