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Tobacco Control Policy Research Grant Program 2020

• FCTC Article 5.3 (https://www.who.int/fctc/en/)
• E-cigarette and other emerging tobacco product (Prevalence and marketing technique, health hazards, etc.)
• Smokeless Tobacco
  • Production and marketing technique   
• Social media and tobacco control

• Smoking and Tobacco Product Usage (Control) Act:
  • Compliance in public places and public transports
  • Display of “No Tobacco Signage in public places and public transports
  • Role of Tobacco Control Taskforce in tobacco control 
• Smoke-free environment 

• Quitting/cessation program in Bangladesh
  • Explore programs and ways of tobacco cessation in Bangladesh context
  • Scope, barriers and effectiveness of tobacco cessation methods or programs
  • Causes of relapse in tobacco quit 
  • Determinants of motivation to quit tobacco  
  • Institutional and family support for tobacco cessation 
  • Noncommunicable diseases and tobacco control program/initiative   

• Graphic Health Warnings (GHW)
  • Effectiveness of current GHW 
  • Hard-hitting Graphics Health Warning
  • Tobacco plain packaging (smoking and smokeless) 
  • Tobacco and Non-communicable disease

• Tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (TAPS), including through electronic/social media
  • Point of Sale
  • Compliance of Tobacco Control Law 
  • Industry interference related to TAPS ban 
  • Barriers to implementing TAPS ban 

• Tobacco tax policy in Bangladesh
• Regulate smokeless tobacco products 
• Tax on bidi/smokeless tobacco products 
• Switching of tobacco products 
• Tax and price measures, including illicit trade policy in relation to taxation 

• The student should be enrolled in a postgraduate program in Bangladesh.
• Applicant should be available in the country throughout the research period. 

• Researchers having a Masters, M.Phil, or Ph.D. degree and affiliated with any university, institution or organization in Bangladesh. The applicant must submit a No Objection Letter from the applicant’s respective organization to carry out the research once it is selected.  
• Researchers must be available in the country throughout the research period. 
• Applicants must have at least 3 years of research experience and have demonstrated their ability to conduct a research study independently:
  • Applicants must have at least one research publication as a first author. Evidence to prove research publication must be submitted with the application.  
  • A list of research studies mentioning the roles of the applicants must be submitted on a separate page. 

• Proposals will be short-listed according to the priorities listed above and based on the quality and rigor of the application.
• Short listed proposals will be reviewed by a panel of researchers and program/policy advisors to identify applicants who will be invited to make presentations in front of a review panel.
• Based on their merit, proposals will be selected for funding.
• Each selected proposal will receive a grant for a nine-month research project. The grant value for the Student category is US$ 5000 and for the Researcher category is US$ 10,000.  
• The program will commence in March 2020. 
• Each applicant is eligible to submit one proposal.

• Student applicant must be enrolled as a student at any recognized university or educational institution in Bangladesh. A proof of enrollment must be submitted with the proposal.  
• The applicant should submit a consent letter from his/her Supervisor/Mentor confirming the following:
  • The Supervisor/Mentor will oversee all components of the research activity 
  • Be available to attend research project related meeting(s) as and when required 
  • Ensure the quality of the research including research report
  • Mention that s/he is providing a consent letter for not more than one applicant for the 2020 Research Grant Program. 

1. Cover page (Title of the study, name of the applicant, organization and contact details) 
2. Proposal abstract (maximum 300 words) 
3. Coverage of geographical/study area in details 
4. Background and problem statement: provide a clear and simple description of research problem/gap (maximum 700 words)
5. Rationale/justification of the research (maximum 300 words)
6. Research question/hypotheses (if any) and objectives (overall and specific objectives) of the research (maximum 200 words)
7. Methodology including study design, study type, study population, sampling design, data collection method and instrument, and concrete analysis plan (maximum 1000 words)  
8. Implications of the proposed research for tobacco control policy in Bangladesh (maximum 500 words)
9. Proposed personnel plan (maximum 500 words)
10. Work plan
11. Budget
    1. Suggested Budget Preparation Guideline:  
       • Personnel Cost (Salary for proposed staff members including Principal Investigator, Co-Investigator, Data Analyst, Data Entry Operator, etc.) - maximum 40% of total cost
       • Field Activity Cost (Allowance for Data Collectors, cost for Enumerators’ training, local data collection costs, etc.) - maximum 30% of total cost
       • Travel and Transportation Cost (Inter district travel costs by Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator, and other travel costs not related to data collection) - maximum 10% of total cost
       • Professional Service (Honorarium for Supervisor/Mentor and fees for Ethical Clearance) - maximum 10% of total cost 
       • General Operating Cost (any other costs related to the research work) - maximum 10% of total cost.
12. Signed updated short CVs of key personnel (Applicant, Supervisor/Mentor, Co-investigator) involved in the research (not more than 5 pages each) 

1. Relevance to the priorities of the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use. 
2. Uniqueness of the study’s contribution to the evidence base that supports the resolution of current tobacco control priority issues in Bangladesh. 
3. Quality and feasibility
4. Suitability of approach, design, methods and/or analysis
5. Policy implications and scope for further research

1. Global Adult Tobacco Survey- Bangladesh 2017
2. WHO report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, Bangladesh, 2017 (http://www.who.int/tobacco/surveillance/policy/country_profile/bgd.pdf?ua=1) 
3. Smoking and Using of Tobacco Products (Control) Act 2005
4. Amendment of Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Act, 2005
5. World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (https://www.who.int/fctc/en/)
6. World Health Organization’s MPOWER package (http://www.who.int/tobacco/mpower/en/)
7. Global Tobacco Control: Learning from the Experts (http://globaltobaccocontrol.org/online_training) 
8. Learning from the Experts: A Course for Healthcare Professionals (http://hp.globaltobaccocontrol.org/online_training) 
9. National Tobacco Control Cell (NTCC): ntcc.gov.bd 
10. Bangladesh Tobacco Control Research Network website: www.btcrn.org

XI. List of the Studies Conducted so far: