Research

IDN supports and promotes research that seeks to understand and alleviate the underlying causes of poverty in the developing world, particularly sub-Saharan Africa.

Our research priorities include:

• Institutions, human rights and the law
• Social and cultural dimensions of poverty and development
• Gender issues and poverty
• Capacity and sustainability    

The following are the type of research initiatives we support:

Working Groups

IDN working groups bring together faculty from across Emory, including those who are not traditionally involved in development work, with local experts to address a particular issue or problem. For example, in 2007 IDN assembled a working group on Liberia, where faculty from the law, anthropology and women’s studies departments worked alongside experts from Liberia to better understand the root causes of gender based violence. Working groups allow participants to share specialized knowledge and to address the political, cultural and historical factors at play. The goals of a workshop are typically to: 1) offer short-term recommendations, 2) identify areas where research can provide critical information for improving policies or programs and 3) identify research partners.

To learn more about Emory faculty experiences with working groups, visit IDN Faculty Spotlight.

Research Workshops

IDN research workshops are designed to foster discussion around a particular issue or problem as a way to better conceptualize research projects that address local priorities. By bringing together a variety of stakeholders, including those with local expertise, workshops deliver new insight on the issues of global poverty that focuses on in-country perspective.  

Research Projects

IDN research projects address pressing problems, engage our partners and propose a period of study that will lead to outcomes that re-imagine development scholarship, practice or teaching. The projects must include the commitment of partner institutions and researchers and provide benefits for all parties. 

For information on how to apply for an IDN grant, visit Request for Proposals.