Grant Amount: There is no minimum or maximum grant size. It is anticipated that most grants will fall in the $25,000-$50,000 per year range.
Summary: The Conservation, Food and Health Foundation seeks to protect natural resources, improve the production and distribution of food, and promote public health in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. The foundation helps build the capacity of organizations and coalitions with grants that support research or improve the learning and generation of local solutions to complex problems. The foundation supports projects that demonstrate local leadership and promote professional development in the conservation, agricultural, and health sciences; develop the capacity of local organizations; and address a particular problem or question in the field. It prefers to support projects that address under-funded issues and geographic areas.
The foundation supports special projects and programs of non-governmental organizations in three areas: conservation, food, and health. Examples of areas of interest within these fields follow, but are not meant to be exclusive.
Conservation
Conservation grants promote environmental conservation through field research, projects, and advocacy that:
Protect biodiversity and preserve natural resources.
Help mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.
Build the scientific and technical capacity of local conservation organizations and promote local, regional, and international partnerships.
Increase engagement between scientists, local communities and organizations, and decision-makers.
Partner with indigenous communities and local people.
Food
Grants in the food and agriculture program area focus on research-based projects that build capacity for self-sufficiency and resilience to climate change, strengthen local food systems, and support healthy nutrition through projects that:
Enhance food security.
Develop and promote sustainable agricultural practices
Build the capacity of small-scale farmers.
Advance farmer research and research partnerships.
Develop environmentally sound and affordable approaches to control pests and diseases affecting important local food crops.
Promote indigenous food sovereignty and knowledge systems.
Address challenges of uptake and scalability through new methods of extension, education, and technology transfer.
Health
The Foundation supports efforts that test new ideas and approaches that promote public health, with a special emphasis on reproductive health and family planning and their integration with other health promotion activities. It favors community-level disease prevention and health promotion projects and efforts that help strengthen regional and country public health systems over disease diagnosis, treatment, and care provided by clinics, hospitals, and humanitarian aid programs.
Activities that help increase capacity include applied research, program development, technical assistance, and training projects that:
Promote reproductive health and family planning.
Address issues related to mental and behavioral health.
Address issues relating to pollution and environmental health.
Increase the understanding of zoonotic and neglected tropical diseases.
Address issues relating to nutrition and health.
The foundation does not provide general operating support. It favors research, training, and technical assistance projects that:
employ and/or train personnel from developing countries
are led by organizations with strong records of accomplishments in a particular field and have potential for replication
focus on regional or cross-boundary issues and opportunities
feature collaborative partnerships embedded in strong networks
strengthen local leadership and scientific capacity
influence public discourse and policy
focus on prevention rather than remediation
attract additional support and hold promise for continuation or impact beyond the period of foundation support
Please review the Foundation’s FAQs to gain a better understanding of relevant proposal topics.
Eligibility: The foundation supports low- and lower-middle-income countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. It prefers to support organizations located in low- and middle-income countries or organizations located in upper-income countries whose activities are of direct benefit low- and middle-income countries. The foundation does not support the states of the former Soviet Union or former Eastern Bloc countries.
Required Materials for GW’s Selection Committee: GW is permitted to put forward one application for this limited submission award per calendar year. Please submit the following materials to OVPR INFOREADY by November 20, 2024 @ 1:00pm:
A two-page overview of the specific challenge, problem, or question your intervention will help resolve including:
project goals;
project activities and outcomes;
target population;
innovative approach;
training activities;
collaborators; and
project leaders.
Timeline:
November 20, 2024 @ 1:00pm — Materials due to OVPR InfoReady
Late November 2024 — Internal applicants will be notified of the university’s nominee.
January 1, 2025 — Foundation’s concept application deadline
February 1, 2025 — Foundation sends full proposal invitations to selected applicants
March 1, 2025 — Foundation’s full proposal deadline
For questions, please contact Dorcas Blue, Executive Director, Foundation Relations, at [email protected].