Association of Nepalese Agricultural Professionals of Americas (NAPA)

NAPA Research Mini-Grant (RMG) Program

Background

Founded in 2016, the Association of Nepalese Agricultural Professionals of Americas (NAPA) is a not-for-profit, non-governmental, non-religious, and non-political professional organization that aspires to contribute to agricultural transformation for food security. The Research and Capacity Building Committee (RCBC) of NAPA has been launching a competitive Research Mini-Grant (RMG) program since 2019 to support applied research projects on Agricultural and Allied Sciences (AAS) in Nepal.

Objective(s)

The RMG program intends to provide funding and advisory support to post-secondary students in Nepal to conduct high-impact research in the field of AAS. The studies are expected to address knowledge gaps and contribute to innovations toward the development of economically viable, socially just, and environmentally sustainable plant and animal-based agricultural systems and natural resource management.

Funding amount and areas

NAPA plans to support research proposals of up to NRs 40,000 each for a proposal as a sole or matching fund. In this call, RCBC considers proposals in diverse, specialized, and interdisciplinary areas of AAS contributing to enhancing the knowledge base, defining challenges, and identifying opportunities for technological, socioeconomic, and policy interventions. Priorities will be given to studies focusing on prospective under-utilized resources (for example, plant and animal species, local landraces/breeds), climate change, waste management, renewable energy, adaptive technologies, and value-addition and niche-based opportunities.

Eligibility

This call for proposals is specifically for students from post-secondary academic and vocational institutions. All undergraduate/vocational school students’ research projects that require monetary and advisory support are eligible. Students must have at least one year remaining before graduation to complete the proposed study. However, undergraduate seniors can be eligible if this project is adopted as their intern project and is certified by the university/institution.

How to apply?

• Follow the online proposal form for each section including Project Title, Background, Research Hypothesis and Objectives, Methodology, Deliverables and Expected Outcomes, Timeline, responsibility of key personnel, and Budget. (Form is available at: https://forms.gle/MfLf8ZbY8uXVZ3hA6)
• Proposals must be accompanied by a recommendation letter from the student’s advisor(s) explaining his/her academic standing and ability to conduct the proposed study.
• The recommendation letter shall also provide the advisor’s full commitment to serve as the resident advisor to the student for the duration of the project.
• Investigators proposing collaboration/partnership with other eligible institutions/entities should include letter(s) of support from the collaborating institution(s).
• An advisor can submit a recommendation letter for only one student or group of students working on the sample proposal.

Terms and conditions

• Proposals not adhering to the Call for Proposal guidelines will not be considered.
• Project duration shall be 12 months including the submission of the summary report to NAPA.
• Selected projects may be extended for the second year on a case-by-case basis (at no additional cost to NAPA) if unforeseen situations like natural disasters and/or institutional shutdowns hinder the research progress. RCBC must be notified in advance if such situations arise.
• No grant money can be spent on Indirect Costs (institutional administration and other fees).
• Grant money shall not be used to renovate or refurbish research, education, or extension/outreach space; to purchase or install fixed equipment in such a place; or to plan, repair, rehabilitate, acquire, or construct buildings or facilities.

Timeline (Coming Soon)

• Proposal Submission Deadline: 
• Awardees will be notified: on 
• Contracts with awardees: 
• Research duration: 
• Final report submission:

Proposal evaluation criteria

• Background: Statement/significance of the problem, the rationale/justification of the study, literature review, and conceptual framework upon which the research builds (10 points)
• Innovativeness: originality in terms of new ideas and/or subject area (20 points)
• Hypothesis/objectives: Clarity in the research question/hypothesis which should be built logically from the problem statement (10 points)
• Methodology: Appropriate to address the research question(s) (20 points)
• Deliverables and expected outcomes: Measurable products or results from the proposed project (10 points)
• Timeline: Realistic timeline of the proposed project (10 points)
• Budget: The budget is appropriate, realistic, and justified, and a matching fund is available when the total proposed budget is greater than the ceiling provided by NAPA (10 points)
• Expected impact: Research has the scientific rigor and potential to make an impact or serve as a model for future research initiatives (10 points)

For any additional information, please contact:

Dr. Santosh Dhakal

Chair, RCBC, NAPA

Email:research@napaamericas.org

Dr. Uma Karki

President, NAPA

Email: president@napaamericas.org