Budget and Costs
Fees for Conducting Research in Madagascar
The services provided by ICTE/MICET (in Antananarivo) and the Centre ValBio (in Ranomafana)
are not for profit, but for the sustainability of operations and are needed to cover
expenses incurred to keep equipment, administration and communication functioning.
Please take responsibility for prompt payment so we can continue to offer these services.
MICET charges can be paid in $US, traveler's checks, or Malagasy Ariary, based on
the exchange rate at the time of payment. The Centre ValBio requires that payment
be made in Ariary. You cannot change $US in Ranomafana, and in Fianarantsoa changing
money can be difficult. We recommend you change your $US to Ariary in Antananarivo.
Malagasy currency is the Ariary. Please use the current conversion rate for your calculations.
Summary of Fee Types (Please click on each for details)
Researchers must be prepared to pay ALL of these fees:
- Centre ValBio Station Fees (for those working in Ranomafana)
- Support a Malagasy research technician(salary, perdiem, and overtime)
- MICET Facilitation Services
- Transportation (See below)
- Madagascar National Park Fees (See below)
- Support one Malagasy student per foreign researcher/student (See below)
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- Perdiem and transportation for student
- Cost to print DEA (Master's level thesis)
- Department and lab fees
- Malagasy supervisor's visit to research site
- Field supplies for student
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- CAFF/CORE research supervision (See below)
- Lodging and meals and other expenses for researcher in Antananarivo
- Miscellaneous costs (communication, storage, etc.)
- Centre ValBio administrative fee
Fees for Conducting Research Based at the Centre ValBio Research Station
All researchers working in or around Ranomafana National Park will be based at the
Centre Valbio Research and Training Station. Station Fees, salaries, and perdiems
should ALL be paid directly to the accountant at the Centre ValBio in Ariary (NOTE:
the Centre ValBio cannot accept $US, EU or travelers cheques).
Malagasy Research Technician Salary
The Centre ValBio and MICET employ trained, local Malagasy research technicians for
the region. Researchers working in other parts of Madagascar should contact MICET
concerning the availability of research technicians. Researchers in Ranomafana National
Park must employ at least one research technician per project. Researchers are responsible
for paying research technician salaries, overtime, and perdiems in accordance with
Centre ValBio employee contracts. The salary levels are set by the Centre ValBio and
MICET, and vary with the experience of the research technician. For budgeting purposes,
$250/month should cover these costs. The actual costs will be determined by the accountant
at the Centre ValBio, who will provide you with a detailed bill. Research Technician
salaries, perdiems, and overtime should be paid to the accountant at the Centre ValBio
in Ariary at the end of each month. The accountant will then distribute these funds
to the research technician. Please DO NOT negotiate employee contracts or pay research
technicians directly, as this may create inequities among employees.
Please note that researchers must provide their Malagasy research technicians with any field equipment that they may need (i.e. raincoats, boots, binoculars, waterproof data notebooks, and, if you plan to go on expeditions, a tent and a sleeping bag).
Occasionally, researchers 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 training with the Executive Director (Dr. Patricia C. Wright) or the National Coordinator (Dr. Benjamin ANDRIAMIHAJA) at an early stage in your planning.
MICET Facilitation Fees
MICET is the Malagasy sister office of the Institute for the Conservation of Tropical
Environments at Stony Brook University. It is a non-profit NGO the purpose of which
is to promote education, the conservation of endangered species, and the wellbeing
of villagers living around any protected areas in Madagascar. Ultimately, MICET works
to protect the unique, island environment of Madagascar. In addition, MICET works
to facilitate research. MICET Facilitation Services »
MICET offers the following services to help researchers conduct their field work in Madagascar:
- Obtaining Research, collection and export permits
- Assistance with obtaining visa extensions
- Translation of research proposal into French which is the official business language of Madagascar (see MNP proposal)
- Transportation to and from the airport upon arrival and departure
- Arranging hotel reservations in Antananarivo and other big cities
- Domestic (in Madagascar) flight ticket reservations and confirmations
- Assistance in making contact with Malagasy professors and students
- Translation of preliminary report into French
- Advice and general assistance while in Madagascar
- Logistical assistance in medical and other emergencies
- Other miscellaneous services
These services are offered as a block for a lump sum fee of $350 for 6 months per person. Please note that the Principle Investigator and each foreign research assistant will need to pay separate facilitation/renewal fees.
The MICET fee is valid for one year and, like all other expenses, is non-refundable.
Research Permit Renewal Fee
Research permits are valid for 6 months. Researchers who work in protected areas for
more than a 6 month period must get their permits renewed under the ICTE Research
Accord. MICET must handle this process and the specific directions are listed in the
MICET Research Facilitation Guidelines. Please discuss this with the MICET staff if you are planning long-term research.
The services provided by MICET are not for profit, but for the sustainability of operations and are needed to cover expenses incurred to keep equipment, administration, and communications functioning. Please take responsibility for payment so we can continue to offer these services. All expenses must be paid upon arrival in Madagascar at the MICET office in Antananarivo and are non-refundable. Charges can be paid in $US, traveler's checks, Euros, or Ariary, based on that day's exchange rate.
Please note that entrance fees for protected areas are NOT included in the MICET fees. The entrance fee amounts are 100,000 Ariary per person per protected area per month.
MICET can also assist you with your visa and visa extensions. Please note that only one visa extension is included in the MICET fee.
Transportation Costs While in Madagascar
If you wish to use MICET vehicles for any other scientific excursions, you may do
so. Vehicle rental is $60 per day. The researcher must also cover fuel costs. Typically
around $400 for a trip to Ranomafana, but can vary greatly lower or higher depends
on the vehicle, local fuel costs, ext. It is best to contact MICET for an estimate
of local fuel costs as your departure time approaches. The vehicle will leave the
MICET office in Antananarivo with a full tank and should also be returned with a full
tank of fuel.
These fees cover repairs, vehicle maintenance, and the driver's expenses (salary and per diem) and should be paid to MICET prior to departure. Researchers are also responsible for the driver's accommodation.
Even it the vehicle makes the return trip to MICET without passengers, researchers are still responsible for returning it to MICET with a full tank of fuel.
The Centre ValBio can also provide vehicular transport for 2,000 Ariary per kilometer.
Madagascar National Parks Fees
Madagascar National Parks charges fees for park entrance and research access.ICTE,
MICET, and Centre ValBio have no control over these charges, but provide these fees
to you to assist in the preparation of your budgets. MNP requires these fees in order
to sustain their activities and 50% of ticket prices are used to fund local community
development projects.
Park Entrance Tickets: All visitors (including researchers) to National Parks in Madagascar must purchase these tickets. Researchers must purchase them in Antananarivo before departing for the field site. As part of MICET's facilitation services, MICET will assist you in purchasing these tickets.
|
Park Entrance Tickets |
Ariary Per Month |
|
International Researchers: |
100,000 |
|
Malagasy Researchers: |
5,000 |
Research Fees: In addition to Park entrance tickets, researchers working in Ranomafana National Park will be charged the following fees. These fees should be paid to the MNP office in Ranomafana.
|
Research Fees |
Ariary |
|
Park Entrance Tickets for Research Technician: |
1,000/week/technician |
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Use of small field laboratory inside RNP: |
2,000/day/project |
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 - 90,000 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.
University of Antananarivo Malagasy Student Fees (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.
Explanation of costs associated with supporting a Malagasy Student
Per diem
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.
1. For research based at the Centre ValBio: The researcher must pay a per diem of 50,000 Ariary & station fees. All fees should be paid to the Centre ValBio accountant, who will pay the student.
2. For research in other parts of Madagascar: Currently, the per diem for a Malagasy student is 20,000-25,000 Ariary. The student should use the per diem 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.
Madagascar StudentSupervisor'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.