Addressing neglected areas of sexual and reproductive health and rights in sub-Saharan Africa (ANSRHRA)

Eligibility

Project teams must include a researcher at an African-based institution in an eligible country as the principal investigator, a senior member of a civil society organization led by and/or prioritizing underserved populations who has been active in supporting priority areas of SRHR as a co-principal investigator, an independent researcher based at a Canadian institution as a co-principal investigator, and at least one relevant local-, district- or national-level decision-maker as a co-investigator from the same country as the principal investigator’s institution.  

Eligibility criteria must be met in full for LOIs to be considered for this competition. At the LOI stage, IRTs must consist of: 

1. a principal applicant who is a sub-Saharan Africa-based researcher (citizen or permanent resident of an African country) with a position in an institution based in an eligible country 

2. a co-principal applicant who is a senior member of a civil society organization led by and/or prioritizing underserved populations, including women and girls, who has been active in supporting priority areas of SRHR based in the same country as the principal applicant’s institution 

3. a co-principal applicant who is an independent researcher based at a Canadian institution 

4. a co-applicant who is a relevant local-, district- or national-level decision-maker, based in the same country as the principal applicant’s institution

The full list of eligibility requirements, including the list of eligible countries, and frequently asked questions (FAQs) can be found in the following links:  

1. Call for letters of interest document
2. FAQ document 

Summary

The ANSRHRA Initiative will prioritize projects that address the following five priority areas of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR):  

• improving access to family planning and contraceptive services 
• expanding access to safe abortion where legally permitted and post-abortion care 
• upholding SRHR rights and ensuring access to services for adolescents  
• preventing and improving services for people experiencing sexual and gender-based violence 
• strengthening advocacy for SRHR 

Successful projects will address at least one of these priority areas of SRHR.  

Letters of interest must demonstrate a capacity for gender-transformative change grounded in a feminist approach to research, integrating systems perspectives drawn from health systems research together with participatory and collaborative approaches to creating evidence, building on local priorities and knowledge, particularly of underserved populations. 

The anticipated full amount of up to CAD1.2 million will be provided to teams successful at the call for full proposals stage. Nevertheless, for those applicants that are selected to receive a grant, IDRC’s policy on local contributions will apply as follows:

• Any applicant and co-applicant institution in a low- and middle-income country and in Canada, respectively, selected to receive IDRC funding will be required to make local contributions to the project.
• Local contributions represent cash amounts expended by the applicant from their own resources, from private grants or from grants received from local, provincial or national authorities for the purpose of the project.
• In-kind contributions may include salaries of regular staff, equipment and infrastructure, and overhead costs.
• Cash and/or in-kind contributions should be reflected in the project budget. 

Overhead

13%

Pre-application deadlines

RSO internal deadline

Pre-application program deadline

Application deadlines

RSO final internal review deadline

Program application deadline

NOTE: Consult your Faculty Associate Dean (Research) (ADR) regarding Faculty-specific deadlines and submission processes.

Principal Investigators: Complete a Research Management System (RMS) record, including a copy of your complete application, and submit this for approvals in RMS.

Postdocs, students, and trainees: For fellowships and externally-sponsored research training awards or opportunities, you must complete the Research Funding Application Approval (RFAA) Trainee PDF form, and submit it, along with a complete copy of the application, to Research Services at rsotrainee@ucalgary.ca. Trainees should not use RMS at this time.

Approvals: The University of Calgary requires that all funding applications be approved prior to submission. Approval requires signatures via either RMS or the RFAA Trainee form, in the following order:

• Principal Investigator
• Department Head
• Faculty ADR/Dean
• Research Services (on behalf of the Vice-President Research)

Read the Meaning of Grant Signatures policy to understand what your approval means. Please see the agency guidelines for details about which signatures are required on your application, as it may differ from internal requirements.

Late submissions: Late submissions will only be accepted in cases of medical or family emergencies, or other exceptional circumstances. If you submit your RMS record to Research Services after the internal deadline has passed, you must secure additional approvals. Please read: Late Applications Process.

Letter of Intent stage

Submission to IDRC is a two-stage process. In the first stage, interested applicants will be required to submit a letter of interest (LOI). This stage requires applicants to complete an eligibility checklist and upload supporting documents. Only applicants who are successful at the LOI stage will be invited to submit a full technical proposal. Specific requirements for the application process, including the LOI phase, are outlined in the call document.

Letters of Intent, plus approval in the Research Management System (RMS) (https://research.ucalgary.ca/conduct-research/additional-resources/research-management-system-rms), will be required by RSO by noon on May 8, 2024.  Please be sure to select "Submitted for approvals" (Under Save & Progress) in RMS in good time to allow for approvals from your Department Head and/or ADR prior to the Research Services deadline. Consult your department and faculty for more information on their approval processes and timelines. 

Once your RMS record has been approved by Research Services, submit to the agency by their deadline on May 13, 2024. The Africa-based researcher who is the principal applicant and their organization should submit the LOI.

Applications must be submitted in the SurveyMonkey Apply portal no later than May 13, 2024 (23:59 Eastern Time). For a letter of interest to be considered complete, all required documents must be received before the deadline. Letters of interest received after the deadline will not be considered.

Full application stage

The deadline for the full application stage is not yet confirmed and is subject to change. The tentative dates are provided below.

Full applications, plus approval in the Research Management System (RMS) (https://research.ucalgary.ca/conduct-research/additional-resources/research-management-system-rms), will be required by RSO by noon on October 2, 2024.  Please be sure to select "Submitted for approvals" (Under Save & Progress) in RMS in good time to allow for approvals from your Department Head and/or ADR prior to the Research Services deadline. Consult your department and faculty for more information on their approval processes and timelines. 

Once your RMS record has been approved by Research Services, submit to the agency by their deadline on October 7, 2024. The Africa-based researcher who is the principal applicant and their organization should submit the application.