Look into New Grants Promoting Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights in Africa

[June 2023]

Call for Applications: Short Course on Advocacy for Reproductive Justice in Africa

Deadline: 03-Jul-2023

The Afya na Haki is pleased to announce a call for applications to enhance the capacity of participants on Reproductive Justice and the contextual approaches to Africa’s justice systems.

Afya na Haki (Ahaki) is implementing a programme titled “Litigating Reproductive Justice in Africa” which aims at establishing, strengthening, and sustaining a regional network advancing reproductive justice litigation to ensure access to SRHR in Africa. This programme fronts the shift from reproductive choice to reproductive justice in advancing SRHR in the region. Ahaki proposes a Reproductive Justice framework that combines reproductive justice and Africentrism approaches to address SRHR challenges.

The Reproductive Justice framework can potentially alleviate inequity in SRH health-care services for all in Africa encompassing all diversities; individual, structural or systemic.

The course will enable applicants to learn strategies for addressing both systemic and structural barriers to realising SRHR through litigation.

Target Audience

This short course targets legal practitioners, law students, activists, prosecutors, judicial officers and scholars in the field of human rights and SRHR.

Methodology and Duration

The course will be delivered online over a period of one (1) week including contact sessions with experts. The course will run from 10th July 2023 to 14th July 2023.

For more information, visit Afya na Haki.

Merck Foundation Africa Research Summit Awards 2023

Deadline: 31-Jul-2023

Applications are now open for the Merck Foundation Africa Research Summit (MARS) Award to contribute to building research capacity in the African Research Community.

This year, a special focus will be on “The Role of Scientific Research in Women Health and Reproductive Care.

Merck Foundation Africa Research Summit – MARS 2023 will have scientific support from African Union Scientific-Technical and Research Commission (AU-STRC); Infectious Diseases Institute, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Uganda; Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI); African Reproductive Care Society (ARCS), International Federation of Fertility Societies (IFFS); and Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE).

The Summit opens a discussion with Ministries of Health, Education, Information, Science and Technology and Gender from across Africa, to define policies with the aim to empower women and youth in STEM and to address the vital role of research in the improvement and sustainable development of healthcare system. with a specific emphasis on how to translate knowledge into action – the ‘know-do gap’ – to improve health and make an impact on society.

The aim of Merck Foundation African Research Summit – MARS Awards is to empower African young researchers & women researchers, advancing their research capacity and promote their contribution to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). The winners of MARS Awards are recognized under two categories; “Best Young African Researcher” and “Best African Woman Researcher”.

Benefits

The Winners receive a 3 months Research Training scholarship in India.
One Best Abstract winner from each category will get an opportunity to present their abstract at the IFFS World Fertility Congress in Athens.

Abstract Submission Details

Abstracts are invited from final year African PhD students and young investigators involved in research related to either of the following topics:
- Women Health
- Infertility and Reproductive Care
All applicants should be primarily based at African Research Institutes and Universities, although collaboration within Africa as well as outside is also welcome.

For more information, visit STEM.

KIX Call for Proposals: Knowledge and Innovation for Achieving Gender Equality and Social Inclusion at School

Deadline: 28-Aug-2023

The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) invite proposals for applied research projects to generate and mobilize evidence in support of contextualizing and scaling the impact of innovative approaches to strengthen gender-responsive and socially inclusive education and safe schooling experiences for all children, especially those facing multiple forms of gender inequalities and marginalization, in GPE partner countries.

The Global Partnership for Education Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (KIX) is a joint endeavor of GPE and IDRC. KIX supports countries to have and use the evidence and innovation they need to accelerate access, learning outcomes and gender equality through equitable, inclusive, and resilient education systems fit for the 21st century. KIX achieves this by facilitating direct knowledge sharing across GPE partner countries through four regional Hubs and by funding applied research on their priorities. KIX is part of GPE’s strategy to support transformative change for education in lower-income countries.

Objectives

The objectives of this call are to:
- Generate evidence about how to scale the impact of innovative approaches to address challenges of gender equality and social inclusion at school.
- Strengthen the capacities of relevant stakeholders to use that knowledge and innovation.
- Mobilize the evidence developed to improve policy and practice in education systems.

Scope

While there are many important issues within the broader lens of gender equality, equity and inclusion, this call for proposals aims to make a difference in children’s learning by focusing on the creation of:
- Inclusive and gender-responsive curriculum, pedagogies and leadership
- Safe, inclusive and supportive schools for all

Challenges of gender equality and social inclusion at school

The past few decades have seen a notable improvement in opportunities for all children to realize the right to education. Countries have affirmed their commitment to ensuring that the most marginalized – including girls, children with disabilities, and those living in poverty – can access, participate in, and complete their education. Yet, gender equality and issues of equity and inclusion remain critical topics in primary and secondary education and an identified priority among policymakers and stakeholders in GPE partner countries. This has become even more important in recent years as the COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced existing inequalities, resulting in decreasing global rates of basic literacy.
Addressing the intersecting disadvantages many groups face is critical to ensuring quality and safe education for all. Therefore, countries are seeking evidence to help them adopt more gender-responsive and inclusive policies and practices to support learner-centred approaches to education, as outlined in a recent scoping study. While there are many important issues within the broader lens of gender equality, equity, and inclusion, this call for proposals focuses on two core issues that can make a difference in children’s learning: inclusive and gender-responsive curriculum, pedagogies and leadership; and safe, inclusive, and supportive schools for all.
The challenge
- Generate and mobilize evidence to contextualize and scale the impact of innovative approaches that strengthen gender-responsive and socially inclusive education and safe schooling experiences for all children, especially those facing multiple forms of gender inequalities and marginalization.
Subtheme 1: Inclusive and gender-responsive curriculum, pedagogies and leadership
- While education and schools serve as fundamental tools for promoting gender equality, equity and inclusion, they can also perpetuate social biases, stereotypes, and exclusion.
- Subtheme 1 focuses on educational innovations and their potential to have a broader impact by implementing inclusive and gender responsive curricula and school management and leadership. Areas of research interest include understanding how to adapt, contextualize and scale innovation that addresses:
  - Designing and implementing curricula that authentically reflect the experiences, contributions, and perspectives of individuals of all genders, and addresses harmful gender norms.
  - Promoting equitable participation and learning among all students through inclusive and gender-responsive teaching methods and pedagogical strategies that cater to diverse learning styles and preferences.
  - Facilitating leadership and professional development opportunities for educators, school principals and management, enabling them to deepen their understanding, application, and advocacy of gender-responsive and inclusive pedagogies and strategies.
  - Understanding how gender norms and expectations influence girls’ and boys’ experiences, academic outcomes, and educational trajectories and identifying strategies to promote positive and inclusive masculinities.
Subtheme 2: Safe, inclusive, and supportive schools for all
- In addition to its primary role in education and learning, the school provides a crucial experience for children and adolescents, facilitating social skills and personal development. Yet, evidence reveals that schools can also become spaces of exclusion, insecurity, and even violence. These risks are disproportionately higher for certain marginalized groups, including girls, children from ethnic, racial, linguistic, or religious minorities, children with disabilities, LGBTQ+ students, and migrant or displaced children.
- Topics of research interest include understanding how to adapt, contextualize and scale innovation that addresses:
  - gendered patterns of marginalization and victimization – including school-related gender-based violence – with a particular focus on teenage mothers returning to school, children with disabilities and LGBTQI+ students.
  - students’ socio-emotional well-being and their mental and physical health, including access to water and sanitation hygiene and sexual and reproductive health services and education for girls in particular.
  - crisis management and emergency preparedness in schools situated in fragile and conflict-affected situations to minimize learning disruptions.
  - how gender norms and expectations influence learning and school safety for girls and boys, and how strategies can be implemented to promote positive and inclusive masculinities.
  - support for teachers, school leadership, and management structures for building positive school culture – both in-person and virtually, where applicable – to promote safety and inclusion.

Funding Information

Single country grants up to CAD500,000; Multi-country grants up to CAD1,500,000; Regional/global grants up to CAD2,500,000
Duration: Single country grants up to 24 months. Multi-country and regional/global grants up to 36 months.

Eligibility Criteria

This funding opportunity is open to either individual organizations or consortia of up to three organizations working in Global Partnership for Education partner countries.
Proposals must be submitted by nationally/internationally registered or incorporated organizations. These could include, inter alia, research institutions, universities, think tanks, network secretariats, associations, civil society organizations, non-profits, or the private sector.
Applicants must have independent legal status (or “legal personality”), be capable of contracting in their own right and name, receiving and administering funds, and have the authority to direct proposed project activities. Applicants must be able to demonstrate their legal status through written documentation. Legal status will only be reviewed if and when applicants are selected following technical selection.
Proposals may be submitted by individual organizations, or by consortia of up to three organizations. Proposals from consortia must name one lead organization, which can subgrant to the others. Proposals from, or that include, private sector partners should demonstrate how private sector resources – financial or technical knowhow – will contribute to the project. Organizations/consortia must have a strong presence and track record of work in the education sector of GPE partner countries.
Specific eligibility criteria for the three types of grants
- KIX will prioritize funding to organizations based in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in regions covered by this call.
- Single-country grant proposals must be submitted by national organizations based in the country of focus. They may apply as individual organizations or lead a consortium that includes other organizations whether from within or outside the country.
- Multi-country grant proposals must be submitted by an organization based in a low- or middle-income country. Other consortium members may include organizations from within or outside the region; national, regional, or international offices of multilateral organizations; or international NGOs.
- Regional/global grant proposals may be submitted by any organization that meets the eligibility criteria, as an individual organization or leading a consortium.

For more information, visit IDRC.

Funding Opportunity: Applied Global Health Partnership Programme

Deadline: 01-Aug-2023

Medical Research Council has launched the Applied Global Health Partnership Programme to support a partnership to enable research that will address global health challenges and inequities.

The applied global health research board funds research to address global health challenges and inequities. The remit includes applied research of direct practical benefit to LMIC populations.

They are looking to fund strategically important, original partnerships providing a distinct and important contribution to the research landscape. The partnerships should be driven by the research needs of the LMICs involved.

They will fund partnerships between diverse groups of researchers. These partnerships must:

establish new, high-value collaborative activities or capabilities
add value to high-quality scientific programmes that are already supported by grants from MRC and other funders

Areas

Examples of topics partnerships may focus on include, but are not limited to, the following:
- maternal and neonatal health
- early childhood development
- adolescent health
- healthy ageing
- sexual and reproductive health
- infectious diseases, including neglected tropical diseases and COVID-19
- non-communicable diseases, including mental health disorders
- multimorbidity
- nutrition and food security
- snakebite
- intentional and unintentional injury
- urban health, including indoor and outdoor air pollution, road traffic accidents and healthy housing
- planetary health
- informal settlements, conflict zones and displaced populations
- primary, secondary and tertiary prevention
- detection and diagnostics
- mobile health
- treatment, including surgery
- pain management and palliative care
The MRC FCDO concordat supports global health partnerships funded through the Applied Global Health Research Board in specific strategic areas of mutual interest, for example:
- infections
- maternal and newborn health
- implementation science
- adolescent health
- early child development

Funding Information and Duration

They will accept proposals of all sizes up to approximately £1 million.
They will fund projects lasting up to 5 years, although projects typically last 3 to 4 years.

Types of collaboration

Collaborative activities can include:
- networking and partnership activities to:
  - establish multidisciplinary collaborative partnerships or consortia
  - foster and enabling strategy in this area
  - enable knowledge sharing or creation across institutions
- infrastructure support for establishing a unique shared resource or helping to exploit it, for example:
  - staff
  - systems
  - equipment
  - seminars
  - workshops
  - activities such as specialist data and software platforms or resources
They may support small scale, pump-priming projects, but your focus should not be on specific research questions. These should be interdisciplinary, high-risk and high-gain projects that would exemplify your partnership’s novel capability.
Successful partnership grants usually include a combination of these components. They will reject applications for funding only networking activities.
They expect partnership grants to reach maturity by the end of the initial award. You should find alternative ways of funding any follow-on activities.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible to apply for this funding opportunity you must be eligible as an individual.
You must be based at an eligible research organisation. These include:
- universities or higher education institutions based in the UK, and includes the following:
  - UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) approved independent research organisations or NHS bodies
  - public sector research establishments
  - MRC institutes
  - MRC units and partnership institutes (including those in Gambia and Uganda)
  - institutes and units funded by other research councils
organisations in LMICs with degree-awarding powers recognised by the government in which the organisation is based
research-focused institutes based in LMICs either funded by the government of the country in which the organisation is based, or by a not-for-profit organisation
research-focused not-for-profit organisations based in LMICs with dedicated research capacity
MRC particularly encourages applications from:
- overseas researchers based in LMICs
- researchers who are eligible to apply for MRC funding and work in equitable partnership with LMIC researchers

Ineligibility Criteria

Researchers based in countries outside of the UK or an eligible LMIC research organisation are not eligible to be principal investigators.
You are no longer eligible to apply as a principal investigator if you are a researcher based in India. However, you are welcome to apply as a co-investigator, with an eligible research organisation as the lead.
China is no longer eligible to participate in applications to this funding opportunity.
It is expected that researchers from India and any high-income countries make a significant contribution to their own research costs, including covering their own overheads.

For more information, visit UK Research and Innovation.

GHAIN MENA: Call for Proposals for Research Projects

Deadline: 14-Jul-2023

The Global Health Artificial Intelligence Network in the Middle East and North Africa region (GHAIN MENA) is launching an open call for proposals for research projects submissions from institutions/ individuals in the MENA region.

The Global Health Artificial Intelligence Network in the Middle East and North Africa region (GHAIN MENA) is a 3-year project led by the E-Sahha Program at the Global Health Institute. Supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), GHAIN MENA aims to empower researchers from different institutions of the MENA region to design and implement responsible AI-based digital health interventions through partnerships and tailored capacity building.

Priority Areas

Submitted proposals should focus on responsible AI-based digital interventions that support at least one of the following priority areas:
- Improving Sexual, Reproductive, and Maternal Health (SRMH) outcomes
- Promoting adolescent sexual and reproductive health
- Enhancing access to and quality of Sexual, Reproductive, and Maternal Health (SRMH) services in primary healthcare settings
- Addressing gender-based violence
- Advocating for and supporting family planning
- Fostering partner involvement
- Enhancing the professional development and building the capacity of healthcare providers (HCPs) in areas related to Sexual, Reproductive, and Maternal Health (SRMH).

Objectives

Enhance understanding and application of responsible AI-based digital health interventions in improving SMRH outcomes in MENA.
Strengthen reaserach capacity in MENA on the use of reponsible AI to improve health outcomes.
Ensures all applications of AI frameworks and methodologies are gender-sensitive and inclusive.
Enhance the relevance and scalability of the research to inform and influence policied and practices.

Tracks

Proposals should fall under one of these tracks:
- Research Track: This track supports exploratory research studies that aim to generate evidence on the effectiveness of proposed responsible AI-based digital health interventions targeting at least one of the priority areas stated above.
- Innovation Track: This track supports the development, testing, and scaling of innovative AI-based solutions that have the potential for long-term impact on at least one of the priority areas stated above. It also entails the use of applied research where a prototype/application/concept already exists and requires advancement. This track may, among many other possibilities, produce a system as an output.

Funding Information

A total of $300,000 is allocated for the GHAIN MENA sub-grants, which will be awarded to six (6) selected projects, with a maximum of $50,000 per project.
Following a thorough selection process, six (6) successful applicants will be awarded sub-grants issued by the Global Health Institute (GHI) at the American University of Beirut (AUB) to implement their proposed projects for a duration of up to 18 months.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible to apply to the GHAIN MENA grant, the primary applicant must:
- Be based in the MENA region or affiliated with an organization based in the MENA region with official legal registration
- Have a track record of conducting research related to sexual, reproductive, and maternal health and/or artificial intelligence/digital health and/or health systems strengthening
- Be affiliated with an academic institution, university, ministry of health, research-oriented think-tank, non-governmental organization (NGO) or any other for profit or not for profit organization with a track record in SRMH or development of AI solutions
- Be submitting on behalf of a team of co-investigators whose expertise cover both health systems strengthening or SMRH and digital health with a focus on AI.

For more information, visit GHAIN.

Feminist Opportunities Now – Call to amplify Civil Society Organisations fight against GBV

Deadline: 03-Jul-2023

International Planned Parenthood Federation is pleased to announce the launch of FON’s first call for applications from civil society organizations (CSOs), groups, and movements that are implementing projects in Africa.

Feminist Opportunities Now (FON) is an AFD-funded project that provides funds to amplify the work of civil society organisations, movements and groups fighting gender-based violence in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

The consortium partners implementing the FON project are IPPF Africa Region, Médecins du Monde, CREA, FIDH and EmpowHer.

FON also supports informal and unregistered groups of activists, networks or coalitions of organizations. They particularly encourage feminist, women- and youth-led organizations that, in their local context, may face significant obstacles in preventing and combating gender-based violence.

Objectives

The Project seeks to:
- Improve the sustainability of feminist organisations at the organisational and technical levels by proposing an inclusive approach to capacity building.
- Support the resilience and diversity of feminist CSOs through access to sustainable, flexible and
- adapted financing for small and/or informal and/or structurally excluded.
- Strengthen the networking of feminist CSOs from the South, bringing them closer to networks at
- national, regional, and international levels, in order to bring their voice to the public arena.

Focus Areas

The Call for expression of interest targeted:
- Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR),
- Fight against Gender-Based Violence (GBV),
- Strengthening women’s economic power,
- Access to women’s rights.

Funding Information

The awarding of grants to the feminist CSOs is organised around 3 funding windows:
- Window 1 (« Boost ») – (between 5 000 € and 15 000 €) – The objective is for feminist CSOs to be able to face external events (political instability, insecurity, etc.) and/or internal unforeseen events: It can be a financial issue or the need of a financial complement, internal to the organisation (treasury issue, urgent and unexpected needs, co-funding to finalise a project/an activity or to participate in an event key in its sector, etc.). This window should also allow CSOs to apply in case of an upcoming opportunity, programmatic, advocacy or any other. Key words are therefore, emergency, flexibility and opportunity.
- The small and informal CSOs, without seniority criteria, are encouraged to apply.
- Window 2(« Organisational development ») – (between 10 000€ and 100 000€)- To support CSOs who want to develop themselves from an organisational, technical or even programmatic point of view. This funding window’s priority is to support feminist CSOs to ensure their sustainability, and therefore to enable them to reinforce their capacities: financial management, MEAL, capitalisation, resource mobilisation etc. They can also be supported from a technical point of view: for instance, advocacy, to conduct research and analysis on serious violations of women’s rights, to design and implement SGBV projects in humanitarian settings, etc.). This funding is also intended to CSOs that need funding to implement a new programme or need co-funding for a current or new one.
- Innovation and visibility actions to support the prevention and response to GBV are encouraged.
- The small and informal CSOs, without seniority criteria, are encouraged to apply.
- Window 3 (« Networking») – 10 000€ to 150 000€ – All requests promoting dialogue, meetings and sharing among feminist CSOs and aiming at transformative and systemic changes will be considered:
  - Networks, alliances, movements of organisations or any other form of dialogue, formalised and
  - structured, existing or willing to exist. Priority will be given to already existing alliances and platforms.
  - Umbrella structure hosting several small and/or informal organisations.
  - CSOs sugranted under any of the 3 funding windows can also benefit from training programmes and network activities.

Eligible Countries

Africa (6): Burkina Faso, Guinea, Niger, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia and Kenya.
Latin America (2): Mexico and Colombia.
Asia (2): Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Eligibility Criteria

The CSOs which can apply for a sub-grant under the FON project must:
- Be committed in favour of gender equality and implement actions to prevent and/or fight Gender- Based Violence.
- Be based and implement actions in at least one of the 10 countries of the Project
- Are particularly encouraged to apply organisations working with or led by people who, in their local context, that may face particularly high discrimination, gender inequalities and gender-based violence, such as:
  - Members of the LGBTI+ community and in general people with diverse sexual orientation and gender identities
  - People living with disabilities
  - People living with HIV/AIDS
  - Racial, ethnic or indigenous minorities (in the local context)
  - Internally displaced, migrant and refugee people
  - Sex workers
  - Young people
  - Members of any other community that in their local context face particularly high discrimination, gender inequalities and gender-based violence. iv. Conduct activities with a feminist approach.
- Organisations, platforms of movements with no legal entity in their countries, due to practical or political reasons, are eligible to sub-grants.
- Initiatives by individuals, or those presented by public/governmental institutions, even if they fulfil the above requirements, are not eligible to sub-grants.
- CSOs working with structurally excluded communities, those created by young feminist activists and those having serious difficulties to have their actions and projects financed, will be granted particular attention when awarding the sub-grants.

Ineligibility Criteria

FON does not fund:
- For-profit organizations
- International organisations
- United Nations agencies
- Government Bodies
- Academic institutions
- Individuals
- Organisations that promote doctrines that entrench gender injustices.

For more information, visit International Planned Parenthood Federation.