Collaborative Grants for Researchers Program

This ten-month fellowship supports individual researchers with a PhD in the social sciences or humanities and/or related and interdisciplinary fields, with research experience, to conduct research projects on and within the Arab region.

Aim

• The Collaborative Grants for Researchers program specifically supports research proposals that address the Arab region, are based on new or ongoing projects, and aim to:
  • Developing a deep understanding of the current practices, conditions and restrictions prevailing in the region on academic freedom and knowledge production, which stifle/hinder the process of research and creative and innovative writing.
  • Explore how different institutions and actors in the field of knowledge production confront the conditions and restrictions imposed on academic freedom, including the freedom to research, publish, distribute and debate.
  • Understanding how issues related to academic freedom are experienced through the lives and career paths of specific individuals from the region, whether by looking at their biographies or by conducting extended interviews with them and listening to their life stories.
  • Collaboration is a key element of the Collaborative Grants for Researchers program. Selected researchers will meet periodically in closed workshops to share their work and benefit from each other’s feedback. They will also participate in research forums and conferences organized by the ACSS, with the expenses of participating in these events being covered separately by the ACSS. The ACSS strongly invites/encourages grantees who share similar interests to consider collaboration and to seek to work on joint publications.

Themes

• Scientific knowledge production is increasingly threatened by censorship, cybersecurity threats, commercial exploitation, censorship of cryptocurrencies, hate speech, and restrictions on academic freedom. Political and economic turmoil, pandemics, and military conflicts also put researchers’ safety and human rights at risk, posing a significant threat to knowledge production and evidence delivery.
• Twenty-first century has brought new challenges posed by digital spaces. Virtual meetings, digital resources, and opportunities for education and training have expanded the scope for learning, research, and dialogue. However, the production of knowledge is subject to new threats and controls due to cyber-surveillance, ongoing restrictions on public space and public discourse, and “traditional” forms of silencing those who challenge existing power structures.
• Proposals should seek to engage in a research and writing process that will provide robust frameworks to guide discussions and conversations about academic freedom both in the region and globally.

Specializations

• The Collaborative Research Grants Program is open to any discipline in the social sciences, humanities, related fields, and interdisciplinary fields. Core disciplines include anthropology, demography, economics, history, political science, psychology, sociology, philosophy, literary studies, and art history.
• Related disciplines and interdisciplinary fields include architecture, geography, education, law, public health, gender studies, cultural studies, media studies, development studies, and urban studies.

Funding Information

• The program provides a grant of up to US$ 10,000 for individual researchers to conduct research focused on the program theme and explore potential areas of collaboration and shared outcomes with other researchers.

Eligible Projects

• This program supports research projects at any stage of development. Research proposals based on new or ongoing projects can be submitted, including:
  • The initial or “exploratory” phase of a new project
  • Long-term projects that combine fieldwork and analysis
  • Proposals that are an extension of previous projects and seek to present new cases and examples
  • Comparative projects that have been expanded to include additional sites.

Eligibility Criteria 

• Nationality and Citizenship:
  • This call is open to:
    • Holders of the nationality of an Arab country (by Arab country they mean any country affiliated with the League of Arab States)
    • Refugees and/or stateless persons from an Arab country and residing in the Arab region
    • Researchers residing outside the Arab region, holding Arab nationality, or refugees and/or stateless persons from the Arab region
    • Researchers residing outside the Arab region who hold a non-Arab passport but are of Arab origin.
• Academic certificates and research record:
  • This programme is aimed at researchers holding a PhD in the social sciences or humanities and/or related and interdisciplinary fields who have a proven track record of research in the region.

Selection Criteria

• Proposals for funding will be reviewed and selected by a multidisciplinary committee of distinguished researchers from the Arab region with a proven track record of research and publications as well as experience in research and teaching in the region. The selection committee is committed to the highest standards of academic and ethical arbitration.
• The Committee evaluates proposals according to the following evaluation criteria:
  • Contribution of the research proposal to knowledge (significance, quality, and originality)
  • Feasibility and clarity of the proposed research plan (realistic time frame and appropriate research methods)
  • Applicant’s skills (academic qualifications, current and potential publications)
  • Expected outputs and planned publications
  • Ethical Considerations.

For more information, visit Arab Council for the Social Sciences.