Call summary :

This Grand Challenges request for proposals seeks innovative research and pilot/feasibility projects utilizing transdisciplinary approaches to better adapt to, mitigate, or reverse the combined, deleterious effects of climate change on health, women’s lives, and agriculture in the geographies of interest. These innovations include early warning and disease surveillance systems to respond to climate-event-driven surges in malaria and other vector borne diseases, as well as improved mapping of expanded vector ranges and vector-borne disease transmission. Preference will be given to innovations that are formulated locally or adapted from other contexts. We are especially interested in
1) locally led, system-level innovations that are scalable and sustainable and
2) cross-cutting solutions at the intersection of multiple scientific and engineering disciplines.

This RFP focuses on the topic areas listed below. Under each of the topic areas, we provide examples of innovations we would like to see, but innovators are also encouraged to propose their own ideas related to these topics.

Topic Areas:
- Health Outcomes - including systemic and compounding impacts of climate change on health.
- Nutrition - Undernutrition is a consequence of climate change - and it makes people more susceptible to its effects, particularly extreme heat exposure which poses unique risks for pregnant women, newborns, and infants under 2 years old.
- Adaptation Strategies for Agriculture and Income Development, with a focus on women’s agriculture livelihoods.
- Knowledge Management and Data Integration of Climate and Health Databases - Many vector-borne diseases may increase in localities that were not prepared for them before the advent of climate-change.
- Effective Response and Resilient Supply Chains for Crisis Management

Funding Level, Period of Performance, and Geography of Interest

The funding level is up to USD $200,000.00, for each grant. The period of performance is up to two years. The geography of interest is outlined within the topic/sub-topic areas listed above. This means that the effort needs to be led by investigators in the specified geographies above. Global collaborators may be included, but at least 80% of the funding must go to an organization within the specified geographies. Application budgets should be commensurate with the scope of work proposed.

We are looking for proposals that:
- Demonstrate that projects are led by (Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC)[1] investigators, local stakeholders, or community-led organizations. Global partners may be included, but proposals must demonstrate at least 80% of the funding is going to an investigator in an LMIC institution within the geography of interest. Teams comprising multiple LMIC institutions will be given preference over applicants from single institutions. We also encourage multi-country collaborations.
- Come from women-led organizations or involve projects led by women and focused on reaching women.
- Articulate how the project will lead to near-term impact and how the impact will be sustained over the lifetime of the project and beyond.
- Articulate the scalability of the solution beyond a small local region or population. Strong consideration will be given to approaches that can scale to multiple geographic areas, demographic groups, etc.
- Demonstrate engagement with local and/or regional communities, decision-makers, and adopters.
- Promote inter-sectoral co-ordination and collaboration.

We will not fund proposals that:
- Do not support communities and countries to adapt and be resilient to the effects of climate change on agriculture, health and gender in the geography of interest.
- Do not demonstrate that the majority of the work proposed will be undertaken by investigators and/or local stakeholders living in the geography of interest.
- Do not plan for or demonstrate a pathway to sustainable impact and scalability.
- Are not linked to or have no plan to engage relevant key stakeholders and decision makers from the affected communities.