Mobile Arts for Peace launched its Large Grant call in March 2022 for researchers at all levels, supporting research that considers how arts-based research approaches can support structures and modes of communication between youth and policymakers in Kyrgyzstan, Rwanda, Indonesia and Nepal.

A key aim of MAP is to deliver a comparative study of the use of interdisciplinary arts-based practices for peacebuilding in Kyrgyzstan, Rwanda, Indonesia and Nepal. It explores how pathways to peace may be shaped by diverse political, cultural, religious and linguistic factors, as well as the crosscutting issues of gender and intersecting inequalities, environments and the exclusion of children and youth from policymaking processes.

The MAP Large Grant funding call was open for applications on 25th March 2022 and closed on 31st May 2022.

Original call for proposals

The MAP Large Grant scheme provides funding for researchers of any level and partnering organisations including universities, research organisations, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), cultural organisations, and social enterprises, to design and deliver effective arts-based monitoring and evaluation projects with and for young people in Kyrgyzstan, Rwanda, Indonesia and Nepal. MAP is interested in applications that integrate youth-led and arts-based participatory monitoring and evaluation approaches.

Please see the MAP Large Grant guidance below for the full details of the criteria for the scheme. The guidance provides a summary of MAP’s aims and research questions, MAP’s objectives for the Large Grant scheme, and eligibility for applicants for the MAP Large Grant.

We are also providing a Frequently Asked Questions resource for MAP Large Grant applicants.

The MAP Large Grant assessment panel will meet in early June 2022. Provisional offers will be made, dependent upon due diligence, in mid-June 2022.

MAP Large Grant Online Application Form and Supporting Documents

All MAP Large Grant applicants should complete and submit the Online Application form below. Applicants are also required to submit all listed supporting documents to MAP@lincoln.ac.uk. Please note that the subject line should include the grant name, the PI name and the date of submission  (e.g. “MAP Large Grant application – Breed310322”).

The form, together with the supporting documents, should be completed and submitted by 31st May 2022 (11:59pm GMT)

1. One Page Theory of Change. For further guidance on how to complete a Theory of Change document, please see our dedicated Theory of Change webpage.

2. A two-page CV and one-page publication list for PI, Co-I and any named research assistants.

3. Confirmation that you have read and agree to adhere to the University of Lincoln’s Due Diligence Process. Please see Appendix Three of the MAP Large Grant guidance for further information.

4. Financial breakdown of project budget. Please see UKRI guidance for completing a financial breakdown.

5. Completed MAP Large Grant timeline of activities.

6. One-page justification of resources. Please see UKRI guidance for completing a Justification of Resources document and a sample Justification of Resources.

7. One-page Gender Equality Statement. Please see UKRI guidance for completing a Gender Equality Statement.

8. Letters of support from all institutions involved.

The MAP Large Grant assessment panel will meet in early June 2022. Provisional offers will be made, dependent upon due diligence, in mid-June 2022.

MAP Large Grant Frequently Asked Questions

Mobile Arts for Peace Structure and Timeline

MAP is working in partnership with researchers at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) across the UK and Official Development Assistance (ODA)-recipient countries, using research findings to develop new methods, case studies and practical toolkits, for engaging children and young people with using arts-based approaches to build new communication structures for peacebuilding. In the process we seek to draw out similarities and divergences across the four countries and to consider questions of scalability and transferability, in order to inform youth policy at an international level.

During Phase Two, up to 32 youth-led small grants have been awarded in each of the four countries for child/youth and adult MAP trainers to work alongside CSOs to develop projects that address local issues that may incorporate (but are not limited to): child rights-based decision-making; child protection and peacebuilding.

Up to 2 grants of £50,000 will be awarded for medium-sized grants in each of the four countries for youth to work alongside cultural organisations, civil society organisations, and higher education institutions to explore arts-based communication structures between young people and policy-makers.

This Large Grant call of £100,000 will design and deliver effective monitoring, evaluation and impact delivery alongside the Small and Medium-sized grants awardees. The Large Grant will synthesize findings, drawing out similarities and divergences across the four countries and to consider questions of scalability and transferability, in order to inform youth policy at an international level.

Phase Three will involve the coordination of MAP projects to inform policy and establish communication structures alongside synthesis and dissemination. The project will be working alongside cultural organisations, youth-serving CSOs, conflict and peace building CSOs, government institutions and ministries, higher education institutions, conflict management, and psychosocial wellbeing organisations. In this way, the project promises diverse impact at local, national and international levels.

Who can apply?

• Each application team must be multi-institutional. Large grant must have a country partner (Kyrgyzstan, Rwanda, Indonesia and Nepal) as Main Applicant or Co-Applicant. Applicants from partnering countries can be from a university, research organisation, NGO, CSO, cultural organisation, or social enterprise. UK applicants must be based in a UK research organisation or a University. Each application team must include a researcher or organisation from the UK as the Main Applicant or Co-Applicant.
• The focus of MAP Large Grant proposals will be related to research activities in Kyrgyzstan, Rwanda, Indonesia and Nepal. MAP will not be funding projects working outside of the four countries with which MAP is working during the project. However, Co-applicants may be from countries other than the partnering countries.
• Researchers of any level may apply, including non-academic organisations (e.g. NGOs, arts-based organisations, and social enterprises). Non-academic organisations should provide evidence of their capacity to lead and deliver research projects and attention should be given to issues such as support for the career development of researchers involved in the project and access to appropriate support facilities (e.g. for data management) and advice (e.g. on research ethics).
• Large Grant projects will be awarded June 2022 with an intended start September 2022. The noted variance between being notified of the award and the proposed start date is to provide project lead-in time to process due diligence, ethics clearance (both in the UK and within the partnering country) and transfer of funds.
• The Large Grant projects will run for a maximum of 18 months and will be funded through standard AHRC funding terms and conditions (i.e. at 80% fEC for UK organisations and 100% fEC for organisations in ODA countries).
• Applications should show how their proposals will build on the learning from Phase One of the MAP project. Please see the project website for more information about Phase One activities (https://map.lincoln.ac.uk). Applications should outline how Large Grant projects will support the development of monitoring and evaluation for MAP’s Small and Medium-sized grants.

There is crossover between Large, Small and Medium grants to create synergies, to collaborate, and to collect/analyse/disseminate data and to develop outputs across the team.

MAP Large Grant Aims:

• MAP’s key aim is to deliver a comparative study of the use of interdisciplinary arts-based practices for peacebuilding in Kyrgyzstan, Rwanda, Indonesia and Nepal. It explores how pathways to peace may be shaped by diverse political, cultural, religious and linguistic factors, as well as the crosscutting issues of gender and intersecting inequalities, environments and the exclusion of children and youth from policymaking processes.
• Successful awardees of MAP Large Grant will monitor and evaluate research activities across MAP’s partner countries (Kyrgyzstan, Rwanda, Indonesia and Nepal). The second group of MAP Large Grants funding and synthesise findings across the four countries.
• MAP is interested in applications that: a) integrate arts-based monitoring and evaluation approaches; and b) integrate youth-led research and participation into monitoring and evaluation approaches. Phase One activities have put into place youth structures including a Youth Advisory Board and MAP Youth Clubs in each country to enable ongoing youth engagement and have mapped out the relevant stakeholders, relevance of cultural forms for dialogic purposes, peacebuilding curricula and youth policies, and pathways to impact as part of the baseline activities. A baseline report, literature review and existing data from Phase One activities can be used by Large Grant awardees. Glasscubes has been used as a data management tool; which can also be used by Large Grant projects to document and to share information across the team.
• Please keep in mind the research participants and stakeholders. Also, the suggested target Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 3 Good Health and Wellbeing, SDG 4 Quality Education, and SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) of the MAP project. Our research seeks to co-produce and test innovative participatory methodologies that might enable youth (encompassing children aged 12-18 and youth between the ages of 18-24), educators and cultural artists to co-design, deliver and evaluate curricula (in formal and informal educational settings) and other approaches to building sustainable and inclusive peace, across local, national and transnational contexts.

Costs and Funding Rules

• Network Plus proposals should be submitted on a full economic cost basis recognising that UK research organisation costs will be supported at 80% fEC.
• Additional provisions will be made for the costs of work undertaken at overseas organisations, with following costs supported at 100% fEC
• Costs incurred for overseas Co-Investigators and any locally employed staff, e.g., per cent of actual salary based on time worked on the grant.
• Costs incurred by the overseas organisations and associated with the research, e.g., consumables, field work etc.
• Costs incurred by overseas investigators or staff for travel and expenses.
• A contribution towards indirect and estates costs at overseas organisations.
• A minimum of £5,000 from proposed budgets should be dedicated to supporting MAP Youth Advisory Board and MAP Youth Club activities. MAP Youth Facilitators will be key participants for the design, undertaking and evaluation of the Monitoring and Evaluation research. This budget should show consideration for meeting costs, refreshments, communication and data packages, and travel budgets.

Mobile Arts for Peace Research Questions

1. How can different art forms be used to co-design, deliver and evaluate peacebuilding curricula and other approaches for working with children and youth to address local conflict issues?

2. How might cultural forms be used for dialogue with and between children and youth, educators and policy makers to advance peacebuilding through a local and indigenous approach?

3. How might psychosocial support, including local healing practices, be better integrated within peacebuilding approaches by using the arts to promote the wellbeing of children and youth, especially those from marginalised groups?

4. How can cultural forms be incorporated into child- and youth-led participatory action research methodologies and adapted for the purposes of the design, undertaking and delivery of interdisciplinary projects in diverse social, political and cultural contexts?

5. How might these cultural forms be used to create alternative spaces and communication structures for peacebuilding approaches and curricula development to inform local, national and international approaches to peacebuilding?