Bassmati Innovation Community

Research Call for Proposal’s Guidelines

TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Program Synopsis
II. Role of UNICEF, Jordan University of Science and Technology and the Hashemite University
III. Thematic Areas:
IV. General Eligibility Information
V. Types of Research Activities Supported by Bassmati
VI. Timeline
VII. Budget Information
VIII. Evaluation Criteria
IX. Policy on Fraudulent or Plagiarized Data and Documents in Award Submissions
X. Proposal Template

I. Program Synopsis

Bassmati was created to drive innovation in Climate, Water and Sanitation in Jordan. With its Innovation Community,
Bassmati develops and tests new models of how innovation is approached, managed, financed and delivered in
Jordan. To do this, Bassmati has created a new environment in which innovation thrives, and has generated
breakthroughs in the way in which government, organizations, higher education and research collaborate. This
approach helps in addressing the increasingly complex and interlinked societal challenges by combining sectoral
and cross-sectoral innovation and bringing together people from different sectors, backgrounds and disciplines –
who otherwise would not necessarily meet – to jointly find solutions to challenges by conducting quality research and
innovations.

Bassmati Innovation Community brings together a diverse set of partners to discover, test, and scale breakthrough
solutions to address critical challenges in Climate Action, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sectors. A key
element of this strategy is the support of scientific and technological research through the Bassmati Innovation
Community’s research program. Bassmati’s research program is a competitive awards program that invites
researchers and academics in Jordan to apply for funds to support research on topics of importance announced as
“Thematic Areas” and “Predefined Topics”.
Bassmati Innovation Community supports research awards from a wide range of academic disciplines including the
natural, physical, social, behavioral, and economic sciences, as well as engineering. Research grants are issued to
research teams, not to individuals.

Solicitation Process

Research proposal submission has only one phase:

• Submittal of proposal application is required as per the template shared on

Bassmati Innovation Community’s website (http://bassmati-jo.org/) and only
through the application form on the website. Applicants must fill the application
form and upload their proposal’s file on the website.
 II. Role of UNICEF, Jordan University of Science and Technology and the Hashemite University

Bassmati is implemented by the Jordan University of Science and Technology and the Hashemite
University, which will manage the proposal review process, disburse funding, and monitor awards.

III. 2019/2020 Thematic Areas:

Bassmati Innovation Community’s Research Program is accepting research proposals in the

following thematic areas. Applicants should review those areas carefully and pick only one thematic
area per research. The research program also accepts proposals for some predefined topics and
“Special Call for Proposals” which are announced at the community’s website.
Thematic Areas for 2019/2020 are as follows:

1. Alternative water, greywater and wastewater treatment technologies.

2. New water, alternative water resources, low-energy desalination and ground water recharge.
3. Climate change vulnerability and resilience of water, sanitation, and hygiene services. With
focus on Increasing the resilience of indigenous and local communities to climate-induced
impacts.
4. Climate change and climate variability and their related impacts climate projections/downscaling,
extreme events..etc.
5. Policy-relevant research on the implementation of nationally determined contributions (NDCs).
6. Socio-economic linkage to Water Scarcity, Water Tarrif, and Non-Revenue Water.
7. Enhancing the water security of people and communities, including ensuring they have access
to sustainable and resilient water, sanitation and hygiene services.
8. Smart Water Management for Sustainable Society.
9. Technology transfer for smart agriculture and food security.

Predefined Topics 2020

a) Impacts of microplastics; research on new materials to combat microplastics.

b) Social cohesion around quality of services and tariff structure/ model using Semi-Structured
(SS) Interviews and Field Surveys.
c) Future Outlook of Decentralized Wastewater Treatment and Management in View of the 2013
Wastewater Strategy in Jordan.
d) National Rainwater Harvesting Guidline, Platform, Mapping and Costing Tool (Including a
Software).
e) National Artificial Groundwater Recharge Assessment
f) Catchment Protection by Corporate Social Responsibility (for point and non-point sources).
g) Flash Floods Early Warning System Design.
h) National Pumped Storage Hydroelectricity Potential Assessment

Collaborations among multiple researchers to compose a team is encouraged, provided that they
address research that is within the scope of one of the thematic areas or predefined topics above
 IV. General Eligibility Information

Eligible applicants must be based at, or have an affiliation with, an institution of higher education (university).
Applicants must hold a research or teaching position at their respective institutions. Applicants should be living and
working in Jordan (citizens or permanent residents). Women and social scientists are strongly encouraged to apply.

V. Types of Research Activities Supported by Bassmati

Bassmati’s research program supports research awards from a wide range of academic disciplines
including the natural, physical, social, behavioral, and economic sciences, as well as engineering.
Applicants should clearly articulate how their proposed research project will impact their local, regional,
or national communities.

Bassmati’s research program supports primary and secondary data analysis, and research questions
may be explored utilizing quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods research design. Applications
proposing secondary data analyses may use data from readily available datasets resulting in
publication-quality research papers and dissemination activities that can inform and influence policies
and programs.

Proposals may include diverse types of research activities, however they must include following:

• Design and conduct of baseline surveys, modelling and simulation, implementation/operational

research.
• Primary data collection by researchers and graduate students working under the supervision of a
principal investigator or primary and secondary data analysis, and research questions utilizing
quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods research design.
• Social science and behavior change research
• Systems research and policy studies
• Primary research or data collection for understanding underlying social, political, and economic
context of development challenges.
• Secondary data analysis of publicly available or other readily available datasets.
• Identification of social barriers to the uptake of interventions or policy changes, etc. discovered
by societal outreach and education

In addition to the above and for proposals considering innovation and new technology, proposals must include the
following:

• Development of new technologies or instruments

• Proof-of concept studies and formative investigations

VI. Timeline

April 1, 2020 Last day to receive proposals.

April 15, 2020 Eligible applicants will be contacted to organize a face-to-face

discussion regarding their proposals.

April 30, 2020 Announcement of selected applicants

May 4, 2020 Signature of research grant agreement.

VII. Budget Information

Researches are anticipated to run for a maximum of one years.

Awards to support one research application have a ceiling of $20,000. Strong justification and budget
breakdown per application is required to qualify for the requested fund. Administrative fees,
researchers incentives and personnel fees shall not exceed 15% of the requested fund.

Total estimated budget numbers should be developed commensurate with the support needed to
achieve the research goals

The research’s agreed funds will be released to the recipient after the award agreement is signed on
payments following the budget’s payment schedule proposed in the proposal.

VIII. Evaluation Criteria

When drafting a proposal, applicants should convey the development impact of their proposed
research for the focus area to which they are applying and how the research connects to the United
Nations Sustainable Development Goals at country-level. Successful proposals will include a clear
statement of the project goals and explanations of how these goals will be achieved.

Proposal Review Criteria

The proposal review process is managed by the respective review committee that includes
representatives from both UNICEF and the university receiving the application. Proposals will
be evaluated based on the following criteria:

Evaluation Criteria Mark

Adherence to thematic areas 20
Problem formulation and rationale of objectives 10
Methodology 10
Added value/innovativeness/ impact/ outcomes 30
Team makeup 10
Reasonableness of proposed budget 10
Time frame 20
Total Mark 110
IX. Policy on Fraudulent or Plagiarized Data and Documents in Award Submissions

Applicants to Bassmati Innovation Community’s research program are advised that the program has a
zero-tolerance policy regarding the submission of fraudulent or plagiarized data and documents as part
of award proposals. Any such cases discovered by the program’s staff or brought to their attention by
program sponsors, review panelists, partners, or members of the public will be investigated
immediately. If the presence of fraudulent or plagiarized materials in a submission is verified, the
following actions will be taken:

• The proposal will be removed from further consideration for funding.

• The applicant will be notified of the findings of the investigation and will be placed on a
debarment list prohibiting him or her from submitting any future to the program.
• An appropriate official at the applicant’s institution will be advised of the case and provided
with copies of the fraudulent or plagiarized materials for use in any further investigations or
actions in accordance with that institution’s policies.
 X. Proposal Template

Research Information in Brief

Research Title

Research Area
Research Duration
Estimated Budget (JDs)

Research Application Form Instructions

(Throughout your proposal, please use Microsoft Word doc or docx with Times New Roman, black color and
size 12 with 1.5 spacing.)

• The application should contain the following parts:

1. Executive Summary

This section should include information for those readers who will not read the entire document but
who will need a summary of the proposal. Although this section appears first in the document, it is
usually written last.
The summary should remain on a separate page and not exceed one page. The executive summary
should contain the following elements:

• Problem description.
• The approach to tackle the problem.
• Research question description.
• Added value/impact.
• Outcomes/deliverables.
 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY................................................................................................ 6

2. TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................. 7

3. BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................. 8

4. SURVEY OF PREVIOUS STUDIES/RESULTS .............................................................. 3

5. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................... 3

6. ADDED VALUE/RESEARCH IMPACT ........................................................................... 3

7. RESEARCH OUTCOMES/DELIVERABLES ................................................................... 3

8. WORK PACKAGES, TEAM MAKEUP AND TIMELINE ................................................... 4

9. FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENTS ................................................................................... 5

10. MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE AND SUPERVISION PLAN ............................................ 5

11. BUSINESS PLAN AND MARKET ANALYSIS ................................................................. 6

12. SWOT ANALYSIS .......................................................................................................... 6

13. REFERENCES .............................................................................................................. 6

14. APPENDIX..................................................................................................................... 6
 3. Background

A comprehensive background that reflects the team digestion of the proposal topic is required. The background
section should not exceed two pages. Copy and paste without referencing is considered a critical mistake, and the
proposal may be rejected for this reason.

4. Survey of Previous Studies/ Results

Provide a concise survey of results of related previous studies in no more than two pages.

5. Research Methodology

The applicant should clearly identify the problem formulation, problem solving approach, and tools to be used
(simulators, etc.), in no more than two pages.

6. Added Value/ Research Impact (3 pages maximum)

The expected impact of the research should be clearly identified. Graphs, support letters, plots and charts can be
used as support documents to highlight the impact.
Proposal should have an impact on key WASH national and regional problems as per the advertised key thematic
areas.

7. Research Outcomes/ Deliverables

The proposal should clearly mention the expected outcomes at the review times and the expected
outcomes/deliverables at the end of the research.

Table: List of deliverables

Milestone # Deliverable
•
Milestone # 1
•
•
Milestone # 2
•
•
Milestone # 3
•
•
Milestone # 4
•
•
Milestone # 5
•
 8. Work Packages, Team Makeup and Timeline

The initial review process will be BLIND, however, provide the positions and names of your team members including
consultant(s), graduate students, assistants, etc. Also, provide tasks entrusted for each team member using the
table below.

Table: Tasks and Team Makeup

# Team Member Title Team Member Name Tasks
1

Table: Gantt Chart (Timeline)

Month # 10

Month # 12
Month # 2

Month # 4

Month # 6

Month # 8
# Tasks/Activities

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
 9. Facilities and Equipment

A breakdown of all required items with adequate description, justification of usage, and estimated budgets. Links to
websites or copies from datasheets should be included.

Table: Facilities and Equipment

Item Description Justification Estimated Budget
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

10. Management Structure and Supervision Plan

Management structure and supervision plan throughout the course of the research study should be outlined in the
table below.

Table: Management Structure

Task Name Advisors Researchers

 11. Business Plan and Market Analysis
If Applicable, one page maximum.

12. SWOT Analysis

Listing your internal and external factors:

Table: SWOT analysis

•
Strengths

•
(S)

•
•
•
Weakness

•
(W)
es

•
•

•
Opportunities

•
(O)

•
•
Threat

•
(T)
s

- SO STRATEGIES (half page maximum):

Exploiting strengths and opportunities.

- WT STRATEGIES (half page maximum):

Mitigating weaknesses and Threats.

13. References

Provide supporting material for your proposal here.

14. Appendix

Provide supporting material for your proposal here, if needed.