Ecosystem Approaches to Human Health (ECOHEALTH)
The Ecosystem Approaches to Human Health research contributes to the generation and application of knowledge for improving people’s health in ways that advance sustainable development. This type of research is built around a systems approach that explores social and ecological interactions and their relationship with human health, giving emphasis to transdisciplinarity and multi-stakeholder participation with a focus on social and gender equity.
Internship candidates are encouraged to submit applications that will further the Ecohealth Program Initiative's multi-regional programming through a research activity proposed by the applicant focusing on the links between agriculture and health.
The following geographic & thematic elements will be given priority:
- Sub-Saharan Africa: Climate change, food security and sustainable agriculture; Healthy agricultural production in sustainable agro-ecosystems.
- South-East Asia: Prevention & control of emerging zoonotic diseases & livestock health.
- Latin America: Healthy agricultural production in sustainable agro-ecosystems.
The ideal candidate will have a strong interest on the links between environmental sustainability, human health and development, in particular in the context of agriculture and health.
The candidate's research proposal should demonstrate the intention to explore the linkages between health and agriculture, as well as a clear understanding of the Ecohealth methodological building blocks (multi-stakeholder participation, transdisciplinarity, and social and gender equity) and recognize the dual nature of the position (combining an applied research activity and general program management elements).
The candidate must have been or will currently be enrolled in a postgraduate degree with a strong emphasis on a combination of either of the following backgrounds/disciplines:
· Public Health, Epidemiology, Animal Health;
· Environmental Sciences; Agricultural Sciences;
· Social Sciences.
The candidate should demonstrate experience and/or interest in research on social and ecological determinants of health, and the Ecohealth approach in general. Knowledge of research for development, field experience in a developing country and experience with publishing/communications are highly desirable.
Rural Poverty and Environment (RPE) (2 positions)
Two internship positions are available in the Rural Poverty and Environment (
RPE) Program. The interns will work with the team to further its multi-regional programming which involves strengthening institutions, policies and practices that enhance the food, water and income security of the rural poor living in fragile or degraded upland and coastal ecosystems. The ideal candidates should have an interest in rural livelihoods, sustainable development, and environmental governance and equity. The candidates' research proposals should focus on food security issues and the regional impacts according to the guidelines provided below.
One position will be based in Ottawa (focused on the Middle East), and the other will be based in
IDRC’s Singapore office (focused on Southeast and East Asia). The candidates must have, or will currently be enrolled in, a postgraduate degree with a strong emphasis on rural economy, farming systems research and/or agricultural economics. Field experience in the two selected regions (see below) is an asset. Both positions will operate primarily in English but knowledge of French and/or Arabic is an asset for the intern working on the Middle East, and knowledge of a local language would be an asset for the South east and East Asia position.
The folllowing are Internship topics:
2008 witnessed a sharp increase in the price of food around the world. Although the crisis influenced most areas, it did not affect everybody with the same intensity. The poorest and marginalized in rural areas, already facing malnourishment and food insecurity, experienced the strongest impacts. In order to better address food insecurity and minimize the potential impacts of the international food price crisis on the most vulnerable, several questions deserve attention:
- Who are the malnourished and most vulnerable to the food crisis?
- What are the options to reduce vulnerability and malnourishment and improve food security in rural areas?
- What are the best options to respond to long term food security issues vs. options that tackle the present food price crisis?
- What policy options are available to authorities at different levels (national, regional, municipal and communal) to support household adaptation mechanisms in the short, medium and long term?
- What is the role of subsidies in promoting food self-sufficiency and improving food security?
- What are the mechanisms to help poorest communities find new ways to strengthen their local food production (either taking advantage from the market or coping with higher consumption prices)
Given the great variability in the dynamics and causes of food insecurity between and within regions, these questions must be addressed at a broad level, taking into account regional and national specificities.
1) Food price crisis and food insecurity in the Middle East (position based in Ottawa). Although some countries in the Middle East have managed to increase significantly their agricultural production in recent years (eg: Egypt), food insecurity has been growing in many rural areas. While food insecurity can be linked to insufficient agricultural investments, inefficient agricultural systems and environmental constraints, it has also been linked to economic growth and its impact on the food consumption habits of the middle class (more demands for high inputs grain and red meat). It is important to assess which policy options are available to authorities to support household adaptation to changing markets and demands, in the short, medium and long term. The potential and importance of subsidies in promoting food self-sufficiency and improving food security should also be addressed. The intern will contribute to developing the program’s perspective on how
IDRC may best contribute to address the impact of rising food prices on rural households, internal markets, policy options for agricultural development and national institutions.
2) Food insecurity in Southeast and East Asia (position based in Singapore). National aggregates on food insecurity indicate that malnourishment in East Asia is below the mean for developing world and that Southeast Asia is roughly at the Global average. Yet, despite these figures, large numbers of people in the region (especially in rural areas of Mongolia, Cambodia, and Vietnam) experience serious food problems and malnourishment. Given that the food crisis is likely to aggravate the situation and disparities within the region, it is important to better understand regional patterns, dynamics and causes of malnourishment and food insecurity. The intern will contribute to an effort to better understand patterns and dynamics of food insecurity in rural areas of Southeast and East Asia in a context of rapid economic growth and to identify options for potential future work on the issue.
For more information on
RPE, please refer to the public website:
Urban Poverty and Environment (UPE)
The goal of the
Urban Poverty and Environment Program Initiative is to ease environmental burdens that exacerbate poverty in selected cities by strengthening the capacity of the poor to equitably access environmental services, reduce environmental degradation and vulnerability to natural disasters, and enhance use of natural resources for food, water and income security.
The intern will be asked to develop a research project on cities and climate change. The research should explore the relationship between climate change and urban water and sanitation, solid waste management, vulnerability to natural disasters, urban agriculture, or land tenure. A preference will be given to proposals that clearly articulate the link between research and urban policy as well as those that emphasize the development of pragmatic strategies for adapting to climate change in cities.
The intern will spend approximately 50% of the time on his or her own research, and 50% supporting
UPE's program-level activities. The
UPE intern starting in 2010 will be supporting the consolidation of the research stemming from the Focus City Research Initiative (see
www.idrc.ca/upe).
The intern should have the following qualifications:
- experience researching/working in developing countries;
- familiarity with participatory approaches and with methodologies for social and gender analysis;
- educational background:
UPE is open to applications from candidates with a wide variety of academic backgrounds including geography, urban planning, engineering, architecture, environmental studies, economics, sociology, and anthropology;
- it is crucial that the applicant understands both the technical and the socio-economic dimensions of urban poverty, and that he/she has the ability and understanding to work across the applied and social sciences;
- experience with writing, communication, and dissemination (would be an asset);
- English (required) and French (a strong asset).
Communities and the Information Society in Africa (Acacia)
Acacia aims to build the capacity of African researchers and practitioners and works with several African partners to explore how best to use ICTs to improve livelihood opportunities, enhance social delivery, and empower citizens. Acacia projects are helping to foster and sustain the conditions that encourage local innovation and empowerment.
The successful candidate will hold the Internship in Ottawa or in
IDRC's Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa, in Cairo.
The candidate's proposal needs to demonstrate an appreciation for the cumulative work, lessons of experience and development outcomes ICTs in development and the Acacia program in particular has achieved. The task over the year of internship will be to conduct mainly desk research and interact with existing Acacia research partners. Some field work is needed to develop a rationale for a next-generation vision and perspective on the role of ICTs and their development outcomes in Africa. This vision needs to be grounded in lessons of experience, development outcomes and processes affected by ICTs in development in general, and the Acacia program, in particular. The candidate needs to write a proposal that will:
· display a high level of experience in a range of research methodologies and display analytical skills;
· have an excellent theoretical grasp of the literature in the domain of development, in general, and an interest or passion for ICTs, in particular;
· build on past research and the broader development context in order to develop a literature review and future oriented research agenda;
· be able to work in a multi-disciplinary team and coordinate team inputs;
· display high aptitude in the use of ICTs.
The proposal needs to evolve the concept of "openness" while considering each of the Acacia program's ongoing range of research that spans experimental research design to evidence-based decision-making in the following areas:
· lowering the barriers of access in Africa by engaging in approaches to achieve the digital commons
- through consideration of knowledge as a public good through alternative and open regimes for intellectual property rights, copyright, open source software, open spectrum, open access and Access to Knowledge (A2K) processes and outcomes with implications for developing countries and the international, national and local processes that inform these debates;
· improving public service delivery and governance
- through capacity building through innovation and experiential on-the-job-learning of ICT applications and software development for use in health, education, Africa's Higher Education Institutions, agriculture, land reform, food security, and participation in public processes and social services;
· overcoming social exclusion by improved capabilities
- through ICT innovations for communities that are underserviced because of their geographical location, their language or culture, their sex or gender roles, their caste, class or race and through poverty;
· addressing the policies and processes
- affecting organizations, suppliers, consumers, users and communities, by enabling or constraining African development through access to local, national, regional and international means of electronic communication, content and benefits.
For further information about Acacia’s program activities, please refer to
www.idrc.ca/acacia.
Connectivity and Equity in the Americas (CEA)
Proposals for internships with the Connectivity and Equity in the Americas (CEA) program should address aspects of the role of ICTs to empower
LAC countries to help solve the social, economic and political development challenges they face. Research proposals that focus on one of the following areas are especially welcome:
- E-economy: ICTs in the informal economy, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) & e-commerce, creation of decent jobs and promotion of entrepreneurship among youth, intellectual property (IP) rights
- E-Enablers
- E-health: improvements in the delivery of health to the poor through the innovative adoption and use of ICTs
- E-education: improvements in the access to and quality of education for the poor through the widespread adoption and use of ICTs
- E-citizenship/governance: Open government (transparency and accountability), innovative mechanisms for increased citizen participation, improving supply, access, efficiency and effectiveness of e-government services
Research proposals that seek to better understand both the positive and negative impacts that the adoption and use of ICTs can have on low-income and vulnerable communities as well as the gender differentiated access to ICTs together with the policy dimensions and implications of the findings are specially welcomed.
As a CEA intern, the successful candidate will contribute to the program work on communication and dissemination of project results, as well as a variety of other tasks in addition to her/his research work as part of the CEA program.
This internship position will be based in
IDRC’s Regional Office in Montevideo.
For more information about the CEA program, please refer to:
www.idrc.ca/cea.
Pan Asia Networking (PAN)
Pan Asia Networking (
PAN) seeks to understand the positive and negative impacts of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) on people, culture, the economy, and society, in order to strengthen ICT uses that promote sustainable development on the Asian continent. The group examines three key areas: Policies, Technologies and Effects, the
PAN Program Initiative, namely in the areas of health, education, livelihoods and governance.
The candidate, though not limited to the following areas, is encouraged to submit a research proposal related to the following ICT related topics:
- research on policies related to intellectual property rights and the digital domain, notably issues related to "open principles (e.g. open access, creative commons, etc.)" and "access to knowledge" in Asia.
- focus on technological innovations, particularly in the realm of mobiles, and how they are benefiting developing communities in Asia in the domains of either health, agriculture, governance, gender, the environment and education.
- better understanding of which research methodologies are suited to examining the impact of the information society on developing countries.
For additional information about
PAN’s program activities, please refer to
www.idrc.ca/panasia.
Innovation, Policy and Science (IPS)
The Innovation, Policy and Science (
IPS) program area has two programming axes: the Innovation, Technology and Society (ITS) program and the
IDRC Research Partnerships Challenge Fund. ITS supports research that contributes to the development of S&T policies aimed at alleviating poverty in developing countries; the Challenge Fund enables joint research between Canadian and developing country scientists.
The successful candidate will hold the Internship at
IDRC Headquarters in Ottawa, be integrated with the
IPS team in its current activities and ongoing projects, and undertake independent research focusing on one of the following issues:
- Social technologies for the poor, focusing on how science and technology contributes to dealing with poverty and inequality issues;
- Science, technology and innovation (STI) policies that aim to alleviate poverty in developing countries, focusing primary in three themes: biotechnology; small farmers and agro-enterprises; and energy issues including water and sanitation;
- Governance, policy and regulation of bio-and-emerging technologies at national and international levels in developing countries;
- Gender issues in science, technology and innovation.
The successful candidate is required to have strong research, analytical and writing skills in English, as well as familiarity with communications and dissemination tools.
For more information on
IPS objectives and research interest, please refer to
www.idrc.ca/ips.
Globalization, Growth and Poverty (GGP)
The Globalization, Growth and Poverty welcomes applications for an internship position based in
IDRC’s head office in Ottawa or in one of the regional offices in Dakar, Nairobi, Cairo, Singapore or Montevideo.
Proposals for internships with this program should address aspects of the relationship between globalization, economic growth and poverty/inequality in developing countries of Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean. Project proposals must fall within one or more of the following themes:
- Agrifood Markets;
- Competition Policy;
- Fiscal Policy and Accountability;
- Labour Markets and Migration;
- Private Sector Development;
- Social Protection;
- Trade, Investment, and Economic Integration;
- The use of research-based evidence in economic policy making processes.
(For examples of the research supported under each of those headings, please visit
The
GGP program gives greater priority to projects with precise and feasible objectives and a well-specified methodology. Applicants are strongly encouraged to address the gender and social equity dimensions of their research problematique.
As a
GGP intern, the successful candidate will allocate about 50% of the time to his/her own research project under the guidance of a
GGP officer. For that reason, priority will be given to projects which are closer to the areas of expertise of the potential “mentors” (bios of
GGP officers are available at
http://www.idrc.ca/ggp/ev-93503-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html. Please note that only Senior Program Officers or Senior Program Specialists can be “mentors”). The intern is expected to present his/her research plan and progress during the year (at
IDRC/
GGP internal meetings or other academic or professional forum), and to finalize his/her research paper in the form of an internal or external publication with single or joint authorship (such as a
GGP Working Papers, or a submission to a specialized journal or conference).
The rest of the time, the intern will contribute to the team’s work by synthesizing and disseminating project outcomes and results, participating in various project development, monitoring and learning activities undertaken by the team, and assisting in the preparation of internal and external reports. Strong writing skills are an asset.
Peace, Conflict and Development (PCD)
The Peace, Conflict and Development Program Initiative supports research on and for peacebuilding, accountability during peacebuilding and capacity building of the peacebuilding field in the South.
PCD is accepting applications focusing on the linkages between conflict/peacebuilding and democratic governance with a regional focus on Sub-Saharan Africa, especially on Eastern Africa.
Language requirements: English. Spanish and French language skills would be an asset.
The intern should have the following qualifications:
· pursuing a Master’s program or have completed a Master’s in social sciences, international development, or international politics/affairs;
· experience in conducting research;
· strong writing and synthesis skills;
· international work or study experience (would be an asset);
· experience working in a policy research organization (would be an asset).
The successful candidate will contribute to the program's work on synthesizing and disseminating
PCD project outcomes and results, as well as a variety of other tasks in addition to his/her research work.
Part of this research internship may be spent at the
IDRC's Regional Office of Nairobi, Kenya.
Think Tank Initiative
The Think Tank Initiative is a global program that supports independent policy research organizations — or “think tanks” — in developing countries. The Initiative will focus on countries in East Africa, West Africa, South Asia and Latin America. Its goal is to strengthen a select group of independent policy research organizations, enabling them to provide objective, high-quality research that both informs and influences policy. To achieve its mission, the Initiative will provide organizations with a mix of long-term general support grants (“core funding”) and access to training and technical assistance to allow them to improve research quality, expand policy linkages, and address other key aspects of organizational development.
One important dimension of the Initiative is to capture and share learning about strategies for supporting and managing policy research organizations. The Think Tank Initiative intern will contribute to this dimension by providing a better understanding of what makes an independent policy research organization successful in different regions of the world.
Proposals for the internship should address one or more key dimensions of “success” for policy research organizations related to research quality, policy links or aspects of organizational performance. Through the collection, analysis and synthesis of information on think tanks supported - or not - by the program, proposals could address one/some of the following research questions:
· What is the nature of the applied research market in (some) developing countries?
· What is the role of independent policy research organizations in policy influence and policy making process?
· What are the main factors influencing the vision, the mandate and the strategic planning of a policy research organization?
· What are the factors that enable “leading” think tanks in the world to be perceived as successful, and what can be learned from these examples to help strengthen think tanks more widely?
· What characterizes effective management and leadership in the context of independent policy research organizations, and how is this achieved and supported?
· What approaches have been used to enhance the organizational adaptiveness of think tanks in dynamic policy environments, and what have been the outcomes in terms of their performance and effectiveness?
The intern is expected to be able to present his or her research plan and progress during the year during team meetings at the Centre or in regional offices or any other academic or professional forum. The intern is expected to finalize his or her research paper in the form of an internal or external publication with single or joint authorship.
The intern should have the following qualifications:
- experience researching/working in a developing country;
- a Master’s in economics, development studies, public policy or business administration;
- be familiar with methodologies for social and economic analysis;
- experience working in a policy research organization an asset;
- English. French or Spanish (would be an asset).
As an intern with the Think Tank Initiative, the successful candidate will also contribute to a variety of other tasks in addition to his/her research work as part of the team.
Women’s Rights and Citizenship (WRC)
Women’s Rights and Citizenship (
WRC) is an
IDRC program aimed at supporting applied research in the field of women’s rights, citizenship and development. Part of
IDRC’s Social and Economy Policy (SEP) program area, the
WRC program contributes to bringing Southern voices into current debates in the international gender and development field.
The intern will have the opportunity to undertake his/her own research project during the course of the award, addressing a topic that is in line with
WRC’s programming strategy. The intern will spend approximately 50% of the time on his or her own research.
WRC invites internship proposals that seek to explore the area of gender and democratic governance. Potential topics for study include but are not limited to:
- access to justice;
- rule of law;
- democracy;
- role of the state;
- women’s political participation and representation.
The remaining 50% of the internship is allocated to the needs of
WRC program. The position will involve development of multiple and discrete research and writing assignments focusing on women’s rights and citizenship issues. The intern will be called upon to assist with the overall work of the
WRC program, which could include but is not limited to:
- participation in team meetings, research tasks to locate, review and synthesize relevant material, preparation of state of the art reviews;
- preparation of correspondence;
- writing and editing of various documents;
- assistance with the organization of meetings, workshops and seminars, arrangements for visitors;
- the preparation of minutes and reports;
- updating and maintaining databases; and
- maintenance of the
WRC website.
The intern should have the following competencies:
· excellent teamwork skills;
· cross-cultural and gender sensitivity;
· ability to set priorities and manage time effectively
· ability to work both independently and as an effective team member
· accuracy and attention to details
· ability to synthesize large amounts of information
· ability to organize and co-ordinate events (i.e., workshops and conferences).
The intern should have the following research skills and experience:
· be pursuing a Master’s program or have completed a Master’s in social sciences, politics and/or international affairs (i.e. international development studies, gender/women's studies, political science and good governance, human rights, development planning or related field);
· a research specialization in the area of gender and democratic governance (highly desirable);
· strong research and analysis skills;
· excellent English written and verbal communication skills;
· fuency in French and Spanish are significant assets.
Governance, Equity and Health (GEH)
GEH encourages research proposals that focus on one of the following research domains to address key governance, equity and health issues:
· policy processes for health service delivery (e.g. formulating, implementing, and evaluating pro-poor policy for health; fair and sustainable financing; influences of donors and globalization on policy);
· strengthening health systems (mechanisms and approaches to strengthen and monitor the capacity of governments to ensure equitable financing and delivery of priority public health and health care services, especially to marginalized and underserved populations);
· priority conditions or interventions as an entry point to address broader governance, equity and health systems issues;
· civic engagement (e.g. mechanisms to promote effective and informed participation and inclusion; exercising the right to health; health and health care as an arena for democratization);
· making research matter (conceptual and analytical framework to increase the effectiveness of research-to-policy-to-practice linkages in promoting the dual goals of health and social equity).
The successful candidate is required to have strong research, analytical and writing skills, as well as familiarity with key institutions (including Canadian) active in international health and health research. An understanding of the health implications of urbanization, as well and Spanish and French language skills, would be considered an asset.
Please note that the intern will spend approximately 50% of the time on his or her own research and 50% as an integral part of the
GEH team. As
GEH intern, the successful candidate will contribute to the program's work on synthesizing and disseminating
GEH project outcomes and results as well as a variety of other tasks in addition to his/her research work.
Global Health Research Initiative (GHRI)
The Global Health Research Initiative (GHRI) is a partnership of five Canadian federal agencies with complementary mandates and expertise. Its mission is to enable Canada to effectively address health and health systems priorities of low and middle income countries through innovative research and capacity building programs, strategic collaborations and by influencing global health policy and research agendas. GHRI’s current programs include the Teasdale-Corti Global Health Research Partnership Program, the Africa Health Systems Initiative Support to African Research Partnerships, the Canadian International Immunization Initiative Phase 2, the Canadian International Immunization Initiative for Haiti, and the HIV/AIDS Prevention Trials Capacity Building Grants. In addition, a program of grants for Clinical Trial Capacity Building and Networks, and one relating to Avian and Pandemic Influenza should start in the near future. GHRI is developing and implementing an evaluation strategy for the Initiative as a whole, as well as for the individual programs.
The successful candidate will contribute to GHRI’s overall work with a special emphasis on evaluation and learning activities. Her/his scope of work will include, but will not be limited to:
- compilation and analysis of indicators and trends at macro- and program-levels;
- preparation of reports and presentations;
- assistance in the development of an evaluation plan for one of GHRI crosscutting themes. The themes are gender, knowledge transfer and exchange, capacity development, ethics and equity; and
- assistance to program officers in the collection and analysis of data to support evidence-based programming and guide the development and implementation of their activities.
The candidate will spend approximately 50% of the time supporting GHRI’s work and 50% on his or her own research. The proposal of the candidate should focus on evaluation or issues related to gender, knowledge transfer and exchange, capacity development, ethics or equity in the context of global health research.
The internship will be based in Ottawa. The successful candidate should possess strong research, analytical and writing skills, as well as familiarity with global health research, health systems, or international partnerships. Ability to work both independently and as an effective team member, experience working in Low or Middle-Income Countries, and understanding of project evaluation are significant assets. Candidates with a background in social sciences, public health or related fields are encouraged to apply. Applications are accepted in French or English. Proficiency in the other language is highly desirable. Knowledge of Spanish is an asset for this position.
For more information on GHRI, please refer to
www.ghri.ca.
Research for International Tobacco Control (RITC)
The Research for International Tobacco Control program works to create knowledge for the development of effective policies and programs that will minimize the threat of tobacco production and consumption to health and human development in developing countries.
The intern will work with the
RITC team on its broad tobacco control and development agenda and will undertake an individual research project that is relevant to at least one of the following program areas within
RITC’s thematic portfolio in developing countries:
· Poverty and Tobacco;
· Tobacco Farming: Health, Livelihoods, Economics and Environment;
· Health Systems and Policy;
· Globalization and Tobacco; and
· Alternative Forms of Tobacco Use.
As part of his/her program work with
RITC, the candidate will be closely involved in helping to synthesize the lessons learned and success stories of
RITC’s various thematic projects, and in assisting with activities related to the Africa Tobacco Control Situational Analyses (ATSA) Initiative. ATSA seeks to understand the critical determinants of success for tobacco control in Africa. The situational analyses will assess current tobacco use, the dynamics and economics of tobacco production and consumption and existing relevant tobacco control policies in twelve Sub-Saharan African countries. The ATSA findings will inform the development and implementation of tobacco control strategies in Africa.
In addition, under the guidance of the
RITC team, the intern will prepare necessary documents and gain knowledge on project management, proposal development and evaluation, building research capacity among researchers in developing countries and will assist with the organization of
RITC-led domestic and international workshops.
Candidates are expected to have strong research, analytical and writing skills, and intermediate knowledge of one or a combination of the following backgrounds/disciplines:
· tobacco control;
· public health;
· health policy;
· international development; and
· economics
Knowledge of qualitative and quantitative data analysis would be an asset, as well as French and/or Spanish language skills.
The intern will spend approximately 50% of the time on his or her own research and 50% as an integral member of the
RITC team.
Partnership and Business Development Division (PBDD)
The Partnership and Business Development Division (
PBDD) has the mandate to initiate, build, and maintain relationships with donors, international organizations and research funders committed to developing research capacities in developing regions of the world.
PBDD co-ordinates the strategic and policy dimensions of partnering, as well as the more practical aspects of negotiating, budgeting and reaching agreement with other research funders.
PBDD works with all
IDRC programming areas; therefore, candidates will be exposed to a diverse set of research projects and clients and will acquire a solid appreciation for the world of
research for development.
PBDD also implements a global capacity building project for
IDRC research partners on the various aspects of resource mobilization (
RM). Through modalities such as training workshops and technical assistance, the project aims to strengthen skill sets of research managers and staff, as well as overall organizational capacity.
The successful candidate must be willing to work as a member of the
PBDD team in its ongoing activities, including providing research analysis and coordinating the production and dissemination of information related to donor partnerships, resource mobilization and organizational development.
PBDD encourages research proposals from candidates interested in the following areas:
- National Research Councils in the developing world – Approaches to effective North-South Collaboration or North-South-South Collaboration;
- Risk management and monitoring of partnerships among donors;
- Online-giving/donations in the philanthropic world that would apply to international development and research;
- Financing of universities in developing countries.
Candidates should be knowledgeable in international development issues and be familiar with international and Canadian development agencies. In addition, candidates should have strong research, analytical and writing skills, and be familiar with website applications. Candidates who possess an MBA/MPA with interest in international work are encouraged to apply.
Language requirements: English. French and Spanish would be an asset.
Policy and Planning Group (PPG)This Policy and Planning Group is responsible for coordinating the five-year strategic plan that guides
IDRC work. The Group engages colleagues in the federal government on policy matters related to Canada’s international assistance, and monitors the strategies of development research funders in other countries. This internship will provide an inside view of how
IDRC works. The intern will work as part of a team supporting
IDRC management with information, analysis, and advice on
research-for-development.
PPG encourages proposals from candidates interested in:
- monitoring the implications of financial crisis for the conduct of development research;
- challenging corporate assumptions through assessments of
IDRC practice;
- anticipating future research priorities through the use of foresight and scanning; and
- document
IDRC’s contribution to development thinking and practice.
The candidate should have a professional interest in foreign policy, international development and/or research management. Previous interns and students have come from diverse academic backgrounds including law, international affairs, public administration and public history. Knowledge about
IDRC’s mandate is desirable. S/he must be flexible, willing to work in a fast-paced environment, responding to short-term demands while keeping her/his eye on long-term objectives.
President’s Office
The successful applicant will have a strong interest in development in South Asia, and relations between countries in the region. His/her past study and proposed research will reflect this. Within
IDRC, the candidate will be expected to provide research assistance in areas including the study of the foreign policy and external relations of India, as well as providing support to
IDRC’s programming and practices.
The intern should have the following qualifications:
- completed a Masters degree and/or be engaged in a PhD in social sciences, international development, or international politics/affairs;
- experience in conducting research;
- international work or study experience (would be an asset);
- excellent English written and verbal communication skills;
- experience working in a policy research organization (would be an asset).
The candidate should have a professional interest in foreign policy, international development and/or research management.
As an intern with the President’s Office, the successful candidate will also contribute as a part of the team to a variety of other tasks in addition to his/her research work.
Special Initiatives Division (SID)
IDRC’s Special Initiatives Division houses the Canadian Partnerships program that ensures that the Centre remains an active partner of the Canadian development and research communities by responding directly to grant proposals from Canadian researchers, academics and civil society. One interest has been to encourage collaboration involving research between universities and non-governmental organizations in international development.
Internship applications should address the theme of Canadian academic institutions’ collaboration or partnerships involving research with NGOs and civil society for international development. The research theme covers Universities-Community relations either in Canada or/and in developing countries dealing with sustainable development issues.
Candidates should submit a short (4-5 pages) proposal on a topic relating to partnerships between researchers in Canada and NGOs both in Canada and in the global South.
Specifically,
SID invites internship research proposals that will explore one or more of the following issues:
- Collaborative activities involving research between Canadian academic institutions and Canadian NGOs on development issues;
- Collaborative activities involving research between Canadian academic institutions and NGOs in developing countries addressing development issues;
- Collaborative activities involving research between academic institutions and NGOs linking Canada and developing countries in various ways and addressing development issues.
The successful candidate should have academic and/or professional training in international development studies, experience in development research, ideally North-South research partnerships, as well as familiarity with development research grant making organizations.
The candidate must have excellent English and French language skills. Spanish and/or Portuguese are an asset.
