EC: Research Work on Migration and Forced Displacement Programme

Deadline Date: May 14, 2024

Donor Name: European Commission (EC)

Grant Size: More than $1 million

European Commission has announced the Research Work on Migration and Forced Displacement programme to inform policy-making and programming on migration and forced displacement in Sub-Saharan Africa by helping addressing knowledge gaps through research.

Migration movements are a key feature in Sub-Saharan Africa due to many reasons including global population growth, increased connectivity, rising inequality, limited employment opportunities, climate change and environmental degradation. In 2020, the number of international migrants in Sub-Saharan Africa was over 22 million.

The risks of trafficking along migration routes are high, notably the risk for women and girls of becoming victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation or other forms of gender-based violence. Trafficking networks abuse asylum procedures and use reception centres to identify potential victims. The early identification of potential non-EU victims will be a specific theme of the European Commission’s forthcoming approach towards the eradication of trafficking in human beings, as set out in the recent Security Union Strategy.

Forced displacement is also rising, both within countries and across borders, as a result of violence, human rights violations with high percentage of women’s human rights violations or natural disasters.

Objectives of the Programme and Priority Issues

• The global objective of this call for proposals is to improve research on migration and forced displacement in Sub-Saharan Africa. 
• The specific objective of this call for proposals is to improve awareness on migration and forced displacement dynamics, including climate-related migration and displacement, in the Sub-Saharan Africa region. 
• The priorities of this call for proposals are as follows – the applicant should take all of them into consideration and can propose additional ones:
  • Assessment of knowledge gaps: in relation to migration and forced displacement situations, including linked to disaster and climate change, in Sub-Saharan Africa 
  • Development of standards: to guide the production of knowledge within the action – for instance, deciding which knowledge products will be developed, identifying and assessing target audiences with particular attention to gender sensitive approach and information needs, defining formats, implementing quality assurance, etc. 
  • Carrying out studies and develop knowledge products: (publications, policy briefs, etc) on selected migration and forced displacement situations, including linked to disaster and climate change, including tackling specific experiences of groups such as women, children, people with disabilities, LGBTI people, etc., in Sub-Saharan Africa, including by involving African research partners 
  • Documenting and dissemination of good practices and lessons learnt: on managing migration and forced displacement, in Sub-Saharan Africa 
  • Strengthening knowledge partnerships: with internal and external partners on migration and forced displacement in Sub-Saharan Africa 
  • Organisation of meetings: for internal and external partners in selected locations to share research’s findings and ensure transparency

A gender perspective should be integrated throughout the proposed programme to adequately reflect differences and inequalities in the situations of migrant women and men. All proposed action must outline how gender equality will be taken into consideration as part of the intervention logic.

The proposed programme shall be carried out in the following regions: Western Africa; Eastern and Central Africa; and Southern Africa and Indian Ocean.

Funding Information

• The overall indicative amount made available under this call for proposals is EUR 8000000. The contracting authority reserves the right not to award all available funds.
• Size of grants
  • Any grant requested under this call for proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum amounts:
    • minimum amount: EUR 7500000
    • maximum amount: EUR 8000000
• Any grant requested under this call for proposals must fall between the following minimum and maximum percentages of total eligible costs of the action:
  • Minimum percentage: 50% of the total eligible costs of the action.
  • Maximum percentage: 80% of the total eligible costs of the action.
• The balance (i.e. the difference between the total cost of the action and the amount requested from the contracting authority) must be financed from sources other than the general budget of the Union or the European Development Fund.

Eligibility Criteria 

• Lead applicant
  • In order to be eligible for a grant, the lead applicant must:
    • be a legal person and
    • be non-profit-making and
    • be a higher education institution and
    • be established in a Member State of the European Union and
    • be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action with the co- applicant(s), not acting as an intermediary and
    • with research on migration as part of its mission
• Co-applicant(s)
  • Co-applicants participate in designing and implementing the action, and the costs they incur are eligible in the same way as those incurred by the lead applicant.
  • Co-applicants must satisfy the eligibility criteria as applicable to the lead applicant himself.
  • the following are however also eligible as co-applicant(s)
    • be a legal person and
    • be non-profit-making and
    • be a higher education institution and 
    • be established in one of the eligible countries Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI – Global Europe) MFF 2021-2027 Instruments for External Action.
• A minimum of one co-applicant legally established in Sub-Saharan Africa is obligatory. Another co-applicant could be proposed, established in one of the eligible countries Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI – Global Europe) MFF 2021-2027.

For more information, visit European Commission.