Call for letters of interest: Addressing neglected areas of sexual and reproductive health and rights in sub-Saharan Africa

Eligibility

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

Please see detailed eligibility criteria for definitions and further information.

Summary

ANSRHRA is an initiative to fund up to eight implementation research teams (IRTs) in the first cohort of projects (anticipated to be funded in the fall of 2024) and up to eight additional IRTs anticipated to be funded in the second cohort (to be funded in the fall of 2026). IRTs will develop and implement sustainable, equitable, evidence-based, scalable and gender-transformative interventions in areas of SRHR for underserved, including women and girls, in sub-Saharan Africa. For the purposes of this funding opportunity, neglected areas of SRHR include improving access to family planning and contraceptive services, expanding access to safe abortion care where legally permitted and post-abortion care, upholding SRHR rights and ensuring access to services for adolescents, including comprehensive sexuality education, preventing sexual- and gender-based violence (SGBV) and improving services for people experiencing SGBV, and strengthening advocacy for SRHR.

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.  

This anticipatory funding opportunity will involve a two-stage process. In the first stage, interested applicants will be required to submit a Letter of Intent (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. 

Overhead

Where an organization has a supportable indirect cost-recovery policy, IDRC will support indirect costs of up to 13% of all IDRC grantee-administered costs. The indirect cost rate proposed in the budget should not exceed the grantee’s organizational rate and should be verifiable. See Point 11 of the IDRC policies.

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.

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.

Applications must be submitted in the SurveyMonkey Apply portal no later than May 13, 2024 at 9:59 MT. 

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. Letters of interest received by the deadline and deemed to be compliant with the eligibility requirements set out in this call will be evaluated in accordance with the process outlined under the Review Process and Evaluation Criteria sections above. Please refer to the IDRC guidelines for application for a research grant available through this link: Applying for funding IDRC - International Development Research Centre.

Results of the selection process will be communicated via email by June 28, 2024, to the Lead Applicant indicated in the proposal.

To initiate internal approvals, complete the Pre-Award/Application record in RMS (https://research.ucalgary.ca/conduct-research/additional-resources/resea...), attach your completed Application, and submit for approvals from your department head and/or faculty Associate Dean (Research). *Important: when submitting in RMS, please ensure that you allow time for academic approvals prior to the Research Services review deadline of 12:00pm MT on May 8, 2024.

Once these approvals are obtained, RMS will automatically forward the Application record to Research Services for institutional review and approval.

Research Services will review, provide feedback (by email) if necessary, and will provide the institutional approval. RSO will provide the capping institutional signature (if required) and will advise when ready (all other required signatures should be in place when submitting to RSO).

Full Applications for Stage 1, including any supplementary documentation, should be submitted to the agency via the application portal by 9:59pm MT May 13, 2024.

Full Application 

Successful applicants will be invited to submit full proposals for the second stage of this call, where approximately CAD9.6 million is anticipated to be available to fund a first cohort of up to eight full proposals of up to CAD1.2 million each, over a period of 36 months. A second call for letters of interest and full proposals is anticipated in 2026.

***

RESOURCES

Support for projects involving Indigenous Research:

Support with the development of your grant application is available internally through the Indigenous Research Support Team (IRST). Applicants can reach out by email to IRST at IRST@ucalgary.ca in advance of the RSO internal deadline. For more information about IRST, please visit the IRST webpage.

Support for Knowledge Engagement:

Support for knowledge mobilization/engagement/translation is available internally through the Knowledge Engagement Team. Applicants can reach out by email to the KE team at knowledge.engagement@ucalgary.ca in advance of the RSO internal deadline. For more information, please visit the KE team webpage.

Support for Research Data Management:

For information on research data management plans, processes, or best practices for your research program, please contact research.data@libanswers.ucalgary.com and/or visit https://libguides.ucalgary.ca/researchdatamanagement.

Support for EDI in Research:

RSO can provide resources and support to research teams on the integration of equitable and inclusive practices in research design and research practice. Contact Erin.OToole@ucalgary.ca for more information.

RMS: Creating a Pre-Award LOI

RMS: Creating a Pre-Award Application