Deadline: 31-Aug-22

The Fondation Botnar is inviting applicants to submit research proposals as part of the new interdisciplinary research program: ‘Technology and youth participation in governing intermediary cities in LMICs’ (TYPCities). The program will run for three years (2023-2026).

TYPCities will generate original research analysing how technology can be used to enable youth participation in the  governance of intermediary cities in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The program will produce empirical insights and analytical findings about the role of various technologies in urban governance, based on multi-sited research within and across cities and countries.

Objectives

• Produce comparative insights into diverse experiences of youth participation in urban governance in intermediary cities in LMICs, paying particular attention to how data-driven interventions and digital technologies enhance or inhibit youth inclusion in urban affairs.
• Scrutinise how political factors such as institutions and policies, social differences among youth based on class, gender and citizenship and particular technological features shape youth participation in intermediary cities.
• Critically examine and contrast past and current initiatives to bolster youth in governing urban environments through in-depth case study inquiries or systematic reviews of successful and failed interventions.
• Generate knowledge that informs programming by practitioners, including city officials, urban planners, international and non-governmental organisations working in and on youth participation, technologies for social change, and urban governance in the LMICs.
• Foster learning, exchange and networking among researchers and practitioners committed to promoting technology and youth participation in urban governance.
• Outline ways and technological means to promote and strengthen young people’s influence and decision-making capabilities in urban environments.

Thematic Areas

The thematic areas for this call are:

• Technology and youth participation – differentiating youth
• Youth and urban governance – distinguishing policy domains
• Urban governance and technological innovation – understanding contexts

Funding Information

The proposals are expected to have a minimum funding volume of CHF 400,000 and a maximum of CHF 1 million, for a duration of three years. The total available amount available for this call is CHF 5 million.

Eligibility Criteria

• They are inviting proposals from research consortia with a track record of academic excellence in technology, urban and youth studies, geography, anthropology, sociology, political science, and development studies.
• Applicants should have proven experience in collaborative research partnerships, conducting, and supervising data collection in LMICs, publishing in high ranking academic outlets, grant management as well as research uptake to policy-makers and practitioners. Universities, think tanks, and research institutions fulfilling these criteria may partner with private sector entities including NGOs and social enterprises as part of their application.
• They particularly welcome applications from researchers and organisations based in LMICs. All applications should include several leading roles based in LMICs with regard to research design, data collection, analysis and authorship. Applications from research institutions outside of LMICs must make proof of long-standing research experience in and established partnerships with researchers and organisations in LMICs. All applicants have to adhere to principles and best practices developed by the Research Fairness Initiative (RFI) in view of realising fair and transparent collaborative research and innovation. All applications should state how international partnerships are expected to work, with evidence of earlier collaborations, if possible.

For more information, visit https://www.fondationbotnar.org/typcities-call-for-proposals/