Local environmental change and society in Africa

The organization for Social Science Research in Eastern and Southern Africa (OSSREA) is a network of social scientists in the sub-region established in 1980. Its main objectives are to encourage and promote interest; to engage in collaborative research; facilitate scholarly exchange of ideas and publication between individuals and institutions engaged in the study and research in the social sciences. OSSREA also aims to promote the training of social scientists from the sub-region in the study of and research in the social sciences and to encourage establishment of institutions dedicated to this goal. In pursuance of and consistent with its objectives, OSSREA established a fund to provide research grants and training fellowships to social scientists from the sub-region. Every year OSSREA offers, on a competitive basis, two limited types of research grants: the first on topics related to the social sciences in general and the second on gender issues in particular. The grants assist the social scientists to conduct field research in an eastern or southern African country, society, scientists to conduct field research in an eastern or southern African country, society, institutions, sector, or problem area. The objectives of the social science competition are intended to encourage and promote upcoming scholars from the sub-region to conduct research in the social, economic, political or other problems. Moreover, it aims to strengthen and raise the capacity of faculty members and students in field research, and promote individuals and institutions. The second research competition focuses on gender issues and is intended to encourage local scholars to conduct relevant research that is expected to contributed to the education and understanding of gender issues and its integration into development thinking, planning and implementation. Another objective is to avail the research findings to policy makers as well as for teaching. Themes such as ethnic conflicts, analysis, management and resolution; regional co-operation; sustainable development and natural resource management , among others, and their relationship to gender; development; governance have been researched by our grant winners. OSSREA's research grant fund aims towards building up the capacity of eastern and southern African research institutions by offering an opportunity to up-coming researchers and scholars to address topics that are important to their work domain as well in informing as decision-takers and policy-makers. A jury of distinguished scholars from the sub-region is selected every year to evaluate the grant applications. The grant winners are brought together for a research methodology workshop, where they respond to comments and questions raised by the jury and other resources persons.