
I am in the process of applying for 2 grants based on a research project that I have NO idea what it will be. Women's empowerment is surprisingly a large area of study. What does this mean? It means that I have to sound like I have a research project fully mapped out, subject, methodology and all, while in reality, being general enough that no matter what my research project is for the UN, I will not be completely off-base. So, I am writing a lot about women's economic well-being, honing in on labor-market specific stuff, while throwing in words like "human trafficking" and "ethnicity", "race", "geographic differences", "youth", etc. Part of me wants to end my proposals by saying something to the effect of: I am an Intern for the United Nations Development Fund for Women. My research will include the study of issues through a gendered lens, specifically, how everything effects women of the region. Just give me the money. I can guarantee I will appreciate this more than I can express and who knows, the UN might even publish my findings. There will be no publishing if I can't afford to go. We, at Penn, have a ridiculous endowment, in the hundreds of millions. What is $9000? Chump change. The UN is 'sponsoring' my research in every other way except paying me. Pony up so I can have this opportunity of a lifetime. Hos gotta eat too.
What do you think? I think it could work...