Deadline: 22-Dec-22

Urban studies researchers are invited to submit expressions of interest (EOI) - or preliminary proposals - to support the development, implementation and learning of the Safe and Sound Cities Programme (S2Cities) and its global team.

Global Infrastructure Basel Foundation (GIB) is a Swiss foundation based in Basel, Switzerland. They work towards a world in which investments in social, economic and physical infrastructure lead to inclusive, sustainable and resilient communities and ecosystems. Their mission is to inspire and accelerate a mainstream transition to sustainable and resilient infrastructure.

The Safe and Sound Cities Programme (S²Cities) is an initiative proudly led by GIB, hosted by the Swiss Philanthropy Foundation and with the support of Fondation Botnar. This global programme aims to improve the safety and well-being of young people in urban environments in secondary cities in the Global South.

They accept proposals related to one or a combination of the programme's three central themes:

• The participation of young people in urban planning and decision-making
• Holistic urban agendas for safety, security and well-being for young people
• Sustainable and inclusive built environments through placemaking

Research topics

• Involving young people in urban planning
• Holistic interpretation of urban security
• Promoting engagement and inclusion through placemaking

Financing Information

• This call offers a grant of up to 90,000 CHF to support a research agenda that accompanies the S2Cities programme from approximately February 2023 until March 2024, when Phase I of the programme ends. If applicable, overheads should not exceed 10% of the total budget.

Eligibility criteria

• Proposals should be developed and submitted by a research team made up of members of one or a consortium of research institutions working in the areas of youth participation in urban planning/governance, social sustainability, anthropology, sociology, political science, development studies and other related fields, who are familiar with and appreciate design approaches and systems thinking.
• The team must have strong quantitative and qualitative knowledge and be able to demonstrate practical ways of achieving the objectives, while maintaining a participatory approach with all the programme's partners.
• They welcome teams with a track record of collaborating on international multi-stakeholder projects on local and global scales.
• They strongly encourage applications from teams based in cities in the Global South; if based in the Global North, applicants must provide proof of long-standing research experience and established partnerships with researchers and organisations in countries in the Global South (in particular Indonesia, the Philippines Colombia and/or Ecuador).
• The main values they look for are: innovative thinking, flexibility, innovation and the ability to present a significant research proposal that addresses one or a combination of the topics.
• They will prioritise expressions of interest that include the possibility of co-financing or that offer strong synergies with other programmes or partners.
• All preliminary and full proposals must be written in English - as this will be the working language of this programme on a global level.

For more information, visit Research Partner for the Safe and Sound (S²Cities) Programme.