SUMERNET announces grants for research and knowledge for 2019

A. Objective

The main purpose of this small grant is to improve and expand the influence and effectiveness of the SUMERNET research and knowledge outputs towards policy actors, policy-influencers, other policy-relevant stakeholders and increased engagement with the women organizations, marginalized groups, and donors for more impact. The activities to be conducted should have a significant potential to lead to bigger impact in the future one way or another for reducing water insecurity for all in particular for the poor, marginalized and socially vulnerable groups of women and men in the Mekong Region.

The specific objectives of this small grant are to support activities of SUMERNET network members and their partners toward pathways to policy impact based on previous or current set of SUMERNET research projects and focused on the achievements of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) relevant to our current efforts in reducing water insecurity for all. These activities include:

1. Generating collaborative and transdisciplinary approaches toward policy development and engagement models (good practice) jointly designed by the researchers and boundary partners
2. Mainstreaming a gender and social equality, conflict sensitivity, pro-poor and rights-based approach into sub-national, national and regional water management policy and practice
3. Communicating their research results for positive impacts in policy and practice
4. Generating opportunities for the researchers and boundary partners to access to additional resources that will enable them to conduct the research or other activities related to reducing water insecurity for all in the Mekong Region

B. Scope

The grants aim to support the following types of activities:

• Hosting small events for policy engagement, transdisciplinary dialogue and knowledge-based policy development
• Participating in large events as the team or as a panel
• Supporting proposal development
• Engaging in policy dialogues
• Engaging with marginalized groups and/or women’s associations or organizations
• Exchange visits with other projects or teams for concrete collaboration
• Communicating research results to partners and the wider public

C. Eligibility

• The lead applicant must be a formal member of SUMERNET. If you have not registered to be a formal member of SUMERNET yet, please register by filling this online membership form before the submission of your application
• The application should be jointly submitted by the members from more than one country

Note that the existing grantees of SUMERNET research projects, or the grantees of the Groundwater Integrated Regional Assessment, or other joint action grants already funded by SUMERNET in 2019 are not eligible to apply for this round of small grants.

Submission deadline: 31 December 2019 (23:59 Bangkok local time). Accepting ONLY online submission only at https://sei.submittable.com/submit/149264/sumernet-4-allcall-for-small-grant-applications.

D. Granting value and process

The budget for each grant is between 30,000 SEK and 50,000 (approximately 3,000-5,000 USD/grant) and there will be at least five small grants approved within this round. This fund can only cover the direct cost of activities. The professional fee should be considered as in-kind contribution by the grantees or covered by other funding sources. The overhead can be applied but should not be higher than 15% of total grant received.

Process and timeline

• 31st December 2019, deadline for submission of all application documents via online system (https://sei.submittable.com/submit/149264/sumernet-call-for-submissions-small-grants-for-2019)
• 31st January 2020, successful applications will be notified by the SUMERNET Secretariat
• February 2020, grantee contract completion between the grantees and SUMERNET Secretariat
• March – August 2020, implementation of small grants activities by the grantees
• By 31st August 2020, submission of required outputs by the grantees to the SUMERNET Secretariat

E. Implementation period

The implementation period is not more than 6 months: beginning 1st March 2020 to be completed not later than 31st August 2020. Grantees are expected to complete all the required activities and submit all outputs to the SUMERNET Secretariat within this time period.

F. Expected outputs

• Grant Utilisation Report (SUMERNET Secretariat will provide the template for use)
• Documentation as evidence of implementation of activities. This may include copy of publications, news articles, minutes of meetings, photos of policy dialogues held, final project proposals developed, blog and infographics, and other related documents
• Summary of financial report listing the expenditure items and listing the supporting documents corresponding to the expenditures
• One short article to post on the SUMERNET website (or other public means as suggested by the SUMERNET Secretariat) so that the grantees can share information about their activities and results with other network members

G. Selection criteria

Required criteria

1. 1. Contribution to SUMERNET 4 All: Clear regional significance and relevant to the above-mentioned research themes
   2. Potential impacts on policy and practice:
      1. Clear contribution to specific goals, targets, indicators of SDGs that are relevant to SUMERNET 4 All
      2. Opportunity for disseminating research or other project findings from SUMERNET to a wider audience
   3. Collaborative approach for the design and implementation of small grant activities
      1. Project team needs to be registered as a formal member of SUMERNET
      2. Application is jointly submitted by the members from more than one country
      3. Engagement with young researchers/team members in the small grant activities
      4. Engagement with women researchers/team members in the small grant activities 
   4. Possibility for future funding to contribute the work
   5. Mainstreaming gender and social equality, conflict sensitivity, pro-poor and rights-based approaches into the design and implementation of small grant activities related to reducing water insecurity for all. (Please contact the SUMERNET Secretariat for more details on these requirements if needed.)

Desired criteria

Applications with these criteria are strongly encouraged.  

1. Lead or co-lead by women
2. Engaging with multiple stakeholders including women and feminist research organizations and other marginalized groups of people
3. Applications jointly submitted with partners on the ground including local government agencies, civil society or private sector

H. Required documents for submission:

• Completed application in required format. Please download the template here: 
  Application Template  
• Short CVs (not more than three pages/person) of the Team Leader and not more than three key persons of the team including at least one female that will play an important role in the team
• The application is jointly submitted with the boundary partner, official letter of support from the boundary partner, highlighting the intention to collaborate in the implementation of small grant activities

I. Contact

For further inquiries please contact:

Ms. Unchulee Lualon

Programme Coordinator

Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI)

Phone: +66 (0)2 0730040-44

Email: unchulee.lualon@sei.org