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Organisations, institutions
and agencies that wish to submit project proposals for consideration are
likely to have questions regarding the submission process, the management
of the projects, and other questions.
If you find that your question is not on the list of FAQs, please send
your question by email to the RALF
Programme Manager.
Frequently Asked Questions concerning the RALF Programme
| Q. |
If I have a specific question
about the RALF Programme and the completion of the project proposal
application forms, what do I do? |
| A. |
Please email the
RALF Programme Manager.
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| Q. |
Is the organisation, institute
or agency that I work for eligible to apply for funding from the
RALF Programme, even if it is not a member of the FHCRAA? |
| A. |
Yes, provided the
proposal represents a partnership that includes an international
or non-Afghan research institution and an Afghan-based partner,
which may be a local NGO, UN agency or international NGO registered
in Afghanistan, MAAH or other agency of the Afghan government, or
a university or other institute of higher education, and the proposed
project meets the objectives of the RALF Programme.
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| Q. |
What constitutes
a "research institution"? |
| A. |
Any institution
with a research "mandate":e.g., international research
centers, such as those in the CGIAR, national research institutes
(public and private), universities, private research foundations,
etc.
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| Q. |
Would research on
off-farm alternative livelihoods be eligible for RALF? |
| A. |
The RALF document
states that "the outcome of RALF will be licit alternatives
to opium
production that are practicable in the socio-economic environment
of Afghanistan, and that are accessible to rural people".The
overall scope of RALF is applied research and
promotion of natural resource-based livelihoods, i.e., livelihoods
derived from some form of natural resource utilisation (crops, livestock,
forest products), or from related processing or services, specifically
directed at farmers and other rural stakeholders in areas currently
affected by poppy production.
The above definition of “natural resource-based livelihoods”is
not intended to be restricted to “on-farm”activities.RALF
is looking for any alternatives that would be accessible to rural
people currently involved in poppy production.For instance, research
on the development of rural employment opportunities in poppy producing
areas based on the natural resources (in the broadest sense: land,
water, minerals, plants, animals, etc…), or their products,
would be considered.
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| Q. |
How will we know our proposal
has been received? |
| A. |
The RALF Programme
Manager will acknowledge receipt of all Concept Notes and Proposals
within two days.If you do not receive an acknowledgement, please
contact the
Programme Manager.
The Programme Manager will communicate only with the Principal Investigator
of the
Applicant Institute submitting the proposal.It is the responsibility
of the applicant to keep
other collaborating institutes informed.
Each Concept Note will be assigned a specific RALF project number
which will be used in all further correspondence.
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| Q. |
Who is on the Project Review
Panel? |
| A. |
The Project Review
Panel (PRP)comprises:
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three independent experts,
including a scientist with experience of rural development
and alternative livelihoods in Afghanistan, an agricultural
scientist, and a social
development specialist; |
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a representative of the
Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry (MAAH); |
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a representative of DFID; |
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the ICARDA Programme Manager;and |
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representatives of other
donors contributing to RALF. |
Strict confidentiality will be maintained throughout the review
process.The names of the
PRP members will not be divulged to proposers.PRP members will respect
the
intellectual property rights of the proposers and the confidentiality
of all proposals during
the review.
As ICARDA and MAAH are also eligible to submit proposals for funding
under RALF, and
to avoid potential conflicts of interest, the PRP representative
of the interested party will
not participate in reviews, and will waive any scoring or voting
rights, with respect to
proposals in which their institutions are involved as a research
partner.
Given ICARDA’s dual role as the RALF Programme Manager and
a potential proposer of
proposals for funding under RALF, there will be a ceiling of 50%on
the number of projects selected in which ICARDA is involved as a
research participant.
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