Supported by:
The student research competition aims to build the capacities of young specialists in the sustainable management of natural resources in the Central Asian countries. The competition is organized within the
Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Program for Aral Sea Basin project.
Main topics of the competition:
All thematic areas should be directly or indirectly related to climate change processes in the Central Asian region.
- Climate projections and climate risks assessment;
- Assessment of effects of climate change on natural resources
- Contribution of ecosystem services in climate resilience;
- Economics of land degradation;
- Climate change and health;
- Forestry and other carbon sinks;
- Assessment of climate vulnerability of households and sectors;
- Adaptation to climate change in agriculture and water sector;
- Circular economy
- Low-carbon development, promotion of renewable energy and energy efficiency;
Gender and gender policy in the management of natural resources.
GENERAL CONDITIONS
The competition is open for students from universities within the Central Asian region, who plan to focus their research on:
- Ph.D. and master’s students with a research focus on climate-related issues in water, land, energy resources or environmental management.
Proposed research will be a part of the applicant`s dissertation and must be completed until January 2021 and findings and recommendations to be presented on the Climate Conference in February 2021.
Key Dates
- May 31, 2020: deadline for submission of applications
- June 25, 2020: an announcement of winners
The Evaluation Process
Applications will be screened by the commission consisting of representatives from academic institutions in Central Asia.
Evaluation Criteria
- the relevance of the research proposed;
- clarity and validity of the goals, problem selection and methodology of the research;
- a balance between the application content and the requested funding amount;
- feasibility of the goals set, research timelines and budget (up to US$ 1,500), and availability of additional funding in excess of the budget;
- a novelty of the research proposed and the working potential for the Central Asian region;
- partnership (the organization to co-implement the research).
Extended criterion:
- interdisciplinary approach
FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR SELECTED APPLICATIONS
The competition winners will be provided with financial support to carry out their research in the amount of up to US$ 1,500. This support will be based on the reimbursement of actual expenses incurred by the students during the research. Eligible costs include expenses associated with field trips, surveys, laboratory tests, printing, etc.
APPLICATION SUBMISSION
Interested applicants should complete the online registration. It will require the following steps:
- Fill out the online Application Form (in English or Russian).
- Upload a Recommendation letter from a supervisor
- Upload a Confirmation letter from your university/department
