Saman Kelegama Memorial Research Grant (Sri Lanka)

The Saman Kelegama Memorial Research Grant is an annual, merit-based grant awarded to an outstanding undergraduate studying in a university in Sri Lanka. The grant aims at promoting policy entrepreneurs amongst undergraduate students by encouraging policy-relevant, rigorous and innovative socio-economic research.

Benefits

• The recipient will be able to seek guidance from senior researchers and benefit from IPS resources to complete the proposed study during the internship.
• To enable students from all over Sri Lanka to benefit from this opportunity, the terms of the internship will be flexible. The internship can either be an entirely in-house internship at the IPS; or an in-house plus online internship.
• In the case of the second option, the in-house component of the internship should be at least six weeks. An additional subsidy will be provided for presenting the research findings at local conferences and workshops to encourage dissemination of the research.

Funding Information

• The beneficiary will be awarded a one-time research grant of Rs200,000 to carry out the proposed research and a three-month internship at the IPS.

Expected Outcomes

• The recipient of the Grant will be expected to produce a Policy Discussion Brief within six months of receiving the Grant. The research report can be written on their own or jointly with an IPS senior researcher.

Eligibility Criteria

• The grant is open to undergraduate students currently in their 4th year or about to enter their 4th year in 2025, studying economics or a related subject in a University Grants Commission-approved university or higher education institution in Sri Lanka.

Selection Criteria

• Proposals will be judged on their policy relevance, feasibility, originality and creativity. Three finalists will be chosen and invited to present their proposals at the IPS, where the award recipient will be selected.

For more information, visit IPS.