Partnership For Economic Policy (PEP) : Research Proposal

Proposal Title
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Presented to
Partnership for Economic Policy (PEP)
By
Name of lead researcher
&
Names of other team members
COUNTRY
Document date
Before you begin
Please make sure you carefully review and understand the following:
 Webpage – for priority themes, eligibility criteria and application procedures
 Guidelines – for designing a research project proposal (in scientific terms - section III)
 PEP requirements and strategy for policy engagement and research communication (section IV)
Please note that:

 This template is mandatory
 Plagiarism is strictly forbidden – see note on “references and plagiarism” at the end of this
document/template. PEP will be using a software program to detect cases of plagiarism.
 PEP encourages applicant research teams to submit proposals in English, but content (in text boxes
below) may also be written in French or Spanish.
There are three main dimensions to all PEP-supported projects: capacity building, research and policy
engagement. Each dimension must be considered with due care and attention as they will be assessed individually
and concurrently to determine the overall quality of a proposal.
The PEP proposal template is structured in five sections:
1. Project overview and objectives
2. Capacity building – team composition and experience
3. Research – literature review, method and data
4. Informing policy - context, relevance, process and dissemination
5. Other considerations
SECTION I – PROJECT OVERVIEW & OBJECTIVES
1.1. Abstract (100 to 250 words)
State the main research question, the context and its relevance in terms of evidence-informed policymaking, in
relation to PAGE priority issues. Complete with a brief description of the method and data that will be used.
Insert your text here – 100 to (max) 250 words
1.2. Main research questions (max 500 words)
Explain the focus (or key questions), including the gender-sensitive aspect, of your research and its relevance for
specific policies/interventions.
Insert your text here - max 500 words
1.3. Main contributions (max 500 words)
Describe why and how you expect this research/evidence to contribute to addressing important knowledge gaps,
both in terms of scientific contributions* and to inform policymaking.
For the gender-sensitive aspect, explain the potential usefulness of your work for specific gender-oriented
policies/interventions.
*Your literature review should be provided under "Research" (section III), not in this section.
Insert your text here - max 500 words
SECTION II – CAPACITY BUILDING

2.1. Team composition and experience
For each team member, please indicate (using the following tables – one per member):
1. Age, sex, and relevant training, experience and/or expertise (start with team leader).
Note that:
- Teams must be composed of both researchers and government officials/officers:
● Six (6) researchers - including one senior/experienced researcher, acting as team
leader and at least three researchers aged under 30 - with a sufficient academic and/or
professional background in economic policy analysis. In particular, having a master’s
degree/diploma or being currently enrolled in a master’s program is considered a
minimum requirement (generally, team leaders should have a doctoral degree/diploma
or be currently enrolled in a doctoral program). These members should describe their
relevant training and experience in the issues and research techniques involved.
● Two (2) government officials/officers from (and with their involvement sanctioned
by) the institution in charge of the policy/program that the research aims to inform.
These government-affiliated members must have a good understanding of the
relevant policy processes and priorities but are not required to have research
experience.
- Applicant teams must be gender mixed, with female members representing at least 50% of all
researchers (including the team leader) and at least 50% of all government-affiliated members,
where all female members contribute substantively to the project. PEP particularly encourages
teams with a female leader.
- All members of applicant teams must be Sub-Saharan African nationals (and reside in Sub-Saharan
Africa for the duration of the project).
- Priority is given to projects in low-income economies, and/or fragile or conflict-affected situations
(LIE/FCS), but proposals are welcomed from all African countries (including North Africa).
- A researcher can be funded as a team member a maximum of three times by PEP (no more than
twice as team leader) and should show marked progression over time.
- A researcher who is already involved in a currently funded project is not eligible to submit a new
proposal before the approval of the final report of the currently funded project.
- Each listed member must post an up-to-date CV in their profile on the PEP website – refer to
“How to submit a proposal” and the eligibility criteria on the call webpage.
2. Benchmark and expected capacity building: Describe the capacities that each team member (and
potentially her/his affiliated institutions) is expected to build through their participation in this project. This
is an important aspect in the evaluation of proposals and should be presented in detail.
● What techniques, practices, literature, theories, tools, etc. will each team member and
her/his institutions learn (acquire in practice) or deepen her/his knowledge of?
● How will these skills help each team member in their career (development) and/or
professional responsibilities?
● What is each team member’s current state of knowledge with regard to the project you are
proposing?
3. Task and contributions to project: Indicate the specific tasks each team member would carry out in
executing the project.
Note that, in this particular initiative, while all outputs should be focused on the research-policy nexus and
produced through a collective and coordinated effort, PEP will provide more specific training/support for:
- Researcher team members to take the lead in developing a high-quality scientific research paper
(i.e. reporting the process of and results from methodological applications).
- Government-affiliated members to take the lead in developing a “policy paper” (i.e. positioning the
research and findings within the country’s broader policy contexts and strategies).
Team leader
Name Age Sex (M/F) Highest degree/diploma
Name Age M/F Highest degree
Training and experience Insert your text here
Expected capacity building Insert your text here
Contribution to project Insert your text here
Researcher #2
Researcher #3
Researcher #4
Substitute researcher #1
Substitute researcher #2
Government official/officer #1
2.2. List of past, current or pending (non-PEP) projects in related areas involving team
members, including resulting publications (If any)
Indicate the funding institution, the title of the project and related publications, and list the team members involved.
Name of funding institutions Title of projects and related publications (link) Team member(s) involved
Title:
Publication (reference):
Title:
Title:
Title:
Title:
Title:
2.3. List of past or current PEP-supported projects involving team members, including resulting
publications
Project code (e.g. PMMA- Title of project and related external (non-PEP) Team member(s) involved
12345) publications, if any
Title:
Title:
Title:
Title:
Title:
Title:
SECTION III – RESEARCH, METHOD AND DATA

This section should be completed by the team leader and/or research members
3.1. Literature review (1000 to 1500 words)
Explain the specific gaps in the existing literature that your research aims to fill. You might want to explain whether
this question has been previously addressed in this context (including key references), and if so, what you intend to
achieve by examining the question again. Be sure to include literature that provides conceptual foundations for the
gender analysis to be undertaken in your research. Particular attention should be paid to gaps in the empirical
foundations for specific policies/interventions.
3.2. Methodology (1200 to 1600 words)
Present the specific techniques that will be used to answer the research questions and how exactly they will be used
to do so.
- Explain whether you will use a particular technique normally used in other contexts or whether you
intend to extend a particular method and how you will do so.
- Explain if these methods have already been used in the context you are interested in (including key
references).
- Explain how these methods incorporate and/or are appropriate for addressing gender considerations in
your research.
- For microeconomic non-experimental analysis (PMMA) proposals only: It is generally expected
that the proposed methodology aims to empirically estimate a causal relationship. In such a case, you
should explain potential sources of endogeneity in the context of your research and how the proposed
technique(s) would allow the identification of the relevant parameters. You are strongly encouraged to
discuss the potential impact mechanisms i.e., the channel(s) through which the “treatment” impacts on
your outcome(s). Also, make sure you clearly present the outcome(s), the “treatment” and the sample
used in the analysis.
3.3. Data requirements and sources (1000 to 1300 words)
This is a critical part of the proposal. Explain the reason for you choice of particular databases. You must establish that
they are ideal for the policy question you wish to address (including in terms of gender analysis) and that you have or
will have access to these data before your project begins. Please consult the “Guide for designing a research project
proposals” for more detail.
For microeconomic non-experimental analysis (PMMA) proposals only: To capture a climate shock, you may need
to use external datasets such as the NOAA or the SPEI; the merging variables between these datasets and the household
survey need to be detailed below.
SECTION IV – INFORMING POLICY

This section should be completed by the government-affiliated members, and validated by the head of their
institution. This validation must be confirmed through an official letter, signed by the head of the institution,
stating approval of the project’s objectives and of participation of their staff member(s) in the project’s
activities. You may use the proposed template for the contents of this letter.
4.1. Government affiliation
a) Name the government institution at which you are employed, and describe its general mandate
N.B. This does not engage the institution itself to sanction, take part in and/or sponsor the proposed research project, other than
authorizing the employees identified in section 2.1 (and below) to take part in the related work on a personal basis.
Insert your text here – max 50 words
b) What is/are your specific role(s)(as employees) in the institution

Name Insert your text here

Title/position Insert your text here
Role/responsibilities Insert your text here
Who do you directly report to? Insert your text here
Please describe the extent/nature of Insert your text here
your influence on policy decisions
Name Insert your text here

Title/position Insert your text here
Role/responsibilities Insert your text here
Who do you directly report to? Insert your text here
Please describe the extent/nature of Insert your text here
your influence on policy decisions
4.2. Describe the policy context and needs
a) Describe the specific policy issue(s), questions or needs faced by your institution and that the research
project aims to inform - both in terms of socioeconomic outcomes (identify the target/beneficiary
population), and the related policy processes (whether it is at the stage of debate, decision, design,
implementation, review, reform, etc.).
Explain why the evidence to be produced with this research is important/useful to inform decision-making,
especially with regard to your institution’s specific mandate and strategies.
b) What are the current policy options/scenarios, faced by (or available to) decision-makers - in terms of
potential interventions, approaches, etc. - in relation to this particular issue?
If possible, also provide a brief history of policy initiatives (and related reforms, if any) implemented in
the past to address the issue, indicating generally what worked and what didn’t (i.e., why is this still an
issue?).
c) How do you expect this evidence will be used/assimilated effectively into the relevant policy
decision/advisory processes? Be as precise as possible, indicating the specific decisions or
recommendations that have to be made by your institution.
Are you aware of any cost- or budget-related considerations that should be taken into account in the
context of these policy decision/advisory processes?
Also, justify the timing of the proposed research project - how does it fit with the calendar of the related
policy decision/advisory processes?
4.3. Stakeholder mapping and dissemination

List all other potential stakeholder institutions, i.e., institutions that you consider as potential users of the same
research evidence (other than your own). These can include other ministries and government agencies, as well as civil
society organizations, NGOs, private sector, etc.
Name of institution/organization #1 Name of institution/organization
List the key representatives or target research users (policy makers or influencers)
- Name, title/position
Describe briefly why and how you believe this institution could use the evidence


4.4. Outline your engagement/dissemination strategy
Describe how you intend to engage with these other stakeholder institutions (listed in 4.3) to ensure that they:
1) Contribute to informing the research work (i.e. consultations)
2) Are kept informed of the research progress and findings

SECTION V – OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
5.1. Describe any ethical, social, gender or environmental issues or risks that should be noted
in relation to your proposed research project.
Insert your text here
5.2. References and plagiarism:
Applicants should be very careful to avoid any appearance of plagiarism. Any text of five or more consecutive
words that is borrowed from another source should be carefully contained between quotation marks with a reference
to the source (including page number) immediately following the quotation. It is essential that we be able to
distinguish what you have written yourself from what you have borrowed from elsewhere.
Note also that copying large extracts (such as several paragraphs) from other texts is not a good practice, and is
usually unacceptable. For a fuller description of plagiarism, please refer, for example, to the following website:
● http://writing.yalecollege.yale.edu/advice-students/using-sources/understanding-and-avoiding-plagiarism
PEP will be using a software program to detect cases of plagiarism.

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Proposal Title

Partnership for Economic Policy (PEP)

Please note that:

SECTION I – PROJECT OVERVIEW & OBJECTIVES

1.1. Abstract (100 to 250 words)

Insert your text here – 100 to (max) 250 words

1.2. Main research questions (max 500 words)

1.3. Main contributions (max 500 words)

Insert your text here - max 500 words

SECTION II – CAPACITY BUILDING

SECTION III – RESEARCH, METHOD AND DATA

Insert your text here – 1000 to (max) 1500 words

3.2. Methodology (1200 to 1600 words)

Insert your text here – 1200 to (max) 1600 words

3.3. Data requirements and sources (1000 to 1300 words)

Insert your text here – 1000 to (max) 1300 words

SECTION IV – INFORMING POLICY

4.1. Government affiliation

b) What is/are your specific role(s)(as employees) in the institution

Name Insert your text here

Name Insert your text here

4.2. Describe the policy context and needs

Insert your text here – max 300 words

4.3. Stakeholder mapping and dissemination

Name of institution/organization #2 Name of institution/organization

Name of institution/organization #3 Name of institution/organization

4.4. Outline your engagement/dissemination strategy

Insert your text here – max 150 words

Insert your text here

5.2. References and plagiarism:

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