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Introducing New Grants Promoting Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights

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Applications open for MasarTech Fund 2025

[December 2023]

Brazil Reporting Trip – Reproductive Health, Rights & Justice in the Americas

Deadline: 18 December 2023

The International Women’s Media Foundation, the Women’s Equality Center and Azmina are pleased to lead a nine-day reporting trip focused on reproductive rights in Brazil from March 5-15, 2024.

Fellows will have the opportunity to network with other journalists, report collaboratively with their peers, and gain access to a variety of sources and sites related to their reporting.

Fellowship Information

  • All reporting fellows will begin their trip in Rio de Janeiro from March 5-9, where they will complete a one-day safety training and have the opportunity to cover the Women’s Day March.
  • Fellows will need to decide between Brasilia OR São Paulo for the second half of the reporting trip scheduled from March 10-15.
  • Story pitches should explore underreported issues that impact people’s daily lives relating to abortion access and how this intersects with the political and legal landscape in Brazil.

Benefits

  • The IWMF arranges travel and in-country logistics for all fellows. The IWMF also covers fellowship-related costs within the framework of the reporting trip including travel, visa fees, lodging, meals, and interpreters, unless a selected journalist’s news organization wishes to assume these costs. The feasibility of day trips outside the base location will be determined by IWMF security protocols and assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Eligibility Criteria

  • Applications will be pre-screened for eligibility using the following criteria:
    • This opportunity is open to women and nonbinary journalists.
    • Applicants may be freelance or staff journalists and may apply individually or as part of a team.
    • Professional journalism must be the applicant’s primary profession.
    • Applicants must have three (3) or more years of professional journalism experience. Internships do not count toward professional experience.
    • Applicant must be able to show proof of interest from an editor or have a proven track record of publication in prominent international media outlets.
    • Applicants may apply in English. The published work can be in any language.
    • A strong preference will be given to journalists who speak Portuguese and multimedia journalists.

For more information, visit IWMF.

FREE STEM Fund to empower Girls, Women, Transgender and Non-Binary People

Deadline: 15-Dec-23

Optiver Foundation has launched the FREE STEM Fund to create equal opportunity through greater access to STEM education.

The FREE STEM Fund aims to narrow the gender gap in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields.

The FREE STEM Fund will invest in initiatives that use intersectional approaches to empower girls, women, transgender and non-binary people as changemakers in the STEM sector.

Thematic Areas
  • FREE STEM will fund proposals to ensure girls, women, transgender and non-binary people are widely represented in, and empowered to thrive in and advance the STEM sector. In particular, it is envisioned that FREE STEM will support proposals that take into account the following:
    • Advocacy & Awareness
      • Advocate for equal opportunity in STEM fields while raising awareness about the diverse opportunities and benefits for girls, women, transgender and non-binary people in STEM fields at both an individual and community level.
    • Safety
      • Improve girls’, women’s, transgender and non-binary people’s access to safety by addressing gender-based violence, freedom of movement and digital security in STEM fields and in the community.
      • This includes emotional, psychological and physical violence
    • Confidence & Leadership
      • Expand girls’, women’s, transgender and non-binary people’s soft skills, representation, voice, and decision-making within STEM.
    • Health & Wellbeing
      • Increase access to mental and physical wellbeing services such as sexual and reproductive health and rights, proper nutrition, family planning, mental health, social wellbeing and providing access to key (health-related) services for girls, women, transgender and non-binary people within the STEM field.
    • Role Models & Networks
      • Create STEM role models and provide girls, women, transgender and non-binary people with a support network, including through mentorship programmes.
    • Careers
      • Develop STEM skills that will allow girls, women, and non-binary people to become an integral part in the STEM career market in academia, industry and entrepreneurship.
    • Education & Training
      • Increase girls’, women’s, transgender and non-binary people’s access to and support in STEM subjects and training, such as digital literacy and STEM subject tutoring.
    • Financial Inclusion
      • Ensure girls, women, transgender and non-binary people can access financial information, products and services that enable them to create a future in STEM
    • Time & Accessibility
      • Ensuring girls, women, transgender and non-binary people have the logistical and infrastructural means to pursue opportunities in STEM.
      • The disproportionate burden of unpaid work on women and girls leads to significant time poverty. This makes it difficult to attend school or other training opportunities, take part in paid work and participate in social and community-building activities and access parental related rights and benefits.
What will be funded by FREE STEM?
  • FREE STEM will invest in organisations and groups that are directly supporting and targeting the following participants:
    • All girls and women, particularly those from underrepresented groups & minority communities, and transgender and non-binary people including but not limited to; black, indigenous, people of colour, LGBTIQ+, people with disabilities, sex workers, refugees, rural and marginalised urban communities, migrants or those who are stateless, people who face caste-based oppression.
    • They anticipate a high number of applications to FREE STEM Fund, therefore they may decide to prioritise applications for funding. Therefore, priority will be given to underrepresented and traditionally excluded groups.
    • Registered and unregistered initiatives, groups, collectives, and organisations with a focus on the rights of girls, women, transgender and non-binary people can apply for the following models:
      • Atom
        • Up to 10,000 EUR
          • New groups/organisations
          • Aimed at new or smaller initiatives to address gender equity in STEM
          • Does not require registration nor a fiscal sponsor
      • Molecule
        • Up to 30,000 EUR
        • Either:
          • Minimum 1-year demonstrable experience implementing STEM x gender equity projects OR
          • Minimum 3 years of demonstrable experience in one of the Thematic Areas (see above)
        • If a group/organisation is unregistered and applies for more than 10,000 EUR, they will need a fiscal sponsor.
      • Cell
        • Up to 50,000 EUR
          • Aimed at sustaining or expanding existing STEM x gender equity projects
          • Minimum 2 years demonstrable experience implementing STEM gender equity projects.
          • If a group/organisation is unregistered and applies for more than 10,000 EUR, they will need a fiscal sponsor.
      • Please note that if you are applying for funds larger than €10,000 and you are unregistered, you would need to name a registered organisation who can act as your fiscal sponsor.
Geographic Focus
  • FREE STEM will fund work in the following regions: Africa, Asia, Pacific, Latin America, Middle East & Caribbean.
Who Can Apply?
  • FREE STEM Fund aims to provide direct grants to:
    • Registered and unregistered initiatives, groups, collectives, and organisations focused on the rights on girls, women, transgender and non-binary people.
​Eligibility Criteria
  • They will be opening up to applications from groups situated in the Global South.
  • If your organisation meets all of the following criteria, you can apply for FREE STEM:
    • Your organisation, collective, or group must consist of a minimum of 3 people.
    • Your organisation or group must align with the mission and vision of FREE STEM.
    • Your project proposal must focus on the target group, and include and align with at least one of the Thematic Parameters of FREE STEM.
    • Your organisation or group must have at least 60% of women, transgender and/or non-binary people in leadership positions. Priority will be given to women-led, transgender-led and non-binary-led organisations.
    • Your annual organisational income for 2022 must be a maximum of €150,000. Priority will be given to grassroots organisations.
Ineligible
  • For-profit organisations
  • Large scale/capital intensive infrastructure
  • Initiatives/collectives/groups/organisations founded by or dependent on political parties or government agencies/institutions
  • Initiatives/collectives/groups/organisations who discriminate based on political or religious views
  • Applications from individuals
  • Academic scholarships
  • Initiatives/collectives/groups/organisations based in the Global North

For more information, visit Optiver Foundation.

Grants to protect Environment, improve Food Production and promote Public Health

Deadline: 1-Jan-24

The Conservation, Food and Health Foundation is offering grants to protect the environment, improve food production, and promote public health in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Middle East.

Fields of Interest

The following are examples of the Foundation’s areas of interest within the fields of conservation, food, and health, and are not meant to be exclusive.

  • Conservation
    • Conservation grants promote environmental conservation through field research, projects, and advocacy that:
      • Protect biodiversity and preserve natural resources.
      • Help mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.
      • Build the scientific and technical capacity of local conservation organizations and promote local, regional, and international partnerships.
      • Increase engagement between scientists, local communities and organizations, and decision-makers.
      • Partner with indigenous communities and local people.
  • Food
    • Grants in the food and agriculture program area focus on research-based projects that build capacity for self-sufficiency and resilience to climate change, strengthen local food systems, and support healthy nutrition through projects that:
      • Enhance food security.
      • Develop and promote sustainable agricultural practices
      • Build the capacity of small-scale farmers.
      • Advance farmer research and research partnerships.
      • Develop environmentally sound and affordable approaches to control pests and diseases affecting important local food crops.
      • Promote indigenous food sovereignty and knowledge systems.
      • Address challenges of uptake and scalability through new methods of extension, education, and technology transfer.
  • Health
    • The Foundation supports efforts that test new ideas and approaches that promote public health, with a special emphasis on reproductive health and family planning and their integration with other health promotion activities.  It favors community-level disease prevention and health promotion projects and efforts that help strengthen regional and country public health systems over disease diagnosis, treatment, and care provided by clinics, hospitals, and humanitarian aid programs.
    • Activities that help increase capacity include applied research, program development, technical assistance, and training projects that:
      • Promote reproductive health and family planning.
      • Address issues related to mental and behavioral health.
      • Address issues relating to pollution and environmental health.
      • Increase the understanding of zoonotic and neglected tropical diseases.
      • Address issues relating to nutrition and health.
Key Priorities
  • In all of its areas of interest, the Foundation gives priority to projects that have the potential to advance the field, build local capacity, promote replication, influence public opinion and policy, affect systems change, and benefit people beyond the immediate project and its local context.
Funding Information
  • There is no minimum or maximum grant size. It is anticipated that most grants will fall in the $25,000-$50,000 per year range.
  • Grants are made for a one- or two-year period.
Types of Support
  • The Foundation supports projects and applied research that:
    • Generate local or regional solutions to problems affecting the quality of the environment and human life;
    • Advance local leadership and promote professional development in the conservation, agricultural, and health sciences;
    • Develop the capacity of local organizations and coalitions; and
    • Address challenges in the field.
  • The Foundation prefers to support projects that address under-funded issues and geographic areas.
  • The Foundation funds applied research, pilot projects, new initiatives, training, and technical assistance, rather than ongoing support for programs that are already well underway.  An important goal for the Foundation is to provide seed money to help promising projects, organizations, and individuals develop the track record they need to attract major foundation funding in the future.
Eligibility Criteria
  • The Foundation supports local, state, and regional organizations in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Middle East in the countries where the projects are based. It also supports organizations located in upper-income countries working with local partners in these areas. It does not support projects in post-Soviet states or Balkan states.
  • Most types of organizations that can provide evidence of their non-governmental status or charitable purpose are eligible to apply, including non-governmental organizations, nonprofit organizations; civil society organizations; community-based organizations; and colleges, universities, and other academic institutions.
Ineligible
  • Government agencies and religious organizations may be included as project partners but are not eligible for direct funding.
  • The Foundation does not typically fund:
    • Overhead or indirect project costs
    • General operating support
    • Direct food, health or other humanitarian aid
    • Eco-tourism
    • Buildings and capital improvements
    • Projects ultimately intended for private gain. All intellectual property developed with the grant should be public.
    • Salaries for Executive Directors of U.S. and European-based organizations.
    • Project expenses incurred before the grant is awarded.

For more information, visit Conservation, Food and Health Foundation.

Call for Proposals: Strengthening the role of Key Populations to improve Health and Wellbeing

Deadline: 24-Jan-24

L’Initiative, a funding mechanism implemented by Expertise France, has announced a call for proposals to strengthen the role of key populations in relation to HIV, tuberculosis and malaria to improve health and wellbeing.

This call (23-2024-INIT-APR-02) focuses on strengthening the role of key and vulnerable populations to improve their health and environment. By key populations, L’Initiative means those most at-risk or affected by at least one of the three diseases, and who are stakeholders involved in the response. They generally have reduced access to services and may be criminalized and/or marginalized. Other vulnerable populations are those who are more vulnerable in a particular context and who do not fall into the categories mentioned, including children and adolescent girls, young girls and women, and people living with disabilities.

Aims
  • Under this call for proposals, L’Initiative will therefore be particularly focused on the promotion and prioritization of measures aimed at:
    • Capacity and skills strengthening of national and community actors. There will be a specific focus on the design of education-based activities, in particular by ensuring the analysis of initial needs, the design and monitoring of training including on the ground training, the quality of training provided, consolidation of knowledge, assessment of targeted skills and the involvement of beneficiaries at all stages and levels of the project.
      • This may include initial or ongoing training activities that provide certificates and diplomas for health professionals, including community health workers.
    • Developing population empowerment strategies to increase the impact of health policies and services, and support services adapted to the needs of key and vulnerable populations.
    • Developing and implementing tailored and targeted advocacy plans for systematic consideration of the needs of key and vulnerable populations in the project’s intervention strategies. L’Initiative encourages lead applicants to: assess and encourage the development of countries’ legislative frameworks, if necessary, to document cases of human rights violations.
    • Effective involvement and representation of key and vulnerable populations in coordination and decision-making mechanisms.
    • Promoting community-based approaches by and for key and vulnerable populations in order to provide them with appropriate services at community level, by mobilizing peer educators, community health workers (CHWs), task shifting or developing outreach interventions (mobile facilities, etc.). Implementing approaches to improve the status and remuneration of CHWs in projects is encouraged.
    • All sexual and reproductive health and rights activities related to the three pandemics and following themes (non-exhaustive list): human papillomavirus (HPV) and associated cancers or any other sexually transmitted infection, combating gynecological and obstetric violence or sexual mutilation, menstrual hygiene, accessibility/quality/availability/acceptability of contraceptive/family planning products and services (including access to safe abortion), comprehensive sexuality education.
Funding Information
  • The total requested grant amount must cover at least 50% of the project budget and be between €650,000 and €3,500,000.
  • Project duration must be between 36 and 48 months.
Target Beneficiaries
  • Target beneficiaries for projects are the following – applicants do not have to reach all the population groups listed below, or address all the multiple areas of vulnerability:
    • Key populations: key populations are those most at-risk or affected by at least one of the three diseases and who are stakeholders involved in the response. They generally have reduced access to services and may be criminalized and / or marginalized.
    • The following groups are generally considered to be key populations:
      • For HIV: people living with HIV, men who have sex with men, male and female sex workers and their clients, transgender people, people who use drugs and their partners, people in prisons or detention centers, refugees, migrants, displaced or mobile populations.
      • For tuberculosis: people living with HIV, people who use drugs, people in prisons or detention centers, refugees, migrants, displaced or mobile populations.
      • For malaria: pregnant women and children under five, indigenous populations living in regions where malaria is endemic, refugees, migrants, displaced or mobile populations.
    • Other vulnerable populations: populations that are more vulnerable in a particular context and that do not fall into the categories mentioned above, including, children and adolescent girls, young girls and women and people living with disabilities.
  • As different vulnerable populations are not homogeneous groups, this call for projects encourages a focus on intersectionalities (multiple vulnerabilities), such as belonging to different key populations (e.g. sex worker and drug user), to different socio-ethnic groups, age categories etc.
Eligibility Criteria
  • The project lead applicant must be legally registered and have a board of directors/management committee and a registered headquarters in an eligible country or in France. International organizations, with the exception of regional non-state organizations, may not be the lead applicant or an implementing partner of projects. However, they can be associated stakeholders that do not receive any delegated budget.
  • The lead applicant must have been legally registered for at least 3 years at the time of project submission.
  • Lead applicants and implementing partners must not have any statutory provisions that prevent Expertise France, or any external auditor appointed by Expertise France, to carry out on-the-spot checks and inspections and have relevant rights to access the project sites and premises where the project will be carried out, including access to all documents and electronic data relating to the technical and financial management of the project.
  • The lead applicant must have sufficient management capacity to manage the requested budget.
  • Co-financing is required for a minimum of 10% of the total intervention budget if the lead applicant’s annual expenditure is more than 5 million Euros.

For more information, visit L’Initiative.

Call for Proposals: Strengthening of Human Resources for Health

Deadline: 24-Jan-24

L’Initiative, a funding mechanism implemented by Expertise France, is currently accepting proposals to support projects that adopt a systemic approach to strengthening health systems at all levels (from community to national), their policy and regulation, their organizational structure, and the behaviors and practices of actors.

This approach prioritizes the strengthening of human resources for health and integrates an approach based on human rights and gender equality into all activities.

L’Initiative’s aim is to achieve universal access to health and to eliminate the HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria pandemics.

Strengthening Human Resources for Health (HRH) is a priority area for France’s global health interventions. France’s new global health strategy 2023-2027 identifies Human Resources for Health as the cornerstone of all health systems. HRH ensures the availability, continuity, accessibility and quality of services, the resilience of health systems, health security and universal health coverage.

Aims
  • Under this call for proposals, L’Initiative will therefore be particularly focused on the promotion and prioritization of measures aimed at:
    • Strengthening human resources for health through, in particular:
      • Interventions to strengthen initial and ongoing training for human resources for health as a key catalyst to ensure effective provision to the population, i.e. having sufficient numbers of health personnel that are sufficiently competent and qualified to meet needs.
        • Promoting training that provides certificates and diplomas, including for community health workers.
        • Promoting gender mainstreaming as a major determinant of health in the training curricula for health professionals.
        • Promoting training that follows international guidelines.
        • Promoting the availability and quality of educational infrastructure and equipment.
      • Interventions to support policies, programs and to strengthen and manage human resources for health, aimed in particular at:
        • Geographic planning and distribution of human resources for health based on demographic and health data.
        • Programs to structure and forecast plan professions.
        • More efficient distribution of tasks.
        • Occupational health.
      • Of the key issues relating to HRH, this call for proposals aims to take action around:
        • Strengthening community health systems through training and support for community actors.
        • Gender equality and preventing discrimination.
        • Improving the quality and acceptability of health services, including how welcoming they are.
        • Improving the quality of health services and the care relationship.
    • Strengthening national systems for procurement and supply management (PSM) systems for drugs and health products, as well as strengthening pharmaceutical governance including linkages with national and regional drug agencies.
    • Projects that align HIV, tuberculosis and malaria control programs with sexual and reproductive health, maternal, child and adolescent health programs and integrated service delivery platforms at all levels of the health system, including at the community level.
    • Strengthening health information systems, with particular focus on the production and use of safe, quality, timely, transparent and interoperable health data, respecting human rights and in accordance with the 14 ethical principles for the primary and secondary use of health data adopted and promoted in global health by the European Union.
Cross-Cutting Theme
  • All projects must integrate a cross-cutting approach aimed at combating gender inequalities, in order to accelerate efforts to promote gender equality in health systems, in terms of human resources for health (combatting gender-based and sexual violence against health professionals, combatting professional inequalities in recruitment, awareness raising around gender equality in initial and ongoing training) and in access to care.
  • The needs of women, men and people who do not adhere to gender norms must be systematically taken into account, in an effort to address existing inequalities, especially in terms of vulnerabilities to pandemics and in accessing care. This approach to gender also relates to health systems, by working to ensure effective participation of women in health systems and to provide quality services and products for each specific population group.
Funding Information
  • The total requested grant amount must cover at least 50% of the project budget and be between €650,000 and €3,500,000.
  • Project duration must be between 36 and 48 months.
Eligibility Criteria
  • It must be submitted by a lead applicant, in collaboration with “implementing partners” or “associate stakeholders”:
    • The “lead applicant” is the organization that submits the letter of intent and completes the full proposal if they are pre-selected. Lead applicants are the sole recipients of L’Initiative grants.
  • The project lead applicant must be legally registered and have a board of directors/management committee and a registered headquarters in an eligible country or in France. International organizations, with the exception of regional non-state organizations, may not be the lead applicant or an implementing partner of projects. However, they can be associated stakeholders that do not receive any delegated budget.
  • The lead applicant must have been legally registered for at least 3 years at the time of project submission.
  • Lead applicants and implementing partners must not have any statutory provisions that prevent Expertise France, or any external auditor appointed by Expertise France, to carry out on-the-spot checks and inspections and have relevant rights to access the project sites and premises where the project will be carried out, including access to all documents and electronic data relating to the technical and financial management of the project.
  • “Implementing partners” that are involved in the design and implementation of the project must receive sub-granting from the lead applicant.
  • “Associated stakeholders” are other organizations linked to the project but are not sub-granted to (other donors, beneficiaries, national institutions, etc.).
  • The lead applicant must have sufficient management capacity to manage the requested budget.
  • Co-financing is required for a minimum of 10% of the total intervention budget if the lead applicant’s annual expenditure is more than 5 million Euros.

For more information, visit L’Initiative.

Merck Foundation Africa Research Summit – MARS Awards 2024

Deadline: 30 June 2024

Applications are now open for the Merck Foundation African Research Summit – MARS Awards to empower African young researchers & women researchers, advancing their research capacity and promote their contribution to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).

Merck Foundation Africa Research Summit – MARS aims to contribute to building research capacity in the African Research Community. This year, special focus will be again on “The Role of Scientific Research in Women Health and Reproductive Care”.

Merck Foundation Africa Research Summit – MARS 2024 will have scientific support from African Union Scientific-Technical and Research Commission (AU-STRC); 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 summit will be a unique opportunity for the winners of a MARS Reseach Awards to share their research output and findings. It is also an opportunity for networking and career development.

The winners of MARS Awards are recognized, under two categories; “Best Young African Researcher” and “Best African Woman Researcher”. The Winners receive a 3 months Research Training scholarship in India.

Abstract Submission Details

  • Abstracts are invited from final year PhD students, young investigators involved in research and Medical Doctors in Postgraduate Medical Fellowship program related to either of the following topics:
    • Women Health
    • Infertility and Reproductive Care

Eligibility Criteria

  • 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 Merck Foundation.

Call for Applications: Young African Feminist Fund

Deadline: Ongoing Opportunity

Through Young African Feminist Fund, the African Human Rights Network (AHRN) is providing support to numerous young feminist movements across 14 African countries, both registered and non-registered.

The African Human Rights Network (AHRN) is a dedicated organization that empowers and supports individuals and organizations committed to human rights and activism throughout Africa.

In the efforts to support feminists, they prioritize the nurturing of young feminist founders who are engaged in impactful projects and initiatives. They actively seek out individuals who have demonstrated a track record of success but face limited access to funds or require additional skills in areas such as communication, fundraising, and project implementation. To address these needs, they provide comprehensive training to these young feminists and subsequently invite them to apply for funding through the closed funding opportunities.

At the core of the mission is the advancement of women’s rights and the empowerment of young activists, including land rights and environmental defenders throughout Africa. They offer comprehensive training on human rights and assist participants in drafting and implementing their own human rights projects. Following the training, they provide financial support and ongoing guidance to grassroots organizations and individual human rights defenders, helping them bring their projects to fruition.

Fund Mission
  • The mission of AHRN Fund is to support and empower grassroots movements or individual activists who work and/or are part of marginalized groups, particularly women, and indigenous communities to have a voice in decision making processes related to environmental and any other human rights issues and are able to advocate for policies that priotize their needs. The goal is to create a sustainable equitable, inclusive real impact on the lives of these marginalized communities by providing resources and support to help them advocate for their rights and well-being.
  • The fund aims to support projects and initiatives led by young feminist women that promote sustainable development, clean energy and conservation of natural resources, sexual reproductive health and education. They believe in the power of grassroots young women-led solutions and they priotize funding opportunities that involve empowering grassroots feminists in Africa. Additionally, they will focus on supporting education and awareness programs that educate people about the importance of environmental stewardship and the impact of the actions on the planet.

Vision: To create a world where all people have equal access to the benefits of healthy environment, sexual reproductive health, education and a sustainable future.

Objectives
  • Objective 1: Empower and support young feminist movements:
    • The first objective of the Young African Feminist Fund is to empower and support young feminist movements across Africa. This involves providing financial support, comprehensive training, and ongoing guidance to young feminist founders who are working on impactful projects and initiatives. By nurturing these movements and addressing their needs, they aim to strengthen their capacity to advocate for women’s rights and contribute to social change.
  • Objective 2: Foster a vibrant community of young activists:
    • AHRN is deeply committed to fostering a vibrant community of young activists throughout Africa. Through initiatives like the Young African Defenders in Actions (YADA Network) and the Activist Lab – Africa, they create platforms for young activists to connect, collaborate, and share their experiences. These networks serve as essential channels for identifying and engaging with beneficiary partners, fostering a sense of community, and amplifying the voices of young activists across the continent.
  • Objective 3: Advance women’s rights and empower young activists:
    • At the core of AHRN’s mission is the advancement of women’s rights and the empowerment of young activists, including land rights and environmental defenders. They offer comprehensive training on human rights and assist participants in drafting and implementing their own human rights projects. By providing financial support and ongoing guidance to grassroots organizations and individual human rights defenders, they aim to help them bring their projects to fruition and create lasting impact in their communities. Through these efforts, they strive to uphold equality, justice, and dignity for all.
Funding Approach
  • As a feminist fund or women-led fund the organization priotizes funding for grassroots feminist organization that are led by and serve marginalized communities. They take an intersectional approach to funding, meaning that they recognize and address the ways in which different forms of oppression, such as racism, intersect and impact the experiences of individuals.
  • In practice this means that the funding priotizes and ensures that decision making processes are informed by an understanding of the intersections of race, class gender, sexuality, ability, and other identities. They actively seek out and prioritize funding for organizations that are led by individuals from marginalized communities, and that are working to address the specific and unique needs and struggles of those communities.
  • Additionally, they make sure to engage with the grassroots young women led feminist organizations they fund and their communities through meaningful consultation and feedback to support their self-determined goals and priorities, and are open and responsive to feedback and criticism on the funding practices and policies.
Funding Mechanism
  • The funding mechanisms include a combination of individual donations and foundation grants. The organization specializes in providing funding to grassroots young women-led feminist organizations that are working towards gender equality, climate justice and the empowerment of marginalized communities.
  • The grantee partners are typically small to medium-sized organizations that are led by young women and focus on grassroots activism and community-based work. They work in areas of climate justice, gender-based violence prevention, and economic empowerment for marginalized communities.
  • They manage accountability and reporting through a thorough grant application process, where grantee partners are required to submit detailed project proposals, budgets, and measurable outcomes. Additionally, they conduct regular check-ins and evaluations to ensure that grantee partners are meeting their project goals and using funds appropriately.
  • They also have two types of application calls where grantees choose whether the funds they are applying for is rapid or general funding and once the fund is approved to meet the rapid requirement they give out the funds in a period of 5 days.
  • Once a decision has been made for the general funding they are able to quickly disseminate funding within a timeframe of 2-4 weeks. All this is done to ensure that grantee partners can begin their work as soon as possible and make a meaningful impact in the communities they serve.
Eligibility Requirements
  • A feminist movement/group/organization both registered or unregistered
  • Alignment with the Fund’s Mission
  • Innovative approach that shows impact and sustainability
  • Capacity building needs with potential for collaboration
Selection Criteria

The selection criteria for the Young African Feminist Fund are based on the following factors:

  • Alignment with the Fund’s Mission: The projects and initiatives being considered for funding should align with the mission of the fund, which is to support grassroots movements or individual activists who work and/or are part of marginalized groups, particularly women, and indigenous communities.
  • Young Feminist-Led: The fund prioritizes projects and initiatives that are led by young feminists, particularly young women. The applicants should demonstrate a commitment to feminist principles and the advancement of women’s rights.
  • Impact and Sustainability: The fund seeks projects that have the potential for real impact and can contribute to sustainable development. The applicants should demonstrate how their projects address critical issues, create positive change, and have a lasting impact on the lives of marginalized communities.
  • Innovative Approach: The fund values innovative and creative approaches to addressing social issues. The applicants should present unique and effective strategies that challenge existing norms and systems of oppression.
  • Capacity Building Needs: The fund looks for individuals or organizations that have demonstrated a track record of success but face limited access to funds or require additional skills in areas such as communication, fundraising, and project implementation. The applicants should be open to receiving comprehensive training and capacity building support.
  • Intersectionality: The fund recognizes and addresses the intersections of various forms of oppression, such as racism, classism, gender discrimination, and ableism.
  • Financial Accountability: The fund expects applicants to demonstrate financial accountability and transparency.
  • Community Engagement: The fund values meaningful consultation and engagement with the communities being served. Applicants should demonstrate a strong connection and involvement with the communities they work with, and their projects should reflect the self-determined goals and priorities of those communities.
  • Potential for Collaboration: The fund encourages collaboration and partnership among organizations and activists.
  • Evaluation and Learning: The fund seeks applicants who are open to feedback and willing to engage in continuous learning and improvement.

For more information, visit AHRN.

New Grant Opportunity to address Health, Education, Environmental Protection/Disaster Relief in Samoa

Deadline: 31-Jan-24

The Embassy of Japan in Samoa is seeking applications for Grant Assistance for Grass-roots Human Security Projects for Japanese Fiscal Year 2024.

Japan aims through the GGP to aid self-supporting socio-economic development activities that benefit sectors at the grass-roots level in the Independent State of Samoa.

The GGP is a framework that essentially supports local non-government organisations (NGOs) and local public organisations, in order to respond to various development needs in a prompt and precise manner, but on a comparatively small scale.

Areas
  • Basic Human Needs
    • Health and Medical Care
      • Upgrading of health clinics, medical centres, and hospitals in rural areas and in strategic outlying areas
      • Maternal and Child Health, Family Planning or Reproductive Health in areas with high fertility rates
    • Potable Water
      • Water system development in rural areas with no access to water
      • Water quality improvement in areas with high incidence of water-borne diseases
  • Social Welfare
    • Welfare and empowerment of marginalised sectors (children, elderly, people with disabilities, women, etc.)
  • Basic Education and Human Resource Development
    • Building and repairing school buildings in rural areas and schools with poor educational environments
    • Building and repairing training centre buildings for human resource development and community development
  • Environmental Protection/Disaster Relief
    • Community-Based Resource Management
      • Coastal Resource Management
      • Agro-Forestry/Reforestation
      • Biodiversity Conservation
      • Solid Waste Management
    • Emergency Services and Disaster Relief (for internally displaced people and victims of natural disaster)
  • Reduce Vulnerability
    • Strengthening sustainable economic infrastructure
      • Community Fisheries Development
      • Community Agriculture Development
      • Community access development
Funding Information
  • The GGP fund is generally capped at JPY 10,000,000 (approximately USD 75,000 / WST 200,000 in FY 2023) per project. However, in case there are extraordinary reasons, such as where the project strongly reflects the concept of human security, an exception can be made.
Eligibility Criteria
  • The Embassy accepts applications from the following organisations that have at least 2 years background of operation in the Independent State of Samoa:
    • NGOs;
    • Non-profit organisations such as local public authorities, educational institutions and medical institutions; and
    • Non-profit organisations that implement development projects at the grass-roots level.
  • They do not accept applications from individuals or profit organisations such as private companies, commercial institutions etc.
Ineligible
  • The GGP cannot cover the following items:
    • Office expenses (office rental fee, salary for employees, electricity and water consumption, fuel etc.);
    • Contingency Funds;
    • Expenses incurred on individual or corporate profit-making activities;
    • Funding and items aimed at providing direct funds and assets to specific individuals (such as scholarships, accommodations, clothing; however, this does not include situations of emergency humanitarian aid in the event of natural disasters, etc.);
    • Expenses linked to indulgences that may be harmful to the human body, such as alcohol and cigarettes.

For more information, visit Embassy of Japan in Samoa.

Applications open for Economic Hardship Reporting Project (US)

Deadline: Ongoing

The Economic Hardship Reporting Project (EHRP) is accepting applications to provide grants to independent journalists reporting on issues related to poverty, economic class, workers’ rights, and income disparity in the U.S., and co-publish their work in partnership with major media outlets.

EHRP is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that produces compelling journalism on economic inequality in America. EHRP funds and co-publishes reportage at the most renowned and popular media outlets, from The New York Times and The Guardian to Vice.

They commission narrative features, reported personal essays, reported op-eds, investigative reports, podcasts, nonfiction cartoons, photo essays and documentaries about economic inequality in the United States. Personal essays are welcome only if they contain substantial reporting.

Stories Topics

  • They are currently looking for first-person essays, reported features and op-eds tackling stories about economic inequality and how it relates to:
    • Housing and eviction, like this piece
    • Gig and frontline work, especially firsthand accounts
    • Religion where it intersects with income inequality
    • Union activism and labor organizing
    • Tech work, and tech’s impact on work
    • Being laid off and unemployment
    • Reproductive rights
    • Caregiving
    • Parenting
    • Queer/trans working-class and economically unstable experiences.

Funding Information

  • The grants range from $500 for an op-ed to $10,000 for a documentary film.
  • For written work, they pay up to $1.25/word, depending on the amount of reporting required. They typically support pieces in the 800-1500 word count range.
  • They occasionally support longer pieces placed in large national publications, but the grants for written work typically top out at $2,500.
  • For photo essays they pay a $600 day rate. They usually pay upon publication but will give advances to financially struggling reporters.

Eligibility Criteria

  • To be eligible for a grant, applicants must have reporting experience. EHRP’s editors expect writers to file multiple drafts of pieces if needed. All contributors should have reported pieces of this kind previously and be able to share links to or clips of reported work.
  • Teams can apply.
  • They encourage people from underrepresented backgrounds to apply.
  • Publications can not apply for grants; the mission is to support independent journalists.
  • Note: They aim to spread the grant money around and tend to say no to contributors who they’ve already supported with more than one grant per year.

For more information, visit EHRP.

Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) in Pakistan

Deadline: Ongoing Opportunity

As part of the official development assistance (ODA) to developing countries, the government of Japan, offers a programme to support non-government organizations (NGOs), community based organizations (CBOs), Local Governments (LGs) and other non-profit organizations, that are working specifically for Basic Human Needs (BHN) in the socio-economic development sectors.

Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Project (GGP) was known as for Grassroots Assistance Programme (GRA). This change reflects the Government of Japan’s policy to highlight the concept of human security, a concept developed through a UN special commission.

GGP provides flexible and timely support to small scale development projects, which aim to improve the social well being of the people at the grassroots level.

Priority Sectors

Priority is given to the following sectors:

  • Basic education (pre-school to class eight, and adult literacy)
  • Primary health (includes population welfare / reproductive health)
  • Vocational training/Skill development
  • Special education (education/training for Handicapped, Orphanages, etc.)
  • Agriculture (irrigation system.)
  • Public welfare/Basic Infrastructure (drinking water supply, sanitation, road, bridges, electricity, etc.)
  • Environment

Please note that Priority would be given to WID projects (i.e. projects that specifically target women as direct beneficiaries).

Notice: The GGP does not provide support to religious activities, research projects, legal assistance, and high-tech medical projects.

Funding Information
  • GGP funds one project up to ten million yen (or about 11 million Rupees).However, if the project falls within the program’s high priority and the proponent has good track record(e.g. past GGP recipient with good performance), requests of more than the said amount can be approved.
  • Must use the grants within one year.
Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants are all non-profit organizations implementing social development projects at grassroots level. It includes local/international NGOs, CBOs, Local Governments (LGs), non-profit institutions, schools, hospitals, etc. Applicants must have more than two years experience.

Notice: GGP does not provide support to federal and provincial government bodies, universities, private institutions and industrial corporations (factories, business, farms, etc.).
Selection Criteria

In order to identify good projects and to assure accountability, the following are the GGP’s conditions and criteria in screening the submitted proposals:

  • Capability of the recipient organization (track record, financial management capacity, implementation capability and monitoring system).
  • Necessity, urgency, appropriateness, feasibility, impact and sustainability of the proposed project.
  • Appropriateness and cost-effectiveness of requested amount.
  • Within priority/target areas of the Embassy.

For more information, visit Embassy of Japan in Pakistan.

Open Call: The Intersection of Sex and Gender Influences on Health and Disease (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) in the US

Deadline: 22-Nov-24

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) invites Research Project Grant (R01) applications on the influence and intersection of sex and gender in health and disease, including: (1) research applications that examine sex and gender factors and their intersection in understanding health and disease; and (2) research that addresses one of the five objectives from Strategic Goal 1 of the 2019-2023 Trans-NIH Strategic Plan for Women’s Health Research “Advancing Science for the Health of Women.”

The awards under this FOA will be administered by NIH ICs using funds that have been made available through the Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) and the scientific partnering Institutes and Centers across NIH.

Research Objectives and Scope
  • To be responsive to this FOA, applications must address each of the following three variables, and their intersection, in the context of advancing a better understanding of health and disease and as relevant to the current research investigation:
    • Sex-based variables: including but are not limited to anatomical and physiological traits that include external genitalia, secondary sex characteristics, gonads, chromosomes, and hormones, evaluation of sex as a biological variable; sex-based comparisons on conditions in females and males; or biomarkers.
    • Gender-based variables: Including but not limited to social, environmental, cultural, and behavioral factors including gender identity, as an element of a person’s individual identity; or gender expression.
    • One of the five objectives from Strategic Goal 1 of the 2019-2023 Trans-NIH Strategic Plan for Women’s Health Research.
  • The strategic plan for Goal 1 has the following objectives:
    • Discover basic biological differences between females and males. Studying female and male cells, organs, and biological systems is necessary to improve their understanding of the mechanisms by which sex influences health and disease.
    • Investigate the influence of sex and gender on disease prevention, presentation, management, and outcomes. Sex and gender factors and their intersection influence the course of many diseases, including risk and protective factors, presentation, treatment, and recovery
    • Identify the immediate, mid-, and long-term effects of exposures on health and disease outcomes. Various types of exposures affect disease risk across different timescales, ranging from an immediate outcome at the time of exposure to a delayed outcome that becomes evident at a later stage in life.
    • Promote research that explores the influence of sex and gender on the connection between the mind and body, and its impact on health and disease.
    • Expand research on female-specific conditions and diseases, including reproductive stages, and maternal and gynecologic health. Maternal health is critically important to the health of a woman during pregnancy and throughout her life-course, and for the health of her children. Because the maternal mortality rate in U.S. women is on the rise (GBD 2015 Maternal Mortality Collaborators, 2016), particularly in women of color, investigation of disparities in mortality and morbidity related to pregnancy is needed.
  • In addition, applications submitted in response to this FOA are encouraged to consider:
    • Health Disparities: Women are disproportionately affected by some conditions and diseases in terms of incidence, diagnosis, course, and response to treatment. Some populations of women may be at higher risk for adverse disease outcomes because of factors such as: biology, culture, education, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, , access to care, and quality of care. .
    • Life-course/Lifespan: The health of girls and women is affected by developmental, physiological, and psychological age. Women’s lives are marked by a continuum from intrauterine life to the elderly years: infancy, childhood and adolescence, menarche, reproductive life, the menopausal transition, postmenopausal years, the elderly, and the frail elderly. Each of these factors may influence health, disease, lifestyle, treatment choices, and response to therapy.
Research Scope
  • This FOA supports basic, preclinical, translational, and clinical research investigations composed of teams who share expertise, knowledge, and skills in the following research formats:
    • Interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary research that includes collaborations across a range of disciplines, including but not limited to, economics, medical anthropology, psychology, and demography to address research from a multi-disciplinary perspective that may address gaps in the fuller context of women’s lives and the underlying common root causes of poorer health outcomes.
    • In addition to new, cross-cutting interdisciplinary research, studies that leverage existing funded cohorts and datasets for analyses of hypotheses related to sex and gender influences in health and disease are of high interest. Comparative analyses of existing samples/datasets/databases and/or data-mining and data curation to investigate the role of sex/gender are encouraged.
    • This FOA is designed to stimulate research that incorporates and/or enhances understanding of the influence of sex and gender and their intersectionality in health outcomes.
Funding Information
  • Application budgets may not exceed direct costs of $350,000 per year.
  • Duration: The total project period for an application submitted in response to this FOA may not exceed 4 years.
Eligibility Criteria
  • Higher Education Institutions
    • Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education
    • Private Institutions of Higher Education
  • The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for NIH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:
    • Hispanic-serving Institutions
    • Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
    • Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)
    • Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions
    • Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs)
  • Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education
    • Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)
    • Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)
  • For-Profit Organizations
    • Small Businesses
    • For-Profit Organizations (Other than Small Businesses)
  • Local Governments
    • State Governments
    • County Governments
    • City or Township Governments
    • Special District Governments
    • Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)
    • Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized)
  • Federal Government
    • Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government
    • U.S. Territory or Possession
  • Other
    • Independent School Districts
    • Public Housing Authorities/Indian Housing Authorities
    • Native American Tribal Organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
    • Faith-based or Community-based Organizations
    • Regional Organizations
  • Foreign Institutions
    • Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are not eligible to apply.
    • Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.
    • Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.
  • Required Registrations
    • Applicant Organizations
      • Applicant organizations must complete and maintain the following registrations as described in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted. Registration can take 6 weeks or more, so applicants should begin the registration process as soon as possible. The NIH Policy on Late Submission of Grant Applications states that failure to complete registrations in advance of a due date is not a valid reason for a late submission.
      • System for Award Management (SAM)– Applicants must complete and maintain an active registration, which requires renewal at least annually. The renewal process may require as much time as the initial registration. SAM registration includes the assignment of a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code for domestic organizations which have not already been assigned a CAGE Code.
        • NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code – Foreign organizations must obtain an NCAGE code (in lieu of a CAGE code) in order to register in SAM.
        • Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)- A UEI is issued as part of the SAM.gov registration process. The same UEI must be used for all registrations, as well as on the grant application.
      • eRA Commons – Once the unique organization identifier is established, organizations can register with eRA Commons in tandem with completing their full SAM and Grants.gov registrations; all registrations must be in place by time of submission. eRA Commons requires organizations to identify at least one Signing Official (SO) and at least one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account in order to submit an application.
  • Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD(s)/PI(s))
    • All PD(s)/PI(s) must have an eRA Commons account.  PD(s)/PI(s) should work with their organizational officials to either create a new account or to affiliate their existing account with the applicant organization in eRA Commons. If the PD/PI is also the organizational Signing Official, they must have two distinct eRA Commons accounts, one for each role. Obtaining an eRA Commons account can take up to 2 weeks.
    • Eligible Individuals (Program Director/Principal Investigator)
    • Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) is invited to work with his/her organization to develop an application for support. Individuals from diverse backgrounds, including underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities, and women are always encouraged to apply for NIH support. See, Reminder: Notice of NIH’s Encouragement of Applications Supporting Individuals from Underrepresented Ethnic and Racial Groups as well as Individuals with Disabilities, NOT-OD-22-019.
    • For institutions/organizations proposing multiple PDs/PIs, visit the Multiple Program Director/Principal Investigator Policy and submission details in the Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Component of the SF424 (R&R).

For more information, visit NIH.

United States: Reproductive Rights and Justice Program

Deadline: Ongoing Opportunity

Applications are now open for its Reproductive Rights and Justice Program in the reproductive health and rights fields.

The Foundation acknowledges a critical and historically less-recognized battle—that of women of color and low-income women who have suffered terribly under deeply racialized reproductive politics. Through this intersectional framework of Reproductive Justice, created by Black women activists in 1994, the Foundation’s grantmaking includes a mix of innovative national and state-based organizations using a wide range of strategies, such as base building, leadership development, public education, policy advocacy, voter engagement, and culture change to secure reproductive justice for all people. The Foundation will also support organizations utilizing legal advocacy and litigation to protect the dignity and human and civil rights of all women, especially the most marginalized and including trans people.

The Foundation maintains its commitment to general operating support, especially for state-based and local organizations. For larger and policy-focused groups, and in the case of collaborative campaigns, project-specific support may be appropriate.

By increasingly centering the voices and activism of people who have been most marginalized and following their lead, the Foundation’s grantees have had a major impact, despite setbacks and losses, in communities across the country. From leveraging new alliances to building a stronger grassroots base, the Foundation’s reproductive justice grantees are shifting power while effectively blocking regressive laws and advancing policy wins at the local, state, and federal levels.

Funding Information

  • General operating and project grants considered. Grants average $45,000 over two-years.

Ineligibility Criteria

  • Core Fund Reproductive Rights and Justice Program will not Fund
    • Direct service
    • Research and publications not directly linked to policy outcomes
    • Projects outside the United States
    • Medical research
    • Scholarships or grants to individuals
    • Conferences and travel stipends

For more information, visit Reproductive Rights and Justice Program.

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