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Open Call for Proposals 2024

The Jacobs Foundation is pleased to announce the 2024 Call for Proposals for its LEVANTE framework. The Jacobs Foundation is devoting up to CHF 4 million to support project proposals to become part of the LEVANTE network.

Apply now here.

Deadline for submission: October 06, 2024.

 
The Learning Variability Network Exchange (LEVANTE) seeks to understand how children grow, learn, and develop across different times, places, and contexts so that they can be supported to thrive in the multitude of experiences they will encounter throughout life. It brings together researchers from around the world to create the first cross-cultural, multidisciplinary open dataset aiming to capture the richness and diversity of child development and learning.

The overarching objective of LEVANTE is to identify how individual variability, group heterogeneity, and contextual variability influence children’s learning and development. By including data collection of common measures on these different areas longitudinally and at a global level, LEVANTE will help researchers, educators, and policymakers understand child development within individuals, within groups, and across contexts, thus improving future learning outcomes for diverse groups of children worldwide. The focus of the Jacobs Foundation is fostering scientific excellence and building a strong network of internationally active researchers in the field of child and youth development with a strong focus on variability of learning and to foster long-term collaboration with other researchers and the Jacobs Foundation.

LEVANTE Focus

• Embracing and understanding variability in learning across the three dimensions described in the Jacobs Foundation Research Agenda: within-subject, within-group, and contextual variability.
• Focus on typically developing children withing the age range 2-12 (i.e., compulsory primary school years).
• As a global program, LEVANTE encourages applications from all countries, bearing also in mind the special interest of the Jacobs Foundation in its target countries (Colombia, Ghana, Switzerland, and Côte d’Ivoire).
  

Selection Criteria and Eligibility

Main applicants should:

• Have obtained a PhD or equivalent degree at least 5 years prior to the application deadline;
• Be employed by and be part of a research lab at an institution of higher education or research institute;
• Be conducting high-quality research in the area of variability of learning and development;
• Be committed to engaging with and contributing to the activities of both LEVANTE and the Jacobs Foundation.

The following selection criteria are considered in the selection process:

• Scientific quality of methods and data
• Publication record and experience on similar collaborative projects
• Feasibility of the proposed project
• Availability of resources and capacity of the lab
• Innovativeness, uniqueness, and value proposition of the proposed project
• Geographic localization of the proposed project and demographic representativeness of the sample
• Conceptual alignment and integration of planned project with the LEVANTE framework
• Collaboration and/or multidisciplinary character of the proposed project
• Inclusion of young scholars in the team
• Inclusion of additional measures with no/limited additional funding request.

Funding and Budget

The Jacobs Foundation is devoting up to CHF 4 million to support project proposals to become part of the LEVANTE network. Proposal can be submitted within the following two categories:

• Category 1: Grants of up to CHF 400’000 each
• Category 1: Grants of up to CHF 700’000 each

Learn more about the types of project anticipated to fall under each category.

Projects have a minimum duration of three years, with the possibility of competitive renewal for an additional three years.
Review of the extended proposals will take into account the scope of the proposed budget relative to the proposition value of the project. 

Timeline of the Application Process

The LEVANTE application process consists of three stages:
 
Stage 1: Initial Application (Aug 12 – Oct 06, 2024)
The initial application comprises three parts:

• General Information: You will be asked to submit general information about yourself, your team and your background.
• Application Form: Submit details of your study, including the project description, geographical focus, and target population age range.
• Upload your CV and a list of publications.

Stage 2: Extended Proposal (Nov 20 – Dec 15, 2024)
If your initial application is successful, you will be asked to submit an extended proposal, which includes:

• Extended Proposal Form: Submit in depth description of your study.
• Timeline.
• Budget.

Stage 3: Interview (Feb 03-07, 2025)
After your extended proposal is reviewed, you might be invited to an interview with the review panel. The final candidates will be presented for approval to the Jacobs Foundation Board.