Danish-Bhutanese Research Partnerships 2011 – 2014

Announcement of Call for Concept Note

The Royal University of Bhutan and the universities in Denmark are hereby invited to forward concept notes for joint research projects between Bhutanese and Danish researchers. The research cooperation programme is part of the Transition Support Programme (2011-14). An excerpt of the relevant section of the programme can be downloaded here. It is expected that 4-6 joint research projects can be selected for funding by the programme for a period of max. 3years. Each joint research project shall include a PhD study for a Bhutanese researcher.

  1. The topics of research:

A joint research project should focus on a topic within the four broad subject areas of

  1. Health,
  2. Education,
  3. Good Governance including Decentralisation, and
  4. Sustainable Environment and Climate Change
  1. Eligibility criteria:

In order for the application to be taken into account, the following listed criteria have to be met. Applications failing to comply with the conditions set here will be rejected without substantive considerations. For a better overview, the criteria have been related tothe overall Joint Research Project (2.1) and to the PhD study (2.2). For clarifying information please read the Application Instructions for Concept Notes carefully.

2.1 Criteria for the Joint Research Project

  1. The research project shall be a joint research partnership project between a research unit/department of a Danish university and a research unit/college of the Royal University of Bhutan (with a flexible composition of Danish and Bhutanese researchers)
  2. The proposed research project shall be in line with one or more of the 4 research areas.
  3. The Bhutanese researchers shall be academic staff at the Royal University of Bhutan.
  4. The research team shall comprise of at least one senior researcher holding a PhD or similar qualifications, either from Denmark or Bhutan.

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  1. The research project shall include a 3-year “sandwich” PhD-study, which will lead to a PhD award for one of the Bhutanese researchers at the end of the project.

2.2 Criteria for the “sandwich” PhD study

  1. The identified Bhutanese PhD student shall have been registered at the Royal University of Bhutan as a PhD student and accepted by a Danish University for aPhD programme, prior to the submission of the Concept Note.
  2. It should be clearly stated, where the PhD student will be enrolled and whether it will be a joint degree. A joint degree has the highest priority during selection, secondly a degree awarded only by a Danish university and lastly a degree awarded only by the Royal University of Bhutan.
  3. The Concept Note for the research project and the PhD proposal shall complement each other.
  1. Duration of a project:

Maximum of 3 years for research activities

  1. Expected number of projects and support:

For each joint research project the maximum grant will be DKK 1.0 million for the period 2011-14. The project grants will cover all budgeted and approved costs involved in the research project, including the participation of the Danish researchers and the cost of the Bhutanese PhD-student, except from salary of the PhD-student, which will be covered by RUB. The budget rates and units in the Concept Note will serve as guidance for the approval of the project.

  1. The concept note form:

TheConcept Note Form and Application Instructions 2011 for Concept Notes in English can be downloaded at the websites of the Representation Office of Denmark and Royal University of Bhutan at and respectively. The Concept Note must be prepared in English.

  1. Submission of the proposed concept note and PhD-study proposal:
  2. The applicant must submit four hardcopies of the signed Application Form for Concept Note, Form for PhD proposal and CV formats of all listed researchers to the following address no later than 1 October 2011:

Department of Research and External Relations

Royal University of Bhutan

Office of the Vice Chancellor

PO Box. 708

Lower Motithang

Thimphu, Bhutan

  1. The file containing the signed concept note and all other documents in electronic form (PDF file) shall also be send to the office of the Vice Chancellor of Royal University of Bhutan by e-mail , with copy to the Representation Office of Denmark by e-mail .
  2. The Representation Office of Denmark will be responsible for forwarding the concept notes to Danida Fellowship Centre, which will assist the implementation of the research projects.
  1. If documents are missing, forms not filled in duly or the application fails to comply with the conditions set in the ‘Call for Concept Notes’, the Royal University of Bhutan and the Representation Office of Denmark reserves the right to reject the application without substantive considerations.

The deadline for submitting applications is 1 October 2011

7. Timeframe

Date / Activities
1 July 2011 / Announcement of Call for Concept Notes
1 July – 30September 2011 / Identifying and communication between partners, submission of PhD study proposal to Bhutanese and Danish universities for approval, and subsequently drafting of Concept Notes.
1 October 2011 / Deadline for submission of research project Concept Note to RUB (hard copy and e-mail) and ROD (e-mail only).
1 – 7 October 2011 / Screening and selection of concept notes by RUB and ROD.
7 October – 7November 2011 / Assessment of selected concept notes by peer reviewers of international standards.
7 November 2011 / Receipt of recommendations from the peer reviewers
8– 14November 2011 / Communication of the Recommendations of the Reviewers to applicants for comments, if any, of the results of the peer reviews (Referee Rebuttal).
14 – 25November 2011 / Final assessment and approval of selected projects byRUB and ROD.
25November 2011 / Notification to successful applicants and issue of Letter of Grant, and informing non-selected projects.
From 1 December 2011 / First release of funds.
1 January 2012 / Inception of research projects, drafting and elaboration of full project proposal.
1 April 2012 / Submission of full project proposal to RUB and ROD for information.
31 December 2014 / Completing (latest) of research projects.

8. Release of Funds

Funds will be released on half-yearly basis based on the proposed budget, requisition of funds, submission of half-yearly progress reports and the expenditure bills to ROD and RUB.

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Dasho Pema Thinley

Vice Chancellor

The Royal University of Bhutan

Henrik A. Nielsen

Head

Representation Office of Denmark

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30 June 2011, Thimphu Bhutan

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