Call for proposals: Knowledge and innovation for inclusive early learning and school readiness

​Table of Contents​ 

1. Introduction 

2. Challenges of inclusive early learning and school readiness

3. Grant types, funding scope and duration  

4. Eligibility criteria: General and specific to grant types  

5. Expectations of projects  

6. Proposal submission details  

7. Proposal evaluation criteria  

8. Submission and review process  

9. Inquiries 

10. Call timeline 

11. Additional considerations 

Annex A: List of Eligible Countries: GPE partner countries 

Annex B: Integrating GEI in research proposals and projects 

11. Introduction 

The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) invite proposals for applied research projects to generate and mobilize evidence in support of contextualizing and scaling the impact of innovative approaches to strengthen inclusive early learning and school readiness in GPE partner countries. 

The GPE Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (KIX) is a joint endeavor of GPE and IDRC. KIX supports countries to have and use the evidence and innovation they need to accelerate access, learning outcomes and gender equality through equitable, inclusive and resilient education systems fit for the 21st century. KIX achieves this by facilitating direct knowledge sharing across GPE partner countries through four regional hubs and by funding applied research on their priorities. KIX is part of GPE’s strategy to support transformative change for education in low- and middle-income countries.  

Several KIX projects are examining early learning innovations, especially in East, West and Southern Africa, that focus on play-based learning and pedagogies. KIX seeks to build on emerging findings to strengthen the evidence base on inclusive early learning and pedagogical interventions that ensure school readiness for smooth transition to primary school. 

Thematic focuses for this call were developed through a series of consultations with GPE partner countries and through discussions with GPE. The results of these consultations are captured in a scoping study working paper, “Early Childhood Care and Education”.

The objectives of this call are to do the following:  

• Generate knowledge and evidence on how to scale the impact of innovative approaches to promote inclusive early learning and school readiness.  
• Strengthen the capacities of relevant stakeholders to use that knowledge and innovation.  
• Mobilize the knowledge and evidence on innovative approaches to improve policy and practice in education systems.  

The deadline for the submission of proposals is January 15, 2024 (23:59 EST). 

22. Challenges of inclusive early learning

GPE partner countries identify early childhood care and education (ECCE) as one of their top priorities. ECCE is critical because it equips children during a key phase of their lives with the cognitive, motor and social-emotional skills they need to lay the groundwork for lifelong learning and success. Children who experience high-quality ECCE are better prepared for primary education, exhibit improved cognitive abilities and demonstrate enhanced social and emotional skills. These early experiences play a pivotal role in determining a child's trajectory through school and beyond, making access to quality ECCE a predictor of school readiness and educational attainment.  

A comprehensive systems approach that aligns curriculum development, developmentally appropriate pedagogy, teacher training and support, and community engagement is critical. The scoping study working paper shows that equity-oriented early childhood education programs that specifically target children who are marginalized, displaced, and with disabilities have the potential to promote holistic child development and a love for learning. The study further revealed that GPE partner countries are seeking evidence to help them adopt and sustain inclusive early learning programs that promote a smooth transition to primary school. This call for proposals focuses on two core issues in early childhood care and education for children aged three to eight years:  

• inclusive early learning pedagogies  
• foundational skills for a smooth transition to primary school 

The challenge   

To generate and mobilize evidence to contextualize and scale the impact of innovative approaches that promote inclusive early learning pedagogy and smooth transition from ECCE to primary school.   

To address this challenge, two main research sub-themes have been identified under this call.   

Sub-theme 1: Inclusive early learning pedagogy 

For marginalized children, children with disabilities and those living in low-income and vulnerable situations, including conflict-affected countries, access to quality early childhood education remains elusive. Yet these groups of children benefit the most from good quality ECCE services. In refugee, and fragile, conflict and violence (FCV) contexts with high rates of poverty and often nascent and over-stretched ECCE systems, further challenges hinder access to quality ECCE. These challenges include a lack of teaching and learning materials, overcrowded classrooms and unmet training and support needs of teachers and other staff. Age-appropriate teaching and learning strategies are fundamental as they encourage and promote a child’s autonomy, active engagement, discovery and self-regulation.  

Numerous studies across GPE partner countries have highlighted the positive impact of play-based learning on children's executive functions and overall cognitive, social and emotional development. Appropriate training and support for teachers can equip them with skills to effectively incorporate play-based pedagogies in ECCE settings to maximize their benefits. This also includes creating a stimulating and responsive classroom environment with sufficient space for children to move around, and with access to play materials, including locally sourced and culturally appropriate tools and toys.  

It is important to strengthen teacher capacity in gender-responsiveness and in tackling gender norms and bias, to revise learning materials so they pay attention to gender, culture, context and disability, and to supplement teacher training with mother-tongue materials and training for ethnic minority teachers.  

Areas of research to scale the impact of promising or proven approaches for this sub-theme include the following: 

1. Integrating gender-responsive or transformative curriculum and pedagogy into ECCE teacher training, removing gender biases and stereotypes from teaching practices and learning materials.  
2. Promoting engagement of families and communities to improve access and quality of ECCE services. 
3. Developing successful approaches to ECCE for refugee and displaced populations that include play-based methodologies, interactions that prioritize socio-emotional support, community and family engagement, and the creation of culturally responsive learning environments.  
4. ECCE that supports early interventions for cognitive, motor, social and/or emotional development of children with disabilities.  
5. ECCE teacher support programmes that include community preschools (where teachers may lack adequate training).  

Sub-theme 2: Foundational skills for smooth transition and school readiness 

Foundational skills act as a springboard for a child's trajectory through the education system and have a profound impact on their overall educational success. ECCE plays a pivotal role in developing children's foundational skills that serve as the building blocks for their future academic success. Foundational literacy and numeracy provide the tools children need to engage with more complex subjects in later years, enabling students to comprehend and communicate effectively across various disciplines when they are older.  

Foundational literacy involves the development of early reading and language skills, such as decoding, phonics and phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency and reading comprehension, all of which enable young learners to make meaning of different types of text and media. Foundational numeracy focuses on basic mathematical concepts, helping children develop numerical fluency, logical reasoning or problem-solving abilities. Social-emotional learning emphasizes the development of crucial inter- and intra-personal skills like self-regulation, teamwork and conflict resolution, which are vital for establishing healthy relationships and emotional well-being.  

A challenge in education systems in GPE partner countries is often the disconnect between curriculum and learning objectives at the ECCE and primary levels, creating obstacles for young children as they transition out of the early years and continue their learning journey. Across contexts, school readiness through foundational literacy and numeracy needs to be balanced with play-based pedagogies and the development of socio-emotional learning.   

Areas of research to scale the impact of promising or proven approaches for this sub-theme include: 

1. ECCE that prioritizes the development of foundational skills, including socio-emotional learning that sets the stage for holistic growth and success in learning. 
2. Existing ECCE assessment tools and approaches that can be adapted and used across countries to measure foundational skills in early primary years. 
3. Standards, regulations, frameworks and pathways for ECCE teacher training that draw on foundational skills and play-based pedagogy. 
4. Early learning strategies for linguistic and ethnic minority learners, displaced and Indigenous children, who may be particularly disadvantaged in the ECCE years, depending on language of instruction. 
5. Approaches that enhance the coherence in learning environments and cultures between pre-primary and early grades of primary schools.  

Research questions   

Proposals should generate knowledge in response to the challenge by addressing the following overall research question and three sub-questions:  

How can we scale the impact of innovative approaches addressing inclusive early learning and school readiness for all children?   

1. What promising or proven innovations address inclusive early learning pedagogy and school readiness?   
2. How can these innovations be adapted, scaled and implemented in effective, equitable and sustainable ways?   
3. What factors enable, incentivize or impede the scaling of these innovations?  

33. Grant types, funding scope and duration 

KIX will allocate up to CAD $10 million through this call.  

Proposals may be of any of the following three types:  

Both multi-country and regional/global grants facilitate inter-country learning. The main difference between these two grant types is the targeted impact. Multi-country grants focus on creating an impact in three or more countries by directly addressing specific priorities within those countries. In contrast, regional/global grants have a wider reach, aiming to make an impact at the regional or global level. They involve work in at least three countries and primarily generate and mobilize valuable public goods such as toolkits and platforms for use by other countries.   

To promote inter-country learning, multi-country and regional/global grants are encouraged. Single-country grants will be considered where multi-country work is difficult and/or when the proposal provides a compelling and unique opportunity for learning from a single-country case. 

Proposals must target, and be grounded in, GPE partner countries (see Annex A for the list of countries).  

IDRC reserves the right to fund additional proposals from this call if/when more funding becomes available.  

IDRC is under no obligation to issue any funds prior to the applicant returning a fully executed grant agreement to IDRC. 

All grants are subject to sufficient funds being made available to IDRC by the Parliament of Canada or under a donor partnership agreement with a particular external funder. 

IDRC reserves the right to cancel this call for proposals at any time without prior notice and/or to not issue any grants under this process. 

44. Eligibility criteria: General and specific to grant types 

Only proposals that meet the eligibility criteria will be considered.  

General eligibility criteria for all grant types 

Proposals must be submitted by nationally/internationally registered or incorporated organizations. These could include, inter alia, research institutions, universities, think tanks, network secretariats, associations, civil society organizations, non-profits, or the private sector.  

Applicants must have independent legal status (or “legal personality”), be capable of contracting in their own right and name, receiving and administering funds, and have the authority to direct proposed project activities. Applicants must be able to demonstrate their legal status through written documentation. Legal status will only be reviewed if and when applicants are selected following technical selection. 

Proposals may be submitted by individual organizations, or by consortia of up to three organizations. Proposals from consortia must name one lead organization, which can subgrant to the others. Proposals from, or that include, private sector partners should demonstrate how private sector resources – financial or technical knowhow - will contribute to the project. Organizations/consortia must have a strong presence and track record of work in the education sector of GPE partner countries. 

Who is NOT eligible? 

• Individuals. 
• Government ministries and agencies are not eligible for funding but can be involved in projects. 
• For-profit providers of core education services. 

Specific eligibility criteria for the three grant types 

KIX will prioritize funding to organizations based in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).  

Single-country grant proposals must be submitted by eligible national organizations based in the country of focus. They may apply as individual organizations or lead a consortium that includes other organizations from within or outside the country.   

Multi-country grant proposals must be submitted by an organization based in a low- or middle-income country. Other consortium members may include organizations from within or outside the region; national, regional, or international offices of multi-lateral organizations; or international NGOs.   

Regional/global grant proposals may be submitted by any organization that meets the general eligibility criteria, as an individual organization or leading a consortium.  

55. Expectations of projects  

Linkages to education policy priorities and key stakeholder endorsement 

Proposals must demonstrate clear links with education policy priorities and define plans for effective engagement of key stakeholders such as the ministry of education. This could be through a letter indicating approval or interest from an appropriate authority in the ministry, or evidence of clear alignment with current official documents such as the partnership compact, the education sector plan, or other similar strategic plan documents. Proposals should demonstrate that the organization applying for the grant is working in and has relationships with relevant education stakeholders in the target countries.  

High-quality research for development  

Funded projects will be expected to undertake research for development, which is designed to build knowledge, innovation, and evidence, strengthen capacity, and mobilize knowledge for policy and practice. They should be problem-focused and action-oriented. They should creatively identify and engage with relevant users of the knowledge and innovation. They should involve education system stakeholders throughout to ensure that research is relevant and positioned for use in policy and practice. They will also be expected to meet the quality standards expressed in IDRC’s Research Quality Plus (RQ+) framework. They must be methodologically rigorous, original, and relevant. They must be ethically sound, address gender equality, equity, and inclusion (GEI) dimensions, and be well-positioned for use by different stakeholders. 

Research for scaling innovation, using a critical approach 

Proposals are expected to focus on existing promising or proven innovative approaches that have potential to be scaled and facilitate transformative change in GPE partner countries. Innovations may include, but are not limited to, tools, practices, policies, programs, technologies, frameworks, methodologies, or any other interventions that can be used to address the challenge, sometimes in combination.​ The innovative approaches may come from within or outside GPE partner countries. Issues of scaling impact should be built into the research questions and methodology.  

KIX will not support the large-scale implementation of identified innovations. Nor will it fund the development of new innovations. It will only fund applied research to generate evidence in support of scaling the impact of promising or proven innovations that applicants are expected to present in their proposals, along with the evidence of their effectiveness. This scaling research may include:  

• adapting and refining the innovations to the contextual needs of the selected countries;  
• developing and testing means and models to scale them;  
• supporting capacity strengthening of stakeholders who will adapt, adopt and scale the innovations;  
• conducting a cost analysis of the innovations; and  
• assessing results.   

Proposals will be encouraged to take a critical approach to scaling. Scaling is not only about making something bigger or increasing the coverage of an intervention. Scaling is the process of improving the reach, breadth, quality, equity, and sustainability of the changes, benefits, and solutions that innovations bring to education systems. Projects should use the research process to determine an optimal scale for their innovation (see more in Gargani and McLean, 2017).   

Gender equality, equity, and inclusion (GEI) 

Proposals should demonstrate how GEI will be promoted, using an intersectional approach, with respect to both (i) team composition and organizations comprising the research team; and (ii) the design and implementation of the proposed research, including monitoring, evaluation and learning, and knowledge mobilization processes. Gender-blind proposals will not be considered. Annex B provides a series of questions to help guide the integration of GEI in research proposals and the implementation of projects.  

Being part of the Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (KIX) 

The projects funded out of this call will become part of KIX. They will be invited to participate in joint learning and synthesis activities with other projects, and to share their knowledge mobilization strategies with regional hubs. They will be invited to participate in the KIX-wide project called Research on Scaling the Impact of Innovations in Education (ROSIE). They will be required to link their results to the KIX-wide results framework and track some common results in their monitoring, evaluation and learning strategies. Proponents should anticipate allocating necessary personnel and at least 30 days to these KIX-level activities in their plans and budgets.  

66. Proposal submission details 

All applications should be submitted in English, French, or Spanish using the online application form link. 

The online application will ask applicants to provide: 

• The project title. 
• Countries of focus. 
• Project duration. 
• Project summary in plain language. 
• Contact information of the project leader and co-applicants (if applicable). 
• The rationale for the consortium (if applicable). 

Problem identification and background (max. 1,500 words) 

• Clearly state the problem or opportunity to be addressed in your project; how it addresses an important knowledge gap relevant to the identified policy challenge, including GEI considerations; how the project responds to education priorities of chosen GPE partner countries, including their education sector plans or partnership compact priorities.
• Present a review of relevant literature in relation to the proposed project.  
• Provide a justification for the selected innovation(s) to be adapted and further tested, including available evidence of its effectiveness. 

Research purpose and anticipated results (max. 1,000 words) 

• Clearly state the project objectives1 in response to the call objectives.   
• Present the project’s research questions in reference to the guiding research questions and addressing the challenge and one or more of the subthemes.   
• Describe the project outputs and outcomes, and the intended impact to which it will contribute; explain how it will add to existing knowledge for education systems.   
• Describe how the project will address and promote GEI issues.   

Project Design and Methodology (max. 1,500 words)  

• Describe the study design, conceptual framework, methods, and type of analysis. Outline the scaling approaches and delivery mechanisms to be tested. 
• Outline how GEI considerations will be incorporated in all elements of project design and methodology.  
• Outline how relevant stakeholders will be involved in fair and equitable partnerships during the project.  
• Describe the project’s adaptive management approach, and how it will manage and address potential risks. 

Knowledge Mobilization Strategy (max. 700 words) 

• Provide an overview of how the activities and outputs of the project will engage potential knowledge users (including ministries of education) on an ongoing basis, the strategies to ensure that research results are used by relevant stakeholders, and what the outcomes of the project might be for policy making and capacity building. Proposals should consider plans for leveraging the platforms provided by relevant KIX Regional Hubs in their knowledge mobilization strategy. 

Research Ethics (max. 500 words) 

• Provide details of the potential ethical issues in relation to the proposed research and what steps will be taken to ensure the highest ethical standards and the greatest protection of research participants. Refer to the Canadian Tri-Council Policy Statement on Ethical Conduct of Research Involving Humans.  
• Identify which institutional or national research ethics body will provide ethics review and oversight. Note that prior to commencing research, applicants will need to obtain approval from an official institutional or national research ethics body and will need to comply with the terms and conditions of the Grant Agreement.  

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (max. 700 words) 

• Outline the project theory of change, along with intended results that focus on knowledge generation, capacity strengthening of project relevant stakeholders and knowledge mobilization of project results.  
• Describe the processes that the project will use to monitor progress, adapt, achieve results, and report.  

Project Team Capacities (max. 1,000 words) 

• List the project team members, their roles, and expertise relevant to the project (research, gender equality, equity, and inclusion in education and/or more broadly, scaling, monitoring, evaluation and learning, and knowledge mobilization).   
• Provide a brief overview of the organization’s (or the consortium’s) track record relative to its proposed role in the project.  
• Explain how GEI principles will be upheld with respect to the project team members.  
• Describe project governance and coordination arrangements to produce high-quality work and support fair and equitable partnerships.  

Additional Documents 

In addition to the proposal, applicants are expected to submit:   

1. Contact information of the lead applicant and members of the consortium if applicable.  
2. Institutional Profile Questionnaire (IPQ) to be completed by the lead applicant and submitted along with a copy of the organization’s legal registration. 
3. Estimated budget, with a cost breakdown by categories using the  IDRC budget template. Complete all the tabs except the Summary tab, which will be generated automatically. Save the completed and duly signed budget as a PDF document and attach this to your application. For a list of eligible expenses, please refer to the IDRC  Guidelines for Acceptable Project Expenditures. For general information, refer to the General IDRC Funding Guidelines.  Please add information on any matched funding, or additional leveraged resources, that are relevant to this proposal under the “Donor contributions” and “Local contributions” tabs. 
4. Two-page CVs of the lead applicant with relevant experience and key contact individuals from other organizations in the case of consortia.   

By submitting this proposal, the Applicant confirms that their acknowledgment of the applicable Terms and Conditions for the Grant Agreement, acknowledged and accepted, form an integral part of the funding application. The Applicant also agrees to abide by GPE's Policy on protection from sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment, by IDRC Corporate Principles on Research Ethics, IDRC Open Access Policy and IDRC Open Data Statement of Principles to proceed.   

77. Proposal evaluation criteria 

An independent expert panel will assess proposals using the evaluation criteria and criteria weighting (in percentages) outlined below.   

88. Submission and review process 

Eligible proposals must be submitted no later than January 15, 2024 (23:59 EST). Proposals received after the deadline or incomplete proposals will not be considered. All applications must be submitted using the online application form. An acknowledgement of receipt of proposal will be sent following the timely submission.  

Responding to this call is the first step in the application process for potentially securing funding for your proposal. The review process will consist of the following steps, conducted by IDRC program staff and external reviewers with relevant expertise.  

1. Verification of eligibility requirements and proposal completeness: IDRC will review all submitted proposals to ensure they meet eligibility requirements and include all necessary application materials. Ineligible, incomplete and irrelevant proposals will not be considered further.  
2. Initial shortlisting of eligible proposals: If a large number of proposals are submitted, IDRC will review them based on the evaluation criteria presented in section 7 and send a shortlist of the top proposals to the KIX Independent Assessment Panel (IAP). 
3. Review and ranking of shortlisted proposals: IAP members will review eligible proposals using the evaluation criteria under section 7. Each proposal will be reviewed by at least two panelists. Proposals will be ranked on the basis of scoring and subsequent IAP discussion. The IAP will recommend which proposals are of sufficient quality to receive KIX funding.  
4. Recommending a cohort of projects: IDRC will identify a cohort of IAP-recommended proposals up to the maximum budget for the funding envelope available for the call. The cohort will prioritize funding to Southern organizations, and balance thematic, geographic and applicant diversity from within this call and across the KIX portfolio. IDRC will also analyze budgets and proposals’ value for money. The cohort will be submitted for approval from the KIX Executive Committee. 
5. Final approval: The Executive Committee will provide final approval of the projects funded through this call.  
6. Notification of results: Following the selection by the Executive Committee, successful and non-successful applicants will be notified of the results by April 9, 2024.  
7. Request for changes: IDRC reserves the right to request successful applicants to make changes based on feedback from the IAP, IDRC and GPE, if necessary. IDRC may also facilitate additional interaction with KIX representatives in GPE partner countries to further hone the selected proposal to country realities. 
8. Inception Phase: Upon selection and the signing of the Grant Agreement, grantees will be oriented to KIX objectives and processes over a period of three months called the Inception Phase. During this period, KIX program officers will work with grantees to align projects with the overall KIX theory of change and results framework and provide support and guidance on important requirements such as scaling research, GEI, knowledge mobilization, and MEL reporting.  

99. Inquiries 

One webinar, hosted in English, French, and Spanish, took place on November 29, 2023 (7:30am – 8:30am EST) to answer questions about this call for proposals. A recording is available for all 3 languages and can be found here.

Any inquiries that affect all applicants will be posted anonymously online on the KIX Call FAQ page. Applicants are strongly encouraged to monitor this website for any information updates regarding this call. 

1010. Call timeline  

1111. Additional considerations 

• As a Canadian Crown Corporation, IDRC is subject to Canada’s Access to Information Act. Consequently, any submissions in response to this Call for Research Proposals will be held by IDRC in a manner consistent with the Access to Information Act, including IDRC's obligations to disclose documents requested by members of the public. 
• By way of submitting an application under this Call, applicants consent to the disclosure of the documents they submit to IDRC and external reviewers who are involved in the assessment and selection processes of proposals. If selected for funding, applicants further consent to the disclosure of their name and the title of the proposed project in any announcement of selected projects. Unsuccessful proposals will be destroyed within 180 days after the close of the application period. Proposals deemed as high quality by the IAP, but which do not receive funding from this round, will be retained for an additional 12 months, based on applicant permissions. 
• Applicants must publish research findings in the public domain in accordance with IDRC’s Open Access Policy.  
• The technical selection of a proposal does not constitute a formal commitment by IDRC to fund the project. Applicants whose proposals are selected for a recommendation for funding will undergo an institutional assessment. This step assesses the potential risk of material loss of IDRC funds due to weaknesses in the capacity of an applicant’s institution to manage or report on the financial aspects of project activities, or because of economic and political conditions relating to the institution's operating environment. IDRC needs to review three broad areas in its assessment of what measures should be applied to minimize such risk: the materiality of the investment; the management capacity of the applicant’s institution; and the wider environment within which the organization operates. IDRC will have no obligation to issue any funds prior to the applicant returning an executed Grant Agreement issued to them by IDRC. The process for finalizing the project proposal, budget and administrative documentation is expected to take place between April 2024 and June 2024. 
• IDRC reserves the right in its sole discretion at any time to withdraw support for a project or recipient where the i) implementation, ii) monitoring of, or iii) access to a project is not possible or would jeopardize the safety of staff, contractors or anyone affiliated to IDRC. Additionally, where it is determined that a project or participation of an institution or individual would or could reasonably violate laws, sanctions or other obligations with which IDRC and or the applicant must comply, support for the project may be withheld or withdrawn. 
• Country clearance requirements: IDRC has conducted general agreements for scientific and technical cooperation with a number of governments. These agreements establish the framework for IDRC cooperation with that country by defining the rights and obligations of both IDRC and the government. As such, the applicant institution may be required to obtain country approval in accordance with these agreements prior to receiving funding from IDRC. This requirement applies only to selected applications. IDRC reserves the right to not pursue the funding of a selected project if the country approval is not secured within six months after IDRC officially announces approval of the project, as this would jeopardize the timely completion of the initiative. 
• Applicants whose proposals are selected to recommend for funding will be required to provide additional documentation (see additional documents under Proposal Submission Details) prior to confirmation of funding of their projects. IDRC reserves the right to rescind its selection of a project if it is deemed that the information provided in the application is false or misleading.  

AAnnex A: List of Eligible Countries: GPE partner countries 

BAnnex B: Integrating GEI in research proposals and projects  

IDRC’s Equality statement says “We support the generation of knowledge—including by individuals from diverse genders, communities, histories, and experiences—that tackles the systems that perpetuate inequalities on the basis of identity.” Integrating GEI in all stages of research projects is essential for producing research that is fair, equitable, and inclusive, and ultimately promotes equal opportunities and treatment for all people regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, or any other identity.  

When a project integrates GEI considerations across its design as well as methodologies, outputs, outcomes and organizational practices, the project is gender-responsive or gender-transformative (see IDRC’s Guide to integrating gender in your proposal). Even for a call that specifically targets GEI issues, proposals should consider how to orient projects to be either gender-responsive or gender-transformative in all aspects:  

Problem identification and background 

Including GEI in the problem identification and background contextualizes the research problem within the broader sociocultural and historical context. It helps to explain how gender and inclusion-related challenges in education have emerged and how they are perpetuated.  

• To what extent does the problem identification and background section discuss the contextual factors that contribute to GEI challenges?  
• What does the existing research say about the issues in focus with respect to GEI?  
• To what extent does the problem identification and background section clearly articulate the specific GEI needs or challenges to be addressed in the project?  
• Does the proposal include an intersectional approach to understand how gender intersects with other aspects of identity, such as age, ability, race, ethnicity, geographic location, sexuality, and wealth status? 

Research purpose and anticipated results 

Including GEI in research objectives, research questions, and project results helps to focus the project on GEI and ensure that it works towards addressing identified GEI challenges. 

• To what extent do the research objectives and questions incorporate GEI issues?  
• To what extent do the results - outputs, outcomes, and intended impact - address GEI issues and their underlying causes?  

Project design and methodology 

Including GEI in the research design and methodology helps to incorporate a diversity of perspectives, including those of marginalized groups who may be underrepresented in the research.  

• To what extent are GEI considerations reflected in the project design and methodology? 
• Are different groups involved in the research process in a meaningful, participatory way? To what extent do they represent the diversity of target groups, including the most marginalized? 
• How does the design accommodate for the effective participation of all stakeholders? 

Knowledge mobilization strategy 

Including GEI in knowledge mobilization activities helps to ensure that GEI issues are raised and addressed beyond the project.  

• Are GEI considerations included in the knowledge mobilization strategy? 
• How will GEI-specific findings be documented and shared? 
• Are you considering involving relevant key stakeholders or change makers (government, NGOs and others) that work on and influence gender-based discrimination and inequalities in the knowledge sharing process?  

Monitoring, evaluation, and learning 

Including GEI in your monitoring, evaluation, and learning plan ensures that there are GEI targets set, their progress is monitored, and learnings are documented and reported.  

• To what extent is GEI integrated into the project's monitoring, evaluation, and learning plan? 
• Does the proposal outline mechanisms to monitor and report on GEI-related results? 

Project team capacities 

Including GEI expertise and ensuring GEI representation in the composition of the team is important for ensuring diverse perspectives and experiences, addressing gender and inclusion-related challenges, conducting ethical research, engaging stakeholders, and disseminating findings to diverse audiences.  

• Do you have a person responsible for leading GEI integration?  
• Does the project team include a balanced mix of people of different genders? What roles do they have?  
• How might you strengthen the capacities of the research team regarding GEI?  
• Have you highlighted the expertise within the team needed to conduct rigorous gender analysis and to analyze data by sex and other relevant indicators?