The purpose of this programme is it to build capacity in developing countries by enabling young researchers and students to carry out innovative and locally relevant studies around the disaster risk field.

It is aimed at young, ground-breaking researchers and students (under age 35), concentrating on local needs but also keeping up to date with international trends. The programme administers grants to students to carry out their projects, which many use to advance their academic qualifications.

The programme is funded by multiple sources and is the biggest project that Provention has embarked upon. It was launched in 2003 and the fourth round will commence shortly. The third round saw 261 proposals submitted, of which 90 projects were chosen worldwide, from 41 different countries.

The project is administered from the University of Wisconsin Disaster Management Centre (UWDMC).

The Disaster Mitigation for Sustainable Livelihoods Programme based at the University of Cape Town is a regional partner and provides support (administrative and guidance on projects) for grantees in the African region.

Other regional centres include the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre, The Latin American Social Science Faculty Secretariat General and Bolgaziçi University Centre for Disaster Management.

Research projects range vastly and are often interdisciplinary and cross- disciplinary.

Some of the thematic areas include:

• Identifying enabling factors and incentives for disaster risk reduction
• Developing mechanisms to strengthen community resistance and resilience
• Applying local risk analysis and risk management (especially for schools and hospitals)
• Improving education materials and curricula
• Promoting risk reduction in response and recovery activities
• Engaging the private sector in disaster risk reduction (especially micro-enterprises)
• Linking climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction efforts