International Development Research Centre S c i e n c e f o r h u m a n i t y

The Institution  A public corporation created by the Parliament of Canada in 1970  Supports Southern researchers to enable them to find practical, long-term solutions to social, economic, and environmental problems

IDRC’s Mandate The IDRC Act (1970) mandates the Centre “ … to initiate, encourage, support, and conduct research into the problems of the developing regions of the world and into the means for applying and adapting scientific, technical, and other knowledge to the economic and social advancement of those regions …”

Our Mission Empowerment through Knowledge

Guiding Principles  Peoples of developing countries must be able to control their own knowledge-based development  IDRC takes its lead from Southern researchers  Development research grant-making is the core of our activities

Strategic Goals 2005—2010  Strengthen and help to mobilize the local research capacity of developing countries  Foster and support the production, dissemination, and application of research results that lead to changed practices, technologies, and laws that promote sustainable and equitable development and poverty reduction  Leverage additional Canadian resources for research for development

Objectives IDRC will contribute to:  Building a favourable environment for research and providing opportunities for Southern researchers  Supporting scientifically sound research  Influencing practices, technologies, policies, and laws  Incorporating Southern agendas into current international policy debates and development decision-making

Some Numbers  More than 350 staff + 70 project staff worldwide  2004/05 budget of close to CA $141 million, of which Parliamentary appropriations accounted for 87%  2005/06 budget: CA $145 million  More than 810 projects and other research activities are currently active

IDRC Offices Ottawa Montevideo Dakar Nairobi Singapore Cairo New Delhi

Governance and Accountability International Board of Governors  11 Canadians  10 non-Canadians, from developing or OECD countries Reports to the Canadian Parliament through Foreign Affairs Canada

Governance  President: Maureen O’Neil  VP Program and Partnership Branch: Rohinton Medhora  VP Resources Branch: Denys Vermette

Program Foundations The foundations of IDRC’s programing:  Sustainable and equitable development  Poverty reduction  Human rights

The Program Areas  Environment and Natural Resource Management  Information and Communication Technologies for Development  Innovation, Policy and Science  Social and Economic Policy

The Program Areas Program units  Ecosystem Approaches to Human Health  International Model Forest Network Secretariat  Rural Poverty and Environment  Urban Poverty and Environment Water Cochabamba, Bolivia "Lack of social consultation today leads to social unrest tomorrow." Juan Carlos Alurralde, researcher, CGIA Environment and Natural Resource Management

The Program Areas Program units  Acacia: Communities and the Information Society in Africa  Bellanet International Secretariat  Connectivity Africa  Institute for Connectivity in the Americas  Pan Americas  Pan Asia Networking  telecentre.org Information and Communication Technologies for Development

The Program Areas Innovation, Policy and Science Themes  Connecting S&T to competitiveness and social development in developing countries  Governance and public policy issues associated with new technologies: intellectual property rights, evidence-based awareness  North-South research networks  National S&T reviews and development

The Program Areas Social and Economic Policy Program units  Economy and Environment Program for Southeast Asia  Governance, Equity, and Health  Women’s Rights and Citizenship  Globalization, Growth, and Poverty  Peace, Conflict, and Development “Thinking Small” in Egypt Once overlooked and undervalued, small- scale businesses are now front and centre as Egypt takes bold steps to transform its economy, making use of research supported by IDRC. Project: Small and Medium Enterprise Policy Development Project (SMEPol)

Program Features  Multidisciplinary  Flexibility  Regional or global scope  Emphasis on fostering research networks  Issues oriented  Promote ongoing evaluation

Other Research Areas and Activities Explorations  Biotechnology and other emerging technologies  The private sector in development Other  Middle East governance  Global health research initiative

Canada in the World The World in Canada IDRC supports  training and awards programs for Canadians and developing-country nationals  collaborative research between Canadian and Southern partners  linkages with Canadian institutions  small grants projects and activities undertaken by Canadian organizations

IDRC Canadian Partnerships Program Purpose:  Respond to interest in “internationalising” research in universities  Encourage greater engagement on global issues in universities and NGOs  Facilitate Canadians’ connections with the South for mutual benefit

Type of Funding Provided  Mostly small grants of between $5,000 – 40,000  Responds to solicited and unsolicited proposals for research facilitating initiatives and small research related projects

Examples of research facilitating small grants  Between 60 – 80 small grants are funded annually under this heading, with grants averaging $5,000  Focus on sharing, creating, and applying knowledge and engaging citizens  Activities such as:  Participation of Southerners in international conferences  Capacity building initiatives  Policy analysis  Publications

Examples of research related grants  Small research projects to further knowledge and action on emerging issues  A number of grants to promote knowledge-related collaboration between Canadian universities and civil society organizations  Contributions to costs of visiting fellows, conferences, project planning workshops, etc.  Grants for unsolicited research projects range from 20 – 25K

Core Partnerships for Research and Citizen Engagement IDRC also maintains multi-year partnerships with:  Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC)  Canadian Council for International Cooperation (CCIC)  Canadian Association for the Study of International Development (CASID)  Canadian Council of Area Studies Learned Societies (CCASLS)

Training and Awards Program  Research awards are granted to students mostly at the PhD level. Awards are also granted at the MA and Post-Doctoral levels  Awards range from $5,000 to $30,000 CAD  Research must correspond to one of IDRC’s four Program Areas

IDRC Doctoral Research Awards for Field Research in the South  Eligibility:  Canadian citizenship, permanent residency status in Canada, or citizenship of a developing country  Currently registered at a Canadian university at a PhD level  Established affiliation with an organization where the field research will take place  Value:  Up to $20,000 CAD  Duration:  3 to 12 months  Deadlines for Receipt of Applications:  April 1 st and November 1 st

Internship Awards Provides exposure to research for international development under the guidance of IDRC program staff.  Eligibility:  Canadian citizenship, permanent residency status in Canada, or citizenship of a developing country  Currently registered in a Master’s Program or have already completed a Master’s Degree  Value:  Stipend: $33,201 to $38,434 per annum (reviewed annually)  Travel allowance: up to $10,000 CAD  Number of Awards and Duration:  Approximately 13 awards per year; 4 to 12 months, tenable at the IDRC Headquarters in Ottawa, or in one of IDRC’s Regional Offices  Deadline for Receipt of Applications:  September 12 th

Partnerships  Increase resources available to Southern researchers  Ensure high-quality research for development IDRC enters into partnerships with like-minded donors to

“IDRC will support technical and social innovations that contribute to the betterment of the social, economic, and environmental conditions of the poor, oppressed, and marginalized people in countries of the South.” IDRC Corporate Strategy 2005—2010

Contact Us Websites: Database on projects/publications/images: Subscribe to IDRC Bulletin Check out our online magazine: IDRC Street Address: 250 Albert St. Ottawa, ON K1P 6M1 Tel.: (613) Fax: (613) Mailing Address: PO Box 8500 Ottawa, ON K1G 3H9