The Innocenti Research Centre (IRC) in Florence (Italy) is the research arm of UNICEF. The IRC has invested in a new research programme and is currently seeking opportunities to broaden and deepen the scope of its research activities.
IRC is currently inviting young researchers especially but not exclusively from middle- or low-income countries to submit proposals for visiting fellowships ranging from 4 – 6 months in research areas related to UNICEF’s mission and to the research agenda of the IRC.
Fellowship provisions and requirements
When selected, the young researchers will be invited to join the IRC in Florence for a period of 3 to 6 months between 1 October 2011 and 31 March, 2012. The visiting fellows will receive a stipend of 3,000 € per month intended to cover the costs of their stay in Florence. One round-trip from place of residence to Florence in economy class will be paid by IRC. IRC may contribute to the additional research costs for the projects covering travel, data collection, conference participation and other research related costs. The maximum amount of the research costs covered shall not be higher than the total cost of the personal stipend over the period.
The visiting fellows are expected to work on the research project they have submitted leading to a research output in the form of an analytical paper, a report or another output to be agreed upon at the acceptance of the proposal. The visiting fellows are equally expected to participate in the scholarly activities of the research centre like seminars, discussions and workshops.
Research Areas
The current research agenda of the IRC includes research activities in the following main areas:
– Measuring (theory and practice) of child well-being: overall and in its separate aspects in rich- , middle income- and low income- countries; multidimensional poverty and deprivation analysis;
– Understanding the impact of social protection on the lives (well-being) of children in rich- , middle income- and low income- countries;
– The role of education in reaching the most excluded children in middle-income and poor countries;
– The impact of (international and internal) migration on children when left behind by their parents and when migrating with their parent(s); the impact of forced migration on children due to “land grabbing”;
– Early childhood development and its contribution to outcomes for children in later life
– The impact of crises and malnutrition and policy resources;
– Systems of child protection;
– New challenges to urban children
– The impact of changes in social norms on the level of protection for children.
Eligibility Requirements
The fellowships are open for researchers not older than 40 years at the start of the fellowship and having an advanced degree (preferably a PhD) in a field relevant to the research proposal. The applicants should be available to be (nearly) full-time in Florence for the period they accept the fellowships and should have no other major obligations in that period.
The IRC especially (but not exclusively) welcomes proposals from applicants originating in middle- or low-income countries.
Deadline for submitting the research proposals is September 10, 2011
For more information and details, you can visit this link.
