CALL FOR PROPOSALS
BY
REDEFINING PROGRESS
"New Market-Based Incentives for Sustainable Growth"
The Resource Incentives Program at Redefining Progress (RP) is requesting
proposals which identify and describe new innovative government policies
and market-based incentives that would promote both sustainable growth and
social equity. As noted below, one of RP's goals is to bring these ideas to
market. After concentrating on environmental tax shifting over the past two
years, we are ready to expand our efforts to additional policy innovations.
This call for proposals represents one way that we plan to identify those
ideas in which we should invest substantial research, organizing, and staff
resources in the years to come.
Authors of those proposals that are selected will be invited to complete a
more thorough scoping paper on the topic, for which they will be paid
$3,000. It is expected that ten proposals will be selected to be developed.
RP will then choose the ideas upon which it will focus its efforts from
these papers.
Proposals for the scoping papers should be submitted by August 14, 1998.
(See below for guidelines.) Selected authors will be notified by September
1, 1998. The final products must be submitted to RP by December 1, 1998.
The selections will be made by RP's Executive Director, our Program
Directors, and our team of distinguished Senior Fellows. We will also
receive input from our Board of Directors.
MORE ABOUT REDEFINING PROGRESS
Redefining Progress was founded in 1994. In just over four years, we have
built a reputation for innovative and pragmatic thinking that transcends
the conventional political spectrum. Our work has been featured in many of
the nation's top newspapers, magazines, and television news programs, and
has drawn support from diverse constituencies, including mainstream
economists, corporate executives, environmentalists, and public officials.
Redefining Progress critiques conventional definitions and frameworks for
progress; creates or refines innovative ideas that advance economic,
environmental, and social equity; and injects these critiques and ideas
into dialogue and debate among policymakers and the public. We seek to
create a balance among economic growth, environmental protection, and
social well-being. Fundamentally, we support national and local debates
about the future the country desires, and offers creative ideas on how to
best get there. (For more information about RP, see our website:
http://www.rprogress.org.) RP's successes include the cover story in the
Atlantic Monthly in 1995 which questioned the use of GDP as our primary
measure of progress, and last year's Economists' Statement on Climate
Change, which argued that we can address global warming in ways that could
help the economy.
Over the past two years, the Resource Incentives Program has been gaining
public attention for-and broadening the research base behind-the proposal
for environmental tax shifting. Now, we want to explore other market-based
incentives that could improve economic and environmental sustainability, as
well as intra- and intergenerational equity.
CRITERIA FOR PROPOSALS
Each submitted proposal must meet the following criteria:
* A brief but thorough description of an idea that:
1) Promotes sustainability
2) Promotes or enhances equity on some level, although not necessarily
through policies that explicitly redistribute income
3) Is market-based, rather than based on a regulatory or command structure
(although elements of the idea can be regulatory)
4) Is new, innovative, and on the cutting edge of public policy or academic
work
* An explanation of the idea's policy relevance/implications and the
context in which it would be applied (e.g., state government, business,
federal government)
* A brief explanation on why the idea is important and capable of
shifting how we think about progress
* A length of no more than five single-spaced pages
All proposals must be submitted by August 14, 1998.
Please note that preference will be given to those ideas that:
* Address resource use on a systems level (e.g., environmental tax
shifting), although we may also consider ideas of a smaller scale (e.g.,
new ways to advance roadway pricing)
* Fit a political opening likely to emerge in the coming years
* Hold the potential to attract broad political support (e.g., we
have shown in our work how tax shifting can appeal to big business and/or
Republicans)
* Address issues of social equity in addition to alleviating
environmental problems
CRITERIA FOR PAPERS
Authors of the ten selected proposals will be invited to go into much more
depth on their proposed research area in a longer scoping paper of at least
twenty single-spaced pages, for which they will be paid $3,000. Papers
should follow the same general guidelines as the proposals, in addition to
including the following:
* A more detailed description of the idea and its policy
relevance/implications;
* An in-depth description of the strategies that would need to be
executed in order to implement the idea and some assessment of RP's role in
facilitating the advancement of this idea (e.g., research topics,
collaborative possibilities, etc.)
* A description of the equity implications of the strategy and of the
possible barriers and opposition to the idea
* An up-to-date bibliography of publications on the idea and a list
of individuals who are currently working on the topic (those ideas that
have no track record or research base to speak of are unlikely to be
considered)
* A list of potential advocates or collaborators who would be
interested in the further development of this idea
Final papers will be due on December 1, 1998.
The scoping papers must address the bulleted issues above; we are not
requesting, nor will we accept, formal working papers or research papers.
The papers should identify the specific thorny issues and policy questions
that would arise, but they do not necessarily have to resolve them.
Similarly, authors do not need to make any quantitative estimates, but the
papers should, if applicable, explain ways in which they could be made.
Any questions or other comments should be directed to Amy Lombardo at
Redefining Progress via e-mail or phone. Please feel free to forward this
announcement to all interested parties.
Redefining Progress
One Kearny Street, Fourth Floor
San Francisco, CA 94108
rp4@rprogress.org
(415) 781-1191, extension 309
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