المنتدى

ERF is pleased to invite submissions of Policy Briefs, drawing on research findings by ERF and/or others, with a view to informing public opinion and policy making on issues of relevance to the ERF region. Policy Briefs are intended to bridge the gap between research and policy by informing a broad audience, including policymakers, political parties’ officials, legislatures, the business community, trade unions, media and academia.

This competition is open to ERF and non-ERF affiliates. Authors are requested to submit full drafts of Policy Briefs which are consistent with the Guidelines below. Authors of accepted submissions will gain the opportunity to participate in a training on writing Policy Briefs, the cost of which will be borne by ERF. In addition, up to 10 policy briefs will be selected for wide dissemination and their authors will be awarded $1,000 each.

GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSION

• A Policy Brief is a short note of 4-5 pages at a maximum - approximately 2000-2500 words.
• It addresses a specific economic policy question, either pertaining to a specific country or to a group of countries in the region.
• It goes beyond a diagnosis or analysis of a particular problem, to the verification of alternative policy options, with a view to making specific policy recommendations based on available research.
• It uses simple and non-technical language, with an uncomplicated and catchy title.
• It includes a short entry summarizing in bullet points the key points made in the brief (overview of the problem and recommendations).
• Finally, it does not embody any footnotes, although it may include a small number of the most important references (a maximum of five) at the end.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA and SELECTION PROCESS

• Submissions must include a full draft of the Policy Brief, accompanied by author(s)’ CV(s) and the most recently published paper, if any, in relation to the topic of the Policy Brief.
• The applicant, or at least one of the co-authors, must be from the ERF region (Arab countries, Iran and Turkey).
• Submissions will be evaluated on the basis of the quality of the policy content, the robustness of the research on which it is based and the quality of writing. The evaluation will be made by a committee of experts/policymakers.
• Policy briefs will go through a plagiarism check to ensure their originality and authenticity.
• Selected Submissions may be revised for further improvements before publication. This may entail training, assistance and other advice.

ERF reserves the right to exclude briefs which are not consistent with the above guidelines and selection criteria.
 
DEADLINE
The deadline for submissions is July 31st, 2015.

PLEASE FORWARD YOUR SUBMISSION TO: anaguib@erf.org.eg   

CONTACT
For further inquiries, please contact Ms. Aalaa Naguib