Request for Proposals: Arts Research | Deadline Extended: July 31, 2020 (CLOSED)

We turn to the arts when we are joyful; we turn to the arts when we grieve. And in times of uncertainty and despair, we turn to arts again for sustaining our hopes. The arts enable us to forge solidarities, make sense of the present, and come together to imagine collective futures. This is especially true of now when the Coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt and alter our lives. More here than ever anywhere else, the arts must remind us of the human capacity to endure, re-imagine and create. We at IFA thus continue to support projects across our programmes. We realise that during these times projects will need fresh modes of thinking, creating and presenting the arts, as well as new imaginations of engagement with audiences and communities. We encourage and welcome such enquiries and explorations, within the mandate of our programmes. We hope that we will emerge more resilient and compassionate from this global crisis.     

India Foundation for the Arts
announces
Request for Proposals
for the
Arts Research programme

Application Deadline: Friday, July 31, 2020

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

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

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

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

 

Senior Programme Officer Tanveer Ajsi
talks about the Arts Research programme and how you can apply in this video below.

Who can apply?

The programme is open to proposals from scholars, researchers, and practitioners, across disciplines.

You are eligible to apply if you are an Indian national, a registered non-profit Indian organisation, or have been resident in India for at least five years.

If you are applying on behalf of an institution, please include information on the organisation as well as the memorandum of association/trust deed, annual reports, and audited statements of accounts for the past three years.

(For more on the eligibility criteria, please click here.)

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.

Your proposal will be assessed with the help of external evaluators and all decisions on grants 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 budged 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 request for support up to Rs 4,00,000/-

You may budget for an honorarium of Rs 12,000/- per month subject to a maximum limit of Rs 1,44,000/- for the entire duration of the grant. Please note that the total grant amount is inclusive of the honorarium.

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 July 31, 2020.

Please note that no supporting material will be sent back to the applicant.

General Information:

  • Our funds 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
  • If you are an individual, please budget for an accountant’s fee of up to Rs 3,000/- only
  • Please do not budget for institutional overheads, building costs, or infrastructural development. We do not support the buying of equipment either, but if you must buy equipment for the project, you must return it 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 grants will be announced in January 2021

Please address your application and all other communications to:
Tanveer Ajsi
Programme Officer
India Foundation for the Arts,
‘Apurva’, Ground floor, No 259, 4th Cross,
Raj Mahal Vilas, 2nd Stage, 2nd Block,
Bengaluru 560 094
Tel: +91 80 23414681/82

Please note, considering the current situation, we are accepting proposals via email.
E-mail: tanveerajsi@indiaifa.org

The Arts Research programme for the year 2020 to 2021 is part-supported by Titan Company Limited.