National Child Rights Research Fellowship 2024-25 : CRY
Last date to apply is 30th November 2023
At CRY, we believe that all children have infinite potential – irrespective of their gender, caste or socioeconomic backgrounds. Founded by Rippan Kapur in 1979, we are India’s most trusted NGO and believe in every child’s right to a happy childhood – to live, learn, grow and play.
About The Programme Started in 2006, the prestigious NCRRF Fellowship is awarded to a maximum of 5 research Fellows every year. These Fellows conduct in-depth research on child rights issues and get the opportunity to set best practices for social research, research ethics, data collection as well as working with children.
A strategically chosen expert committee mentors the research fellows throughout the course of their study. In addition to the technical aspects of conducting successful and effective research, Fellows also find themselves as ambassadors for children and develop the capability of thinking through children’s issues from a critical, ethical and rights-based lens.
NCRRF 2023-24 Awardees
- Shalini Arvindan, Chennai (Research Topic: A Flash point – Juvenile to Juvenile sexual offense)
- Niranjana C J, Kerala (Research Topic: Caste, Covid and the Closure of NCLP: The Accentuated Vulnerability of Dalit Children in Sivakasi)
- Arshpreet Kaur, New Delhi (Research Topic: Promote & Regularize Mental Health Screening In School To Increase Children’s Quality of Life)
- Chandan Singh, Ranchi (Research Topic: Social Support system for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) children and their families)
- Jayaraj Karuvadiparambil, New Delhi (Research Topic: Constructing a ‘Street Child’: Exploring Definitions and Interventions in Delhi)
11 Years. 56 Fellows. One Compendium.
Get an insight into all the invaluable research our Fellows have conducted over the years
Join CRY’s Fellowship Program and be a child rights champion!
CRY’s National Child Rights Research Fellowship program conducts in-depth research on child rights issues while setting best practices for social research, research ethics, data collection, and child advocacy.
Child Rights and You (CRY) announces its 13 th National Child Rights Research Fellowship 2024-25 and invites applications from interested personsto research various dimensions of child rights. To date, CRY has awarded more than 50 fellowships. CRY is committed to changing the way children experience childhood, by being strategic in our choice of issues, approaches, and utilization of resources to maximize our impact on children. CRY believes in encouraging a community of child rights researchers who will promote and advocate child rights. Through this research fellowship, we seek a combination of formal and informal approaches to explore and discover simple and complex truths about the interplay of culture, ethics, and policies determining childhood.
Focus Areas:
- Various aspects of children and childhoods and their relationship with other stakeholders such as peers, parents, family, community, and state.
- Child health, child nutrition, child protection, child development, and child Participation, etc.
- Role of children in decision-making at home, school, community, etc.
- Exploring and examining child learning and child participation.
- Scientific evidence generation on any other issues of child rights violation.
- Climate Change, Natural Disasters, and Child Vulnerability.
Eligibility:
- Applicants should be Indians residing in India and above the age of 18 years.
- If your proposal is part of a submission to any academic institution or if you are already receiving funding for the conduct of the research proposed, it will be ineligible for this fellowship.
Language:
- Applicants may choose to work in any Indian language including English.
- Your application needs to clearly mention the language in which you will submit the research report.
- As the assessment of your research proposal will be conducted in English, please also include an English translation of the proposal, CV, and sample of published or unpublished work.
Grant Size:
- About 5 fellowships up to Rs.1.5 lakh will be awarded.
- The fellowship grant will be released in installments against specific deliverables.
- CRY will not fund any capital expenditure incurred by the fellow.
- Fellows are free to continue their primary occupation.
Duration:
- The duration of the fellowship is one year. However, CRY can withdraw the fellowship anytime without assigning any reason.
Dissemination:
- Research findings will be made available to social activists, academics, development practitioners, and the interested general public through multiple forums, including language translations to influence the course of the debate on child rights and the best interest principle.
Ownership: · CRY will have ownership of the final research product.CRY may publish research products acknowledging the name of the researcher. Researchers can also publish their research findings with prior written permission from CRY. They need to duly acknowledge the contributions of CRY in their research work.
Essential requirements:
- A three-page proposal in the prescribed format, which briefly explains your topic of study, objectives, and research question within a framework, proposed methodology, timelines, a reading list of related literature/existing studies on the subject, and a detailed budget
- A two-page updated CV in the prescribed format
- A sample of your published or unpublished paper/article or any documentation done on a related theme.
- Names, phone numbers, and email addresses of two referees willing to furnish a reference for you.
Selection:
- Shortlisted Fellows will make themselves available for a video call with the NCRRF Selection Committee.
- The names of the fellowship awardees will be announced on www.cry.org in February 2024.
- Selected fellows should participate in an Initial Workshop to share research plans and gain from the collective experience in March 2024.
- Fellows will be mentored by experts during research work.
- Fellows will attend an online/offline Interim Workshop and an Annual Sharing Workshop at the close of their fellowship.
- CRY will sponsor travel, boarding, and lodging for all these meetings.
- Fellows can share their ideas and future plans with members of the CRY assessment team. Cancellation of Fellowship CRY reserves the right to terminate the fellowship of any awardee in the following cases:
- If the scholar is found to be ineligible to receive the fellowship during the entire duration of the fellowship.
- If it is found that the fellowship has been availed/is claimed by furnishing false/wrong/misleading information.
- If any adverse report is received about the fellows about the violation of the Child Safeguarding Policy, indulging in sexual harassment, and contravention of research ethics before and during the fellowship tenure.
- Misconduct/misbehaviour/corrupt practices.
- Unsatisfactory progress of research work.
- Violation of terms and conditions of the fellowship contract.
- Plagiarism or unethical practices, in any form. In case the fellowship is terminated/canceled before the submission of the research report, CRY may initiate the proceedings/take action to recover the amount paid to the Fellows.
Submission of Application:
- Last Date for submission is 30 th November, 2023.
- For Proposal format, CV format, and other information please follow the https://www.cry.org/ncrrf/ or visit website www.cry.org
- Please E-mail your application to: research@crymail.org along with a writing sample and two professional references. Your email subject line should say “Application For NCRRF”.
- In the absence of internet access you may send your application by post to The Documentation Centre, CRY-Child Rights and You, 189 A, Anand Estate, Sane Guruji Marg, Mumbai 400011
You can also take a printout of the filled in forms and the writing sample and courier it to the CRY Mumbai office.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions that you might have. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, please write to us and we’ll be happy to address your query!
What is the duration of the NCRRF program?
The Fellowship is awarded for a time period of 1 year only.
What is the grant amount awarded to Fellows? Would additional funding be made available, if required?
The NCRRF program has a maximum grant limit of INR 1.5 Lakh; the amount for each Fellow is set on the basis of the scope of the project as outlined in the proposal. The amount will be released in instalments against specific deliverables.
Unfortunately, we’ll be unable to provide additional funding or fund any capital expenses.
What is the minimum eligibility criteria for the NCRRF program?
You should be an Indian citizen residing in India and above the age of 18 years. If your proposal is part of a submission to any other academic institution or if you have already received funding for the submitted proposal, it will be considered ineligible.
What is CRY’s evaluation and selection criteria?
The NCRRF selection committee consists of five members, comprising 3 external members and 2 CRY members, who select candidates and mentor them through the course of the program.
This committee will review each shortlisted proposal based on technical evaluation as well as on the balance between the topic of choice and the principle of social inclusion. Your schooling, regional and gender representation will be considered, but they will not be defining factors.
What does a typical Fellowship year look like?
Selected Fellows will participate in a workshop to share their research plans and learn from the collective experience. The selection committee members will mentor each of the Fellows in their research journey. Fellows will also attend an interim workshop halfway through the program and, at the end of their project, a closure workshop to share their findings before submitting their formal research report. CRY will sponsor all travel, boarding and lodging for all these meetings.
I am an independent scholar and am not affiliated with any institution. Am I eligible to apply?
Absolutely! You do not need to be affiliated with any academic institution to be eligible to apply for the NCRRF.
Can I submit a proposal for a collaborative project?
Yes, we accept applications for collaborative projects from 2 or more individuals who are proposing to work together on the same. All group members must meet the eligibility criteria and the proposal shall be considered as one project.
Can I use my own CV format as a part of my NCRRF application?
Yes of course. Just make sure that it includes all the information as per the given CV format.
What should I include in the project proposal?
Your proposal should be a maximum of 3 pages in length and describe the significance of your chosen topic, place the work in the context of your field and outline research objectives, design, ethics and tentative study budget. All proposals will be evaluated by experts in the relevant field.
Can I submit my application materials in a language other than English?
Yes. However, if your application materials are in a regional language, an English translation should be provided.
Can I share more than one writing sample? article/story/excerpt for my sample if?
Yes, you can submit more than one writing sample. A writing sample can be an article, story, previously published research or even just an excerpt.
Please note that if you’re submitting multiple writing samples, they should be combined and uploaded as a single PDF document.
Who would be accepted as a professional reference?
Former and current supervisors who have detailed insight into your work and can therefore, speak precisely about your skills and abilities. Provide at least two references with complete contact information.
Will I receive feedback and/or updates on the status of my application before the final decision is made?
Due to the large number of applications we receive and the dynamic nature of the review process, we’ll be unable to share feedback or updates on the status of specific applications.
How soon will I come to know the status of my application?
If you’re selected, we’ll reach out to you within a maximum 45 days of the application closing date.
If I am not selected as a Fellow, may I reapply next year?
Yes, absolutely.
What if I receive another Fellowship offer before hearing back from CRY on my NCRRF application?
If you are offered another Fellowship and would like to go ahead and accept it, please do let us know so that we may withdraw your application from consideration.
