Terms of Reference

Reserach and Policy Studies Initiative

The aims of this initiative are two-fold:

• to strengthen AKU-IED's role as a research institution of national and international significance; and
• to establish AKU-IED's role as a recognized provider of high quality policy analysis and study.

For its programs in research and policy studies, AKU-IED is committed to not only to the development of knowledge through original contributions (as marked by international publication) but also to improvement-oriented outcomes through advocacy, action and strong dissemination.

To assist in meeting these aims a senior faculty member will be asked to take a leadership role for this initiative.

The Terms of this Reference for the Initiative will be to :

• Facilitate and encourage the execution and publication of high quality research programs and projects at IED, focusing particularly (but not exclusively) on team-based research and on research areas related to IED's mission (e.g. school improvement; teacher research; health education; community participation; gender in education);
• Develop or facilitate the development of research on educational and educational policy issues of general significance (e.g. provincial, national, international);
• Contribute to policy development through:
• critique and synthesis in areas of AKU-IED expertise (e.g. partnerships; community involvement; gender; language), and
• the drawing out of explicit policy lessons from research undertaken at IED;
• Provide a forum for policy/research dialogue;
• Develop research and policy-analysis partnerships between AKU-IED, government and other policy-makers;
• Provide research and policy analysis services for external agencies; and
• Develop processes and mechanisms for the active dissemination of research and policy studies.