IAMCR - International Association for Media and Communication Research

CLOSED - The deadline was 1 April 2010 - IAMCR is pleased to announce that UNESCO has agreed to provide US$12,500 to support the participation of researchers from Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States at IAMCR's 2010 conference in Braga, Portugal.

UNESCO's support will provide for up to five travel grants of $2,500 for scholars residing in low-income countries who prepare a paper for one of the sections or working groups listed below.

In the case of a scholar from a Small Island Developing State in the Asia/Pacific region facing high travel costs, a larger grant might be available. See the list of eligible countries.

Click here for information on other grants available for IAMCR members from low-income countries.

A) Communication Policy & Technology Section:

The paper should include a focus on one of the areas listed below:

• Citizens’ participation in media: the role of user-generated content
• The role of ICTs in citizen’s empowerment: a developing country case study
• How has citizens’ participation and  access to information influenced policy-makers decisions and strategies? A developing country case study

B) Mediated Communication, Public Opinion and Society Section:

The paper should include a focus on:

• What are the potential contributions and impact of mobile media on development, in particular in the areas of education and sustainable development?

C) Media Education Research Section:

The paper should include a focus on one of the areas listed below:

• The inclusion of media and information literacy in school. Is there a real impact on students exposed to media and information literacy in terms of their interaction with media, their behaviour and learning?
• Media and Information Literacy as a means of active citizenship and inclusive societies

D) Participatory Communication Research Section:

The paper should include a focus on:

• Community media as an efficient tool for building civil society and inclusive knowledge societies.

E) Environment, Science and Risk Working Group:

The paper should include a  focus on one of the areas listed below:

• How can open access to scientific information be provided to citizens of the developing world?
• What has been the history of the use of social media during crises resulting from disaster and damage to infrastructure? How is social media being used during crises today?
• How can social media help with disaster preparedness, mobilization, and mitigation?
• The effectiveness of social media during a crisis resulting from disaster and damage to infrastructure: Is it reaching the people it is supposed to reach? What could be done to improve the practicality and effectiveness of its use in these situations?
• Chronicling and assessing the role of the media in informing citizens and activating their participation in climate change debates and decision-making processes: successes, challenges and pitfalls

To apply, please send a 500 word abstract by 1 April, 2010 on one of the specified topics to b.josephi[AT]ecu.edu.au. Please specify clearly to which section the paper should be directed.

The selection will be made by the appropriate IAMCR section or working group heads and a member of IAMCR’s executive board. Priority will be given to current IAMCR members and all grant recipients will be required to join the association. Successful applicants will be notified by the end of April 2010 and must provide a full paper of about 5,000 words by 15 July, 2010. The grant will  only be paid on receipt of the full paper. If the paper is sent earlier the travel grant funds can be released earlier.

Residents of the following countries are eligible. The countries are selected from UNESCO's list of Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States.

Africa

• Angola
• Benin
• Burkina Faso
• Burundi
• Cape Verde
• Central African Republic
• Chad
• Comoros
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Djibouti
• Equatorial Guinea
• Eritrea
• Ethiopia
• Gambia
• Guinea
• Guinea-Bissau
• Lesotho
• Liberia
• Madagascar
• Malawi
• Mali
• Mauritania
• Mauritius
• Mozambique
• Niger
• Rwanda
• São Tomé and Príncipe
• Senegal
• Seychelles
• Sierra Leone
• Somalia
• Sudan
• Togo
• Uganda
• United Republic of Tanzania
• Zambia

Asia and Pacific

• Afghanistan
• Bangladesh
• Bhutan
• Cook Islands
• Cambodia
• Fiji
• Kiribati
• Lao People’s Democratic Republic
• Maldives
• Marshall Islands
• Micronesia
• Myanmar
• Nauru
• Niue
• Nepal
• Palau
• Papua New Guinea
• Samoa
• Solomon Islands
• Timor-Leste
• Tokelau
• Tonga
• Tuvalu
• Vanuatu
• Yemen

Latin America and the Caribbean

• Cuba
• Dominica
• Dominican Republic
• Grenada
• Haiti
• Jamaica
• St.Kitts & Nevis
• St. Lucia
• St. Vincent & Grenadines