Applications are open for the Japanese Award for Outstanding Research on Development (ORD) 2021. The Japanese Award for Outstanding Research on Development (ORD) is a competitive research grant program under the Global Development Awards Competition 2021. The Awards Competition is administered by GDN and supported by the Ministry of Finance, Government of Japan. This award program identifies and funds outstanding research proposals with high potential for excellence in research and clear policy implications for addressing development issues.

Global Development Network invites researchers from low-income or middle-income countries to submit research proposals within the theme, ‘International trade and the promotion of biodiversity,’ for the 2021 Edition of the Japanese Award for Outstanding Research on Development category of the Awards.

Prizes

The three winning projects will receive grants worth US$ 45,000. Finalists will be invited to join a communications training in preparation of a pitch of their project in front of a high-level Jury, which will decide which research proposal to award. A physical Award ceremony is planned in 2021, if conditions allow it, but projects are expected to start on 15 Jan 2022. The awards will be given to the researcher(s) whose proposals hold the greatest promise for improving our understanding of development issues and puts forth clear, articulate and well-researched policy implications to address relevant development problems.

The first prize winner will receive a grant of US$ 30,000. The second prize and third prize winners will receive a grant of US$ 10,000 and US$ 5,000 respectively. The funds will be used to support the research work proposed by the winners towards the completion of their research. Additionally, awardees will be paired with world-class academic in their area of work who will play the role of a Scientific and Technical Advisor to the winners.

Categories

The competition comprises of two awards:

• Japanese Award for Outstanding Research on Development (ORD): This Award is for early-career researchers from low income and up to upper-middle-income countries who are seeking to explore the competition theme through their research proposals in an original, innovative and policy‐relevant way.
• Japanese Award for Most Innovative Development Project (MIDP): This Award is for exceptional, innovative on‐going development projects by non-profit NGOs/CSOs that have been able to implement activities with a high potential for development impact to exceptionally marginalized and disadvantaged groups located in low income and lower-middle-income countries.

See FAQs for more information

Full Call for Proposals