Indian Council of World Affairs

Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) has a scheme for commissioning original manuscripts on well-researched topics of international relations and foreign policy in accordance with its objectives and mandate which may be examined on its website www.icwa.in.

Objective

The objective of the ICWA Book Research Grant is to commission books on international relations by eminent experts in the field as well as to encourage professional development of young scholars of area studies and Indian foreign policy.

Themes for ICWA Book Grants 

The Book Grant applications will be considered on themes that encompass:

• India's world view- its contours, its past and present trajectories, its historical and spiritual underpinnings.
• India’s foreign policy, its determinants, its trajectory.
• The politico-strategic dynamics of Asia, Indo-Pacific, Africa, Europe and the Americas and their implications for India and its world view.
• India's relations with its neighbours and the extended neighbourhood.
• India's relations with post World War-II Great Powers. 
• India’s commitment to multilateralism; reform of global governance institutions.
• Promotion of regionalism in international relations.
• Foreign policy trajectories of India’s partner countries and their implications for bilateral relations.
• The impact of foreign policy on daily lives in India.
• Thematic issues: Technology and International Relations, Interface between Public Policy issues and Foreign Policy objectives, Global Commons, Defense and Security, Combatting Terrorism and Radicalization, Nuclear Non-Proliferation, Civil Nuclear Energy, Energy Polices, Disarmament, Specific International and Regional Organizations and their mandates, etc.

Language of Books

Proposals for Grants are invited for original books to be written in either English or Hindi.

Eligibility

The applicant must be 

• Associated with a UGC recognized Indian university with which their department or the individual has a working relationship. Early career researchers and post-doctoral scholars who wish to forge an academic career in research in international relations. (Early career researchers are those who have gained their doctoral degree less than 10 years before the application closing date.)
• Associated with a reputed research institution. The host organization must be able to demonstrate that they can provide the appropriate intellectual support and facilities to enable the applicant to succeed in utilising their grant effectively.
• Employed at UGC recognised Indian universities, think tanks /institutes or other research organisations. It is also open across all disciplines, though research must relate to one of the areas listed as ICWA Research priority areas.
• Applicant must be an Indian citizen.
• Serving or retired government officials/diplomats/executives with domain knowledge.
  
  

Format for Submission of Book Proposal

Click here for ICWA Guidelines for Book Research Proposal

ICWA Academic Style sheet

Click here for ICWA Academic Style sheet

Rules

• Applicants must provide evidence that they have established research credentials, and that they intend to complete the research within the timeline of 18 months. 
• Successful applicants must begin their research upon receipt of the award notification and must submit it within the allocated period which is usually eighteen months. Extensions for this period are granted on a case to case basis. 
• Applicants should familiarise themselves with the ICWA's programme of work and the areas of interest of the ICWA before submitting research proposals.
• The decision of the ICWA would be final and binding. 
• ICWA will provide, in three installments, a grant not exceeding Rs. 3 lakhs. 1st installment of Rs. 1 lakh would be released once the proposal is approved by ICWA and the required undertaking is signed by the prospective author. The 2nd installment of Grant of 1 lakh is paid after review of the draft manuscript. The preliminary draft of first five chapters should be submitted and the Council will review these before releasing the second tranche to the author. The review process comprises of blind review by at least two experts.
• The 3rd and last installment would be paid after the final publication of book after due refereeing process. The author would submit the revised manuscript after incorporating referee comments, which will be sent for final publication after internal review. 
• The progress on the book project would be monitored at regular intervals through communication between ICWA and the author.
• An additional travel grant of up to Rs. 4 lakhs may be provided for undertaking field visits for every book grant approved subject to submission and approval of the travel/field visit proposal by the Council. The amount is reimbursed on the basis of actuals and after production of required receipts/vouchers. Council may consider providing advance amount in part or in full to enable the author to undertake field trips, based on justification received from the author to this end, as an exception. The advance will be recovered by adjustment from the TA bill submitted with original bill vouchers, boarding passes, tickets, etc. after the field visit. The claim will have to be preferred as per existing TA rules of Government of India. 
• The book project will not exceed Rs 7 lakhs. It will have two components: A book writing grant upto Rs. 3 Lakhs; and a field visit grant up to Rs. 4 lakhs.
• No other financial, logistic or secretarial assistance will be provided to the author by ICWA.
• A book can have more than one author.
• The terms of distribution of the Grant among the authors will be as per mutually agreed between ICWA and the authors.
• The minimum length of the book excluding acknowledgements, footnotes and annexes should be 60,000 words. The copyright of the accepted manuscript will rest with the ICWA, which may, share any royalty received from the sale of the copies of the book with the author. 
• All Book Grant Proposals must strictly comply with the ICWA format.
• Applicants associated with academic and research institutions and think-tanks must include a forwarding letter from the Dean or Head of the Department of the Centre/think tank conveying their no objection for the grant being sought.
• Proposals in the prescribed format in sealed envelope (and through email) clearly indicating "The Topic of the Book Project" and "Book Research Grant"written on the left hand corner may be sent to:

Director (Research)
Indian Council of World Affairs
Sapru House, Barakhamba Road
New Delhi- 110001

Telephone No. 011-23311902
E-mail ID: directorresearch[at]icwa[dot]in