Introduction
ITPC was founded in 2003 in Cape Town by 125 HIV activists from 65 countries, fighting for access to life-saving medicine. Evolving into a Global Activist Network, it championed community-driven advocacy beyond HIV and TB, challenging systemic health inequities. Now, 20 years on, we celebrate progress in equitable treatment access, community power, and resilience.
Background
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (The Global Fund)’s Community, Rights, and Gender (CRG) Department oversees two Centrally Managed Limited Investments (CMLIs) under the Communities in Pandemic Preparedness and Response (COPPER) initiative. These investments focus on Community Engagement (CE) and Community-Led Monitoring (CLM) and build upon lessons learned from previous phases, including CE in C19RM, Community Engagement in Pandemic Leadership and Governance (CELG), and CLM C19RM Phase 1. Approved in November/December 2023, the COPPER CMLIs are being implemented during the 2024 – 2025 extension.
The overarching goal of COPPER CE and CLM is to empower communities, civil society, and CLM implementers to effectively engage with and influence in-country processes and mechanisms related to pandemic preparedness and response (PPR). This ensures that national PPR policies, strategies, and programs integrate health equity, human rights, and gender equality, and utilize CLM-PPR data to ensure that community and health systems are ready for future outbreaks and pandemics
About the RFP
The “Mobilizing Expertise and Technical Assistance for CLM-PPR & Advocacy Leadership” (METAL) Consortium with ITPC as the lead has been contracted by the Global Fund to provide technical support in managing and overseeing the research grants. This research initiative aims to contribute to the development of scientific literature on the impact of Community-Led Monitoring (CLM) in HIV, TB and malaria health services, Pandemic Preparedness and Response (PPR) and/or Resilient and Sustainable Systems for Health (RSSH).
Purpose of the Grant
This RFP invites grantees to apply for funding under one of two research tracks designed to strengthen the evidence base for CLM:
Track 1: Transforming accepted oral abstracts* on community-led monitoring (CLM) focused on health service monitoring of HIV, TB, and malaria services (HTM) (including COVID-19 services) at the local, national or regional level, into peer-reviewed publications.
*Please note: An accepted oral abstract is a research summary that has been reviewed and approved for presentation at a conference, seminar, or scientific meeting in the form of an oral presentation rather than a poster or written publication. Please provide documentation of where your oral abstract was accepted.
Track 2: Conduct a regional, multi-country or global research project analysing community-led monitoring (CLM) data and findings on HIV, TB, and malaria service monitoring (including COVID-19 services), highlighting linkages and contributions to resilient and sustainable systems for health (RSSH) and/or pandemic preparedness and response (PPR).
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must:
1. Be a community-led organization, research institution, or civil society organization with experience in CLM implementation, health advocacy, or research. CBO/CLO/CSO should lead/co-lead the research grants, in partnership with others. A research institution cannot lead the research grant.
2. Demonstrate experience in data collection, analysis, and evidence-based advocacy.
3. Show a clear plan for research dissemination and policy engagement.
4. Have a track record of working on HIV, TB, malaria, pandemic preparedness and response, health emergencies and/or health system strengthening initiatives.
5. Be based in or working in a low- or middle-income country (LMIC). Priority for Sub-Saharan Africa (Anglophone and Francophone Africa), Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean.
Grant Deliverables
Selected grantees will be required to:
• Track 1: Develop and submit a manuscript suitable for peer-reviewed publication.
• Track 2: Conduct data analysis and produce a research report with key findings and recommendations. This also includes submission of a manuscript for suitable peer-reviewed publication.
• In addition to the above, the grantees will:
o Engage in stakeholder dialogues and advocacy efforts to disseminate findings.
o Submit progress and final reports detailing outcomes and impacts.
o Slide deck of main highlights of the research manuscript that can be used for dissemination.
Grant Budget & Duration
• Funding will be awarded based on the scope and scale of the proposed project.
• Grants will cover research costs (Including expert/consultancy costs, meeting/consultation-related costs), publication fees, data collection, and dissemination activities.
• Track 1 budget limit: $15,000 (Including ITPC Grant oversight, $13,800 for Grantee)
• Track 2 budget limit: $45,000 Including ITPC Grant oversight, $41,000 for Grantee)
Research Grant Period: May 5th, 2025, to September 30th 2025.
How to apply
Interested applicants should submit a proposal including:
A. Research Proposal (Recommended number of pages 5) outlining research objectives and methodology.
• Introduction:
o Profile of partner organizations / institutions or the consortium
o Highlight track record of CBO/CLO/CSO in CLM, CSS, PPR
o Highlight track record of the research institution in conducting participatory research, exploratory research, implementation science.
o Designated technical co-leads, principal investigators, including contact details, relevant experience and team structure.
• Research Objective and Methodology (and related activities):
o Track 1: Please submit your existing research abstract related to CLM on health service monitoring of HIV, TB, malaria and COVID-19 services. Prioritized abstracts with focus on Sub-Saharan Africa (Anglophone and Francophone Africa), Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean. Applicants must also provide documentation confirming the acceptance of your abstract by a conference, seminar, or scientific meeting.
o Track 2: Describe the CLM project on HIV, TB, and/or malaria service monitoring whose data and findings will be analysed.
o Both Track 1 and Track 2: State the research objective and methodology for conducting additional/supplemental research and analysis, and/or regional/global research analysis
o Explain how you intend to highlight linkages, contributions and impact to resilient and sustainable systems for health (RSSH) and/or pandemic preparedness and response (PPR).
• Plans for Publication:
o Provide a brief statement outlining the process to develop the manuscript (Track 1) or research report & manuscript (Track 2).
o Specify any preferred peer reviewed journals to target for submission (Track 1 & Track 2).
o Include a drafting process and publication timeline (Gantt chart)
B. Budget Proposal
• You may use your own budget template; it should be submitted in excel format.
• Follow the instructions of allowed costs per research track in the previous section.
o Budget cannot exceed the maximum budget per research track – $13,800 for Track 1 and $41,000 for Track 2.
(Track 1 budget limit $15,000 (Including ITPC Grant oversight, $13,800 for Grantee)
o Track 2 budget limit: $45,000 Including ITPC Grant oversight, $41,000 for Grantee)
C. Annexes to the proposal
• Examples of relevant previous work.
• CVs of co-leads / principal investigators
The proposal submitted by the applicant should be in English and should be concisely presented and structured as presented below. Proposals that are incomplete or not responsive to these criteria may not be considered in the review process.
Evaluation Criteria
Proposals will be assessed based on:
• Technical soundness and feasibility of the research approach.
• Relevance to CLM, community and health systems strengthening.
• Cost-effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed budget.
• Potential contribution to HTM health services, and PPR
• Potential for impact and policy engagement.
Submission Deadline
All proposals must be submitted by 11th of April 2025 at 23.59 SAST to procurement@itpcglobal.org with the subject line: “Proposal Submission: COPPER CLM Research Grants.”
For any inquiries, please contact Procurement@itpcglobal.org
