SVRI Grant – GBV in Higher Education Institutions with a Focus on STEM

Deadline: 31-Jul-2025

The Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) is pleased to announce an additional funding envelope as part of the 2025–26 grant cycle, focusing specifically on gender-based violence (GBV) in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), with a particular emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines.

Types of Streams

• Open Grant: Supporting innovative research that contributes to the prevention and response to violence against women (VAW), violence against children (VAC), and other forms of gender-based violence in LMICs.
  • Supports research on all forms of VAW and VAC which addresses a priority evidence gap, drawing on the following research agendas, including:
  • Global and regional shared research agendas, Global, LAC, Africa, East Asia Pacific
  • Topic specific research agendas, on Child Sexual Violence; Technology-Facilitated GBV; GBV in Higher Education Institutions; Intersections between VAW and VAC.
• GBV in HEIs (STEM-focused) Grant: A newly added stream dedicated to addressing GBV within Higher Education Institutions, with a targeted focus on STEM fields.
  • Funded by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), this stream supports research focused on addressing GBV in HEIs focusing on STEM in LMICs, with the aim of promoting evidence-based, gender-responsive policies in national science institutions and workplaces. The goal is to advance the participation of women and other underrepresented groups in higher education. Special attention might be paid to women’s experiences in fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (and other faculties) (STEM) by fostering safer, more inclusive, and supportive environments free from violence and discrimination. In addition to previous requirements listed in this RFP, proposals must:
  • Show institutional support from participating HEIs.
    • Where relevant to the research question include clear strategies to influence institutional policies and practices.
    • Demonstrate multidisciplinary collaboration and alignment with longer-term institutional change goals.
    • Apply an intersectional lens throughout the research design and implementation, ensuring that the diverse and overlapping identities and experiences of individuals (e.g., based on gender, race, ethnicity, class, disability, sexual orientation, and other social locations) are meaningfully considered and addressed in the analysis of GBV in HEIs.
    • Respond to the key research priorities identified through SVRI’s priority-setting exercise on GBV in HEIs.

Priority Areas

• Involve multidisciplinary, cross-sectoral consortia.
• Demonstrate strong local partnerships and institutional buy-in.
• Adopt feminist, intersectional, and rights-based approaches, with safe, ethical, and inclusive engagement of affected communities where appropriate.
• Provide a clear breakdown of responsibilities for consortium proposals, ensuring equitable partnerships and including an expert in VAW/VAC research.

Funding Information

• Open Grant:
  • Grant Value: $40,000 – $100,000
  • Duration: 12–18 months
• GBV in HEIs (STEM-focused) Grant:
  • Grant Value: $40,000 – $100,000
  • Duration: 12–24 months

Eligibility Criteria

• Be led by low- and middle-income countries (LMIC)-based organisations, universities, or research institutions.
• Build on existing evidence, outlining a clear gap in the field, outlining how the research will strengthen policy, practice, or methodology in the field.
• Clearly show how the research addresses a priority evidence gap, drawing on SVRI’s research agendas, including:
  • Global and regional shared research agendas, Global, LAC, Africa, East Asia Pacific
  • Topic specific research agendas, on Child Sexual Violence; Technology-Facilitated GBV; GBV in Higher Education Institutions; Intersections between VAW and VAC.
• Demonstrate ethical rigour, including strategies to minimise harm and ensure informed consent.
• Include clear, actionable research uptake and dissemination plans.
• Where applicable, include a data management plan detailing data security, access, and storage.
• Outline a realistic budget and timeline, with strong justification.
• They welcome proposals that:
  • Strengthen research capacity in LMICs through mentoring, training, and leadership development, with meaningful participation of early-career researchers.
  • Test, adapt or scale innovative approaches to addressing VAW and VAC.
  • Build or support networks between researchers, practitioners, and policymakers.
• Research Design:
  • In terms of research design, they invite a diversity of designs including:
    • Primary data collection,
    • Secondary data analysis,
    • Mixed methods,
    • Implementation science,
    • Innovative methodological approaches, where appropriate to the research question.

For more information, visit SVRI.