DELPHE - Higher Education - Education - British Council

Higher Education

	New Research Grant for Development Partnerships in Higher Education （DelPHE）

The Development Partnerships in Higher Education (DelPHE) programme provides funding for partnerships between Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) working on collaborative activity linked to development goals. It is funded by the UK Government's Department for International Development (DFID) with a total investment of up to £15 million over a seven year period, from June 2006 to March 2013.

Institutions will work on initiatives that will contribute towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). DelPHE will encourage projects aiming to addressing core areas such as health, basic education, gender equality as well as promoting science and technology in Africa and Asia. The project should also be relevant to DFID's Development Strategies in China and broader development plans in China. A more specific List of Priority Areas for DelPHE scheme in China is also available for your reference.

Third Round Application Has Now Closed!
12 valid applications were received from different Chinese higher education institutions by the deadline of 30 January 2008. 6 of them were shortlisted and sent to UK for final decision. The final result will be released in mid June 2008.

For More Information

		Who can apply?

Higher Education Institutions from 25 DFID bilateral focus countries and territories will be eligible to apply. Mainland China is one of the 25 countries and territories. HEIs include universities, colleges, research institutes, medical institutions and other specialised agencies supporting advanced education and skills development. The lead partner must be a HEI from one of the 25 focus countries. If you plan to lodge your application in China, the lead partner must be a Chinese HEI who will formulate the proposal.

		What will DelPHE support?

The scheme will provide 'seed funding' primarily for travel and subsistence, to facilitate joint research, new courses, networking and exchange of ideas, workshops, professional development, improved training of education and health workers and policy development.

Financial support will vary from 10k to 50k per annum for each partnership depending on the number of partners and the scope of the work. Funding will be for a maximum of three years in the first instance. Please download a copy of the Financial Guidelines for DelPHE applications that explains the maximum amounts available for different types of partnership, the types of activity that can and cannot be funded and guidance subsistence rates. Applications requesting funding which exceeds the maximum amounts listed in the guidelines will not be considered.

		How to apply?

Step 1 – Complete the DelPHE Application Form. Detailed Guidance Notes and scorecard are available for you to prepare a successful application. The completed form should be signed by the head of involving partner HEIs to show their supports. Please read the DFID's Development Strategies in China and a more specific List of Priority Areas for DelPHE scheme in China to make sure that your application is better aligned to them.

Step 2 – Lodge application. Please send 3 copies of completed application form by post and email to British Council Beijing Office. See below for contact details.

Step 3 – Final decision. Projects will be submitted to the main DelPHE Steering Committee who will decide which applications to support. Feedback will be given to all applicants including the unsuccessful ones.

		What will happen after your application is submitted?

	Your application will be processed and assessed by a local assessment panel consists of relevant staff in the British Council Beijing Office and DFID Beijing Office. Proposals and local comments will be sent to the UK before the announced deadline. Proposals received from all 25 countries will be assessed by the DelPHE Joint Steering Committee (JSC) for final decisions of funding.

		Results of the Second Round

18 applications were received in China for the second round of DelPHE scheme. After local assessments made by DFID China, 6 of them were shortlisted and sent to the UK for further review. Globally, there were about 300 applications received from 23 out of the 25 DFID bi-lateral focus countries, and nearly 100 were shortlisted.

The DelPHE Joint Steering Committee (JSC) reviewed all short listed applications; a total of 40 applications were supported. Among them, 27 of them were from Africa and 13 from Asia. For the Chinese applications, we are glad to see that 3 projects were approved by JSC. Project funding has been released to HEIs for them to start their projects in October 2007. Please click here to view the details of all successful partnerships in Round 1 and Round 2 for DelPHE China.

		Global DelPHE website

Further details about the programme are available here or by contacting:
Address:
Cathy Sheng
Education & Science Officer
Cultural & Education Section
British Embassy
4F Landmark Building Tower 1
Beijing 100004

Tel: +86 10 6590 6903 ext 242
Fax: +86 10 6590 0977

Email: cathy.sheng@britishcouncil.org.cn