SUBMISSION DEADLINE: July 27, 2018
The ERF Annual Conference provides a unique opportunity for regional researchers to interact with international peers and with each another. It also provides a venue for the presentation of multiple research papers, both in the plenary and parallel sessions, with stimulating discussions on the most pressing development challenges facing the MENA region and to celebrate excellence.
The upcoming conference is very special; it marks the 25th anniversary of the Economic Research Forum (ERF). This is a cause for celebration, not only because ERF has become a unique independent regional institution, but also because it has earned a reputation for excellence, and it has become a home for aspiring researchers.
The Economic Research Forum invites submissions from interested researchers on any topic within the area of Development Economics or related fields. Submissions could be in the form of Individual papers or panel proposals in accordance with the standard ERF Guidelines for Submission (see below).
Previously, the Annual Conference competition involved the submission of proposals under six pre-assigned themes: macroeconomics, microeconomics, international economics, finance, labor and human development, and institutions. Effective this call, proposals for individual papers will not be classified ex-ante as belonging to any one particular research theme from the above list or any other pre-specified topic. Instead, they will be grouped ex-post with papers that address the same economic issue from different conceptual or methodological perspective. For example, proposals addressing growth in MENA countries from trade; finance; labor market; micro or macro perspectives could be reviewed and grouped under one thematically cross-cutting cluster.
Moreover, in addition to proposals for individual papers, a group of researchers may also submit proposals for organizing panels comprising three papers addressing a coherent set of issues. In this case the proposal will be assessed according to the overall quality and relevance of the panel as a whole.
The conference will be held in Kuwait City, Kuwait in March 2019. It will run for three days. ERF will cover travel and accommodation costs for one presenter of every accepted paper, preferably one holding a MENA nationality.
IMPORTANT DATES:
July 27, 2018: Deadline for submissions
September 9, 2018: Notification of selected proposals
November 30, 2018: Deadline for receiving written papers
December 25, 2018: Notification of acceptance of papers for presentation
SUBMIT PROPOSAL ONLINE
CONTACT
For further inquiries, please contact Hoda Azmi, Conference & Logistics Manager, ERF, at 21 Al-Sad Al-Aaly Street, Dokki, Giza, Egypt. Fax (+202) 333 18 604; E-mail: erf@erf.org.eg
Guidelines for submission
The organizing committee is pleased to invite the submission of proposals per the outline given. Invitees should be engaged in research on the ERF region (the Arab countries, Iran and Turkey), regardless of their affiliation to ERF. Previously published papers or those accepted for publication may not be submitted. The deadline for submitting proposals is July 27, 2018.
The authors of accepted papers (one author per paper) will be invited to present and take part in the deliberations of the conference at ERF’s expense. If the paper is accepted for publication in a refereed journal within two years of the conference, the author(s) will receive an honorarium of $1,000. In addition, the refereeing committees will make nominations for select most distinguished papers for the Best Paper Award. Winning papers are evaluated on the basis of their contribution to knowledge, rigor and policy relevance. The Awards will be announced at the Closing Plenary of the conference and each winning paper will receive an extra $1,000. Finally, the editors of ERF’s Middle East Development Journal (MEDJ) will select worthy papers for possible inclusion in the journal, following the journal’s refereeing process.
CONFERENCE OBJECTIVES
The 25th Annual Conference provides a unique opportunity for regional researchers to interact with international peers and with each another. It also provides a venue for the presentation of multiple research papers, both in the plenary and parallel sessions, with stimulating discussions and feedback. In addition, the conference features special events, the presentation of selected research projects and celebrates excellence in research.
TIMETABLE AND DEADLINES
The deadline for submitting paper proposals is July 27, 2018, and selected applicants will be informed by September 9, 2018. Final papers are due by November 30, 2018. December 25, 2018: Notification of acceptance of papers for presentation
GUIDELINES FOR PROPOSALS AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
Paper proposals should not exceed two pages, or 700 words. They should consist of three sections:
1. Motivation and Outline:
This section should provide a clear statement of the problem at hand, the knowledge gap the paper will address in light of existing literature and how the proposed research will contribute to advancing knowledge about the subject. It should also provide an outline of the final paper.
2. Methodology and Analysis:
This section should clearly identify the research question, the hypothesis to be tested, and the research methodology that will be employed. It should describe the data that will be used in the analysis, as well as its sources and the time span for each variable. It should describe the analytical technique (case studies and/or econometrics) and explain the rationale for using the selected methodology.
3. Policy Implications:
Researchers are encouraged to describe preliminary results and policy implications, if possible. If not, they should explain how the findings will contribute to the understanding of the topic under investigation.
SELECTION PROCESS
ERF reserves the right to exclude proposals that are not consistent with the above guidelines. In addition, no single author may submit more than two proposals, whether independently or jointly with others. The selection of proposals is based on their evaluation by refereeing committees with marginal adjustment to take into account regional and gender balances. Another round of refereeing will take place to evaluate the completed papers, and authors will be notified of their acceptance for presentation accordingly. All proposals and papers will go through a plagiarism-checking process to ensure their originality and authenticity.
Submissions should include:
• Author(s)’ last and first names, affiliation and position, address, telephone and fax numbers, and email address.
• Author(s)’ CV(s) and the most recently published paper, if any.
• JEL classification.
SUBMIT PROPOSAL ONLINE
CONTACT
For further inquiries, please contact Hoda Azmi, Conference & Logistics Manager, ERF, at 21 Al-Sad Al-Aaly Street, Dokki, Giza, Egypt. Fax (+202) 333 18 604; E-mail: erf@erf.org.eg
