GDLab, seeks to fund academic studies that provide solid evidence on effective programs and policies to promote the well-being and social and economic inclusion of people with disabilities in Latin American and Caribbean countries.

Proposals that analyze one or more of the 26 IDB borrowing member countries will be considered. The proposals must apply rigorous quantitative methods that establish causal relationships using structural models or experimental or quasi-experimental evaluations. Proposals that include qualitative analysis will be considered only to the extent that they serve as input for the implementation of quantitative methods. Proposals that generate actionable public policy recommendations for the public sector, private sector, and multilateral organizations are especially welcome.

The studies funded through this call for proposals will be considered for publication as IDB knowledge products in the working documents series. This publication will require an external peer review process prior to publication in the IDB working paper series. The studies that receive funding are expected to be published in academic journals.

Find out more details by downloading the brochure of this call.

This call seeks research proposals that provide quantitative and rigorous evidence in the following thematic areas: education, social protection, labor markets, health, housing, transportation, urban development, and climate change.

Proposals that consider the intersectionality of identities and examine the differentiated impact that a disability may have on women, afro descendants, indigenous peoples, and LGBTQ+ persons are strongly encouraged. It is also important to explore the specific issues faced by the young and the elderly within these groups.

Find out more details by downloading the brochure of this call.

Both independent researchers and research teams comprised of entities from the public sector, private sector, universities, or research centers may apply. Applicants must meet the following requirements: be a citizen of one of the 48 IDB member countries and not have family members who currently work at the Inter-American Development Bank or IDB Invest (jointly, "IDB Group") (to the fourth degree of consanguinity and second degree of affinity, including husband or wife).

Participation of IDB Group specialists in the research teams is encouraged. It should be noted that while the specialists may collaborate on the project, they will not be eligible to receive compensation for their contribution. The funds will be given exclusively to the research team members who are not part of the IDB Group.

The Scientific Committee of this call for proposals will evaluate them based on relevance, innovation, scalability, replicability, quality of the methodology, and ability of the team to carry out the research project. The Scientific Committee is made up of specialists on these issues from the IDB Group and by Marcus A. Winters (Boston University) and Beatrix Eugster (University of St. Gallen), external academic advisors. The decisions of the Scientific Committee will be final and unappealable.

The selected teams must be willing to receive and respond to comments from the advisors of the call for proposals and from IDB Group specialists throughout execution of the study, as well as to participate in discussion seminars held during the consultancy period.

The decisions of the Scientific Committee will be final and unappealable. Find out more details by downloading the brochure of this call.

• Relevance and innovation. Does the proposal address a knowledge gap? How would the study contribute to closing these knowledge gaps? What is the innovation proposed by the study to address the problem? What is the study’s relevance in terms of its impact on policy design in the region?
• Data and methodology. Does the proposal present a clear and rigorous research design and methodology? Is the approach to the research question explained in detail and does it justify why the selected methodology is the most appropriate to achieve the objectives of the study? Is the data collection process described in detail, including how potential challenges will be met and overcome? Is the estimation strategy well-articulated, justifying its ability to identify causal relationships and the robustness of the expected results? Are quantitative methods clearly presented and is there adequate justification for their choice over other methodological alternatives?
• Implementation capacity. What is the demonstrated experience of the research team in relation to the subject matter and methodologies of the proposed project? How does the team exhibit its capacity to effectively execute the proposed project? Does the proposal include a detailed and realistic implementation plan that aligns with the proposed activities? Is the budget justified and consistent with the project objectives and scope?
• Scalability and replicability. How can the results of the project be applied to other contexts or environments? What strategies have been considered to ensure project scalability? Have barriers been identified that could impact the replicability and expansion of the project? What mechanisms are included in the proposal to overcome these barriers and enhance the study’s adaptability?

Detailed information about GDLab’s call for research proposals can be found and downloaded here.

Only proposals in English will be considered.

This call for research proposals closes on May 12, 2024 (11:59 ET). To ensure proper processing of all proposals, it is strongly recommended that you submit your proposals well in advance of the deadline. Applications outside this deadline will not be considered.

To apply, teams must register, download and fill the application form in English, and then submit the duly completed form through GDLab’s call for proposals’ website.

Applications sent by email or those that do not follow the format of the form will not be accepted.

GDLab will contact the winning teams in July 2024. Due to the large volume of proposals received in the calls, GDLab will not be able to provide personalized feedback to proposals that are not selected.

Find the schedule of activities for this call by downloading the information brochure here.

Contact us at gdlab@iadb.org