USAID Funding Opportunity: Implementation Science Research to Support Programs under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief

The United States Government, represented by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is seeking concept papers from qualified applicants for funding cooperative agreements aimed at funding a limited number of awards through USAID/Washington in collaboration with the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC) to support implementation of science research and evaluation of programs implemented under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

Program Aims and Objectives

This APS outlines an implementation research agenda to aid PEPFAR programs to improve service delivery, maximize cost-effectiveness and achieve public health impact. The overarching aim is to foster implementation science research on: (1) identification of new and effective interventions and cost-effective, efficient implementation models for proven interventions to achieve public health impact; and (2) identification of approaches for adopting and integrating programs, technologies and guidelines for optimal, timely effect and impact.

Objective 1: Identify new and effective interventions and cost-effective, efficient implementation models for proven interventions to achieve public health impact.

Priority PEPFAR program areas under Objective 1 include but are not limited to:

-               Behavioral, social and structural approaches to HIV prevention

-               Biomedical approaches to HIV prevention

-               Comprehensive HIV prevention for most-at-risk populations

-               Adult HIV/AIDS care, support and treatment

-               Pediatric HIV/AIDS and preventing mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT)

Objective 2: Identify approaches for adopting and integrating programs, technologies and guidelines for optimal, timely effect and impact.

Award Information

Period of performance: Applications may propose research activities covering no more than three years from the date of award.

Anticipated Funding Availability: Pending the availability of funding, USAID anticipates obligating a maximum total ceiling of $30 million over three (3) years under this APS. The maximum funding available for a single application is $3 million over three years, with no more than $1 million per year. The amount of available funding is subject to change. USAID reserves the right to fully or incrementally fund selected application(s) as well as to partially fund selected application(s). Applicants are encouraged but not required to cost-share.

Anticipated Number of Awards:   Pending the availability of funding, USAID anticipates awarding up to forty (40) cooperative agreements over three (3) years under this APS. The number of awards is subject to change. Accordingly, USAID reserves the right to make multiple cooperative agreements or no awards at all through this APS.

Last date for submission of concept papers is September 15, 2011

For more information and details, visit this link and search by Funding Opportunity Number APS-OAA-11-000002

NED Grants Program for the Promotion of Human Rights and Democracy

 The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) provides direct grants to NGOs working around the world in the field of human rights, an independent media, the rule of law and for the advancement of democratic goals.
 

Activist organizations in diverse situations, such as transitional countries where the goal is democratic consolidation, authoritarian countries where the goals are liberalization, and the protection of human rights are encouraged to apply for financial support.

Each year, NED makes more than 1,000 grants to support the projects of non-governmental groups abroad who are working for democratic goals in more than 90 countries.

The decisions to provide funding to applicant NGOs are made on quarterly basis by the NED Board of Directors. In addition to evaluating how a program fits within the Endowment’s overall priorities, the Board considers factors such as the urgency of a program, its relevance to specific needs and conditions in a particular country, and the democratic commitment and experience of the applicant.

The Endowment is especially interested in proposals that originate with local democratic groups. It is also interested in nonpartisan programs seeking to strengthen democratic values.

The next meeting of the NED Board of Directors for which NED is accepting proposals will be in January 2012 and all grant applications should be submitted by 7 October 2011 to be considered for approval at the January Board Meeting. For more information visit this link.

Tribeca Film Institute invites applications for Tribeca Film grants

The Tribeca Film Institute is a nonprofit arts organization that was founded in 2001 by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff. The institute offers grants and professional development opportunities to talented filmmakers and supports individual artists in the field. The institute offers several educational programmes from time to time that encourage other peoples of the industry to help New York City students learn filmmaking.

TFI is currently seeking applications for Tribeca Film grants. Submissions are open for four programs for narrative, non-fiction and new media filmmakers. The TFI Documentary Fund, the TFI Sloan Filmmaker Fund, Tribeca All Access and the TFI Latin America Media Arts Fund are all open for applications. Besides providing grants for filmmakers, these programs also include year-round support, resources and industry connections for the grantees, who will join in New York for events during the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival.

TFI Documentary Fund: Provides grants and guidance to support exceptional character-driven, non-fiction works-in-progress that sit outside of the social issue landscape and aim to take audiences into someone else’s environment and spotlight the journey of the individual.

-              Project Status: For documentary films that are in the advanced stages of development or either in production or post-production

-              Region: For filmmakers based anywhere

-              Funding: Grants of at least $10,000

TFI Sloan Filmmaker Fund: Provides grants and professional guidance in support of innovative and compelling narrative features that offer a fresh take on scientific, mathematic and technological themes.

-              Project Status: For narrative films in any stage

-              Region: For filmmakers based anywhere

-              Funding: Grants range from $10,000 to $40,000

Tribeca All Access: Supports working filmmakers who come from communities traditionally underrepresented in the film industry, including female filmmakers and filmmakers of color, by providing grants, access to industry contacts, workshops, panels and year-round support.

-              Project Status: For documentary or narrative films that are in development or in production

-              Region: For filmmakers based in the U.S. and Puerto Rico

-              Funding: Grants of $10,000, with participants eligible for one of two additional $10,000 awards

TFI Latin America Media Arts Fund: Supports innovative film and video artists living and working in the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America whose works reflect their diverse cultures in the documentary or mixed media form.

-              Project Status: For documentary or nonfiction new media projects that are in production or post-production

-              Region: For filmmakers based in the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America

-              Funding: Grants of at least $10,000

Last date for submitting the applications is October 10, 2011.

For more information and details, visit this link.

EDCPT invites grant proposals focusing on support for the establishment and the strengthening of African National Ethics Committees and Institutional Review Boards

The European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCPT) is the agency that works to support the development of clinical interventions with abilities to fight diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. These diseases account for over 6 million deaths each year, and the numbers are growing. Sub-Saharan Africa is the world’s worst-affected region where besides ravaging lives, they impede development and cause poverty.

EDCTP aims to accelerate the development of new or improved drugs, vaccines, microbicides and diagnostics against HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, with a focus on phase II and III clinical trials in sub-Saharan Africa.

EDCPT is currently inviting grant proposals with the aim to support the establishment and the strengthening of African National Ethics Committees and Institutional Review Boards.

Purpose of the Grant

Many sub-Saharan countries still lack competent ethical review capacities and in some cases this also applies to the national regulatory framework. The purpose of this grant is to:

• Promote the establishment and strengthening of National Ethics Committees (NECs) and Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) that are competent and independent in sub-Saharan countries. The NECs and the IRBs are encouraged to establish themselves administratively and financially to ensure sustained optimal function beyond the EDCTP funding. Strengthening of NECs or IRBs aims at making them operational and gives support to their ongoing functions. Networking and training is encouraged and supported. Additional support in the form of online literature access, documentation, access to websites on ethics and GCP may be facilitated
• Encourage IRBs in countries where NECs do not exist, to contribute to the formation of a NEC. Where neither NECs nor local IRBs exist, EDCTP will encourage nationally recognised institutions or scientists affiliated to an established in-country institution to be contacted, in order to initiate the formation of the NEC.

General Requirements

• Applicants must provide a detailed description of the currently existing institutional and national ethics review structures as well as national regulatory authorities. This should include a description of efforts that have been made in order to avoid duplication of or conflict with already existing structures
• Applicants should be from countries, institutions and ethical review boards that have not received funding from EDCTP before through this scheme. A list of countries and institutions already supported by the scheme can be found on website: http://bit.ly/qEUTsI
• The maximum amount of grant requested from EDCTP should not exceed €50,000 per proposal. If the total budget for the project is over €50,000, applicants should specify the sources of the additional funds and provide formal letters of confirmation from the co-funding organisation
• This grant will only be awarded to projects with a maximum duration of up to 18 months.

Eligibility Criteria and Administrative Requirements

• Proposal must be submitted before the deadline in pdf-format
• Applications must be in English
• The application package should consist of Application Form including the embedded Work Plan and budget explanations, Budget Form, Legal Entity Form and Self-eligibility Check Form
• Project duration not exceeding 18 months
• Applicants should submit a support letter(s) from hosting institution(s). For applications from IRBs, an additional support letter from the NEC or appropriate body should be submitted.

Last date for submitting the proposals is December 15, 2011.

For more information and details, visit this link.