Institute of Rural Research and Development (IRRAD) is an initiative of the S.M. Sehgal Foundation dedicated to creating a brighter future for India’s rural communities. We envision rural people across India motivated and empowered to make their lives more secure and prosperous. IRRAD designs, tests and replicates scalable community-based models for rural development in the areas of water management, agriculture, sanitation, governance and education. It also builds capacities of communities and community-based institutions to enable them to undertake their own development. These initiatives are transformed into action through IRRAD’s four centers: Natural Resource Management, Policy, Governance & Advocacy Capacity Building, and Rural Research Center. Most of IRRAD’s field work is focused in 206 villages of Mewat (Haryana), one of the most backward regions in India.

Description:
The Rural Research Center contributes actively towards establishing IRRAD as ‘Knowledge Institute,’ a repository of knowledge, ideas, and solutions on rural development that are generated, proven at the grassroots level and shared with a wide range of stakeholders. The Center conducts targeted studies on poverty and livelihood issues, assesses the needs and impacts of IRRAD's programs, and addresses the research related requirements of the other centers. It conducts theoretical and empirical research with the application of appropriate qualitative and quantitative methodologies to address issues concerning rural development and poverty, and disseminates those research studies to influence programs and policies. RRC works internally with IRRAD’s programs and externally with researchers, students and rural community at large. 

The IRRAD, invites applications from doctoral/post-doctoral candidates from Indian higher educational institutions for its research fellowships to work on rural development projects in the backward districts of India, including Mewat. The fellowship projects will largely focus on analysing poverty and livelihood dynamics of the poor and sustainability of IRRAD’s development interventions.

Topics:
Interested candidates must submit a research proposal on any of the following research themes:

1. Water management
2. Governance in rural areas
3. Gender and Panchayati Raj Institutions

Terms:
The applicant can be a full time researcher or a Ph.D. student. The duration of the fellowship is six months and can be held for a single continuous period between April 2012 and March 2013. The fellowship includes a total grant of Rs. 1,80,000/- (Rs. 30,000 per month). In case, the study includes primary data collection in Mewat region, additional facilities such as residential accommodation, local transportation and field staff support may be provided to the selected candidate at our community center. The fellowship shall be based at IRRAD’s premises in Gurgaon. The candidate must submit the final study report by the end of the grant period and the final research paper published (or considered for publication) in a peer-reviewed journal.

How to Apply:
To apply, submit a research proposal (explaining the need, literature review, objective, methodology and scope of the study) along with the curriculum vitae focusing on prior research work experience and/or research publications and two references to research@irrad.org.

Last date to apply: February 15, 2012.

Contact details:
Plot No.34, Sector 44, Institutional Area
Gurgaon, Haryana - 122002
Phone: +91-124-474100
Email: research@irrad.orgWebsite: www.irrad.org