DSA Annual Conference November 2008

DEVELOPMENT'S INVISIBLE HANDS

Saturday 8th November 2008

Church House, Westminster, London, UK

RESEARCH STUDENT BURSARY AWARDS

Participation

In order to encourage the participation of postgraduate students at the special 30^th anniversary conference of the DSA, we are organising a competition for all postgraduate research and dissertation student members. Eligible students include those currently registered (for PhD, DPhil, MPhil, MRes, MA, MSc etc.) in UK or Irish universities who are involved in development studies research or other research which has a development focus. New members are very welcome to register.[1] Institutions and organisations are strongly urged to emphatically encourage their postgraduate students to participate in this competition.

 Application Procedure (Abstract)

All postgraduate student participants are invited to submit a 400 (or 1 A4 side double spaced) word abstract by 30^th June 2008. The abstracts need to fit within one of the 16 themes of the parallel panel sessions and should be based on  the thesis or dissertation topics of the students. Third and fourth year PhD/DPhil students are particularly invited to participate. Participants will be notified about whether they have qualified for one of the 10 Conference Bursaries by 14^th July 2008. The Conference Organisers will select the best 10 abstracts and their respective authors will be required to submit full papers (5,000 words length) by 15^th September 2008. The winners of the best two papers will then be notified in advance of the Conference and presented with their cheques at the Conference itself.

The 16 themes of the Conference are shown below and further details for each of the conference panels can be found at www.devstud.org.uk/conference-08/abstracts.htm

Content of Abstract: Abstracts should contain a clear indication of the theoretical conceptualisation and geographical context of the research. They should also have a clear methodological focus and should contain a synthesis of the basis for the conclusions of the study as well as an indication of future research implications and or direction. 

Award Package:

A three-tier award package has been put in place:

1.    Authors of the best 10 abstracts will be selected to participate at the conference with their conference registration fee, accommodation and travel cost (standard air, train or bus fare of up to £145) covered in full. They may have the opportunity to act as discussants on panels – but this will be at the discretion of the individual Panel Convenors.

2.    Authors of the top two papers out the 10 selected papers would be presented with cash awards of £300 (for the best paper) and £200 (for the second best paper).

3.    The best paper (winner of the £300 award)  will be put forward for publication, subject to review, in the special conference issue of the Journal of International Development..

All enquiries should be sent to Dr. Joseph Assan (joeassan@liv.ac.uk) or Frances Hill (admin@devstud.org.uk)

PANEL THEMES

Of the 16 panels, the first twelve are open to proposals for papers. Further details, together with contact details for their convenor(s), are on the DSA conference website at http://www.devstud.org.uk/conference-08/abstracts.htm (or click on the links below). The themes are:

·                                  How Change Happens

·                                 China as a new shaper of development

·                                  Development Futures in a Changing Climate

·                                 Cities in an Insecure World - forthcoming

·                                 Invisible agendas? Return migration and the migration-development nexus

·                                 Technology and social innovations

·                                 Business and its influence on development

·                                 Anti-democratic development

·                                 Unfree Labour in the Global Economy

·                                 After 2015: What’s Next for Development Research and Policy?

·                                 Frontiers of Global Justice: Health and the Environment

·                                 Wellbeing and Development Policy

Four of the panels are organised around particular large-scale research projects, partnerships or consortia. They are not open to paper proposals from outside. Their themes are:

·                                 Re-enchanting after disenchantment: Religious challenges to development studies

·                                 Children and Youth as the future of development

·                                 The institutions of development and the development of institutions

·                                 Non-Governmental Public Actors in Development

Page last updated: 27 May, 2008