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Implemented by
Economic Research Group and BMB Mott MacDonald
Under APP, five leading private universities of
Bangladesh has joined in a team to start an academic concentration
(a minor) in their Business and Economics undergraduate programs.
These universities are: North South University, Independent
University of Bangladesh, American International University of
Bangladesh, East West University and BRAC University.
The universities are currently working on
designing the curriculum and it is expected that they will start
enrolling students under the concentration area by Spring 2010,
subject to approval of the UGC.
Besides, establishing a minor on Investment
Climate Issues, these five universities have also established
Investment Climate Unit (ICU), a research cell which will be
promoting research among the faculty members and the students in
their universities.
An additional component of APP is to place
students on paid internship program in research organs of leading
Business Associations in Bangladesh.
Investment Climate
Research Program -ICRP
After the
successful completion of the Pilot Phase on Small Grants Program in
2008-09, ERG is currently responsible for promoting research in the
areas of Investment Climate Issue, Four separate
competitive rounds of research are now planned between 2009-2010.
The objective is to
help generate awareness of the program, and stimulate interest of
think tanks, academics, civil society organizations, business
associations, chambers of commerce and individuals who may be
interested in conducting research under this program.
ERG is responsible
for addressing
all questions
arising from the advertisement, and receiving, gathering and
collecting all submitted proposals.
In each round, 5-10
research grants will be awarded on a competitive basis to
researchers/institutions. See below for details about the
topics and also about the evaluation method.
There are several
steps to win the competitive research fund: Step 1: submission of
proposal, Step 2: Short-listing of proposals, Step 3: review of
proposals; Step 4: Presentation by top 10-15, Step 5: Final
Selection (based on merit and availability of fund).
Proposals
for research must be innovative, cost-effective and relevant.
The Small Grants Program aims to a) support
academics and individual researchers interested in undertaking
research on investment climate issues across Bangladesh; b) enhance
the knowledge base and increase awareness of investment climate
issues; and c) provide inputs to policymaking.
Research Issues
With a view to help
researchers identify their research issues we summarize in the
following major research themes under with you can club your
research proposals. However, it should be noted that these do
not limit a researcher to find other research ideas which can be
supportive of the objective underlined above under Small grants
component. Researchers are also free to club several themes or
include additional themes.
Major Research Themes
are
1. Regulatory
Regimes, economic governance including development of meaningful
indicators for business environment.
2. Sector or product (or service) specific studies.
3. Spatial analysis of investment (local area development, economic
zone, etc).
4. Role of government in markets to promote investment - role of
governance, business environment including enforcement of contracts,
labour laws, access to credits etc.)
5. Potential of improving investment climate through regional
cooperation.
6. Studies on critical inputs - human resources, land, technology,
power/energy, and physical infrastructure.
7. Problem of entrepreneurs like women entrepreneurs, graduation of
microcredit to small entrepreneurs, etc.
8. Competition
Policy, market structure and issues related to imperfect markets and
investment.
Selection
Criteria
1. Statement of
research purpose (10)
2. Literature review (20)
3. Analytical works/jurisdiction leading to identification of
research objectives/ key research questions (30)
4. Research Methods (20)
5. Revealed ability of the members of the research team (20)
Format of the Proposal
1. Title
2. Statement of research purpose
3. Brief review of literature
4. Key research questions
5. Research Methods
6. CV of the members of the research team
7. Institutional affiliation of the researcher
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