Economics of climate risks, natural resource use, and environmental change

Application form Flyer

Background

SANDEE, a research capacity and academic leadership development network of ICIMOD, provides research support to researchers and institutions from South Asia and the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region interested in the interconnections among economic development, the environment, and the use of natural resources. During 2023–2026, ICIMOD will work in line with its new vision towards 2030: a greener, more inclusive, and climate-resilient HKH. Our work will mainly be focused on the three strategic groups: (1) Reducing Climate and Environmental Risks, (2) Resilient Mountain Economies and Landscapes, and (3) Enabling Regional and Global Mechanisms for Sustainable Action.

SANDEE invites concept notes in the areas of environmental and resource economics relating to the development of South Asia and the HKH region, with a focus on the strategic areas of ICIMOD’s work. Of particular interest are concept notes that demonstrate a clear demand from policymakers for their underlying research.

We seek concept notes related to themes linked to areas of work within ICIMOD’s strategic groups:

1. Economics of reducing climate and environmental risks – e.g. understanding the economics of (a) cryosphere changes and associated risks; (b) multi-hazard disaster risks; (c) nature-based solutions for disaster risk reduction; (d) disaster risk financing; (e) sustainable river basin management (e.g. irrigation, drinking water, electricity generation, as well as up-and downstream water management); and (e) air pollution, examining the potential data collection and monitoring approaches, policies, solutions, and communication strategies.
2. Resilient mountain economies and landscapes – e.g. understanding the economics of (a) sustainable and resilient mountain livelihoods (e.g., economics of yak/chauri herding or rangeland management; economics of climate-resilient, organic, and inclusive agriculture; sustainable tourism; clean energy; and sustainable settlements); (b) policies and institutions and their responses to enhance green, circular, and transformative livelihoods in the face of climate and environmental change; (c) economic valuation and incentive-based mechanisms that help restore mountain ecosystems/landscapes; (d) incentive-based mechanisms that address human–wildlife conflict or co-existence; and (e) economics (e.g. cost effectiveness) of springsheds and wetlands management.
3. Economics of global mechanisms and policies and their impacts on the delivery of climate, environment, and biodiversity objectives at local and/or national levels or addressing regional and transboundary risks. This can include covering issues such as adaptation, mitigation, loss and damage, biodiversity conservation, sustainable use, and access and benefit sharing and Indigenous people, and/or examining the role of National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs), Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans (NBSAPs). These issues can equally be linked into any other project covering work areas 1 and/or 2.

We encourage research on issues of interest to national, provincial, and local policy, decision makers, and practitioners in South Asia and the HKH region.

Application guidelines and selection criteria

1. Regardless of whether concept notes submitted in response to this call focus on any of the climate/environmental/natural resource and development issues, SANDEE will prioritise the selection of concept notes that have a strong economics component and methodology, and the dual potential to produce high-impact scientific publications and information that are useful to regional-, national-, provincial-, or local-level policy makers in the region.
2. Concept notes for action research that aims to produce consulting-type reports will not be considered. SANDEE welcomes concept notes that involve interdisciplinary projects, cross-border collaborations, and transboundary topics with a mountain and gender focus, but a clear identification of the roles and responsibility of each team member is needed. Please visit https://www.icimod.org/initiative/sandee-publications/ to view examples of publications from completed SANDEE projects.
3. Researchers from and working in South Asia and the HKH region are eligible to submit concept notes.
4. Women researchers from the South Asia and HKH region are encouraged to apply.
5. To avoid conflict of interest, researchers whose relatives are working at ICIMOD and current consultants are not eligible for receiving the research grant.
6. Principal investigators (PIs) must be junior to mid-career professionals employed by a university, research institute, or other similar institutions in the region, including government agencies and non-profit organisations. Senior researchers (professors, directors, and other similar level/positions) are not eligible for the research support/grant.
7. Institutional affiliation of the PI is mandatory for receiving research support. While submitting a full proposal (not needed for concept notes), a support letter from the institution where the PI is affiliated is required for further consideration.
8. Due diligence of the grant hosting institutions will also be conducted before awarding the research grants.

Note: ICIMOD reserves the right to cancel or postpone the call at any time, depending on the availability of funds for the SANDEE research grants.

Grant size and duration

Grants are likely to be in the range of USD 20,000–30,000 over a two-year period. The upper limit grants are aimed for the multidisciplinary teams involving two or more countries in the region or focus on a transboundary issue that requires an interdisciplinary team.

Application procedure and deadline

To be considered for the summer 2025 grant cycle, please review the procedure, and submit the application form online at www.icimod.org/sandee/research-grants by 31 December 2024.

Selection procedure

Applications that do not meet the criteria mentioned in this call will not be considered. We do not entertain any direct enquiry. Candidates whose concept notes are shortlisted will be notified and invited to submit full research proposals, which will be rigorously reviewed by multiple reviewers at different stages. Successfully revised proposals will be further reviewed, and a final shortlist will be formed. PIs of shortlisted proposals will be invited to a research and training workshop to be organised in summer 2025, where they will present and defend their proposals for a SANDEE research support competition.

If you have any difficulty submitting the online form, please write to Manashree Newa (sandee@icimod.org) mentioning the nature of the problem.