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Research Announcement The aim of the IBM Center is to tap into the best minds in academe and the nonprofit sector who can use rigorous public management research and analysis to produce reports with practical advice and insight for public sector executives and managers to improve the effectiveness of government. We are looking for very practical findings and recommendations – not just theory or concepts – in order to assist executives and managers to more effectively respond to mission and management challenges.

Description of Stipends
Individuals receiving a stipend should produce a 30- to 40-page report. The manuscript should be submitted no later than six months after the start of the project. Recipients will select the start and end dates. The report should be written for government executives and managers, providing them practical knowledge and insight.

Eligibility
Individuals working in universities, nonprofit organizations, or journalism.

Size of Stipends
$20,000 for each report

Deadlines
There are two funding cycles, with deadlines of:

  • March 1, 2010
  • October 1, 2010

Applicants will be informed of a decision no later than six weeks after the deadlines. Applications must be received online (by midnight EST) or postmarked by the above dates.

Submitting Applications
Interested individuals should apply online and submit:

  • Cover page with (a) Name, (b) Institution, (c) Contact information, and (d) a 100-word executive summary describing the (i) purpose, (ii) methodology, and (iii) results of the proposed report.
  • Three-page description of the proposed report, and
  • A resume (no more than three pages per author).

Criteria
Applications are reviewed in terms of the following criteria:

  • Will the proposed report be of high value and timely -- to government executives and managers?
  • Will the report provide practical insight and -- understanding of the topic?
  • Does the applicant demonstrate the potential -- to produce a final report that will be clear, understandable and highly communicable to government executives and managers?
  • Does the applicant demonstrate outstanding -- command and knowledge of the topic?




Can I apply online?
Yes. To apply online, you first need to create a profile in our system. Your username and password will be emailed to you and you may then submit your application. Visit our registration page at www.businessofgovernment.org/register

How do I log into the system to change my address or password, check the status of my proposal, or to submit a proposal if I already have a username and password?
Visit our login page at www.businessofgovernment.org/login

I completed a profile in the system but when I received my username and password, the password field was blank. Why is that?
You already have a profile in our system. If you try to create another profile, using the same email address, the system will still send out a confirmation email with your username, but the password field will be blank. If you have forgotten your password, visit this webpage and go to the Forgot Password link. www.businessofgovernment.org/login

Can the proposal or resume be more than three pages?
No.

Do you need to itemize a budget in the proposal or describe how the $20,000 stipend will be used?
No. The researcher can use the stipend however he/she deems appropriate.

Does the Center provide stipends larger than $20,000?
No.

Does the Center pay for overhead expenses?
No.

Can the recipient's institution receive the stipend?
Yes. Individuals receiving a stipend have the option of requesting that the stipend be paid directly to their institution. As noted above, however, no overhead costs will be included in the stipend.

Can I submit more than one proposal at a time?
No. Researchers are asked to submit only one proposal per review cycle.

Does the Center accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, however, most projects that receive stipends respond to the priorities identified in the research announcement or are commissioned by the Center staff.

Can independent researchers or consultants apply?
Independent researchers or consultants must have an affiliation with a nonprofit organization, an academic institution, or journalistic institution. A letter from one of those organizations describing the affiliation must be included in the proposal.

Can graduate students apply?
If the proposed report is part of a graduate student's doctoral dissertation, he or she may apply. However, the proposal should include a letter of endorsement from the individual's dissertation advisor.

How quickly must the report be completed?
Recipients will be asked to select the start and end dates of the project. Recipients are asked to submit a completed manuscript no later than six months after the selected start date. The project should be started no later than three months after the stipend is awarded.

How long is the report?
Reports should be 30- to 40-pages in length.

How will the report be published?
The IBM Center will publish the report and distribute it to government executives and managers.

Can recipients publish the report in other publications?
Recipients retain all rights to the research and can publish findings anywhere they wish. The IBM Center must be cited, however, for providing support for the project.

Who is the audience for completed reports?
Reports should be written for government executives and managers, with the goal of providing them practical insight, findings and where appropriate, actionable recommendations.