Colombia: scholarships to support forensic investigation and the search for missing persons

2023-05-26 10:00:00

This situation contrasts with the deficit of professionals and specialists in forensic sciences who, from their competence, in the short, medium and long term can meet this need.

Academic training programs must provide graduates with elements that allow them to evaluate and the development of methods for the search and analysis of unidentified bodies; as well as to know the humanitarian considerations, the legal, psychosocial and ethical principles inherent to the search processes for disappeared persons. At the same time as training them and generating skills to improve communication and interaction with families, authorities, forensic experts and justice administrators.

For the past 3 years, the ICRC has awarded scholarships with the aim of encourage academic-scientific research and the development of knowledge and experiences, and thus strengthen the process of search, recovery, analysis, and identification of disappeared persons, and encourage the formation of support networks among the different actors involved in the problem, of which the academy is a part. In this way, we have supported research on: (name a couple of research grants in recent years).

In 2023, the ICRC will consider requests for financial support for research, work or professional internships carried out by students, researchers or recent graduates (in the last 2 years), focused on work within the framework of the problem described, through the allocation of scholarships of up to COP 5 million. Exceptional projects that exceed the indicated amount and require additional funds will also be considered.

The call will be considered open as of this publication, and will remain open and accessible until August 31, 2023 or until exhaustion of funds.

Criteria for the scholarship for the research project

• Be a student enrolled in Colombian academic institutions, or certify that during the last two years you obtained a postgraduate degree in forensic sciences such as anthropology, archeology, genetics, medicine, dentistry, pathology.
• The financed research must be within the framework of the problem of missing persons, and/or in the process of identifying unidentified remains (eg biological/forensic anthropology, forensic medicine, forensic odontology, biochemistry, prospecting graves).
• Ideally, investigations should have a link with some academic entity or organization that conducts investigations to search for, locate, analyze, and identify missing persons.
• The amount received can be invested in materials or instruments necessary for the investigation, or for transportation, supplies, or costs of laboratory analysis.
• Scholarships will not be given to pay salaries.
• Those investigations that, upon completion, donate the purchased materials to the University or to an entity, will be taken into account.
• In exceptional cases, some item could be dedicated to the presentation of a paper within the framework of a congress or a publication (eg translation into English) of a pertinent investigation already concluded or almost concluded.
• All proposals will be evaluated, however, those belonging to postgraduate students will be prioritized.
• The beneficiary of the scholarship will undertake to deliver an intermediate report on the progress of the investigation and a detailed report at the end of it.

Criteria for requesting internship support

• Carry out an internship in an institution specialized in the search, location, analysis and identification of disappeared persons.
• The programmatic content of the internship must be defined, which must contain at least: general and specific objectives, justification, methodology, schedule, place of practice, expected results.
• Have a letter of acceptance from the institution where the internship will take place.
• In the case of students, have authorization from the person in charge of the program to carry out the internship.
• The money received must be invested in the consideration generated by the internship or in its payment, or in exceptional cases it may be invested in housing, food, or transportation of the beneficiary, during the course of the internship.
• Postgraduate student research will be prioritized, although all proposals will be evaluated.
• At the end of the internship, the beneficiary will commit to deliver a detailed report of the activities carried out and its conclusions.

How to apply

• Submit a synopsis of the research proposal, including a brief description of the problem and background in the literature/practice, a detailed description of the project, methodology, and the expected impact or results, a research schedule, and a detailed budget of bills.
• Document no longer than 5 pages in a row, font size 12.
• If it is an internship, send the certification of the approval of the entity granting the internship, within the framework of the academic program being studied, or of the academic interest of the researcher.
• Submit certificate of enrollment in a relevant university program.
• Send CV of the person(s) developing the research.
• Follow-up commitment (eg short report every month, dissemination of results).

Applications will be received from June 1 and maximum until August 31, 2023. During this period, the proposals will be evaluated and approved in the order in which they are received, until the funds designated by the ICRC for this purpose are exhausted.

Note: According to the administrative process, once the scholarship has been validated and assigned, the disbursement of resources may take up to two months.

Applications and requirements can be sent to the following address: [e-mail]

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