ANH Academy Competitive Research Grants: Round 1  (closed)

 

ANH Academy, long banner, with written text "competitive research grants: round 1"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS CALL IS NOW CLOSED AND NOT ACCEPTING FURTHER SUBMISSIONS

 

ANH Academy Competitive Research Grants: Round 1 

The Agriculture, Nutrition & Health Academy was formed as part of the Innovative Methods and Metrics for Agriculture and Nutrition Actions (IMMANA) programme. Running over two phases from 2015-2024, IMMANA has accelerated progress on tools, data, and capacity needed to guide evidence-based policy in agriculture-food systems, nutrition, and health.   

New ANH Academy initiatives build on a decade of fostering a growing global interdisciplinary community of researchers, practitioners and policymakers working at the intersections of agriculture, food systems, nutrition and health. We now pivot towards a programme focused on accelerating policy change for nutrition, while ensuring planetary health and equity. This includes generating, translating and facilitating the uptake of evidence to guide policy change towards improved outcomes, as well as promoting global capability sharing and strengthening networks and collaborations that foster interdisciplinary, multi-sectoral action.   

 

Goal  

The new ANH Academy Competitive Research Grants will be situated within a wider goal to accelerate actions towards equitable and just food systems for nutrition and health, whilst confronting climate change and protecting nature, through interdisciplinary research, capability sharing and collaboration.  As such, the Grants programme will have an explicit focus on facilitating food systems and nutrition-related policy change through generating, translating and positioning actionable evidence.  

 

Scope and priority research themes 

This round of ANH Academy Competitive Research Grants will move beyond developing and validating agriculture-nutrition methods, metrics and tools (IMMANA Phase 1 and 2) to testing and evaluating interventions, strategies and policies, which will increase the equitable consumption of safe, affordable, nutritious foods.

Priority research topics
  • Reducing food loss & waste 
  • Creating demand for nutritious diets 

 

Budget, duration and partnerships

Up to three ANH Academy grants up to £750,000 each are expected to be awarded through a competitive selection process in each round. Because the nature and scope of the proposed research will vary from application to application, it is anticipated that the size and duration of each award will also vary. All budgets should be submitted in pound sterling (£). 

The maximum duration for each awarded grant is 36 months with an estimated start date of May 2025. All awarded IMMANA grants must be completed by April 2028. 

Projects led by institutions in low- and middle-income countries are encouraged, however, irrespective of project leads, equitable partnerships are essential.

 

Selection process

Concept note applications will be reviewed in two main stages: 

1. Eligibility criteria

During the eligibility review stage, concept notes will be evaluated against the criteria listed below on a 'yes/no' basis. To proceed to the full review stage, a concept note must meet all the specified criteria. They must: 

     a) Demonstrate multidisciplinary expertise across relevant sectors.  Individual applicants will be excluded. 

     b) Led by (or in partnership with) LMIC researchers and institutions, with a clear capability-sharing approach. 

     c) Be within the scope of two priority themes outlined in the RFP 

     d) Must include at least one of the cross-cutting themes of equity (especially gender) and climate change and environment.  

     e) Have both demonstrated policy relevance and policy uptake plan 

     f) Adhere to the submission guidelines, including word limits.  

Applicants may submit more than one application, provided each application is scientifically distinct. 

 

2. Concept note review

The concept notes that pass the eligibility check will be evaluated further against the criteria below. 

Each criterion is equally important and will receive a score between 1 (not competitive) and 5 (outstanding). Only concept notes with scores which are both high overall and well balanced between criteria will be invited to submit a full proposal. Due to the volume of applications we receive we will not be in a position to provide individual feedback to unsuccessful applicants at the concept note stage. 

     a) Scientific excellence: Demonstrate an ability to conduct research to international standards of excellence in the topic proposed.   

     b) Thematic focus: Demonstrate expertise in the key and cross-cutting thematic areas of proposed research, firmly rooted in food systems-nutrition pathways. 

     c) Policy relevance and potential: Demonstrate a demand for the outputs of proposed research by practitioners and policy makers. 

     d) Pathways to impact: Demonstrate how the research findings will be disseminated and applied across different regional and country contexts. 

     e) Equitable partnerships: Concept notes must clearly show authentic, meaningful, collaborative relationships between institutional partners and individuals.

     f) Value for money: Concept notes must demonstrate value for money.  

 

Key dates (subject to change)

  • 12th September 2024: Request for Proposals released 
  • 25th September 2024 (12:30 - 14:00 BST): Webinar- ANH Academy Competitive Research Grants Round 1 - Information Session – watch the recording here. 
  • 24th October 2024: Concept memos due 
  • 21st November 2024: Invitations for proposals 
  • 30th January 2025: Final proposals due 
  • 31st March 2025: Awards notified 
  • May 2025: expected start date 
  • April 2028: expected end date  

 

Key documents