FAQs

1. General Questions

Q1: What does SIRCA I and II stand for?

SIRCA I stands for Strengthening ICTD Research Capacity in Asia and SIRCA II is Strengthening Information-Society Research Capacity Alliance.

Q2: What is the different between SIRCA I and SIRCA II?

SIRCA I is a product of the joint collaboration between the grant agency, International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and the grant administrator, Singapore internet Research Centre. The program was launched in August 2008 and SIRCA provided small-grants for research capacity-building for emerging ICTD researchers in Asia.

Learning from the experience of building capacity in the ICTD field in Asia, SiRC will scale the program to include researchers from Africa, Latin America as well as Asia. The expansion that includes the global South is to address the very lack of scholars from developing regions.. Emphasis will be placed on social science research with respect to ICTD and information societies. Projects focusing on creating or developing ICT applications (software or hardware) or other types of action research will fall outside the scope of this program unless a user focus as development.

Q3: What are the objectives of SIRCA II?

The objectives of the program are to:

- - Build scientific and critical research skills and capacity among emerging researchers in Africa, Latin America and Asia;
- - - Create opportunities for mentorship between established international researchers and grant recipients;
    - Provide spaces at a regional and international level for grant recipients to share experiences and knowledge in face-to-face settings; and
    - Provide training on information societies key issues.
- - Establish networking connections between African, Latin American and Asian researchers; and
  - Disseminate research findings locally and internationally in order to strengthen the body of methodologically sound, multi-disciplinary and theoretically-based research.

Q4: What are SIRCA II research focus?

SIRCA II supports and focused on social science research that is of interdisciplinary nature, with respect to ICTD and information societies. It is hoped that the research grants provided will enable young and emerging scholars to engage in and develop new research methods, tools, and guidebooks that will be useful to understanding and studying these subjects further.

In order to ensure that women’s issues are represented on the research front, selected grantees will be encouraged to encompass this into their research projects. The inclusion of this aspect in the research proposal will be an important criterion for assessment of a grantees’ eligibility into the program.

2. Eligibility

Q5: Is a Principal Investigator (PI) allowed to submit more than one proposal?

Yes, PIs can submit more than one proposal. However, it is unlikely that the SIRCA II grant will be awarded to two proposals with the same PI, since a primary objective of the program is strengthening researcher capacity and development.

Q6: Can multiple PIs from the same organisation submit multiple applications?

Yes, multiple PIs from the same organization can submit multiple applications. The projects selection is based on the merit of the projects.

Q7: I am a student/staff in NTU/IEP/UKNZ, am I eligible for the SIRCA II grant?

Yes, only if you are a graduate student / PhD student/ emerging researcher and are doing research in developing countries in Asia/Latin America/Africa.

Q8: Are non-Asia/Latin America/Africa based researchers eligible for the SIRCA II grant?

The SIRCA grant is meant for emerging scholars in developing countries in Asia/Latin America/Africa. However, it is possible for non-Asia/Latin America/Africa based researchers to be Co-Investigators as long as the PI is based in the three stated regions.

Q9: I am originally from Asia/Latin America/Africa but am now based in an American/European university, am I eligible for the grant?

Yes, you are eligible as a Co-Investigator. As long as the research project and PI are based in Asia/Latin America/Africa you would be eligible for this grant.

Q10: Is research based in Singapore eligible for the SIRCA II grant?

Yes, since the grant administering centre is based on Singapore, but you should be conducting research in developing countries in Asia/Latin America/Africa. The list of developing countries can be found at http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-120439-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html.

Q11: What are the basic requirements to be eligible to apply for the SIRCA II grant?

You may apply for research funding as the Principal Investigator (PI) of the research project, only if you are:

an emerging scholar in the Information & Communication Technologies Development/Information Societies field and no more than 45 years old; if you are a PhD holder, then you are only eligible if you have no more than seven years of post-graduate teaching/research experience;
affiliated with an academic, government, or civil society institution, consortium or institution based in Asia, Latin America and Africa; funds will be disbursed to your organization of employment and not directly to you; and
to remain in the country or region of research throughout the grant period/research project;

NB: The PI is accountable for the project and is expected to be involved actively in it.

3. Preparing Application

Q12: Where can I obtain a copy of the application form?

The grant application form is to be done online. You may access the application form here: http://sirca2.sirca.org.sg/call-for-proposals/collaborator-application-form/.

Only applicants who are not able to complete the application online are opened to submitting their application using softcopies. You may need to write to sirca2@ntu.edu.sg to obtain a copy of the application form.

Q13: Do we write using English?

Yes, only application in English will be accepted.

Q14: If I am to engage a third party to fill in the application form for me in English, can I have the salary of this person budgeted into the project budget?

No, you may not. However, in your budget you may budget in translation fee as part of your research expenses. The amount must be reasonable and such expenses are subject to the grant review committee’s approval.

Q15: Apart from the application form, what other documents do I need to submit?

There are various supporting documents needed to support your application, Please check against the checklist at the bottom of the application form before you submit your form to us.

Q16: What format should the documents be submitted in?

You should pdf all your supporting documents except the financial workbook when you attach the files to the online application

Q17: What is the grant amount?

Each grant should not exit approximately Singapore Dollar $24,000.

Q18: What currency should be used to calculate the budget?

Local currency (of the PI) should be used for the budget, but please include the amount in Singapore dollars after converting using the current exchange rate (please include the date when the exchange rate was used). You are required to use the budget template available at the website under <Funding Information>. Instructions for each line item and how to account for them are provided in the template.

However, it is important to note that the final exchange rate for Singapore dollar will be determined on the actual rate when the award is offered to successful applicants.

Q19: What can I do if I am not sure about how to fill up the budget?

Detailed instructions and samples are provided in the financial workbook. If there are any discrepancies after your submission, the secretariat will contact you for clarifications.

4. Approval of Grants

Q20: Who will approve my grant applications?

The grant review committee comprises of 8 senior members who are qualify to process all grants applications. The below were members for SIRCA I and for your reference only.

Name/Title	Institutional Affiliation
Heather E Hudson (Dr)	School of Business and Management, University of San Francisco
Roger Harris (Dr)	Roger Harris Associates
Rahul De (Dr)	Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore
Erwin Alampay (Dr)	University of Philippines
John M, Traxler (Dr)	Learning Lab , International Association for Mobile Learning ,International Journal for Mobile and Blended Learning ,School of Computing and IT, University of Wolverhampton
Jonathan Donner	Microsoft
Arul Indrasen Chib (Dr)	Nanyang Technological University
Ang Peng Hwa (Dr)	Nanyang Technological University

Q21: When do I find out if my application is successful?

The Grant Review Committee meets in December 2011 to review all applications. Notification is planned to be given two to three weeks after the review. Please visit the web site for updates.

Q22. If I do not hear from anyone after the stipulated date, who can I approach for information?

You may need to write to sirca2@ntu.edu.sg to obtain further information.

6. Post approval and grant awarded

Q23: Does SIRCA II provide opportunity to refine the research proposal after being selected?

Yes, further refinements of the proposal will take place after it has been chosen for funding based on the feedback from the Grant Review Committee (GRC).

Q24: What processes and resources are available to grant awardees while implementing research grants?

In an effort to encourage and facilitate capacity building and knowledge sharing, all grant awardees will be invited to at least one workshop to discuss their research design and another to share their research findings with others and to interact with established ICT4D researchers. Moreover, there are opportunities to be paired with a mentor over the course of the grant. More information about such opportunities will be made available as they arise.

Q25: Is SIRCA II planning any workshops to refine research methodologies before the commencement of the fieldwork?

Yes, SIRCA II plans for approximately one major workshop during the research period. All Principal Investigators (PIs) are required to attend. The workshop will cover training on research methodologies and related areas to help researchers improve their skills and understanding of research. Specific details about the workshop will be made available at a later time.

However, we strongly encourage you to start communicating with your collaborator to start the refinement before the workshop.

For further inquires or clarifications, please contact sirca2@ntu.edu.sg.