The MFMI has funds to provide to capacity-building organizations who apply in 2008 to create original training materials in cutting-edge areas in microfinance, as discussed in the regional network meetings in 2007 and 2008.  Small awards may be given to faculty and educators for discrete products that you propose.

About the Global Fund for Research and Materials Development

The Global Fund for Research and Materials Development (the "Global Fund") supports the research and documentation of case studies and other academic materials that capture the broad international experience of microfinance.  These materials are produced by MFMI network members, and practitioners and experts working in the field of microfinance worldwide.  This Global Fund constantly strives to develop materials that reflect international perspectives and experiences, some of which may challenge prevailing local paradigms.

Employing a competitive bid process, the Global Fund for Research and Materials Development selects and finances case studies across a spectrum of management themes.  All final studies are made publicly available via the Resource Library of this web site.  A small sample of potential topics for materials development includes:

• designing organizations around the task environment of the informal sector
  
  
• strategic orientation and scenario planning
  
  
• organizational restructuring
  
  
• entrepreneurial organizational design
  
  
• designing flexible human resource systems
  
  
• models for flexible business planning
  
  
• governance models

To apply for support from the Global Fund for Research and Materials Development Fund, go to the "Develop Learning Materials" page.