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Urban Design Research Institute Fellowship Program

The Urban Design Research Institute (UDRI), announces a new Research Fellowship Programme to provide young scholars, researchers and independent practitioners the opportunity to do research on contemporary urban issues and concerns of Mumbai. This programme is supported by the Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT) grant.

Research Fellows shall be given a monthly stipend and professional allowance of Rs. 20000. They shall also be provided with working space and requisite infrastructure at the UDRI studio. In addition UDRI will facilitate discussions with relevant resource persons in the field and assist in the publication of research findings. Support will also be available to the fellows for post-research advocacy.

The research period can vary between 6 to18 months depending on the project scope and deliverables. Applicants shall demonstrate the relevance of the proposed research to the city of Mumbai/Mumbai Metropolitan Region and the feasibility of accompanying the research goal within the stipulated period.

 

Suggested Areas of research:

Alternative Histories and Conceptualizations:
Research on Alternative histories that encompass the Economy of the City, Governance and Administration, Housing in the City, Actors, organizations and Development Practice, Architecture of the City and New City Concepts conceptualizing Urban infrastructure, the Urban Informal Sector, Urban Peripheries, the Global City Landscapes, etc.

Urban Projects:
Research related to review of one or more important urban project / project type with various details of its development. Suggested themes could include Mill Land Redevelopments, New Townships, Waterfronts Redevelopment, Heritage Conservation, Urban Conservation, Public Space Conservation, Environmental Conservation, Urban Infrastructure, Slum Resettlement and Redevelopment, Special Economic Zones, Multiplexes, Shopping Malls, Call Centres, etc.

Urban Practices:
Research related to elaborations on one or more actor / agency, their contexts, their strategies/tactics, their actions, their impacts etc on the development processes of the city. Suggested topics include practices of Local Government, State, Politicians, Media, Community Based Organizations, NGOs dealing with the Environment, with Poverty and other NGOs, Academia, Financial Institutions, Judiciary, Private Architectural and Planning Practices, Multinational Agencies, etc.

Policy Review:
Research related to elaborations on one or more policy that has significantly shaped the city. Possible topics may include the Regional Plan, Development Plan, Development Control Regulations, Housing Policy, Rent Control Act, Heritage Conservation Guidelines, Urban Land Ceiling Act, Floor Space Index, Slum Resettlement and Redevelopment, Slum Rehabilitation Act, Transferable Development Rights mechanism, CESS, etc.

City Geographies:
Research related to documentation of one or more geographical or institutional area within the city, which among others, could cover areas of City Administration, Public Spaces, Open spaces and Environmentally Sensitive Areas, Industrial City and Old Suburbs, Fort and Native City, Railway Stations and Markets, BEST, WR & CR, Slums, City Peripheries, the New Suburbs, etc.

Dates
Last date for receipt of application | 15.10.08
Tentative date of interview | 15.12.08

Eligibility Requirements
Applicants should have a bachelors/masters degree in architecture or planning, and equivalent published work (or) Masters degree in geography or social sciences and equivalent published work
High proficiency in English language and preferably Hindi and Marathi
Should be eligible for leave of absence, if employed.

Applications shall be addressed to the Executive Director, UDRI submitted by email at researchfellowship@udri.org with a covering letter, a full CV, two letters of reference and a research proposal of approximately ten pages in A4 size (double spaced).
For further details contact:
Urban Design Research Institute
43 Dr V.B. Gandhi Marg, Kala Ghoda, Fort, Mumbai 400 023
Tel. +91-22-6573-5773, +91-22-22822924
Fax +91-22-2288-5972
Email: udriresearchfellowship@gmail.com, researchfellowship@udri.org