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From March 1997, the Nepal Studies Group of the Centre for Social Research and Development (CSRD) will launch a training program for Nepali student researchers. The aim of this program is to enhance the research and analytical capacities of Nepali students at the college and university levels so that they can independently research and analyze issues of importance in Nepal and beyond. The selected students will be supervised by researchers associated with the Nepal Studies Group, the research wing of CSRD. We will guide students in all phases of their research:

• Formulating the research proposals in light of the contemporary literature on the concerned subjects.
  

• Training in research methodologies.
  

• Locating relevant source materials, both published and unpublished.
  

• Facilitating contacts of the students with relevant specialists.
  

• Organizing regular meetings of the students with the supervisors to discuss detailed aspects of the research and to provide constant guidance.
  

• Holding group discussions among the students.
  

• Writing short papers, review articles, etc. in both Nepali and English for publication.
  

• Guidance in doing the write-up of the research, from first draft to final product.
  

We expect each round of this program to last about 10 months during which we will require the students to devote near full-time attention to their research and writing for at least 5 months. The students will have access to the computers and printers in CSRD's facility, as well as to the library located at Martin Chautari in Thapathali, Kathmandu.

Eligibility:
Students from the following disciplines are encouraged to apply: Anthropology, Demography, Economics, Forestry, Geography, History, Communications, Literature, Management, Political Science, Public Administration, and Sociology. Students from other disciplines can also apply. All students will have to meet the following criteria of eligibility:

• Interest in research and writing
  

• Educational background: Currently studying at least at the Bachelors level (preferably 2nd year), or Bachelors complete, or studying at the Masters level
  

• Grades above 50% from SLC onwards
  

Funding:
Rs. 15000 ($275) will be allocated for each student project. We will provide Rs. 12000 ($220) for each student as research stipend in the amount of Rs. 2400/month for the last 5 months of the program when the student will be required to do the final write up of the research. Students' progress will be closely monitored as they will be required to submit drafts and chapters by fixed deadlines. The remaining Rs. 3000 ($55) will be used to procure relevant library source materials for student-research and cover the administrative costs of the program.

Application Procedure and Deadline:
Application deadline is February 1, 1997. Applicants are requested to submit copies of their marksheets from SLC onwards, a list of courses taken at the college and university levels, and a two-page description of the research topic that they would like to pursue. They will also have to submit a sample of their writing, published or unpublished. The two-page research topic description and the writing sample must be either in Nepali or English in accordance with the language they want to use for their research.

Selection Procedure:
All applications will be reviewed by the selection committee. Final decisions will be made by 1 March 1997 in the following manner.

• Proposals will be reviewed, and selected applicants will be called for an interview during February.
  

• Final selection of the grant recepients will be made only after the interview.
  

Program Requirements:

• Attend the fortnightly Mangalbaare discussions organized by Martin Chautari, CSRD
  

• Attend the talks in the Nepal Studies Group Seminar Series
  

• Meet all the deadlines for the submission of assignments
  

• Attend all the meetings with supervisors and group discussions with fellow researchers
  

• Submit a copy of their final paper to CSRD and the Central Library of Tribhuvan University
  

• Fulfill the following writing requirements:
  

  A. During the first five months:

  revise and expand the research proposal prepared earlier to further define the research problem (CSRD will provide general guidelines to prepare this proposal).
  

  write at least two review articles (book reviews, or general literature reviews on the research topic)
  

  B. During the second five months: (write-up period)
  

  submit written assignments every three weeks
  

  complete a draft of the final write-up by the end of the fourth month
  

  present their research to either the Mangalbare discussion forum, the Nepal Studies Group Seminar Series or to the student researchers' group
  

  submit a final research paper at the end of the progra
  

Call for Support:
We have recently started to look for funds, both inside and outside of Nepal, with the aim of raising about US $9090 (Rs. 500,000) for 1997 to support this program. As of January 1997, US$750 had been raised, entirely from private donations. In addition, Martin Chautari funds sufficient to support two students have been earmarked for this program. The Centre has already started to build a small collection of useful research materials for these students and other researchers. The idea is to build a basic Nepal reference collection with special emphasis on Nepali language source materials. We are in the process of building special relationships with other reference libraries in Nepal, and the students will be directed to their collections when necessary.

A CSRD bank account has also been established in the United States for those who wish to contribute from abroad to either the Baitadi Scholarship Fund or the Student Research Training Program. For information about making contributions via the United States, contact Lazima Onta-Bhatta.

We would highly appreciate any contributions to support either the library project or the student research training program. Any individual or group providing enough money to support the work of at least one student will be specifically acknowledged in that student's work. All contributors will receive a receipt for their contribution from the Centre for Social Research and Development. Periodic reports on the progress of the program will be made public on the Internet and in media within Nepal.

For further information, contact:

Pratyoush Onta
General Secretary
CSRD
15/1 Thamel
Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel: 977-1-228850