The United Nations Democracy Fund Sixth Round of Funding for NGOs

The United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF) is now open to accepting project proposals for its Sixth Round of Funding from NGOs working for the promotion of democracy, civil society empowerment, including empowerment of women, civic education and voter registration, citizen’s access to information, participation rights and the rule of law in support of civil society and transparency and integrity.

NGOs, civil society organizations, independent and constitutional bodies and global and regional inter-government bodies, organizations and associations (other than the United Nations) are eligible to apply for this funding opportunity.

Among these, NGOs and civil society organizations are expected to receive the bulk of funding. Besides, UNDEF allocates 70% of its programmable resources in each funding round for projects that take place in one country while the rest of the 30% is for global/regional projects. This means that local NGOs have better chances of receiving grants for their projects than international organizations working in different regions.

UNDEF provides grants for a period of two years. Although grants will not necessarily match the full amounts applied for, applicant organizations can request a minimum funding of US $50,000. Grant allocations for a project will not exceed $500,000 but the majority of projects are granted no more than $250,000.

Applicants from all countries can submit project proposals, but UNDEF will give strong preference to proposals submitted from countries and regions where the challenges of democracy are more critical, such as countries emerging from conflict, new and restored democracies, the Least Developed Countries, Low Income Countries and Middle Income Countries.

Project proposals have to be submitted online through the UNDEF website. This online application system called “Online Project Proposal System” (OPPS) will open from 15 November 2011 onwards. The OPPS has the preset proposal format that needs to be filled online. A sample format has been made available offline for applicants to work on their proposals. Proposals can be submitted in English or French.

The deadline to submit proposals is 31 December 2011. For more information, visit this link.

EC seeks Grant Proposals for Strengthening the Civil Society Organizations and Local Authorities in Development in EU Partner Countries

The European Commission has issued a restricted call seeking proposals for projects to support the role of civil society organizations (CSO) and local authorities (NSA/LA) in development work. This call is being issued under the thematic program “Non-State Actors and Local Authorities in Development” (NSA/LA Program). The program aims to support actions implemented by CSO or LA to strengthen their capacities and encourage their participation in development policies and programs.

Global objective of the Call for Proposals

To support multi-country actions proposed and implemented by Local Authorities (LA) and Associations of Local Authorities (ALA) from the EU Member States and partner countries, in order:

-      to empower LA and ALA in public policy making in line with international development commitments (i.e. Millennium Development Goals);
-      to promote and support regular structured and inclusive dialogue with their communities and in multi-stakeholder forums.

Specific objectives of the Call for Proposals

-      Lot 1 – Support to LA and ALA projects implemented in two or more partner countries

Proposed actions should focus on the enhancement of capacities of Local Authorities in partner countries, with a view to contributing to the quality of public policies at local level and the reinforcement of local governance. To this end, actions could also support decentralisation in those countries where related legal framework and processes are already in place. Initiatives should be built on strategic partnerships and peer-to-peer exchange in sectors where local authorities have institutional and political competencies and responsibilities. LA from partner countries are encouraged to lead the actions, in order to implement an effective local strategy.

-      Lot 2 – Development Education and Raising Awareness on Development issues in Europe

Proposed actions should focus on Development Education and Raising Awareness7 (DEAR) in the EU and acceding countries, in order to enhance the support of European Local Authorities and European Associations of Local Authorities (ALA) to international development commitments (i.e. Millennium Development Goals), as well as to engage European LA and ALA in fostering changes in public policies connected to development issues, where LA have institutional responsibility and competencies.

Types of activity

Potential applicants are invited to present all the activities they consider necessary in order to achieve the objectives of this Call for Proposals in relation to existing local demands, and to obtain tangible results in the context where the selected projects will be implemented.

Note. This is a restricted Call for Proposals. In the first instance, only Concept Notes must be submitted for evaluation. Thereafter, applicants whose Concept Notes have been pre-selected will be invited to submit a Full Application Form. Relevance constitutes the major criterion in pre-selection. Relevance will not be evaluated again when assessing the Full Application.

Last date for submitting the proposals is February 1, 2012.

For more information, visit this link

amfAR seeks Grant Proposals for Projects addressing HIV/AIDS Issues in the Caribbean countries

amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research, is inviting proposals for projects addressing HIV/AIDS issues among men in the Caribbean region. The projects for which grants are sought should specially focus on HIV/AIDS among gay men, transgender (TG) individuals, and men who have sex with men (MSM). The financial support for these grants is received from Elton John AIDS Foundation. Grassroot organizations working with MSM/LGBT communities in the Caribbean region are encouraged to apply for the grants.

About the MSM Initiative

The MSM Initiative was established by amfAR in 2007 and benefits from collaboration with various international and regional agencies including UNDP, UNAIDS, the Global Forum on MSM & HIV, and other partners. The MSM Initiative’s community awards program seeks to address HIV among gay men, other MSM, and/or transgender individuals by supporting the planning and delivery of prevention, treatment, care, and support services; policy, advocacy, human rights efforts; and community-led research. The term “MSM” describes a broad range of male-male sexual behaviours and identities, each with specific cultural contexts and with specific HIV risks, prevention strategies, and needs related to access and rights; included in amfAR’s definition of MSM are gay men and transgendered individuals, among others. amfAR’s MSM Initiative provides vital support to grassroots MSM efforts that are committed to serving individuals whose needs have often been ignored.

Grant Size

Each organization may apply for an award of up to $20,000 USD to support project-related costs for up to 12 months. Only one application may be submitted per organization. Approximately $120,000 USD is available for this round of awards in the Caribbean; amfAR anticipates funding from six to eight proposals. Funding recommendations will be announced in February 2012. Organizations that are approved for awards can expect to receive funds to begin activities as early as April 2012.

Eligibility Criteria

• Community-based organizations located in low-and middle-income countries in the Caribbean
• Non-profit organizations (e.g., NGOs, CBOs, and other charitable organizations) that are the equivalent of U.S. tax-exempt non-profit organizations;
• Organizations comprised of MSM or LGBT community members and/or that have established links to MSM/LGBT communities and experience directly involving members of those communities in the development and implementation of programs and activities;
• Organizations with strong management and leadership;
• Organizations with capacity to carry out the proposed activities and effectively manage award funds.

Last date for submitting the proposals is November 30, 2011. For more information, visit this link.

Gates Foundation’s New Grant for Biomarkers of Gastrointestinal (Gut) Function and Health

This is a request for proposal from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation under the new grant program as part of the Grand Challenges in Global Health initiative.

The program seeks identify and validate biomarkers that accurately reflect the physical and physiological integrity of the gut in children in the developing world.

Disturbances in gut function can result in devastating health effects, which are especially notable in young children since they have the greatest requirements for somatic and brain development. There is a need for biomarkers to help in the evaluation of gut function, providing a baseline comparison between a functionally healthy gastrointestinal tract and a pathological condition to guide interventions and preventions.

The goal of this opportunity is to identify and validate biomarkers of gut function to improve the health and development of children in the developing world. This funding initiative is intended to identify promising biomarkers that accurately reflect physical and physiological properties of the structural or functional integrity of the gut—especially the ileum or small bowel. Ultimately, biomarkers of interest will be sensitive, quantitative indicators that can be correlated with outcomes such as nutrient absorption, failure of linear growth (stunting), and cognitive development—all of which can be impacted by enteric infections and malnutrition.

The deadline to submit applications is January 11, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Standard Time.

For more information, visit this link.

Gates Foundation’s Request for Proposal for Preventing Preterm Birth

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s new grant program for Grand Challenges in Global Health in partnership with the Global Alliance to Prevent Prematurity and Stillbirth (GAPPS), is seeking letters of inquiry for the new grant program Preventing Preterm Birth.

The grant program seeks to address the problem of the increasing number of newborans dying from preterm birth than from any other cause. Those newborns that survive often suffer disproportionately from other diseases and in this way, preventing preterm birth is part of a comprehensive approach to ensuring a healthy start to life.

By filling the void of scientific knowledge on the causes and mechanisms important to preterm birth in the developing world, this initiative could:

• Lead to low-cost novel technologies to reduce the global burden of prematurity
• Attract scientists to engage in this underserved global health field
• Increase investments from other global health research and development funders

The deadline to submit proposals is 31 January 2011. For more information and to apply to this opportunity, visit this link.