JAPANESE AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING RESEARCH ON DEVELOPMENT

[gdnews] JAPANESE AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING RESEARCH ON DEVELOPMENT

[GDNews] Seventh Annual Global Development Awards Competition January 2006 St. Petersburg, Russia

***************************************************************

To learn more about the GDN visit: www.gdnet.org

To access a web and or PDF version of this newsletter, please visit:

www.gdnet.org/about_gdn/news/

***************************************************************

-->> JAPANESE AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING RESEARCH ON DEVELOPMENT

->THE AWARD

->The Japanese Award for Outstanding Research on Development carries cash prizes of 65,000 plus travel expenses to the Global Development Network’s Seventh Annual Development Conference. An Award of 50,000 will be given to the institution whose proposed research in one of the five topic areas (described below) holds the greatest promise for improving our understanding of development. Two prizes of 7,500 will be given to the institutions of the other two finalists to continue work in the chosen research area. In addition, several other applicants will be invited at GDN expense to attend the Conference. The Award funds will be used to support the undertaking of the submitted research proposal. Funding for the Award is generously provided by the Government of Japan. The deadline for submitting the application form, abstract, and full proposal is September 16, 2005.

The competition rules and guidelines are described in detail below. Please read carefully as there have been some changes from last year’s competition.

Eligibility Criteria:

• The Award is open only to citizens and permanent residents of developing and transition countries.

• The principal investigator of the proposal must currently reside in a developing or transition country. If there is more than one researcher, at least 50% of the researchers (including the principal investigator) must currently reside in a developing or transition country.

• Staff members of multilateral organizations are not eligible to apply for the Award.

• Past Award winners and finalists are not eligible to apply with the same or similar research proposal.

• Past Award winners are not eligible to apply in the 3 years subsequent to their successful proposal.

• The proposal must not be receiving or scheduled to receive funds from another source unless it is clearly explained how the Award would provide additional funds necessary for completion of the project.

-->>The Research Proposal:

Research proposals for the Award will be considered in the 5 following categories:

1: Institutions and Poverty Reduction

2: Institutions, Policies, and Long-Run Growth

3: Institutional Development and Change in the Health Sector

4: Political Institutions, Governance and Development

5: Globalization, Institutions, and Development

See below for a more detailed description of these topics.

-->>The Application Process

Deadline:

September 16, 2005: Submit application form, a 200-300 word abstract of the proposed future research, and the full proposal.

Note: For a proposal with more than one researcher, only the principal investigator should submit an application. However, the institutional affiliation, position, e-mail address, citizenship and current residence of each co-researcher must also be included in the application.

-->>Guidelines:

• Applicants must indicate the category under which the paper is being submitted.

Applications that do not fall within one of the five categories will not be considered.

• An applicant may submit more than one application.

• An application can be submitted by one or more researchers. In cases with more than

one researcher, all researchers must meet the eligibility criteria.

• The research proposal must follow the presentation given below. It must be between 4,000 and 8,000 words. Type should be 12 font with 1.5 line spacing.

• Submitted proposals should have the proper naming convention. Example:

• Lastname_paper.doc or Lastname_paper.pdf

• Proposals must be submitted in English except in categories 2 and 4, where submissions in French will also be accepted.

All applications and documents must be submitted as electronic files through the GDN website (www.gdnet.org). If you are not able to submit your application through the website, please contact us at awards@gdnet.org , with the Award title in the subject line.

-->>Presentation of Research Proposal

• Justification for the study

• Objectives of the study and analytical framework

• Main testable hypotheses

• Methodology, including data sources

• Research output and policy relevance

• Bibliography

• Examples of previous work on similar issues by the author(s) should be included and listed separately

• The research team

• Composition

• CVs of all researchers, including citizenship, countries of residence and e-mails

• Why is the research team well suited for undertaking this proposal?

• Research Institution

• Brief background of the research institution(s) and research facilities

• Budget

• Give details of main expenditures

• Indicate other sources of funding, if relevant

-->>The Selection Process

• The submissions will be reviewed by independent experts who will submit a short list of three candidates to GDN. These will be announced by November 22, 2005.

• Short-listed candidates for the Award will present their work at the GDN Seventh Annual Conference in St. Petersburg, Russia from January 19-21, 2006. Travel and expenses for one researcher of each short-listed submission will be covered by GDN.

• A Selection Committee will select and announce the successful candidate at the Conference. In selecting the Award winner, the committee will consider the overall academic quality of the proposal, the likelihood of successful completion of the work, the contribution to development knowledge, and the importance of the results for policy development. The Award winner will be invited to a subsequent GDN annual meeting where s/he will provide a presentation on the completed research. The Selection Committee reserves the right not to award one or more prizes.

-->>Selection Committee

• The Selection Committee for this year's competition is not yet determined. The Selection Committee of last year’s competition consisted of Alan Gelb, World Bank (Chair); Diana Tussie, Latin America Trade Network, Argentina; Bernard Decaluwe, Laval University, Canada; Felicia Knaul, Fundación Mexicana para la Salud and Ministry of Public Education, Mexico; Eliana La Ferrara, Universita Bocconi and IGIER, Italy; and Shujiro Urata, Waseda University, Japan.

-->>Description of Topics

Theme 1: Institutions and Poverty Reduction

The reduction of poverty is the central purpose of development and is enshrined in national development strategies as well as in pronouncements of the international community as captured most recently in the Millennium Development Goals. As the focus on poverty has intensified, the concept of poverty had broadened and is now usually understood to include (i) increased incomes for the poor through higher returns for their factors of production (especially labor and land), transfers, access to credit. and redistribution of assets or creation of new assets (investment in human capital for example); (ii) improvements in the quality of life including literacy, life expectancy; and elimination of discrimination by status or gender; (iii) reduced exposure to risk through various kinds of formal and informal insurance; and (iv) increased political voice.

Interventions to implement aspects of a poverty-reducing strategy rely on a wide range of institutions. On a spectrum from informal to formal, efforts to reduce poverty involve the poor themselves through self-help schemes and coping mechanisms, intermediaries such as national or international non-governmental organizations, official programs run at the local, state, or federal level, as well as programs supported by the major international financial institutions and bilateral donors. These myriad interventions notwithstanding, poverty persists in many countries. This may reflect inadequate understanding of the root causes of poverty, a failure to design and implement appropriate policies and programs, or a combination of both.

Submissions in this category are expected to identify and analyze institutional arrangements that appear to reduce poverty. Wherever possible, submissions should provide evidence through survey data or case studies of the impact on the poor. Submissions are encouraged on the full spectrum of institutional arrangements including (i) community organized and implemented schemes to share risk and protect the vulnerable; (ii) micro-credit schemes, educational programs, health clinics, agricultural and artisanal projects, and advocacy and political mobilization movements run by national or international NGOs; (iii) the entire complement of programs and policies managed by various levels of government ranging from the legal and political system though public expenditure programs to delivery mechanisms and pricing systems for public services such as health, education, water, power, communications, transport, as well as programs for land reform, irrigation, and disaster relief; and (iv) the contribution made by the international community including both bilateral donors and international organizations through the delivery of aid. Whatever the focus of the submission, it must demonstrate why the particular institutional arrangement being analyzed has, or has not, helped the poor.

Theme 2: Institutions, Policies and Long-Run Growth

It has become an accepted wisdom that a country cannot have sustained growth without good governance and that governance is highly dependent on the institutional structure of the country. However, it is clear that countries with very different types of institutions, both formal and informal, have managed long-run growth. Consequently, while most cross-country studies point to the importance of ‘good’ institutions for growth, it is not always clear what a good institution is, other than one that is working well. In addition, it seems highly likely that the institutions necessary for growth change within a country as it moves up the income ladder. There is also an ongoing debate over whether good institutions are necessary for good policies or vice-versa.

It has also been noted that many developing countries have growth spurts for several years but are unable to sustain growth. In particular, when the spurt loses momentum or a shock hits, the ensuing recession is typically quite severe and the economy is not able to recover quickly. These problems may be linked to a lack of institutional development during the ‘good times’ as well as the perception that the government is not committed to institutional reform during downturns. There could also be a lack of widespread support for institutional reform if the benefits are distributed unevenly.

Submissions in this category should address one or more of the following areas: (1) The relationship between institutional development and long-run socio-economic growth; (2) The types of institutions necessary at different stages or levels of development, as well as the nature of the relationship between good institutions and good policies; (3) The importance of institutions in analyzing the political economy of reforms to achieve long-run growth, including institutional reforms conducive to pro-poor growth; (4) The relationship between institutional development and boom-burst development paths (often related to natural resource abundance or capital inflows), as well the behavior of an economy when affected by external shocks, including but not limited to the macroeconomic response; (5) The methods by which governments can create credible institutional and policy commitments that will help foster growth; (6) The effectiveness of imported (or transplanted) versus homegrown institutions with respect to socio-economic growth.

Submissions can be cross-country or country studies and can focus on either the role of formal or informal institutions for long-run growth, including cultural and sociological factors.

Theme 3: Institutional Development and Change in the Health Sector

A healthy population is both a result and a cause of socio-economic development. However, a healthy population depends on well-functioning and responsive formal and informal health systems. In turn these depend on a strong institutional base for the health system. These institutions range from those concerned with policymaking in the health sector to the delivery of simple materials necessary for the prevention of diseases (eg condoms, mosquito nets).

In almost all developing countries health institutions face severe problems with respect to financing and maintaining well trained staff. These problems have only been aggravated in many countries by the large number of HIV cases. This has put pressure on officials to develop innovative ways of health service delivery, including the greater use of market incentives. At the same time, civil society is developing its own informal institutions to try and cope with the health needs of the population.

Submissions in this category should address one or more of the following areas: (1) The organization and functioning of institutions responsible for policymaking and regulation in the health and sanitation sector, including matters relating to the financing of health and sanitation services and the relationship with other government institutions; (2) The functioning of institutions with respect to delivery of health and sanitation services (including pharmaceuticals) and communication on public health issues; (3) The effectiveness of institutions with respect to research on health issues and training of health professionals, including questions related to international migration (brain drain); (4) The organization and functions of international health institutions in relation to their role in developing and transition countries; (5) The development and effectiveness of informal health institutions. (6) Market imperfections in the health sector that are hindering the attainment of efficiency and/or equity objectives. (7) The impact of HIV on the effectiveness and organization of institutions in the health sector.

Theme 4: Political Institutions, Governance and Development

Poor governance is increasingly considered the greatest internal obstacle to a country’s socio-economic development. The governance of a country is very much dependent on the nature of the political institutions, both formal and informal, in which the policymakers, bureaucrats, and stakeholders function. Modes of behavior can be fashioned at the broadest level by the type and quality of democracy in a country and at the most specific level by the distribution of power and the checks and balances embodied in the constitution (or other rules of the game). Other important aspects of the political institutional framework of a country are the extent of decentralization and the manner in which civil society can and chooses to express its ‘voice’. Of increasing importance is the ability for different stakeholders to affect implementation of new policies or regulations even if they have little influence in the policymaking process itself.

The ability of society to create or adapt political institutions is another important aspect of governance, particularly in an era when the role of the state is being redefined in many countries. While macro changes most commonly take place in the context of a major crises and/or revolution, the ability of a polity to undertake micro changes to political institutions may be just as important for long-run socio-economic development. This is particularly important when a country’s development is hampered as much or more by widespread petty corruption by the bureaucracy as by large-scale concentrated theft by those in power. Of course, like economic institutions, political institutions can be captured and very difficult to reform.

Submissions in this category should address one or more of the following points: (i) What is the relationship between the configuration of the political institutions in a country and governance, including the functioning of the bureaucracy; (ii) What types of political institutions are most conducive to socio-economic development and how do these change over time; (iii) How are political institutions changed at either the macro or micro levels; (iv) How can political institutions adapt to the changing role of the state, particularly in countries that are putting much more emphasis on the functioning of private markets; (vi) What is the role of legislative, executive and judicial institutions in promoting or hampering economic development? Do their roles change at different stages of development? (vi) What is the relationship between the development and behavior of civil society and the political institutions in a country; (vii) Can well-functioning political institutions be ‘imported’ from other countries and in what circumstances; (viii) How does economic performance drive political reform and vice-versa.

Theoretical, cross-country and country specific analysis — including case studies — are welcome in all social science disciplines.

Theme 5: Globalization, Institutions and Development

These changes impact the behavior and institutional development of international institutions directly and are strongly affecting the behavior and institutional development of national governments both directly and indirectly. For example, many governments have had little choice but to reform national institutions under the direct pressure of international institutions and the indirect pressure of the rapid exchange of information across countries. In some cases institutional reform has been guided by the need to meet international standards; in other cases the pressure to be more competitive has been more compelling. In almost all cases, there is much less room to maneuver and fewer ‘paths of development’ available than was the case 20 years ago. Similarly, changes in national institutions have impacted the effectiveness of local institutions, requiring change and adaptation at this level.

Submissions in this category should address at least one of the following issues: (i) How are (or are not) institutions mediating the impact of globalization, from global institutions (such as the IFIs or international non-governmental organizations) to national institutions (such as central banks or ministries of health) to local institutions (such as rural social organizations or urban planning boards); (ii) How can the existing international institutional framework (such as the UN system, the IFIs, WTO and TRIPS) be changed or modified—or how has it changed—to better address the challenges of development and poverty reduction in a world of rapid globalization; (iii) How have international non-governmental organizations (and international civil society, more generally) created or adapted institutions in order to respond to the challenges of globalization with respect to socio-economic development and poverty reduction; (iv) What has been the relationship between globalization, institutional change of international organizations, and institutional change at the national level; (v) Analyze alternative modes or paths of national development in the context of greater insertion into the global market economy, emphasizing the role played by institutions in the process; and (vi) In the context of socio-economic development and poverty reduction, how have changes in information and communication technologies impacted institutional development at the international, national, or local levels.

Submissions in this category are welcome in all social science disciplines and related methodologies.

-->>

GDN Secretariat

Attn: Lyn Squire

Global Development Network

Second Floor, West Wing, ISID Complex

Vasant Vihar Institutional Area

New Delhi 110 070, INDIA

Tel: (91) 11-2091-0017

Fax: (91) 11-5170-4248