Regulations Prize of the Belgian Development Cooperation 2012: “Social determinants of health”

A downloadable version of the regulations and the CV form is available at the bottom of this page.
 

Article 1

The task of organising and co-ordinating the Prize of the Belgian Development Cooperation has been assigned to the Royal Museum for Central Africa of Tervuren, within the framework of the Cooperation Protocol of 18/06/2007, which regulates the financing of actions by the Museum in the field of development cooperation.

Article 2

The Prize of the Belgian Development Cooperation is intended for students and young researchers, both from Belgium- and a partner country of the Belgian development cooperation (see Article 3 for list of countries), hereafter called partner country, which are active in fields related to the central theme of the Edition 2012: “Social determinants of health”.

The prize is awarded for scientific works which contribute significantly to the knowledge that can be applied for the sustainable development in developing countries.

The prize is granted in the 3 below-mentioned categories:

1.  Students – university/college of higher education/research institute in a partner country:

students on the basis of a Master’s thesis defended at a university/college of higher education/research institute in a partner country:

• min. 4 years of university/higher studies
• age limit at the time the thesis is defended: 35 years

2.  Students – Belgian university/college of higher education/research institute:

students on the basis of a Master’s thesis defended at a Belgian university/college of higher education/research institute:

• min. 4 years of university/higher studies
• age limit at the time the thesis is defended: 35 years

3. Young researchers – university/research institute in a partner country:

young researchers, originating from a developing country and working at a university/research institute in a partner country, who have carried out the larger part of their research there, on the basis of:

• a Ph.D. thesis defended maximum 10 years after having obtained the first main degree (min. 4 years of university/higher studies) or
• at least one publication (evaluated by international experts/peer review) of which the candidate is the first author and which dates from maximum 10 years starting from the first main degree (min. 4 years of university/higher studies)
• age limit at the time the thesis is defended/at the time of publication – or acceptance of publication by a scientific journal: 40 years

Article 3

In the present context a “partner country of the Belgian development cooperation” is defined as one of the partner countries of the Belgian governmental Development Cooperation or one of the countries having Institutional University Cooperation Agreements with Belgium.

List of the “partner countries of the Belgian development cooperation”:

a) partner countries of the Belgian governmental Development Cooperation:

- Algeria
- Benin
- Bolivia
- Burundi
- DR Congo
- Ecuador
- Mali
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Niger
- Palestinian territories
- Peru
- Rwanda
- Senegal
- South Africa
- Tanzania
- Uganda
- Vietnam

b) additional countries having Institutional University Cooperation Agreements with Belgium:

- Burkina Faso
- Cambodia
- Cuba
- Ethiopia
- Haiti
- Kenya
- Surinam
- The Philippines
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe

Article 4

The prize consists of a line of credit which can be used for the continuation of research activities or for career development (participation in seminars, training, …).

The prize amounts per laureate to:

• EURO 5.000 EURO in category (1) students – university/college of higher education/research institute in a partner country (cf. Article 2)
• EURO 5.000 in category (2) students – Belgian university/college of higher education/research institute (cf. Article 2)
• EURO 15.000 in category (3) young researchers – university/research institute in a partner country (cf. Article 2)

The prize is granted to maximum 3 laureates (1 per category).

Next to a prize per laureate, the following prizes are granted to nominees:

• EURO 1.000 EURO in category (1) students – university/college of higher education/research institute in a partner country (cf. Article 2)
• EURO 1.000 in category (2) students – Belgian university/college of higher education/research institute (cf. Article 2)
• EURO 2.000 in category (3) young researchers – university/research institute in a partner country (cf. Article 2)

The prize for nominees is granted to maximum 6 nominees (2 per category).

A divergence from these numbers is possible, depending on the quantity and quality of the applications.

Article 5

Candidates are examined on the basis of a work written in Dutch, French, English or Spanish.

The works submitted must date 2008, 2009, 2010 or 2011.

Works which have already been awarded an external money prize – i.e. a prize issued by another institute than the institute the candidate has studied at / is linked to – will not be taken into consideration.

A candidate can be awarded a prize only once within the scope of the Development Cooperation Prize/Prize of the Belgian Development Cooperation. For instance, a person having received a prize as a student cannot compete for a prize as a young researcher later on.

Article 6

Examination and rating of the works is carried out by a selection committee, representing/appointed by VLIR (Vlaamse Interuniversitaire Raad)(3 persons), CIUF (Conseil Interuniversitaire de la Communauté Française)(3), the Belgian Development Cooperation (Ministry and DGDC)(2), RAOS (Royal Academy of Overseas Sciences)(1), ITM (Institute of Tropical Medicine)(1), the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (1), the developing countries (2) and the RMCA (Royal Museum for Central Africa) (1).

In order to complement the expertise of the members of the selection committee, external reviewers with expertise in the framework of the central theme of the Edition 2012 will be consulted.

On the basis of the 1st evaluation of the works, 3 nominees are designated per category. They are invited to Belgium for the 2nd selection round. In this final selection the 9 nominees give an oral presentation of their work for a restricted Jury, which consists of the selection committee members. On the basis of the final selection the Jury designates maximum 1 laureate per category.

The decisions of the selection committee taken during the 1st evaluation and the final selection are sovereign and final.

Article 7

A candidate’s file must include the following documents:

two copies of:

• the work, as defined in articles 2 and 5
• a summary (max. 2 A4 pages) in the language of the work. For the works written in Spanish an additional translation into English or French is required.
• a short motivation of the link of the work with the central theme of the edition
• a curriculum vitae using the form to be downloaded (young researchers linked with a university/research institute in a partner country are to prove in their CV that the larger part of their research has been carried out in the partner country)
• very important for the evaluation: a report (max. 2 A4 pages) in the language of the work (and, additionally, for the works written in Spanish, in English or French), outlining the relevance of the work for development: its contribution to knowledge which can be applied in the pursuit of sustainable development in developing countries.

The candidates are requested to clarify, in particular, the following evaluation criteria:

- To what extent is the problem that is being examined relevant for sustainable development in developing countries?

- To what extent are local partners/target group/national or local policy makers involved in the formulation of the research question?

- To what extent can adapted directives and/or practical solutions of the problem be developed on the basis of this research with attention for (local) socioeconomic and environmental factors?

- To what extent are the research results applicable in a wider geographic context?

- To what extent do both international and local actors show attention, support and willingness to undertake actions to solve this problem?

• two letters of recommendation by academic authorities explaining the value of the candidate and his/her work

one copy of:

• for the students: a copy of the diploma of the Master’s degree (or a provisional proof issued by the university/college of higher education/research institute stating that the candidate has passed both exams and thesis)
• for the young researchers: a copy of the diploma of their first degree obtained at the university or college of higher education (min. 4 years of study) and – for those submitting a Ph. D. thesis – of their Ph. D. certificate as well
• for the young researchers submitting a publication which is still in press: letter of acceptance by a scientific journal
• for those persons with a right of permanent residence in Belgium: a copy of one of the following documents:

- residence card for EU citizens
- identity card for foreigners
- certificate of inscription in the alien’s register, issued without any restriction

Article 8

Candidates’ files should reach the following address at the latest by 31 March 2011:

Royal Museum for Central Africa
Prize of the Belgian Development Cooperation
Leuvensesteenweg 13
B-3080 Tervuren
Belgium

Applications submitted via e-mail will not be accepted

For further information:

Tel. ++32 (0)2 769 57 34
Fax ++32 (0)2 769 54 32
E-mail: devcopri@africamuseum.be
http://devcoprize.africamuseum.be

Article 9

The prize is announced via its own website (http://devcoprize.africamuseum.be) and via posters both in Belgium and in the partner countries.

Article 10

The Prize of the Belgian Development Cooperation will be awarded by the Minister for Development Cooperation during a prize-giving ceremony which will take place in the Royal Museum for Central Africa in the spring of 2012.

Article 11

All applicants will be notified by the Royal Museum for Central Africa of the results of the evaluation before the end of October 2011.

A confirmation of receipt of the application will not be sent automatically. This can, however, be done on simple demand by the candidate.

*including EU-citizens or persons with a right of permanent residence in Belgium, who submit a work carried out within the framework of their study at a Belgian university/college of higher education/research institute