CALL FOR PROPOSALS
Please read the full details of this call to ensure compliance!!!
INTRODUCTION
Postgraduate Funding Rounds provide limited funds for postgraduate students to collect and analyse data, and produce the required research outputs in partial fulfilment of their study programme requirements. The funding is meant for students with limited/no resources to conduct research in fulfilment of their postgraduate programmes as provided for in the Postgraduate Award Scheme.
Call Opens: 1st September 2023
Call Closes: 10th October 2023: 2359hrs
- ELIGIBILITY
- Only registered University of Botswana postgraduate students who are required to complete a research project in partial fulfilment of their study programmes can apply
- Both full-time and part-time students can apply
- ONLY students with insufficient or no research funding at all, are eligible to apply. Students with partial funding must make this clear in their proposals and present the full budget, showing both the requested and available funds.
- Students’ proposals must have been successfully defended at departmental level before applying for funding. This must be declared by the applicant and confirmed by the Supervisor as indicated on the application form.
- EXCLUSIONS
The following applications should not be submitted and will not be funded:
- Previously funded projects
- Sponsored postgraduate students
- Projects that are part of another project or joint projects with staff members
Concealing or falsifying information for eligibility purposes will be treated as misconduct and will be subjected to the relevant University statutes.
- FUNDING CATEGORIES
Project budgets should comply with the following maximum amounts based on the applicant’s level of study. Budgets can be less than the indicated ceiling, but cannot be more. Budgets that exceed the ceiling will automatically render the application non-compliant.
- Masters - P20,000
- MPhil/PhD - P40,000
- Allowable Costs
- Funding is meant to support data collection, analysis and production of research outputs as required for programme completion. Only costs related to data collection, analysis and production of dissertation and associated supplies (e.g. stationery, printing, etc.) costs are allowable.
- Supplies/Consumables required to run experiments and small storage devices (USBs) are allowable
- Costs to support access to or rental of facilities (sample processing, analysis, etc.) at other institutions/organisations are allowable if such facilities are unavailable within UB. Any facility rental costs should be accompanied by a clear justification in the budget. Quotations should not be submitted with the application. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that these costs, including sample shipping are correct.
- Research Assistants may be allowable under special cases, where a student is a professional collecting data in their work place and where such collection would directly interfere with the service they provide, etc. This should be well justified for case by case consideration by the funding committee. This however will not affect the maximum allowable funding.
- Unallowable Costs
- International travel for dissemination is not allowable for students and will not be approved
- Equipment and other items with insurable value as per UB procurement regulations will not be approved (computers, GPS, recording devices, cameras, etc.). Applicants should ensure that the major infrastructure needed to implement their projects, is available within their departments or other departments in the university before applying for funding.
- Hiring of any personnel or professional skills is not allowable. Students as supervised trainees are expected to propose projects that are within their competence and collect their own data. Research Assistant costs are not allowable, except as a necessary risk management measure or other justifiable cause based on the study methods at the discretion of the funding committee.
- Applicants should use the current travel allowance rates which will be posted under this call on the Research page of the University website.
Important!!!
- The university will not pay/refund any research expenses incurred before funding approval. Any costs so incurred will be personally borne by the applicant.
- The University will not fund a project that is already in progress/being implemented.
- APPLICATION PROCEDURE
- Applicants should complete and submit an application form with all required documents as indicated in the application checklist.
- The latest application form (dated August 2023) should be used. Forms are continuously updated and should always be accessed from the website <<here>>. No forms will be sent to applicants.
- No unrequested additional document(s) should be submitted (quotations, etc.).
- FORMATTING
- All application documents should be typed and should use the black, 11pt font, Times New Roman or Arial and 1-inch margins formatting.
- All pages of the proposal and other required documents must be numbered
- Applications must be submitted in PDF.
- No hand-written submission will be accepted. All text must be in black font
- Before uploading any document. Applicants should ensure that they are legible.
- Applicants are advised to name their documents as follows:
- Surname+Initial_document name_Round # (Example: KgosiP_Application Form_Round 45)
- Applications with tracked comments will be rejected and sent back to applicants
- SUBMISSION
- Applications should be submitted electronically through the Research Management System (RMS)
- Postgraduate applicants will be grated access to the system upon receipt of the details.
- Students should activate their registration on RMS, Click here to access the registration link directly. NB If you have previously accessed RMS, you do not need to register again.
- Applications should be signed manually by the supervisor before submission.
- Applicants should keep track of their applications on the RMS after submission.
- ETHICAL CLEARANCE
- All UB research requires ethical review and approval regardless of whether funding is needed or not. Ethics approval is not required to apply for funding, but funds cannot be accessed without ethical clearance if the application is successful. Applicants are thus advised to seek ethical clearance as soon as possible.
- Please contact research.ethics@ub.ac.bw for ethical application guidance.
APPLICATION SUPPORT
- The Office of Research & Development provides support throughout the call open period.
- Training workshops will be conducted to guide prospective applicants within two weeks of this call. This will be communicated after announcement of this call. Potential applicants are encouraged to attend these workshops.
Important Information:
- Postgraduate Funding is very competitive and limited. Application does not guarantee funding. It is therefore advisable to have a back-up plan in case the application is unsuccessful.
- Applications can be submitted any time after announcement of this call, until the stipulated closing date.
- Applications will NOT be received after the deadline. The RMS will send confirmation of receipt once application has been submitted successfully.
- This is an online self-submission application process. Applications should be submitted by the applicants in person. The ORD will not take responsibility for applications submitted by someone else other than the applicant.
- The proposal evaluation criteria for applicants to appreciate and give their application the best chance of success. The criteria is not a template, applicants should follow the format used within their respective disciplines while addressing the key evaluation areas.
Please contact the ORD with any specific enquiries about this call at (355) 2900.
Please send an email to researchsystem@ub.ac.bw or call 5524 / 2016 / 2900 for any submission or related assistance.