Call summary :

A. Authority and Introduction

Climate change is increasingly impacting people living in poverty, worsening food security and nutrition outcomes and putting at risk development progress. Reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have shown that extreme events are increasing in frequency, intensity, and duration throughout the world. The need for innovative and proven, context-appropriate approaches to climate resilience1, particularly in contexts affected by shocks and crises, has been prioritized by stakeholders in multiple sectors2,3.
Under this RFA, Save the Children Federation, Inc. (Save the Children) will fund one award at up to $125,000 USD for a study period of up to 16 months. Resourcing for this sub-award is provided by the USAID/Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA)-funded PRO-WASH & SCALE Award. PRO-WASH & SCALE is a four-year award that aims to strengthen the design, implementation, and overall effectiveness of key sector-specific interventions. PRO-WASH & SCALE works with implementing partners (IPs) to enhance the impact, sustainability, and scalability of BHA-funded WASH, integrated WRM, agriculture, NRM, and livelihood activities. The PRO-WASH & SCALE Award is designed based on work carried out under two independent awards, reports from these previous activities and details on focus sectors are available on the Food Security and Nutrition (FSN) Network...

B. Specific Programmatic Guidance

B1. Research Background
Climate change generally refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. Such shifts can be natural, due to changes in the sun’s activity or large volcanic eruptions. Climate change is a global crisis that affects people around the world differently as some are increasingly seeing heat waves, droughts, foods, cyclones, and wildfires among other effects. These effects of climate change are not equal – they disproportionately impact the poorest and most marginalized communities, more so those in emergency settings4. The ability to prepare for, recover from, and adapt to these impacts is called “climate resilience.” USAID defines climate resilience as the capacity of a system to maintain function in the face of stresses imposed by climate change and to adapt the system to be better prepared for future climate impacts.
This RFA focuses on identifying innovative, promising, or proven resources/practices for enhancing the climate resilience in emergency settings within the PRO-WASH & SCALE’s focus sectors. Specifically, the PRO-WASH & SCALE Award is interested in identifying climate resilience approaches that can be adapted and used in emergency and early recovery, risk reduction, and resilience (ER4) settings. The identified practices should be able to address priority evidence gaps in enhancing climate resilience within these contexts.
B2. Objective
The objective of the research to be funded under this RFA is to identify promising resources/practices for enhancing the climate resilience of select technical activities that are appropriate and effective (based on initial data and observed outcomes) in emergency contexts.
PRO-WASH & SCALE is seeking proposals to undertake research that will address priority evidence gaps in enhancing climate resilience in emergency settings within its focus areas especially under the subsectors of water, sanitation, hygiene, agriculture, markets,6 livelihoods, natural resource management, and/or water resource management, with the overall goal of improving food security and nutrition programming.

Applicants are encouraged to take a variety of approaches/angles in responding to the above objective. Examples include, but are not limited to:
• Climate-resilient intervention designs and adaptations, including those based in local knowledge or expertise.
• Climate-resilient assessments, planning, capacity strengthening, and/or coordination.
• Approaches for monitoring and evaluating the impacts of climate-resilient interventions.
• Use of data/evidence related to climate resilience for adaptation and learning within a specific emergency contexts.

B4. Geography

Applicants must undertake research in one or more communities, regions, or countries where there are currently USAID/BHA-funded emergency food security projects. Applicants do not need to have an agreement or partnership with an existing BHA funded activity and the activity can take place outside of a BHA funded activity.