Request for Letter of Inquiry
TREES (Teaching and Researching Equitable Economics from the South), an initiative of the Center for Studies on Economic Development (CEDE) at the Universidad de los Andes, funded by the Ford Foundation, is seeking research proposals to understand the causes and consequences of inequality, broadly defined.
Projects led by Principal Investigators (PI) based in Latin America and the Caribbean will receive support of up to COP 80,000,000 each.
We are open to research contemplating non-economic aspects of inequality. TREES welcomes empirical studies and contributions to the measurement, conceptualization, and historicization of inequality.
Some non-comprehensive topics of reference may be:
- Social segregation along income lines.
- The economic and cultural implications of segregation.
- Women in the economy of the global south.
- Cultural, racial, gender diversity.
- Environmental justice.
- Social interactions: Migration.
- Stereotypes and discrimination.
- Inequality and segregation in the labor market.
- Teaching inequality from different areas of knowledge.
- Fiscal issues and inequality.
- Formal and informal rules, norms, and inequality.
- Citizens and the State.
- Teaching to students with diverse characteristics
TREES encourages rigorous and intellectually ambitious research and welcomes proposals from multiple disciplinary and methodological perspectives, both domestically and internationally.
Application Details
Phase 1: Letter of Inquiry.
Fill out the Letter of Inquiry form to express interest in the TREES Research Grant Fund. No later than May 5, 2024, at 11:59 PM Bogotá Time (UTC -5).
Questions may be sent by e-mail no later than April 20, 2024, to the below address:
trees@uniandes.edu.co
Phase 2: Full proposals
Invitations to submit full proposals will be sent no later than May 27, 2024
Full proposal submissions (by invitation only). Principal Investigators invited to present full proposals will be notified no later than June 13, 2024.
You will be notified that your submission has been received within one week of submission.
Important notes:
- Due to the high volume of submissions, we regretfully cannot guarantee feedback on all received proposals at any stage of the selection process.
- To include all Latin America and the Caribbean, this call, the documents to be delivered, the deliverables, and the associated events will be in English.
- Grants are awarded to the Host Institution with the explicit commitment that this institution offers appropriate conditions for the Principal Investigator and their team to direct the research and manage its funding for the project’s duration. When the host institution commits to providing the appropriate conditions for the development of research and management of funds, it is expected that the administrative tasks or indirect costs will be a cost-share of the host institution.
- The grant cannot be awarded directly to individuals.
- Intellectual property shall remain with the PI, but they grant dissemination rights to Uniandes and the Ford Foundation.
- Any relevant changes to the proposal or team shall be submitted to trees@uniandes.edu.co and will be subject to approval.
Evaluation Criteria and process
The selection committee comprises the three Principal Investigators of TREES. If the submitted topics warrant it, external evaluators may be invited. At each stage of the selection process, proposals undergo independent evaluations by a minimum of two Principal Investigators. Following this initial assessment by at least two Principal Investigators, proposals are discussed by the selection committee at large, and those that garner greater consensus are funded (fully or partially).
Evaluation Criteria for the Research Proposal:
Clarity and Relevance of the Research Problem (5 Points)
- Problem Statement: The proposal must clearly articulate the research problem, ensuring it is directly connected to issues of inequality.
- Question, Objectives, and Justification: The proposal should specify the research question, outline the objectives, and justify the significance of the research clearly and concisely.
- Contribution’s Relevance and Novelty: The proposal must highlight how the research contributes new insights or approaches to the field, emphasizing both relevance and innovation.
Methodological Design (5 Points)
- Appropriateness of Methodology: The proposal should demonstrate that the chosen methodology is suitable and robust enough to address the research problem effectively.
- Feasibility and Resources
- Realistic Proposal: The proposal must assess its feasibility, considering the resources available and the time frame.
- Availability of Data and Resources: It should confirm that data and essential resources can be acquired within the proposed budget and time constraints.
Outreach (3 Points)
- Outreach Strategy: The proposal should indicate if there is a strategy for disseminating results or engaging with broader communities.
Clarity in Writing (3 Points)
- Writing Quality: The proposal must be written with clarity, making it accessible and understandable to reviewers, without sacrificing depth or complexity.
Application Deadlines
| Letter of Inquiry open date | April 5, 2024 |
| Letter of Inquiry close date | May 5, 2024 |
| Invitation to submit a full proposal | May 27, 2024 |
| Full proposal submission deadline | June 13, 2024 |
| Grant Award and notifying successful applicants | July 13, 2024 |
| Document Submission | August, 2024 |
| Project Begins | September, 2024 |
| Final Report | April, 2026 |