Applications Invited for SANDEE Research Grants 2026

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About the Organization

We are ICIMOD, a unique intergovernmental institution leading the global effort to protect the pulse of the planet - the HKH - and the people, resources and culture that define it. We create knowledge. Knowledge is the first step towards innovation and impact. We work relentlessly to understand problems by facilitating research and producing data.

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) is an intergovernmental knowledge and learning centre working on behalf of the people of the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH). We are based in Kathmandu, Nepal and work in and for our eight regional member countries – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan.

We work to improve the lives and livelihoods of men, women, and children of the HKH and protect mountain environments and cultures. The knowledge we create and share helps the people of the HKH become more resilient, make the most of new opportunities, and prepare for change. Our work strengthens regional cooperation for conservation and sustainable mountain development.

About the Grant

SANDEE provides research support to researchers and institutions from South Asia and the HKH region interested in the inter-connection among development, natural resource use, and the environment.

SANDEE invites concept notes in the areas of environmental and resource economics relating to the development of South Asia and the HKH region.

Research grants are provided for conducting research on topics related to economics and the environment in South Asia and the HKH region. Multi-disciplinary projects with a robust economic focus are encouraged. Cross-border collaborations and trans-boundary projects are prioritized. Currently, SANDEE’s research activities focus on three prioritized research themes:

Prioritized research area: Ecosystems management

Ecosystems provide a variety of provisioning, regulating, supporting and cultural services. With human activities, some of these services are being lost at an accelerating rate. Changes in ecosystems have short-run as well as long-run implications for livelihoods and the health of natural systems. Research on ecosystems management will focus on:

• Understanding the implications of ecosystem changes for economic and social systems
• Economic analysis of conserving ecosystems and their services by evaluating costs and benefits to different stakeholders, especially the poor
• Examining different institutional arrangements to manage ecosystem services

Prioritized research area: Economics of climate change

With climate change, South Asia is expected to face more variation in temperature and precipitation, more extreme weather events, and sea level rise over time. These changes are affecting millions of poor people in South Asian countries. Research on economics of climate change will focus on:

• Evaluation of the impacts of climate change
• Economic analysis of adaptation measures
• Evaluation of the mitigation strategies, particularly those that offer local co-benefits
• Examination of institutions and policies that need to be in place for low carbon growth and long-term adjustment to climate change

Prioritized research area: Policies and programs for greener development

Governments and other organizations in South Asia put forward a variety of regulations and policies to manage local to global environmental problems. There is a need to examine alternate policy options and to evaluate their impacts in order to ensure that we are on a sustainable path. Under this theme, research will focus on:

• Program evaluation of the impacts of environmental policies, regulations, and programs
• Assessment of the economic incentives associated with different regulatory and market mechanisms and their contribution to policy compliance

Grant size and duration:

Grants are likely to be in the range of USD 20,000–30,000 over a two-year period. Grants at the upper end of the range are aimed at projects with multidisciplinary teams involving two or more countries in the region or for projects addressing transboundary issues that require interdisciplinary collaboration.

How to Apply

• Regardless of whether concept notes submitted in response to this call focus on any of the climate/environmental/natural resource and development issues, SANDEE will prioritise concept notes that demonstrate strong economic analysis using established methods, and can lead to publications with the dual potential of impacting scientific knowledge and influencing relevant policies. Concept notes for action research that aims to produce consulting-type reports will not be considered.
• Only professionals (e.g. academics, researchers, and practitioners) from and working in South Asia and the HKH region are eligible to submit concept notes.
• Women professionals (e.g. academics, researchers, and practitioners) from and working in South Asia and the HKH region are encouraged to apply.
• To avoid a conflict of interest, professionals with relatives currently working and / or consulting with ICIMOD are not eligible for applying to this call. Applicants are required to declare it while submitting the application.
• Principal investigators (PIs) must be junior to mid-career professionals employed by a university, a research institute, or a similar institution in the region, including government agencies and non-profit research organisations. Senior-level professionals (e.g. professors, directors, and other similar levels/positions) are not eligible to apply for this call.
• Institutional affiliation of the PI is mandatory for receiving this grant. While submitting a full proposal (not needed for concept notes), a support letter from the institution where the PI is affiliated is required for further consideration.
• We will conduct due diligence of the grant-hosting institution before awarding the research grant.

Application procedure and deadline:

To be considered for the summer 2026 grant cycle, please review the procedure and fill out the online application form, which you can access through https://forms.icimod.org/regional-action/sandee-call-for-research-concept-notes-summer-2026/ by 31 December 2025.

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Tags Environment and Sustainability Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Research Others