ICLD invites proposals for innovative policy-oriented research aimed at supporting local democracy under at least one of the following themes: climate action, democratic resilience, equitable health, gender equality, human rights, and youth and children inclusion.
About ICLD
The International Centre for Local Democracy (ICLD) works to empower citizens to influence decisions that affect their lives by promoting sustainable local democracy. With a focus on low- and middle-income countries, ICLD strengthens local and regional governments to foster inclusive decision-making and meaningful citizen participation. ICLD plays a crucial role in strengthening democracy and counteracting democratic backsliding in its priority countries (see list below). ICLD strengthens local democracy through four core values: equity, participation, transparency and accountability. This work contributes to an inclusive and sustainable development and creates opportunities for people living in poverty to improve their living conditions. By enabling women, youth, and marginalized groups to actively engage in political processes, ICLD helps amplify their voices to ensure their opinions are heard and increase their influence on decision-making.
Through city-to-city peer learning, training, and research, ICLD provides municipalities with the tools and expertise needed to drive democratic change. Its work spans 23 countries across Europe, Africa, and Latin America and addresses challenges within thematic areas such as climate action, democratic resilience, equitable health, gender equality, human rights, and youth and children inclusion.
This open call for research proposals invites innovative contributions that align with ICLD’s mission. Proposals should explore ways to strengthen local democracy, foster citizen engagement, and address the pressing challenges faced by local governments, civil society, and other local actors. The focus should be on delivering local solutions to global challenges within one or more of ICLD’s thematic areas.
Background
Democracy is in decline in many parts of the world, with the effects of polarization, violence, and climate change becoming increasingly evident. Global grand challenges such as autocratization, the climate crisis, wars, migration, rising economic inequality, and poverty are placing immense pressure on local communities, municipalities, regions, and the global community.
In response to these challenges, municipalities, civil society actors and other local democratic institutions worldwide are playing a crucial role in leveraging democratic innovations and resisting negative trends by upholding and advancing democratic principles, practices, and competencies from below. Their efforts range from implementing inclusive climate adaptation and mitigation policies to fostering the resilience of communities responding to wars or climate crises. From promoting gender equity to ensuring the representation of youth and other vulnerable groups in citizen budgets and participatory processes, local actors are becoming increasingly central to addressing complex societal challenges. Their work highlights the importance of strong, resilient, democratic local institutions in ensuring governance that is inclusive, accountable, transparent, and fair. Furthermore, by developing these democratic innovations, local governments demonstrate that they can act as architects and catalysts of global transformations, extending beyond the local communities where they originated.
This research call invites proposals that explore innovative approaches, strategies, practices and competences aimed at strengthening local democracy amidst these multifaceted challenges. Researchers are encouraged to investigate how democratic local institutions can contribute to mitigating economic inequality, autocratization trends, climate crisis, lack of citizen participation, bridging social divides, and the potential of ethnic diversity as a strength, just to mention a few. We particularly welcome studies on the challenges, opportunities, resistance and solutions led by municipalities and other local actors within ICLD’s thematic networks. Both basic and needs-driven research from any discipline or interdisciplinary perspective with a focus on local democracy are encouraged.
Scope
The call supports innovative research of the highest scientific quality and societal relevance. Innovative research is distinguished from other research in that is seeks to substantially advance or challenge the state of knowledge and state of the art. Proposals should also be policy-oriented, incorporate how the research connects to the practice of local democracy, and state how this study will facilitate that connection. Additionally, this call aims to contribute to the continuous and long-term development of knowledge at ICLD, strengthening its capacity to effectively support local governments.
The research applications should address significant questions freely formulated by researchers related to local democracy connected to one or more of ICLD’s thematic areas: climate action, democratic resilience, equitable health, gender equality, human rights cities, children and youth inclusion. The themes addressed by the research should be clearly specified in the proposal.
Applicants are encouraged to tailor their proposals to their specific areas of expertise. In addition to ICLD’s thematic areas, transversal themes addressing broader issues and challenges that intersect with these areas are also welcome. Examples include exploring how local practices influence global transformations, how local governments act as catalysts for large-scale transformative changes, or the role of intermediary organizations, international institutions, networks, or local government associations in these processes. While these themes can inspire innovative approaches and insights that complement the main focus of the call, they should not restrict applicants from pursuing other relevant directions in their proposals.
Research should be conducted primarily, or at least substantially, in one or more of the countries where ICLD operates and maintains partnerships.
- Europe: Ukraine, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Serbia
- East Africa: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania
- Southern Africa: Botswana, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe
- Latin America: Colombia and Guatemala
Research may also be conducted in other countries, provided that part of the activities are carried out in one of ICLD’s priority countries and that it contributes to at least one of ICLD thematic areas.
Research proposals are encouraged to include activities that allow knowledge transfer of actionable research insights to relevant actors or groups, such as local governments and related organisations in ICLD programs.
ICLD encourages the adoption of participatory methodologies, including participatory action research, citizen science, and community-based participatory research. However, proposals are not restricted to these approaches and may employ other innovative and appropriate research methods.
Deliverables
The projects shall produce:
- A detailed Research Report according to ICLD guidelines, that articulates the findings and provides actionable recommendations for policymakers and stakeholders.
- A concise Policy Brief according to ICLD guidelines aimed at translating complex research findings into practical guidance for the development and implementation of inclusive policies.
- A powerpoint presentation or similar that visualises key points and findings.
- At least one dissemination activity online and/or onsite.
- Other outputs that facilitate the research–practice connection are welcome, such as short films, toolboxes, or learning cases.
Please see ICLD’s previous publications for examples of research reports and policy briefs. Additionally, the project team must commit to be proactive in identifying and leveraging opportunities for knowledge dissemination in meetings of the ICLD network and other relevant fora, and be available for online presentations of the project.
Budget
Up to 700.000 (seven hundred thousand) SEK including personnel, operation cost of fieldwork, dissemination activities, overheads (maximum 20%), and cost for an audit of type ISA 805 – ISRS 4400. In the research proposal, the final allocation of the budget should be specified in SEK for the broader categories of personnel, operational costs, and overheads. This does not preclude a more detailed breakdown of the budget into specific categories for greater accuracy.
For approved applications, 50% of the grant will be disbursed upon contract signing, 25% upon submission of the partial report, and the final 25% upon completion of deliverables and submission of the audit report.
Criteria for Assessment
Proposals will be assessed based on relevance for the call, significance and novelty of the research problem and question, scientific quality and originality of the research proposal, scientific competence of the research team, relevance of the proposal for local democracy and ICLD’s work and how the research can contribute to the practice of stakeholders working for local democracy.
Timeline
10 months from the signing of contract until submission of deliverables. Applicants should provide a clear timeline with milestones. Awarded research projects are expected to start by May 2025.
Who can apply?
Applicants must be affiliated with an accredited research institution, which is to channel and administer the funds. The principal investigator must hold a PhD degree in relevant field and be proficient in English. Teams of applicants are welcome, with special consideration for ICLDs partner countries in Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe and our partner universities. The principal investigator must hold a PhD degree in a relevant field. Communication with ICLD is done in English. The research team should strive for gender parity in its composition.
How to apply?
The researcher or research team will submit a proposal using ICLD’s system SBS Manager. The portal requires an account to be made by the main applicant. The account and portal will also be used for reporting and other administration around the grant. Make sure to start the application procedure well in advance of the deadline, to leave room for any unclarities and need for support.
In the application you must attach:
- Proposal using the ICLD template
- CV of the main project members
- Letter of intent from the research institution confirming they can administer the grant
Deadline for application: 15th February 2025, 23.59 CET (note potential time difference).
Questions and support
A Q&A meeting was the 14th of January from 9.00 to 10.00 am CET. See the PPT above for summary.
For questions about this call, please contact clara.orstadius@icld.se.