The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Department for International Development (DFID) are pleased to announce a call for three large and exciting Research Programmes of work under Phase 3 of the ESRC-DFID Joint Fund for Poverty Alleviation Research. Both funders are committed to commissioning world class research and ensuring the results are available for policy makers and development workers worldwide.

The aim is to provide funding for new research on critical but relatively under-researched themes. The Research Programmes will undertake work in three areas:

Disability, Inequality and Poverty

Funding is available for one Research Programme of work of up to £2 million under this stream. Researchers are invited to develop research programme proposals which will examine the specific barriers to inclusion facing disabled people in low income country settings. The key research question is “What are the specific barriers to inclusion facing disabled children and adults in accessing health, education, social protection and labour market services, and how can these barriers be overcome in sustainable and cost-effective ways?”

Poverty in Urban Spaces

Funding is available for one Research Programme of work of up to £2 million under this stream. Researchers are invited to develop research programme proposals which will examine how urban spaces are changing and what the emerging challenges for tackling urban poverty reduction are. This will include an understanding of towns and peri-urban areas, and work on new interventions that can tackle urban poverty at scale in low income countries.

Urbanisation and Risk in Africa

Funding is available for one Research Programme of work up to £3.3 million to address evidence gaps around urbanisation and risk in an African context. Researchers applying under this stream are invited to develop research programme proposals which will map and measure the different dimensions of risk in urban Africa and produce policy-relevant evidence that can inform efforts by national, regional and municipal/city governments, multilateral agencies, NGOs and humanitarian donors to build urban resilience and manage risk and uncertainty.

Deadline for applications: 16.00 UK time, 10 September 2013

Link to the funder’s webpage