The HSRC, the National Research Foundation (NRF) and Fondation Botnar (Switzerland) have partnered to implement a research programme named u’Good, which focuses on young people and relational wellbeing (YPRWB) in urban and peri-urban environments. This research aims to test and further develop relational approaches to wellbeing and generate empirical insights into key contemporary challenges to young people’s wellbeing, and how they are addressing these. The call for expressions of interest is now open to researchers whose investigations should focus on these 12 countries: Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Morocco, Romania, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, and Vietnam.

This opportunity provides funding for researchers working on topics pertaining to YPRWB in the Global South. Successful applicants will commit to the following objectives:

• To test and further develop relational approaches to wellbeing in conceptual, methodological, and operational terms.
• To generate empirical insights into key contemporary challenges to young people’s wellbeing in urban and peri-urban environments, and how young people are addressing these.

Focus: Submitted proposals should centre young people and their relational wellbeing.

Submitted proposals may focus on:

• one or more of the four thematic areas of the call; namely: young people and livelihoods, mental health, digitalisation, and/or climate change, and/or
• address the more conceptual basis of RWB.

Proposals should be characterised by equal partnership and sustainable collaboration among research team members and non-academic stakeholders (i.e. youth organisations, non-governmental organisations, community groups, government agencies, etc.). This includes inter-institutional and trans-sectoral cooperation; a balanced contribution to the proposed research; gender equality; a focus on capacity building; and a frequent exchange between the research team members and stakeholders.

Eligibility: Principal investigators must have a PhD and may either be emerging researchers (up to seven years post-PhD) or established researchers (eight-plus years post-PhD) and must be based at a research institution (i.e. university or public sector research institute).

• Project teams must be based in one of the 12 focus countries, be part of the diaspora of one of the 12 focus countries, or must show that they work in one of the countries even if they are affiliated to or based at an institution outside of the focus countries.
• Project teams are expected to include non-academic research partners (e.g. from non-governmental organisations, community groups, industry, government agencies, etc.) and to foster wellbeing, co-creation, and co-learning. These partnerships must extend beyond the life and scope of the project. These non-academic institutions cannot lead the project or serve as PIs.

Applications must be submitted electronically via the NRF’s Connect system at https://nrfconnect.nrf.ac.za/

Please refer to the below framework document for further information.

NO late proposals will be accepted after the closing dates:

Applicant closing date: 28 February 2024

DA closing date: 1 March 2024

Disclaimer: Due to the Human Sciences Research Foundation, Fondation Botnar and the National Research Foundation being collaborators on the delivery of this programme of work, unfortunately colleagues permanently employed by any of these organisations would not be eligible to submit research proposals.