IDRC Research Ideas Competition 2020/2021

The goal of this competition is to inspire novel research ideas that aim to strengthen policy interventions, population health, environmental sustainability and/or health, gender and social equity in LMICs.

These novel ideas are expected to deliver health and environmental co-benefits by addressing the interlinked nutrition and environmental challenges and knowledge gaps that impede shifts towards healthier and sustainable food systems. These ideas will promote a conceptual understanding of healthy and sustainable food systems and account for the practical realities of their implementation.

This competition aims to:

• Identify novel, solutions-oriented research ideas that promote healthy and sustainable food systems in LMICs;
• Support interdisciplinary exchange of ideas that draw upon different theories, methodological tools, frameworks, and approaches;
• Harness lessons from research, civil society and policy spheres which bridge the fields of global health, food systems and environmental sustainability research.

IDRC Research Ideas Competition Eligibility.

• Applicant for this call must be a Doctoral Student or Post-doctoral Fellow;
• Be a Canadian, permanent resident of Canada, or citizen of LMICs enrolled in a doctoral degree or post-doctoral fellowship program at a recognized university (not only universities in Canada).
• Proposed research ideas must be relevant and applicable to LMIC settings, with a particular focus on low-income communities. This includes, but is not limited to, a theoretical or practical grounding in specific local LMIC context(s), the relevance of an idea to local research, policy or community actors, and how an idea builds on previous engagement with local actors.

IDRC Research Ideas Competition Award.

• Ten winning applications will receive $10,000 CAD each administered directly to the primary applicant. The award will be provided upon the submission of the final idea write up and a formal presentation at the Ideas Symposium (virtual or in-person).
• Award-winners will have access to mentorship from a broad interdisciplinary network of mentors including scientific and technical support.
• Award-winners will also have the opportunity to further strengthen their idea, contribute to a global compendium of research ideas, and attract the attention of a wider audience of researchers, trainees, policy-makers, funders and practitioners.

How to Apply for IDRC Research Ideas Competition.

Your application is ready for submission when it includes these four
components:

• A proposal (maximum 5 pages) of a research idea which directly addresses at least one of the three aforementioned thematic directions, and is informed by the key consideration of ‘building better from COVID-19’;
• CV of primary applicant;
• A completed application form;
• A letter of support from your supervisor.

Submit applications (in either English or en français) and supporting documents to idrc.researchideas@utoronto.ca.

Official Link