MRA Guidelines

Research Priorities

1. The IPC seeks to fund research proposals that will advance theoretically grounded research and provide sound conceptual insights on Philippine society and culture.
2. The research priority areas for the call for proposals are: Substantive thematic clusters: 1. Social justice, poverty, and well-being; 2. Civil society, social change, cultural- and spiritual- based values; 3. Asset building and social capital formation in community-based health, education, shelter, and natural resource management; 4. Cultures of work, conflict, and peace; and 5. The impact of globalization on people's everyday lives. Within these thematic clusters, specific substantive areas would include: a. Religious change and transformation; b. Families, childhood, youth, and aging; c. Culture, political leadership, and state power; d. Critical analysis of citizenship and civil society; e. Forms of governance; f. Corporations and private authority; g. Social dynamics of agriculture and the environment; h. Articulations of the global-local nexus; and i. The coexistence of "modernity" and "tradition". Applicants are encouraged to pursue these research priority areas in examining issues related to social justice and poverty; civil society and social change; asset building and social capital formation; community-based project management; work, conflict, and peace; and globalization.
3. Proposals for the study of other theoretical concerns not specified above must first be cleared with the IPC prior to submission.
4. This research scheme is expected to generate a substantial written output worthy of publication as a book, a collection of essays, or a short monograph.

Selection Criteria

1. The Merit Research Awards (MRA) are granted on a competitive basis. A selection committee composed of IPC staff and representatives of the wider University community will examine, assess, and decide on the proposals.
2. Research proposals will be assessed based on a set of criteria, including: (a) clarity and focus; (b) theoretical substance and scholarly significance; (c) feasibility; and (d) expected output.

Eligibility

1. The following are eligible to apply: a. All academic and research staff members of the Ateneo de Manila University, including the various Loyola and Professional Schools and Auxiliary Units; and b. Members of the IPC staff, including those who have recently completed a contract or commissioned research, and have not received an appointment at the time the application is made.
2. Research proposals are generally individual submissions, but collaborative proposals are welcome. The main proponent or principal investigator, who will assume full responsibility for the proposed research, must be clearly identified and must comply with the eligibility criteria set out in these Guidelines.
3. Applicants must be prepared to invest the requisite time to ensure completion of the research project within the period specified in the proposal. The maximum length of a research project is one year, with no extensions.
4. Applicants who are eligible to apply for the Loyola Schools Scholarly Work Faculty Grants are expected to make parallel applications with the IPC and the University Research Council. The successful applicant is expected to combine the Faculty Grant with the MRA. Failure to obtain a Faculty Grant will affect the status of an MRA application.

Application Process

1. The applicant must complete the MRA application form which can be secured from the IPC office, downloaded from the IPC webpage, or as attached in this announcement.
2. The completed MRA application form, together with the research proposal, must reach the IPC by close of office hours on __________ (date to vary at every call).
3. In the MRA application form, the applicant's refereed publications relevant to the proposed study must be listed, starting with the most recent work. Books, anthologies, chapters in edited collections, and journal articles subjected to a pre-publication refereeing system should be indicated in the relevant section of the application form. If the list is long, the publications may be classified according to various subheadings, such as: books, book chapters, and journal articles.
4. The applicant's refereed publications not relevant to the proposed study should be listed along with all other published and unpublished (e.g., conference) papers, starting with the most recent work. If the list is long, the papers may be classified according to various subheadings, such as book chapters, conference papers, and research reports.
5. The output of the proponent's consultancies that have minimal scholarly content need not be included in the list of academic and research papers.
6. If there is more than one proponent, a separate list of publications and papers must be provided for the principal investigator and for each of the co-proponents.
7. The MRA application form contains a section that asks for a "general statement of career opportunities and involvements that are relevant to the assessment of the application." The applicant may use this section to inform the selection committee about various aspects of her/his career to justify why a research award is merited. The justification may pertain to one's research and scholarly contributions over the years, to a young scholar's plans and aspirations, or to a mid-career academic's plans of conducting theoretical work after some time of doing consultancies or commissioned research that has not tapped the applicant's full scholarly potential.
8. Early-career applicants are encouraged to submit two letters of recommendation.
9. Prior to submission of the proposal, the applicant is requested to discuss the research plan and its implications for workloads and associated costs with her/his unit head. The application form includes an endorsement page that must be signed by the applicant's unit head.

The Research Proposal

1. The research proposal should not exceed 2,500 words.
2. Because this research scheme is intended to advance theoretically grounded social science research, a research proposal is expected to contain: a. A well-formulated research question. b. The proposed study's theoretical significance, in relation to the wider body of literature on the subject and to Philippine social science. Please note that interdisciplinary proposals are expected to elucidate the social science aspect of the study and its broader social scientific theoretical significance. c. A list of works cited in the main text. This list, which is to be located at the end of the proposal, is excluded from the word count. d. Methodology and data-gathering techniques, together with a justification of methods in relation to the research problem. e. Inclusion of a Gantt chart of research activities is advisable. f. The expected outcome of the study, such as a book-length manuscript or a series of papers to be collated into an anthology. Applicants are encouraged to provide tentative titles of these expected publications. Please note that the actual publication of manuscripts is outside the scope of the proposal. To publish a manuscript issuing from the research award, a separate proposal will have to be submitted to the IPC. With the manuscript at hand, it would be easier to determine the expected number of book pages and costs. g. Where possible, the proposal can briefly suggest a follow-up study that can be proposed for external funding in the future.
3. The proposal should clearly map out the various research activities within the applicant's chosen time frame. a. The proposed study, including writing of the final output, should not exceed 12 months. b. Arrangements concerning teaching loads will have to be negotiated separately and internally between the applicant and her/his unit head. c. The publication of the research output should not be included in the study's time frame and budget. But adequate time must be allocated to the writing of the research output. d. No extensions can be granted, so the expected output must be completed within schedule.

Proposed Budget

1. Research awards can have a maximum budget of P500,000. The award money is not directly handed over to the successful applicant; rather, it is administered by the IPC as detailed in the next section of these guidelines.
2. Honoraria for the main proponent, other participating researchers, and supporting personnel can be included in the budget. The successful applicant is expected to settle financial matters with his/her unit independently of the IPC.
3. A rough guide for calculating honoraria is to peg the amount at 20 percent of the faculty member's salary. Care must be taken in estimating salaries and honoraria to ensure that excessive amounts are not drawn, and that a sizeable proportion of the project budget is left for undertaking research activities.
4. Projected expenses consistent with the proposed study's research methods can be included in the budget, such as travel, field allowance, research materials, and other necessary items. If a research assistant is to be hired, the job description of this individual should be clearly indicated. If more than one assistant is to be hired, the job description of each assistant must be specified.
5. Because the Merit Research Awards are administered within the IPC's organizational structure, and in order to accustom younger researchers, the proposed budget should include a contribution to the Institute's overhead expenses equivalent to 10 percent of total direct costs. Regular IPC projects normally contribute 20 percent to overhead.
6. As a general rule, the IPC reserves the right to determine the validity of items included in the applicant's proposed budget and in the actual disbursement of funds.
7. Anyone needing assistance in drawing up a budget may make an appointment with the IPC Director, who shall find a member of the IPC staff that can meet with the applicant.

Administration of a Merit Research Award

1. The successful applicant shall receive an appointment as a Research Associate of the Institute of Philippine Culture. This appointment carries with it the designation of Project Director of the study funded by a Merit Research Award.
2. The successful applicant will have relative autonomy in the disbursement of project funds in pursuit of the study's research goals. Project Directors are expected to exercise fiscal prudence, discipline, and integrity.
3. The IPC itself will administer the award money, conformable to the University's accounting practices and the operating procedures of the Institute. Nonconformity to the terms of the award may lead to a suspension of fund releases.
4. Periodic financial statements will be provided by the Central Accounting Office to guide the disbursement of project funds.
5. At the end of the award period, unexpended funds will revert back to the Institute.
6. As a Research Associate/Project Director, the successful applicant will be provided with office space and the research infrastructure of the IPC. Any project staff will be accommodated as space allows.
7. The use of IPC computer and internet services shall be voluntary. The use of personally owned computers is allowed, but the cost of doing so cannot be charged to the project. Purchase of computer materials in connection with the use of personally owned computers will need the approval of the IPC Director.
8. The use of IPC computer and internet services shall be made available to successful MRA applicants at nominal rates. Existing rates for internet connection and laser printing shall apply. In the case of IPC computers, a nominal and heavily subsidized rate of P500 per month shall be charged. Awardees shall have the convenience of using IPC computers in their designated rooms/spaces.
9. Any equipment purchased in connection with the project shall become the property of the IPC at the termination of the award period.

Deliverables

1. A Merit Research Awardee is expected to submit in writing a succinct mid-term report on the progress of the research.
2. At least one month before the termination of the award period, the awardee is expected to give a public lecture or seminar presentation to share the highlights of the study's findings. Feedback from the audience may provide valuable inputs before the expected manuscript is finalized.
3. At the conclusion of the award period, a publishable research product in manuscript form must be submitted. Although there is no absolute requirement on its length, a respectable manuscript will contain a t least 25,000 words. This manuscript may eventually be published by the IPC as a book, an edited collection, or a short monograph.
4. In all research outputs, the Institute reserves the right of first refusal.
5. As previously stated, the actual publication of manuscripts resulting from the study is outside the scope of the proposal. A separate proposal may be submitted to seek funds for publication. This separate funding request may include the costs of the author's time to undertake revisions, copyediting, and book production.
6. Beyond the required manuscript submission, the awardee is free to rework the research output into other forms of publication (such as journal articles). The IPC will appreciate being notified and given copies of these other publications.
7. Papers presented at meetings or conferences and published outside of the IPC Publications Program shall acknowledge the Merit Research Award of the Institute of Philippine Culture, Ateneo de Manila University.

 Downloads: MRA Application Form