Call for AuthorAID stories of change
We are looking for AuthorAID stories of change from the last four years. Please read below:
Context
We are required by our donor Sida, Sweden's government agency for development cooperation, to evaluate our Global Platforms for Equitable Knowledge Ecosystems (GPEKE) programme, of which AuthorAID is a part. The overall purpose of the programme is to enable stronger and more equitable research systems, that allow more talent to be unleashed.
The programme includes two main streams of work:
- an enhanced and sustainable AuthorAID platform that supports researchers to develop their research skills, and
- in collaboration with our partners the Uganda National Council of Science and Technology (UNCST) and Ethiopian Academy of Science (EAS) to contribute to greater and more equitable research capacity in national research systems in Uganda and Ethiopia.
What are we looking for?
As part of the evaluation we would like to collect “stories of change” from as many different stakeholders as possible who have taken part in the activities under the programme to gather their perspectives of whether and how the activities have contributed to stronger and more equitable research systems.
We are interested in stories from early and mid-career researchers, research teachers and managers and research-users including practitioners and policy makers, UNCST and EAS staff and other government and non-government organisations who have been involved in the programme activities. In fact, everyone!
Writing these stories should not require very much work. We would simply like you to tell us what you think has been “A significant change that you have observed in the knowledge ecosystem in your country, organisation or at individual level, and what was GPEKE / AuthorAid’s role in this change, if any”.
The stories should be short – an absolute maximum of 500 words, and fewer than this is fine. There are no right or wrong answers. The story should be your own opinion and can be about how your own capacity to do high quality and useful research has changed, of changes in your organisation or the wider research system. They can also be stories about things which have got worse.
They should be your own story in your own words. There is no specific structure or format, but we would like to hear about:
- what the change is about,
- why it is important,
- what you think caused it,
- what is the evidence for the change,
- what lessons you think efforts to strengthen knowledge ecosystems could draw from the story.
How to submit your story of change
Submitting the story is easy – just click on this link and fill in the online form. Once you have submitted your story there are a few additional demographic questions. You can submit the story anonymously, or if you would be prepared to be contacted for further information, you can leave your name and email address. All authors who choose to do that will be entered in a draw for one of five US $50 Amazon Vouchers. This call for stories will close on the 2nd October.
The stories will provide useful real-life examples which we may quote anonymously in the final evaluation report. We may also publish a selection of stories on the INASP or AuthorAID site but will contact the authors by email to get their permission before we do that.