Call summary :

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 first two 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 two of ICIMOD’s strategic groups:
- Reducing climate and environmental risks – e.g. understanding the economics of
(a) cryosphere changes and associated risks,
(b) multi-hazard disaster risk reduction,
(c) sustainable river basin management (e.g., up- and downstream risks), and
(d) impacts of air pollution, while also examining the potential solutions and policies from multiple angles.

- Resilient mountain economies and landscapes – e.g. understanding the economics of
(a) sustainable and resilient mountain livelihoods and mountain settlements, particularly with regard to waste management
(b) institutions and their responses to enhance green, circular and transformative livelihoods in the face of climate and environmental changes,
(c) economic valuation and incentive-based mechanisms that help restore mountain ecosystems and biodiversity, and/or address issues such as human-wildlife conflict,
(d) springshed and wetlands management as nature-based solutions.

We also encourage research on issues of interest to national, provincial, and local policymakers in South Asia and the HKH region, including environmental issues faced by communities. This could be in the context of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), Sendai Framework, and other such key policy frameworks.

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 guidelines and selection criteria
- Regardless of whether concept notes submitted in response to this call focus on any of the environmental/natural resource issues, SANDEE will prioritise the selection of concept notes that have a strong economics component 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.
- 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.
- Researchers from and working in South Asia and the HKH region are eligible to submit concept notes.
- Women researchers from the South Asia and HKH region are encouraged to apply.
- To avoid conflict of interest, researchers whose relatives are working at ICIMOD and current consultants are not eligible for receiving the research grant.
- 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.
- 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.

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.