Request for Proposals: Arts Research | Deadline Extended: September 15, 2022 (CLOSED)

India Foundation for the Arts (IFA) announces
Request for Proposals
for the Arts Research programme

Application Deadline extended to Thursday, September 15, 2022

The Arts Research programme engages scholars, researchers, and practitioners to research the various histories and expressions of artistic practices in India. It seeks to foster wider perspectives, understandings, interpretations and engagements in the arts.

We invite proposals for our Arts Research programme from researchers and practitioners who are interested in undertaking research projects, implemented by IFA. These projects could investigate marginalised or relatively unexplored areas; intend to create spaces for dialogue between theory and practice; offer new readings of artistic practices; and use interdisciplinary approaches to break new conceptual ground, among other things.

IFA specifically encourages projects in Indian languages, including English so as to contribute to the discourse in various language contexts.

Research projects should have clear research objectives, in-depth background surveys, critical research questions, rigorous methodologies, and specific outcomes that will be shared in the public domain. The outcomes could be books, essays, films, websites, multimedia exhibitions, etc.

Tanveer Ajsi (Senior Programme Officer)
speaks about the Arts Research programme

Who can apply?

The programme is open to proposals from individual scholars, researchers, and practitioners, across disciplines. You are eligible to apply if you are an Indian national. Your collaborators need to be Indian nationals, too. (For more on the eligibility criteria, please click here.)

Please note that all selected projects will be implemented by IFA.

Application Process:

You may choose to write your proposal in any Indian language, including English. IFA staff would be happy to answer any questions regarding this programme. You can approach us to discuss your ideas for suggestions and comments before sending in your final proposal. The contact details are provided at the end of this call.

Your proposal will be assessed with the help of external evaluators, and all decisions on the selection made by IFA will be final.

Please include the following in your proposal:

  • The content of the proposal should have clear research objectives, an in-depth background survey, critical research questions, rigorous methodologies, and specific outcomes;
  • Supporting material, if any, which gives us a sense of your work;
  • Your curriculum vitae;
  • A detailed breakdown of the budget that explains how funds will be utilised. Please also mention funding anticipated from other sources, if any; and
  • Your address, telephone numbers, and e-mail address.

Duration of the Project:

Your project may have a minimum duration of one year and a maximum duration of one year and six months.

Budget:

You can budget up to Rs 5,00,000/-

Deadline:

You can send us your proposal for suggestions and comments by email. However, please note that your final proposal, including your curriculum vitae and supporting material, should reach us before or on September 15, 2022.

General Information:

  • The budget will cover only project-related personnel costs, activities and travel, and can provide for modest equipment rental and materials, if necessary. Please ensure that each budget category pertains to a specific item of project-related expenditure;
  • Please do not budget for institutional overheads, building costs, or infrastructural development. The budget does not allow buying of equipment either, but if you must buy equipment for the project, it has to be returned to IFA after the project is completed;
  • If your proposal is shortlisted, you may be requested to respond to questions that arise out of the evaluation process;
  • The selected projects, implemented by IFA, will be announced in January 2023.

Proposal Submission:

Your final proposals must be sent online in a single email not more than 25 MB to Tanveer Ajsi, Senior Programme Officer, Arts Research, at tanveerajsi@indiaifa.org with the Subject Line: Project Proposal for Arts Research

Phone number: 91-80-2341 4681 / 82 / 83 (between 10:00 AM and 04:00 PM, Monday to Friday)

Translations of this call are available in other Indian languages and can be downloaded here

The Arts Research programme from 2021-2022 to 2024-2025 is supported by BNP Paribas India.