Deadline: 9 August 2024
The Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean is pleased to announce a call for research proposals to fund up to nine research projects that contribute to understanding the main problems faced by rural societies and productive means in the economies of Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as the mechanisms and policies that help address these problems and promote rural development.
Rurality in Latin America and the Caribbean presents a diverse and complex reality, with significant variations between countries and regions. The social and economic conditions in these areas face unique challenges compared to urban zones due to limited infrastructure and restricted access to basic services such as education, health, and internet. This perpetuates poverty and inequality. Agriculture and livestock are key activities, being essential both for employment and the subsistence of the rural population, as well as for the national economy in some countries, although these activities face additional difficulties due to climate change and environmental degradation.
To address these problems, it is crucial to design public policies that promote sustainable and equitable rural development. Subnational governments, due to their proximity to local problems, play a vital role in the formulation of these policies. Their participation ensures that solutions are appropriate and effective, helping to mitigate the vulnerability of rural communities to phenomena such as droughts, floods, and deforestation.
Three projects will be selected from those related to poverty and inequality, three from risk and climate change and sustainable development, while the remaining three will be selected from those related to rurality.
Topics
- A non-exhaustive list of topics which are of interest for the current call is the following:
- Modern definitions and measurements of rural population
- Rural-urban migration, remittances and their socioeconomic effects
- Inequality and poverty in rural communities
- Access to basic services in rural areas
- Infrastructure and connectivity in rural areas
- Women in the rural context
- Fertility and care economy in rural areas
- Early childhood, children and youth in the rural context
- Ethnic-racial diversity in rural societies
- Food security and food sovereignty
- Technology, innovation and structural change in the agricultural sector
- Family or subsistence agriculture
- Disparities in land allocation and access to land
- Rural tourism
- Mining, forestry and fisheries
- Measurement of energy or environmental poverty
- Vulnerability to climate risks and their potential impact on poverty
- Biodiversity and natural resource conservation
- Climate change mitigation and adaptation
- Governance in rural development
- Impact of public policies on rural sustainable development
Funding Information
- A maximum of nine prizes will be awarded. Each winning proposal will receive a research grant of up to USD 15,000 to carry out the project.
- This grant will be disbursed through a consulting contract signed with any member of the research team or her/their institution. A budget proposal is not required.
Eligibility Criteria
- Papers with the following criteria will be especially valued:
- Those that present evidence for Latin America and the Caribbean. With particular interest in the Caribbean.
- Those that are at the intersection of two or three of the major thematic areas mentioned above.
For more information, visit Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean.