FIG Foundation - Building a Sustainable Future

2015 FIG Foundation Academic Research Grants

OUTLINE

The FIG Foundation will be providing research grants of up to 30,000 euros spread over three years.

Applicants shall:

  1. be based in a surveying/geomatics academic programme that teaches surveying1) in a country listed by the World Bank as a low-income, lower-middle or upper-middle income economy2)
  2. have an established record of published research - at least two articles in good quality internationally recognised peer reviewed journals serves as a useful guideline, and
  3. have experience in managing postgraduate students.

Grants will be awarded to a focussed research project. The grant holder is expected to conduct the bulk of the research themselves (it is not a research manager’s grant), but at the same time the development of highly qualified personnel (HQP) should be a major component of the project. Postgraduate students should be full time students, and this grant should provide financial support for their degree studies. However, the principal investigator should be intimately involved in the work.

There are two rounds to the competition. In the first round, applicants will provide the documents listed below. Second round applicants will provide a detailed application in a format similar to the Canadian NSERC or SSHRC requirements.

Applications will be judged on the quality of the application and need. In the event that two excellent applications are judged to be of equal quality, applications from low-income and lower-middle income countries will be preferred.

Applications are to be sent to fig.foundation@fig.net with “FIG Foundation Academic Research Grant Application” shown in Subject Line. Applicants are not to contact Foundation members individually. Decisions are final. No correspondence will be entered into during or after the competition.

 

1) See FIG Definition of the Functions of the Surveyor http://www.fig.net/general/definition.htm

2) See World Bank Country & lending Groups http://data.worldbank.org/about/country-classifications/country-and-lending-groups


FIRST ROUND DOCUMENTATION

Deadline 31 March 2015.

Applicants should submit the following set of documents in English as a single file in PDF format:

  1. A cover sheet showing the candidate’s personal details and those of his/her institution.
  2. A 200 word abstract. This should be written in terms understandable to the lay person; similar to a press release and which the FIG Foundation could actually use as a press release in the event of a successful application.
  3. A one page research proposal as per the template below on A4 size paper using 25 mm (1” margins). Note that the one page limit will be strictly enforced; material that extends beyond one page will be deleted.
  4. A list of peer reviewed journal publications over the last 6 years using the International Journal of GIS reference list format. See Notes for Authors on the IJGIS website.
  5. A list of research funding obtained over the past 5 years, indicating which grants are peer reviewed or not.
  6. A list of highly qualified personnel whom the applicant has supervised over the last 6 years, Postdoctoral, PhD, Masters, senior undergraduate.
  7. A description of research compliance, the research account and activity auditing structures and processes in their institution. For example, if a scientist spends money inappropriately, are there structures in place to refund the granting agency?
  8. A description of the structures and processes in their institution that pertain to research ethics, in particular ethics relating to research involving human subjects, if that is relevant to the grant application.

A preliminary budget and a one page justification of the budget. Note that as a general rule, equipment will not be funded. Travel to FIG Conferences to present results may be included in the budget. Per diems for field work will not be funded, but reasonable actual costs of field work are refundable.

Suggested Reading – Sources of Useful Information for Writing a Proper Grant Proposal:

A simple internet search on how to write a good NSERC or SSHRC proposal should yield a number of useful articles. Here are some suggestions:

http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/people/simonpj/papers/proposal.html
http://www.ubc.ca/okanagan/ikbarberschool/research/infofac/sshrc-instructions.html

 

 

SECOND ROUND DOCUMENTATION

Second round applicants will provide a detailed application in a format similar to the Canadian NSERC or SSHRC requirements.

GOVERNANCE

Funding will be released quarterly. Grant holders are expected to file quarterly progress reports in the stipulated format. Continued funding will be dependent on satisfactory progress. In the event of unsatisfactory performance, the grant holder will be expected to return all unspent funds.

Grant holders’ institutions should submit annual certification that the due compliance with normally accepted practice has been demonstrated in the use of grant funds.

FIG Foundation grants do not pay University overhead. Successful applicants will have to seek exemption if their institution requires a portion of research grants for overhead.

PROPOSAL

Please provide your proposal to the FIG Foundation no later than 31 March 2015 using the proposal template.

Send your proposal by email to: fig.foundation@fig.net

or by post:

The FIG Foundation
c/o FIG
Kalvebod Brygge 31-33
DK-1780 Copenhagen V
DENMARK
Tel. + 45 3886 1081
Fax + 45 3886 0252
E-mail: fig.foundation@fig.net

FIG Office August 2014