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Decolonising Peace Education in Africa

Decolonising Education for Peace in Africa

Glossary

Glossary

AHRC

At the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) we fund world-class, independent researchers in a wide range of subjects from history and archaeology to philosophy and languages. We also fund more contemporary research including the design and effectiveness of digital content and the impact of artificial intelligence.

Co-Investigator (CoI)

A Co-Investigator is a member of the research team on a project but is someone who is not responsible for the overall management of the project.

Contingency Plans

A contingency plan is a course of action designed to help an organization respond effectively to a significant future event or situation that may or may not happen. A contingency plan is sometimes referred to as "Plan B," because it can be also used as an alternative for action if expected results fail to succeed.

Cost types

  • Directly Allocated Costs

These are the costs of resources used by a project that are shared by other activities. They are charged to projects on the basis of estimates rather than actual costs and do not represent actual costs on a project-by-project basis. They include:

  • Investigators: Proposals will need to show the costs of Principal Investigator and any Co-Investigators if their time charged to the project is based on estimates rather than actual costs.

  • Estates: These costs may include building and premises costs, basic services and utilities, and any clerical staff and equipment maintenance or operational costs not already included under other cost headings.

  • Direct Incurred Costs

Directly Incurred Costs: These are costs that are explicitly identifiable as arising from the conduct of a project, are charged as the cash value actually spent and are supported by an audit record. They include:

  • Staff: payroll costs requested for staff, full or part-time, who will work on the project and whose time can be supported by a full audit trail during the life of the project.

  • Travel and Subsistence: funds for travel and subsistence for use by staff who work on the project where these are required by the nature of the work.

  • Estates

A contribution towards indirect and estates costs can be made for overseas organisations within DAC list (LMIC) countries, this should normally be calculated at up to 20% of the total eligible direct costs charged to the grant directly relating to the activities of the LMIC investigator.

In line with the standard AHRC co-investigator policy, estates/indirect/overhead costs cannot be requested for international co-investigators employed by academic organisations which are not based in a DAC list country (i.e. research organisations located in developed countries and their subsidiaries).

  • Exceptions

These are Directly Incurred costs that Research Councils will fund in full (ie at 100%), subject to actual expenditure incurred, or items that are outside fEC.

  • Indirect costs

In line with the standard AHRC co-investigator policy, estates/indirect/overhead costs cannot be requested for international co-investigators employed by academic organisations which are not based in a DAC list country (i.e. research organisations located in developed countries and their subsidiaries).

If indirect costs are claimed for overseas (co-)investigators in DAC list countries it is not also possible to request direct costs to cover basic office and facilities (e.g. library access etc.) and minor / day-to-day consumables (e.g. photocopying, telephone calls, etc.) although major additional research related costs (e.g. linked to specific research methods such as survey/ fieldwork costs or development of project-specific digital resources) may be requested as direct costs where appropriate.

  • Infrastructure costs

Capital or infrastructure expenditure (e.g. basic office/ laboratory / accommodation furniture or equipment, building/ site construction, maintenance or refurbishment work, improvements to digital connective infrastructure, etc.) is not an eligible cost under Network Plus awards, including awards under strand II. However, additional costs incurred by existing facilities or infrastructures relating to their use as a part of the research or in the archiving of project-specific research data / outputs may be considered. Given the short duration of strand II awards costs for equipment purchase under £10,000 should only be considered where significant use of equipment is required specifically and primarily or solely for the proposed research activity and/or where this is more cost effective for the project than other options such as hiring equipment.

  • Other costs

Costs of other items dedicated to the project, including consumables, books, survey fees, purchase/hire of vehicles, publication costs or recruitment and advertising costs for staff directly employed on the project. Items of equipment costing less than £10,000 should also be included under this heading.

Costs may be included with devolved awards to support inclusive participation in development impact activities, for example in terms of translation costs or support for carers. These may be incurred by either the UK or LMIC partners as appropriate. Where possible accessible venues and facilities should be selected; please note that infrastructure costs cannot be requested for example to make structural alterations to venues for improved accessibility.

  • Overheads

For general administrative costs (e.g. phone calls, printing, office costs).  A justification not required, but the maximum amount is 20 % of the direct costs to be transferred to a specific organisation. For example, if the total direct costs (travel, consumables, salaries) to a university in Kenya is £15,000, then the maximum amount that can be provided for overheads is £3,000.

Due Diligence Process

The investigation an individual or organisation is expected to take before entering the decision-making process. This takes in account

DAC countries

This is a unique International forum of many of the largest providers of aid, including 30 Members. The DAC List of ODA Recipients shows all countries and territories eligible to receive official development assistance (ODA). List of countries and members involved are linked here.

GCRF

Global Challenges Research Fund. The GCRF is a £1.5 billion fund provided by the UK Government to support research that address challenges faced by developing countries.

Network Plus         

This is a GCRF specific term to and is used to describe a growing network of researchers that includes partners in each partner country along with the research teams funded through the network’s Plus funded projects.

ODA

Official Development Assistance. These are grants or loans that are made to DAC Countries that promote the economic development and welfare of a developing country as their main objective. The OECD sets out a full definition here.

When considering if the partners in your project are going to meet ODA compliance, consider the following questions:

  • Where is the majority of the work of this organisation (and the individuals involved) actually taking place?

  • Do Co-Investigators have employment contracts with institutions based in non-DAC countries?

  • Is this a major NGO with considerable resources, or is this a small-scale NGO with limited ability to operate beyond its normal parameters in the DAC list country/context in question?

Principal Investigator (PI)

A Principal Investigator is the person who will hold the money awarded with the grant and will be responsible for leading the research project.

Researcher

A researcher is someone who conducts research, i.e., an organised and systematic investigation into something.

Risk Assessment

A risk assessment is a systematic method of looking at work activities, considering what could go wrong, and deciding on suitable control measures. These control measures are designed to eliminate, reduce or minimize the risks of loss, damage or injury in the workplace