Schools2030
Global Research Grants 2021-2022

5

submit your application

Schools2030 is a ten-year school and classroom-based participatory action research and learning improvement programme launching in 1000 schools across 10 countries: Brazil, Portugal, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Using the principles of human-centred design and focusing on the key transition years of ages 5, 10 and 15, Schools2030 will generate school-based, teacher-driven and learner-centred education solutions that inform systems-level approaches for improving holistic learning outcomes.

This Global Call for Research is seeking educational research that addresses key question:
How and what are children learning through their participation in the Schools2030 programme?
The research funded will increase our understanding of: how holistic skills (including social-emotional learning and non-cognitive skills) are taught and learned at classroom level; what factors can explain variability in holistic learning outcomes; and how school-driven innovations in holistic leaning can lead to wider systems and policy change.

We welcome proposals that address one of the following key thematic areas (please indicate theme in your proposal):

  1. Effective teaching strategies to raise holistic learning outcomes
  2. Learning differences, equity and inclusion- including gender equality
  3.  The role and effective use of education technology (including ‘low-tech’) in raising holistic learning outcomes.
  4. Linkages between non-cognitive skills and academic learning outcomes
  5. COVID19, educational disruption and social-emotional learning/wellbeing

Submission deadline for applications is COB CET on 30 November 2020. Successful applicants will be notified by 19 December 2020.

Your application must include the following five components:

1. Project title and summary
Provide a plain language summary of your proposed project, including the problem or opportunity to be addressed, research objectives and questions, countries and regions targeted, expected outcomes and impact, as well as project methodology and strategy for knowledge mobilization. Note: if your proposal is selected for funding, this summary would be used publicly to communicate the results of the competition.
2. Applicant Information

Please include the following details:

  • Lead Organization;
  • Project Leader;
  • Key Project Team Members;
  • Consortium Rationale (if applicable)
3. Gannt Chart for Project Timeline
18-24 months; earliest start date January 2021
4. Itemized Total Budget Requested (Up to $150,000)
5. Research Proposal
5a. Problem Identification and Research Purpose (max. 800 words)

  • Clearly state the problem or opportunity to be addressed in your research project and how this relates to the overall programme aims of Schools2030.
  • Explain how the problem or opportunity links with one of five Key Thematic Areas listed in Section1
  • Clearly state the proposed project objective(s) and the research question(s). This includes general and specific objectives of the research project. The general objective should state the goal being pursued. The specific objectives should indicate the specific types of knowledge to be produced and the audiences to be reached.
  • Describe what the proposed project will produce in terms of outputs, and the outcomes and intended impact to which it will contribute
  • Explain how the research question addresses current gaps in educational research
  • Articulate how the research will promote education equity and inclusion
  • If applicable, please provide information about how the project will build capacities of school-level stakeholders and/or local research and learning institutions.

5b. Research Design and Methods (max. 500 words)

  • Describe the conceptual or theoretical framework to be used, the study design, methods, and type of analysis.
  • Describe how relevant stakeholders, whether local, national, or international, will be involved in fair and equitable partnerships during the project.
  • Identify risks to achieving the research objectives and strategies for mitigation.
    5c. Knowledge Mobilization Strategy (max. 500 words)
  • Provide an overview of how the activities and outputs of the project will engage potential knowledge users, including school-level, national-level, and global-level stakeholders
  • Provide details on how this research could impact education policy and practice, and the strategy to develop and maximize this impact.
  • Provide details on the dissemination strategy for research outputs, including (but not limited to) peer reviewed publication

5d. Research Ethics (max. 250 words)

  • Provide details of the potential ethical issues in relation to the proposed research and what steps will be taken to ensure the highest ethical standards and the greatest protection of research participants.
  • Note that prior to commencing research applicants will need to obtain approval form from an official institutional or national research ethics body and will need to comply with the terms and conditions of the Grant agreement.

5e.Research Team Capacities (max. 1,000 words)

  • Provide details of the project team including the position and qualifications of the project leader and other team members.
  • If more than one organization is part of the proposal, provide a brief overview of the track record of each organization relative to its proposed role in the project.
  • Provide examples of recent relevant educational research experience in developing countries.

Submissions are closed

More information

If you need more information please contact
Bronwen Magrath at bronwen.magrath@akdn.org