Deadline: 30-Nov-22
The World Health Organization (WHO) Noncommunicable Disease Department and the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research invite proposals for implementation research that addresses integrated service delivery for the prevention and management of NCDs in low- or middleincome countries (LMICs).
This call is tailored to the needs of implementers in LMICs, to support their desire to conduct implementation research, to address implementation bottlenecks, and ultimately sustainably scale-up NCD care.
The Principal Investigator (PI) must be a researcher based in a research institution in a LMIC. Priority will be given to countries engaged in existing capacity strengthening activities for NCD-related implementation research (Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Myanmar and Nepal). Other LMIC countries will be considered based on strength of proposal and funding opportunities.
Scope: what areas are being considered?
- Types of intervention:
- Implementation of multiple interventions or service packages for priority NCDs (such as WHO PEN or HEARTS package);
- Innovative (such as digital technology), municipal and communitybased solutions to address critical challenges and barriers of delivering NCD services;
- Strengthening health systems and primary health care to provide NCD services;
- Integrated services through people-centred primary health care approaches;
- Integration with other disease services (platform or programme) – such as mental health, HIV, TB, RMNCH, severe NCDs, or neglected tropic diseases – to maximize impact;
- Effective models of care, including evolution and changing strategy to meet new priorities of the population and improve the performance of the health system; and
- Projects targeting multiple sites/districts within one country, or including multiple countries.
- Project proposals should:
- Contain an element of equity and resilience tailored to the essential health care needs of a post-COVID-19 environment;
- Emphasize the engagement of research teams, service providers or clinical teams and local communities through implementation;
- Show potential of generating policy to transform or change of health care practice; and
- Include any technical assistance required to support the development of the research protocol or deliver the research project.
Funding Information
- Itemized budget for the planned activities not exceeding US$ 50 000.
Eligibility Criteria
- The Principal Investigator (PI) must be a researcher based in a research institution in a low- or middle-income country. Priority will be given to countries engaged in existing capacity strengthening activities for NCDrelated implementation research (Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Myanmar, Nepal). Other LMIC countries will be considered based on strength of proposal and funding opportunities.
- Teams must be gender-balanced with women comprising at least 50% of the research team. Teams must have the ability to engage directly with and coproduce the research with national or subnational health policy-makers. Teams must, in their proposals, be able to demonstrate their plans for engaging with policy-makers.
Evaluation Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated by a technical panel of external reviewers and adjudicated by a committee comprised of members from the WHO Integrated Service Delivery Unit and its implementation research partners.
- The following evaluation criteria will be applied:
- Understanding of the scope, and a clear goal in relation to how the proposed study can contribute to the identified priorities;
- Quality of the research plan: clear rationale, relevant and researchable question, understanding barriers and/or facilitators of NCD service delivery in the setting, the potentials of care models under consideration;
- Clear plan for dissemination and utilization of implementation research for policy, and/or model evolution;
- Track record of the team, skills and experience in implementation research, clarity of roles and responsibilities;
- Track record of technical assistance and collaboration in the implementation research; and
- Competitiveness of total costs, and value for money from the activities proposed.
For more information, visit https://ahpsr.who.int/funding-opportunities