Institute for the Conservation of Tropical Environments, Stony Brook University

Support a Malagasy Student

Research in Madagascar is overseen by a committee (CAFF/CORE) consisting of representatives of Madagascar National Parks, the Ministry of the Environment, Forests and Tourism (MEFT), and the Ministry of Higher Education. This committee views the relationship between the people of Madagascar and researchers as a reciprocal one. Researchers benefit by gaining permission to work/study in Madagascar and the people of Madagascar benefit from the researchers' results and the scientific education and training of Malagasy people provided by researchers.

CAFF/CORE requires that all international researchers support a Malagasy student as part of their research project. This Malagasy training support is an important contribution towards ICTE's long-term conservation goals: developing well-trained Malagasy conservation biologists. These students can be great colleagues and help as translators and cultural ambassadors.

In order to facilitate administration and paperwork, MICET advises that the project leader work with a student from the University of Antananarivo. For a project which will last longer than two months in the field, the student will prepare a DEA degree (which is a Master's Degree equivalent).

These fees should ALL be paid to the Centre ValBio accountant (for research at Ranomafana) or to MICET (for research in other parts of the country), who will deliver payment to the appropriate recipients.

Conditions vary depending on the department that the student is in, but in general each Researcher is responsible for covering the following costs associated with working with a Malagasy student:

The student's transportation to and from the field.
The student's stipend (per diem) is 20,000 - 25,000 Ariary per day depending on the department at the university that the student is affiliated with and the level of the student.
The supervisor of the student has to go to the field to oversee the student's work. Supervisor's per diem range is from 30,000 - 60,000 Ariary per day. The researcher is in charge of meals, lodging and transportation for the supervisor.
Equipment for the student including tent, sleeping bag, (if traveling to a remote site), rain gear, backpack, flashlight, boots, waterproof notebooks, etc.
Student's meals and lodging
Expenses related to the preparation of the student's DEA thesis and publications. The fee is 400,000 Ariary which should be left with MICET prior to departure from Madagascar.

Occasionally, researchers may wish to provide additional training to the Malagasy people with whom they have worked. As a courtesy, we ask that you discuss your plans for this training with the Executive Director (Dr. Patricia C. Wright) or the National Coordinator (Dr. Benjamin ANDRIAMIHAJA) at an early stage in your planning.

Explanation of costs associated with supporting a Malagasy Student

Perdiem: The research accords signed between CAFF/CORE and ICTE require that each research team support as many Malagasy students as there are international researchers on their team (including international student researchers). The per diem (and station fees, when applicable) of these students must be included in the budget of the MNP research proposal submitted to the CAFF/CORE committee.

For research based at the Centre ValBio: The researcher must pay a perdiem of 50,000 Ariary & station fees. All fees should be paid to the Centre ValBio accountant, who will pay the student.
For research in other parts of Madagascar: Currently, the perdiem for a Malagasy student is 20,000 - 25,000 Ariary. The student should use the perdiem to pay for his/her food and lodging. All fees should be paid to MICET, who will pay the student.

DEA Costs: CAFF/CORE requires that all international researchers (including volunteers) who stay for two months or more must also cover the cost of putting together the required documents for each Malagasy student's DEA (Master's Degree). The cost of presenting one DEA document (including photos and the ten required photocopies for members of the committee and the university) is 400,000 Ariary. Fee should be paid to MICET and MICET will distribute it to the student upon completion of the degree.

Departmental Fees and Regulations (These vary): When the student supported is from the University of Antananarivo 's Departments of Animal Biology, Botany, Paleontology and Biological Anthropology, or Entomology, researchers will be responsible for departmental fees. Please click on the departmental names for details. Fees should be paid to MICET before leaving for the field to pay for expenses incurred at the University.

Supervisor's Visit: In addition, the University of Antananarivo requires that researchers who stay two months or more pay for a visit by the Malagasy student's university supervisor (major professor) to the research site. These costs include transportation to and from the research site and a per diem of between 30,000 and 60,000 Ariary per day depending on the Department that the supervisor is affiliated with. Supervisor's visits will last for no more than 10 days. Please discuss the payment of these fees and the arrangements for this trip with Benjamin ANDRIAMIHAJA and the MICET staff when you arrive in Madagascar. This fee should be paid to MICET before your departure to the field.

Field Supplies & Transportation: Researchers should be prepared to provide transportation for these students from Tana to the research site. This expense includes per diem and housing costs on travel days. Additionally, each Malagasy student should be provided with field supplies (ie. tent, rubber boots, a rainsuit, sleeping bag, water proof field notebooks, pens, etc.required for research) because most Malagasy students do not own and cannot afford to buy these supplies for themselves. These items should be sent to (and labeled with) the word MICET. After fieldwork concludes, any equipment provided by researchers, which is still in good condition, should be left at MICET for the purpose of sustainable use.