Eligibility of Grantees

Eligibility criteria

Only full proposals that meet the eligibility criteria will be considered.

Legal identity

Applicants must have independent legal identity (or “legal personality”), be able to enter into a contract in their own right and name, have a bank account in their own name where they can receive funds from the Asia Hub (LIRNEasia), and administer funds from, and have the authority and ability to carry out the proposed project activities. If selected after the technical review process, applicants must be able to demonstrate their legal status through written documentation. In the case of consortia, the organization leading the application must have a legal identity as described above, with consortium member organizations also having a legal personality in any of the eligible countries of focus (See 6.1.4).

Eligible organisations

Eligible applicants may include, research institutions, universities, think tanks, associations, civil society organizations, and non-profit organisations. Individuals are not eligible to apply.

Eligible applicants may have partners who fit into the above categories, but in addition may bring in partners that include private and public sector partners as implementing organisations. However, funds from successful projects may not flow to the following categories of organisations:

Private organisations
Government organisations and institutions (with the exception of public research and educational institutions)
UN agencies

In addition, funds may not flow to individuals who are part- or full-time employees of the public sector/government, with the exception of state-owned universities or public research institutions. All project CVS should include a signed declaration that the individual is not employed (on any basis, part- or full-time) by government (with the exception of state-owned universities or public research institutions), and is legally and contractually allowed to receive payments for work on research or other work outside of their current employment.

Country presence in an Asian L-LMIC

The applicant (organisation that will enter into a contract with the Asia Hub, i.e., LIRNEasia as per 6.1.1.) must be an organization headquartered in an Asian L-LMIC. The proposed work must be conducted in one or more of the countries listed below (i.e., these countries/their populations should be the subject of the proposed research). The applicant may have partners and/or experts based in countries outside of the eligible country list, however, majority of the funding must be spent in the eligible country/countries.

Eligible countries include:

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Uzbekistan, and Viet Nam¹

Afghanistan: Applicants based in Afghanistan or proposing research on Afghanistan may apply for funds from either the Asia hub (i.e., through this call) or from South West Asian and Northern African (i.e., MENA) hub based in the American University of Beirut which will issue a similar call in 2024. Applicants may not apply to both calls.
India and Myanmar: Given current challenges that restrict the ability of research institutions based in these two countries to receive foreign funds, the Asia hub is only able to support India-focused or Myanmar-focused research through:
1. Institutions based outside of the country (who are based in another Asian L-LMIC); or
2. Multi-country projects run by institutions based in another Asian L-LMIC, with a local country expert (i.e., for India or Myanmar) on the project team.
Iran: Applicants based in/proposing research in Iran should apply to the FutureWORKS regional hub for the South West and Northern Africa (i.e., MENA) region, led by the American University of Beirut.
Proposals where funds are to be spent in countries classified as ‘high risk’ in IDRC’s categorisation at the time application will be subject to additional levels of screening. Regional balance will be considered in the selection of proposals, to enable the development of a regional narrative at the end of the five year period of the Hub’s activities.

Expertise/experience requirement

Proposals must be submitted by an eligible organization, that has a demonstrated track record of producing rigorous research related to at least at least two of the following:

Labour force skills, technology adoption in labour, climate change and climate transition, gender responsive climate polices, technology policy, skills development, and innovation systems.
A demonstrated ability (capabilities and networks) to effectively translate research to policy.

i.e., Low or lower middle-income country in Asia as per the latest World Bank classification (https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/opendata/new-world-bank-group-country-classifications-income-level-fy24; Democratic People’s Republic of Korea excluded.