Application Process

+ Who is elegible to apply for the research grant?

The principal applicant should have a permanent position in a university or research institute. Collaborators can be from anywhere in Sri Lanka or abroad.

+ Are there any restrictions on the areas of research?

No. Research proposals from any discipline are accepted and all areas of study are equally encouraged. However, the applicant should clearly state the benefit to the local community from the outcome of the proposed research study.

+ How do I apply for the research grant?

The call for an application will be publicly announced with a minimum of two months window for submission. Notifications will also be sent to the participating institutions. Specific guidelines for the preparation of application will be included in the announcement. For additional information, please refer to ‘How it Works’ tap on the website.

+ How do you ensure the fairness of the selection process?

• First, the call for the application will be widely publicized and the applicants can send their application directly to the LIFT Foundation.
• Second, all the applications that met the required guidelines will be reviewed by independent reviewers. The result of the review and the feedback will be sent to all applicants.
• Third, all successful applications will be published in the LIFT Foundation website.

+ What is the maximum amount that can be requested as a reseach grant?

By design, there is no limit set on the amount that can be requested. The amount requested must be reasonably supported by the scope of the project outlined in the application.

+ Are multi-year projects allowed for a research grant?

Research projects are supported for a maximum of two years. Academic program proposals can be supported for a maximum of four years.

+ Is salary support an acceptable expense of the research grant?

The salary support for any permanent academic and non-academic staff will not be supported. The stipend for a research student is an acceptable expense.

+ How is the applicant notified of the outcome of the review?

An email will be sent to all applicant following the final review with the reviewer comments and recommendations, if any. Those submitted strong applications, but not successful in securing grant will be encouraged to apply to the next cycle.

+ Are reviewer comments/feedback available for the applicants?

Yes. To ensure maximum transparency and to eliminate any bias, giving back the reviewer comments to applicants is critically important.

+ How do you ensure the stated goals of the LIFT foundation would still be intact in the long term, beyond our lifetimes?

• First, the LIFT Foundation is registered as a US non-profit entity and the endowment fund will be permanently invested in the United States. As such the Foundation and funds are subjected to U.S. laws and regulations and required by laws to file yearly audits and tax returns.
• Second, the board that administers the fund will consist of U.S. legal residents who are subjected to U.S. laws.
• Third, the U.S treasury guidelines also make the grant recipients accountable and subject to U.S. sanctions, making them legally bound to use the funds to the intended purposes only.

LIFT Foundation has all these built-in safeguards to ensure the integrity of the fund for years and decades to come.

+ Why the funds are kept and invested in U.S?

• First, the laws and the strict enforcement in the united states protects the integrity of the fund and legally bind the fund’s administrators.
• Second, U.S. stock market has a long history (100+ years) and considered a stable investment.
• Third, the U.S. dollar is among the widely accepted and stable currencies in the world.