Funding offered for five commissioned working papers on Addressing Structural Poverty: Policy, Politics and Realities

Persistent chronic and structural poverty has been identified as a key problem facing South Africa. What policies and interventions are required, not only to ameliorate poverty, but also address its root causes? And what responses are practical and achievable in the context of worsening global economic and environmental conditions?


The Programme for Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS) at the University of the Western Cape invites proposals for working papers to be presented at a Research and Policy Seminar entitled “Addressing Structural Poverty: Policy, Politics and Realities”, scheduled for March 2009. Each of the five working papers will be funded up to a maximum of fifty thousand rand (R50 000). Proposals will be selected on a competitive basis and are due by 11 July 2008.


Five individual papers, covering the following broad thematic areas, are sought:

Papers should be focussed not only on existing policies and interventions, but also on the scope for measures that can address the root causes of structural and chronic poverty. Papers will pay particular attention to the implications for policy and practice of emergent challenges such as economic shocks, rising food and energy prices, depletion of non-renewable resources and climate change. The above areas are broadly suggestive and authors can motivate for slight amendments to the parameters of the enquiry, if they feel it necessary.

Successful applicants (or their institution) will be expected to enter into a contract with PLAAS. In the event of multiple authors a single author will be expected to bear responsibility for the output. PLAAS’ selection of authors or decision to enter into a contract with any author or group of authors is final, and correspondence will not be entered into. PLAAS reserves the right to amend the timeframe or the above indicated brief if circumstance so require.

Each of the five working paper will be funded up to a maximum of fifty thousand rand (R50 000). A detailed timeline is provided below. Authors will be expected to make themselves available to present their completed and revised papers in March 2009 at a Research and Policy Seminar that will draw together the key members of the research and policymaking community. The date for this event will be announced when it is finalized. Costs for accommodation, and direct costs of travel and transport will be borne by the organisers.


Detailed timelines

Activity	Due Date
Submission of abstract for proposed paper (max 300 words) AND a brief proposed budget (max R 50 000, indicating who and what activities the disbursement will fund), AND indication of institutional affiliation and/or a short one paragraph biography.	11 July 2008
PLAAS will engage with successful applicants and they will be expected to incorporate feedback into a draft schematic overview of their paper.	8 August 2008
Draft copy of paper due	31 October 2008
Revision of papers by authors
Presentaiton of final paper at a 1 - 2 day Research and Policy Seminar in Cape Town (direct costs to be funded by PLAAS/CPRC)	March 2008 (to be confirmed)
Layout and production of working papers

Proposals and queries can be directed to David Neves at PLAAS