International Grant Research Articles

International circulation of Brazilian researchers: the case of History

The article collates and presents a wide range of data on the international circulation of doctoral students and researchers belonging to the Brazilian historiographical community funded by the Brazilian Federal Agency for the Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education, through doctoral grants with international internship and post-doctoral grants. It analyzes the annual records of scholarships awarded from 1998 to 2017, observing how they changed over time and the annual percentage of scholarship holders abroad. It compares the total number of scholarships in History and in other disciplines. Lastly, it lists the main countries and institutions where these individuals studied. It notes that this discipline follows the same path as Brazilian science abroad.

Gender-equal funding rates conceal unequal evaluations

Previous studies have found little or no systematic differences in the rates at which female and male scientists are awarded funding in international grant competitions. However, past investigations have only studied outcomes, not the preceding scoring and selection process. We propose that common grant review practices–such as panel deliberations, score binning, and interview assessments–allow unequal evaluations to be corrected while staying within a framework of merit-based review. We analyzed unique data from a large funding competition, the Netherlands’ Organization for Scientific Research's Talent Program, including reviewer and panel evaluation scores of both funded and unfunded proposals. We replicate prior research demonstrating gender equity in funding outcomes. At the same time, we find that men received higher evaluation scores, consistent with our argument. This gender difference is counteracted by panels funding women with lower scores than men's, redistributing 64 million euro back to women that would otherwise have gone to men. Our study thus reveals that female scientists are more poorly evaluated than their male counterparts in spite of what equality in outcome statistics might suggest.

Editorial introductions.

Editorial introductions.

Model organism databases are in jeopardy.

Model organism databases are in jeopardy.

AN OPTIMUM FINANCING SCHEME FOR BASELOAD THIN-FILM AND MONOCRYSTALLINE PV PLANTS IN INDONESIA

This paper investigates the most optimum financing scheme for medium-scale grid-connected PV plant investments in Indonesia. Eleven (11) financing schemes, composed through the combination of Viability Gap Fund (VGF), international grant, tax incentives, and low loan interest, are studied. The electricity tariff resulted from each financing scheme is analyzed and compared to the applicable feed-in tariff to find the optimum financing scheme. Moreover, this paper also includes two types of PV modules, such as thin-film and monocrystalline. The result shows that the funding combination consists of 50% of capital expenditure (CAPEX) from VGF provided by the Government of Indonesia (GoI), 30% of CAPEX provided by the international grant, and 5% of loan interest results in the optimum financing scheme. The resulting electricity tariffs from this financing scheme are 571.04 IDR/kWh and 761.76 IDR/kWh for thin-film and monocrystalline PV plants, respectively, which is below the lowest existing feed-in tariff (985 IDR/kWh).Keywords: Thin-film PV, Monocrystalline PV, feed-in tariff, economic feasibility, financing schemeJEL Classifications: P41, P43, P49DOI: https://doi.org/10.32479/ijeep.11387

Funding options in the management of junior secondary schools in Kaduna state, Nigeria

Introduction: Funding education in Nigeria has been challenging. Government has battled synchronous funding shortfalls and has categorically declared that funding education is the responsibility of all. Hence, School leaders are faced with the complex challenges of funding options and managing meagre finances and resources. Purpose: The objectives of the study were to find out the funding options, determine the management skills used for raising fund, ascertain the contributions of community in funding, and to determine the influence of managerial skills of principals on funding options. Design: Research questions and one null hypothesis were answered and tested to achieve the objectives. The cross-sectional survey design was used. The sample of 111 out of a population of 411 principals was used for the study. A 20 item questionnaire tagged: Funding Options Management Questionnaire (FOMQ) was employed for data collection. The statistical techniques used for analysis are mean and standard deviation for answering research questions and t- test of independence for test of hypothesis. Results: Findings revealed funding options to include: raising money through the Parents Teachers Association levies, user charges, school-based management charges, alumni assistance with less search for international grants. The managerial skills used to raise fund include cordial relationships, communication, planning, and coordinating. In addition, there was a significant difference between funding options and principals’ managerial skills. Recommendations: It was recommended among others that school administrators should be creative in the funding options, search for international grants, advocate for supports, and government to re-engineer public campaign for awareness and participation of stakeholders in funding education.

How to Manage Disasters while Considering Responsibility to Protect Theory?

Disasters are an integral part of human life, which have been grown increasingly in recent years. Disasters are divided into human-made and natural categories [1]. In this study, two cases are considered. One is deliberate human-made disasters in such conditions that human crimes or vicious crimes occur in countries, and the government is the criminal factor or is not able to control the crimes. The other case is natural disasters in which people are hurt and suffer from death and diseases, and although the host country is not able to be responsive which it refuses to accept international grants.

Captives at Large: On the Political Economy of Human Containment in the Sahara

A closer look at recent reports of “modern slavery” in the Sahara, particularly the exploitation of sub-Saharan migrants in contemporary southern Libya, shows that they speak of other forms of captivity, such as debt bondage, forced prison labor, and hostage taking for ransom. Such forms of exploitation have an equally long history in the region but are more obviously enmeshed with contemporary phenomena: repressive migration policies, state incarceration, and the worldwide ranking of nationalities. This article seeks to understand them for what they are, using fieldwork and historical examples. Understanding shifts the blame for the migrants’ plight from “local culture” to the international political economy and grants migrants a degree of agency that blanket condemnations of slavery often deny. It also opens up more general questions about links between labor, mobility, and captivity; the relationship between state and nonstate systems of political control, their boundaries and overlaps; and the different ways value is accorded to individual lives—or actively created, negotiated, or denied—in the Sahara and beyond.

The New Online English–Georgian Maritime Dictionary (NEGMD): Current State of the Project

My practical training at the Maritime Transport Administration of Georgia in 2018 inspired the project of compiling the NEGMD. The project was boosted by an international grant of the European Lexicographic Infrastructure (ELEXIS), which led to an invitation to visit the Instituut voor Nederlandse Lexicologie in Leyden, the Netherlands.The aim of this report on the compilation of the NEGMD is to show the state of this project from a practical point of view using concrete examples of terminological entries.The project includes two main issues: the compilation of the dictionary itself and the coinage of new maritime terms in Georgian to fill the existing lexical/terminological gaps. It is of great importance for the field of maritime education and training in Georgia, for the whole maritime economy of the country and for the development of the Georgian language and, consequently, for the fields of Georgian linguistics and lexicography.All issues related to this project including the criteria according to which it is being compiled and the information each terminological entry of the dictionary comprises, will be thoroughly covered. Perspectives on future dictionary development will be presented, illustrating it by concrete examples from the NEGMD.

International Development Assistance Policy of the PRC: Goals, Methods, Tools, Assessments

International development assistance policy of the People's Republic of China was launched almost immediately after the formation of the nation-state in 1949, which has made it possible by now to create a solid foundation and an extensive system of international interaction. Nevertheless, today we are witnessing the beginning of a new stage in China's international development assistance policy, which is expressed both in a sharp increase in funding for this field and associated with its use as a mechanism to achieve the goals of the «Chinese Dream», the development of the «Belt and Road Initiative» and promoting the construction of the «Community of common destiny for mankind». As a result, the allocation by Beijing of international assistance, grants and soft loans is becoming one of the most effective ways to strengthen international positions and form a more active foreign policy course.

Problems of small business in Ukraine and ways for their overcoming

The essence of small business and the criteria for enrollment of business entities to small enterprises and micro-enterprises, both according to the approach of domestic legislation and European standards are investigated in this paper The place of small business in the state economy and its role in its development is studied. Factors that shape the environment for small business in Ukraine and hinder its effective functioning are formulated. In particular, the legal capacity of small businesses and the biased attitude of law enforcement agencies towards small businesses permanently put pressure on small businesses and complicate the process of their activities. A wide range of inhibitory factors and factors faced by small business in Ukraine are analyzed and studied. The key areas that are most urgently in need of reform are identified, and their detailed and in-depth analysis is carried out. As the result, a list of small business problems in Ukraine is formed and grouped. Obstacles on the part of the tax system include refusal to register tax invoices for unknown reasons, delays in unblocking tax invoices and registration of invoices by tax authorities, as well as unfounded grounds on which taxpayers are included in risky and lack of clear instructions for exclusion from the list of risky. On the part of law enforcement agencies – unfounded criminal proceedings, slowing down the process of returning business entities to normal operation. On the part of labor relations are the complexity and inflexibility of the interaction between employee and employer and the procedure for dismissal of employees; conducting by the employer of documentary administration of labor in paper form; significant dispersion of legal regulation of labor inspections. In terms of availability of funding are non-compliance with the requirements of bank lending and lack of information about international programs, grants and donor funding with the participation of European organizations, as well as government programs to support business. Based on the outlined problems, a number of ways to overcome them, which will bring small business in Ukraine to a new level and strengthen the economic position of the state are formed.

Study Abroad Programmes and Students' Academic Performance: Evidence from Erasmus Applications

Erasmus+ is one of the most popular programmes financed by the European Union. It provides international mobility grants to university students while staying enrolled at their home university. This paper brings novel evidence on the effect of participating in the programme on students' academic outcomes, using rich administrative data from one of the largest public universities in Italy. We rely on a fuzzy Regression Discontinuity Design, since the selection of applicants to Erasmus mobility programmes depends on a continuous score assigned during the application process. Our results show that Erasmus mobility does not delay graduation at the home university and, in addition, it has a positive and significant impact on undergraduates' final degree mark. Investigating possible heterogeneous effects, we find that Erasmus mobility improves graduation results for undergraduate students in scientific and technical fields (STEM) and for those who apply for the Erasmus grant in the first year of their studies. Finally, the positive impact on performance at graduation appears to be stronger for students who visit foreign universities of relatively lower quality compared with their home university and for those who stay abroad for more than six months.

Підприємницький потенціал внутрішньо переміщених осіб: механізми залучення та використання

The information and analytical support of the entrepreneurial activity of internally displaced persons (IDPs) is analyzed. There is a lack of statistical accounting of the number of actually relocated businesses, IDP entrepreneurs from the Crimea and Donbass. The needs and problems of these displaced persons do not have a quantitative and qualitative dimension. There is no information on the regional distribution of resettlement of IDP entrepreneurs. The main problems and obstacles of IDP entrepreneurship have been identified. They are limited opportunities for self-employment, rehabilitation, start-up and development of SMEs and micro-entrepreneurship of IDPs in places of relocation. The state does not compensate for the loss of the ability of IDP entrepreneurs to continue their business activities due to partial or complete destruction of fixed assets, lack of business support programs, inability to obtain loans for resumption of activities and limited access to financial resources, etc. The priority directions of preservation, support and development of entrepreneurial potential of IDPs are offered, which are directed on maintenance of social justice concerning realization of the rights, freedoms and guarantees of IDP-entrepreneurs; creation of favorable institutional, legal, financial and economic, information and communication conditions for the restoration and development of IDP business; providing ample opportunities for IDP entrepreneurs to obtain loans and fixed assets, etc. The advantages of non-state sources of support for IDPs' business activities are revealed. These are international lending instruments: investment financing, reorientation of existing projects; international grant funding; international technical assistance. It has been proven that social entrepreneurship is an effective option for using the entrepreneurial potential of IDPs. The institutional, legal, financial and economic mechanisms of the state regulatory policy for the development of SMEs in Ukraine regarding IDPs have been identified. The need to establish partnership and coordination networks between the public, public and private sectors is noted. Strategic directions of formation of entrepreneurial potential of IDPs for regional and local development are offered.

Perceptions of successful domestic and international research grant applications among experienced and novice researchers

PurposeThe main purpose of the study was to identify the key elements that characterize successful grant proposals and the relative importance of issues that constitute difficulties and concerns in preparing the proposals. The study aimed, in particular, to explore grantsmanship perceptions based on the experiences of researchers in Thailand who had, or had not yet, successfully been awarded domestic and/or international research funding.Design/methodology/approachAnonymous online questionnaires were distributed to researchers in biomedical and public health fields in Thai academic institutes. The online survey asked the anonymous participants to complete a questionnaire comprising both multiple-choice and open-ended questions.FindingsAbout 19% of 300 respondents had received both domestic and international research grants, and 60% of domestic research grants. The top 5 issues in grant applications were: (1) choosing a topic that matched the grant opportunity, (2) feasibility of research design and methods, (3) suitable research design and methodology, (4) model and theoretical justification, and (5) ethical considerations. Significant differences in perceptions among researchers were found for the feasibility of research design and methods and proposing a reasonable and justifiable budget.Originality/valueThe information derived from this analysis reflected the perceptions of the researchers and may or may not correlate with those of grant agency reviewers. The results of this study may be insightful and instructive for other researchers and form the basis for training and mentoring researchers in informed and effective grantsmanship, particularly novice researchers with limited or no experience in grant proposal writing. This study particularly reflected grantsmanship perceptions among researchers in Thailand. It may also serve to exemplify lessons learned for researchers in other low-income and middle-income countries (LMIC) exposed to similar settings and situations applying for research grants.

Laboratory bench for the study of the causes and means of combating unacceptable deviations of the supply voltage in domestic premises

Introduction. One of the ways to improve the level of professional training of electrical engineers studying in higher educational institutions of Ukraine is to use in the educational process modern innovative switching equipment, protection, measurement and signaling equipment, etc. This gives students the opportunity to acquire a high level of training, which will allow them to improve their professional competence, contribute to their professional development, and allow them to become qualified specialists in later life. This direction of development of training requires a significant financial investment, which cannot be realized at the expense of public funds. At the Department of Electrical Apparatus of NTU «KhPI» it was possible to find alternative sources of funding – at the expense of an international grant and sponsorship from a number of electrical companies in Ukraine. The continuation of the selected vector of development is the development of laboratory work to study the causes of the occurrence of unacceptable deviations in the supply voltage in household premises and modern means of combating this dangerous phenomenon. Relevance. The need for students to study the problem of protecting household consumers from unacceptable voltage deviations in the power supply network is due to the fact that this is required by the current situation, which has developed with the technical condition of in-house distribution networks, which in most cases is extremely unsatisfactory. Unacceptable voltage deviations in the household network, depending on their level, can lead to a reduction in the service life of expensive electrical equipment, their failure, as well as a possible fire. Therefore, acquainting students in practice with the reasons for the occurrence of unacceptable voltage deviations in the household network, teaching them how to combat this phenomenon is an urgent task. Purpose. Design and manufacture of a laboratory stand for researching the causes of occurrence and means of dealing with unacceptable deviations in the supply voltage in domestic premises. Results. The developed laboratory stand allows students to study in detail the processes occurring in general in a three-phase electrical network after the break of the neutral N conductor, and to quantitatively analyze the level of voltage dips and overvoltages under asymmetrical load. Modern relays for the protection of household consumers ZUBR D32 and ADECS ADC-0110-32, used in the developed laboratory bench, allow students to familiarize themselves with the features of their installation, configuration, operation and functioning. Discussion. A laboratory stand developed at the Department of Electrical Apparatuses of NTU «KhPI» to study the causes of occurrence and means of combating unacceptable deviations of the supply voltage in household premises will increase the professional competence of students, contribute to their professional development, and will allow them to become qualified specialists in later life.

From the concept of Fate to the Theory of Generations (to the 75th Anniversary of the Professor Vanchikova Tsymzhit Purbuevna)

The article examines the creative path of Tsymzhit Purbuevna Vanchikova, doctor of historical sciences, professor, chief researcher of the Institute for Mongolian, Buddhist and Tibetan studies of the SB RAS, an Honored researcher of the Republic of Buryatia, whose 75th anniversary will be celebrated by the scientific community. Ts. P. Vanchikova gave 52 years to her native Institute, having prepared many monographs, articles, reviews and dozens of graduates, being the head of many scientific projects and international grants, a regular participant of numerous international forums. At the same time, the peculiarity of the researcher’s biography is shown not through the prism of a dynasty of Orientalists, but through the concept of fate. That is, her work is considered as a predetermined and logical continuation of the creative path of her father, a well-known source scholar, historiographer and a specialist in the study and publication of medieval texts, candidate of historical sciences Purbo Baldanzhapov, with whom the hero of the day has joint publications. In turn, this family tradition and predestination, which has been passed on to the daughter of the hero of the day, Tatyana Sergeevna, which fits perfectly into the 100-year cycle of the theory of generations. That is why the article also features the future lawyer-the favorite grandson of the anniversarian. Keywords: Professor Vanchikova Tsymzhit Purbuevna, the Center of Oriental manuscripts and xylographs, source studies, study and publication of medieval texts, historiography, Mongolian studies

QUATERNARY PALAEOGEOGRAPHY AT THE LVIV UNIVERSITY: MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE XXI CENTURY AND PROSPECTS

The Department of Geomorphology and Palaeogeography of the Faculty of Geography at the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv employs a group of palaeogeographers (A. Bogucki, O. Tomeniuk, A. Yatsyshyn, R. Dmytruk), which comprehensively studies Quaternary sediments in Western Ukraine and other territories of the country. The thematic focus of palaeogeographic research is very diversified: the study of key sections of Quaternary sediments; conditions of formation and structure of periglacial loess-palaeosol sequences; research of the deposits of the glacial complex; periglacial processes and forms; the role of tectonics in the formation of Quaternary sediments; interdisciplinary research of the Palaeolithic; engineering and geological investigations; geophysical research; mineralogical research; weathering of anhydrite; study of the Holocene stage of the formation of the Dnister River valley; river terraces; lithology of alluvium; study of the Vyshnia River valley; malacological research; research of travertines, history of geography, etc. The selected issues are a priority research topic of the palaeogeographic group of the Department of Geomorphology and Palaeogeography. On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the department, an attempt to summarize the scientific achievements of palaeogeographers over the past twenty years, particularly in thematic directions of research, was made. A large amount of new original factual material has been received, a significant number of international and Ukrainian scientific grants have been implemented, ten PhD students have defended their theses and received a PhD degree, more than 500 scientific papers have been published, more than half of which are in European Union languages. Due to the limited scope of this article, the greatest attention among all of the publications is paid to selected monographic works, collections of scientific papers prepared by researchers, papers in the journals from Scopus and Web of Science databases, and some others. It is worth mentioning the close cooperation of palaeogeographers of the Faculty of Geography with researchers from Ukraine, Poland, Belarus, Lithuania, France, Belgium and other countries. Without doubts, there are all the reasons to talk about a progressive palaeogeographic school at the Faculty of Geography, whose work is gaining momentum. Key words: palaeogeography; key sections; loess-palaeosol sequence; Quaternary period; periglacial processes; Palaeolithic.

ЕФЕКТИВНІСТЬ ВИКОРИСТАННЯ ФІНАНСОВО-КРЕДИТНИХ ІНСТРУМЕНТІВ АКТИВІЗАЦІЇ ІННОВАЦІЙНОГО РОЗВИТКУ МАЛИХ ПІДПРИЄМНИЦЬКИХ СТРУКТУР В УКРАЇНІ

The article is devoted to substantiation of theoretical and methodical provisions, development of practical recommendations aimed at improving the innovative development of small business structures in the economy of Ukraine using the influence of financial and credit instruments. The role and importance of small business structures for the Ukrainian economy are revealed, the main problems of its innovative development are covered, including available financial support. The importance of innovative development of small enterprises is noted, in particular their compliance with changes in market conditions, increase and profitability. It is noted that the system of financial support for small businesses should be based on ensuring the smooth flow of innovative development. The article considers and critically describes the available sources and forms of financial support for small businesses depending on the goals of their activities. In particular, attention is paid to self-financing, equity, public financial support, bank and commercial lending, financial leasing, factoring, forfaiting, financing programs of international financial institutions, grant and venture financing. The most common sources of financial support for the current activities of a small business are its profits and bank lending. At the same time, the possibility of obtaining a bank loan is limited for many reasons. A promising type of financial support for the innovative development of small business structures is venture financing in the form of attracting funds from external investors and grant support from international organizations. Their feature is to provide funds on a non-refundable basis. The conditions of bank lending under the programs of the Ukrainian-German fund are considered in detail. The peculiarities and substantiation of the main advantages and disadvantages of the existing financial sources of financing are singled out, and also the most effective approaches to financing of innovative activity of small business structures in unfavorable economic conditions are offered.

State of development and changes to cultural policies in the amalgamated territorial communities of Ukraine

In the article, we analysed the state of development of cultural policies in Amalgamated Territorial Communities (ATC) of Ukraine as well as the changes that have taken place in the cultural area in Ukraine. This was due to the activities of international grant programs, foundations and legislative organizations. We described the local situation in the ATC and detected their main cultural policies' problems. We also described the main stages of forming the international grant programs' sector, foundations and donors in the aforementioned area. We have identified the most active grant programs which operate in Ukraine. We defined that their activity supports discussion about the role of the culture, influences the processes of transformation and modernization of culture, and provides the possibilities for activists and specialists from the public sector to directly and transparently influence and advocate the cultural changes. The article presented results of the sociological research "The human rights-based approach to the content and implementation of cultural policies in Ukraine at ATC level". It was conducted with representatives of the "DOBRE" program, USAID, the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation, «U-LEAD with Europe», the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, and four regional representatives’ non-public organisations. We concluded that the international grant programs, foundations, and legislative organizations support the ATC in the forming and conducting development strategies and service delivery standards, transparently conducting their activities and financial accountability, supporting the community's involvement in the main processes and changing stereotypical approaches to understanding the needs of different population categories in Ukraine's ATC. During the four years of their activity, there has been significant development of communities in terms of infrastructure and human development and community resources. In particular, it is connected with Equality and Human Rights principles, the involvement of all community actors in the processes taking place in society, and constant feedback from the public.

Household interventions for secondary prevention of domestic lead exposure in children.

Household interventions for secondary prevention of domestic lead exposure in children.