Team/cluster grants: further information
Ordinarily, these grants will be awarded to established research groups. However, a team of researchers across institutions can also be constituted, provided that the intentions and conditions noted here are realised, and provided the team leader has access to institutional capacity to manage the proposed team activities.
- The team leader/principal does not have to be one of the (minimum three) output-producing researchers.
- There is no formal limit to the number of papers such a team grant could include.
- Where a team/cluster proposal is submitted, it is expected that the proposal will include the elements noted above for each of the proposed papers.
- Team grant papers need not all fit into one focus area of REDI3x3. However, teams are encouraged to design a cluster of papers that cohere and thus maximise synergies.
- Teams intending to apply for a team grant should preferably first discuss it informally with (or send a short document outlining their intentions to) at least one of the Focus Area Convenors, the Research Co-ordinator or the Project Director, each of whom will be involved in reaching agreement on the team proposal.
- The above will enable the REDI3x3 management to engage with the team leader and/or team on aspects of the proposal that may need further development (including alignment with the project gaps and topics) and to reach agreement with the FAC(s), Research Coordinator and Project Director in conjunction with the team leader. This process will include the assessment of each proposed paper as per the usual review procedures.
- Contracting will be with the team leader (‘team principal investigator’), who will be responsible for meeting the requirements of the contract (outputs, deadlines, quality and reporting).
- Contracts for team papers will stipulate a clear expectation about the conversion of these papers into articles for Econ3x3.
- There will be an obligation on the team to be available for the cluster papers to be presented at a workshop or workshops organised by REDI3x3. This could include policy and/or academic workshops.
- The allocation of team funds amongst individual researchers will be at the discretion of the team leader, keeping the norm of R50 000 in mind. Team grants may also be used to fund research and workshop expenses. The onus is on the team leader to inform REDI3x3 on how the funds have been allocated as part of the reporting.
- Scholarships: in a team context the standard scholarship amounts may not be exceeded. Like all REDI3x3 scholarships, these will be administered through the relevant university financial aid office.