KIX call for concept notes: Knowledge and innovation for education in emergencies and fragile, conflict and violence-affected contexts - Frequently Asked Questions

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Please refer to the detailed call document for comprehensive information about the call and its requirements. 

For more answers to questions relating to the call, register for the FAQ webinar taking place on April 4, 2024. If you are unable to attend, please monitor the KIX YouTube channel for the recording.    

APPLIED RESEARCH TO BE FUNDED   

1. What is this call for concept notes about?   

This is a call for concept notes for applied research projects. It intends to identify projects to generate and mobilize evidence to contextualize and scale the impact of promising or proven innovative approaches to improve children’s access and retention in education in emergencies, fragile and conflict-affected contexts in GPE partner countries.  

2. Where can I learn more about the sub-themes featured in the call document?

You can learn more about the sub-themes by reading the scoping paper that has been produced to accompany the call. 

3. Can a concept note respond to multiple sub-themes? 

Yes, concept notes can respond to multiple sub-themes. We encourage applicants to consult the detailed call document for further information on the call’s challenge and sub-themes.   

4. What is meant by supporting knowledge generation “for and about scaling”? 

Research for scaling is about generating evidence that will help to make scaling decisions and potentially contribute to the actual scaling of the innovation. It can take on different shapes, depending on where the project is in its scaling journey and what the applicant wants to accomplish at this stage. Research for scaling may focus on 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.

Research about scaling is about what you have learned about scaling while navigating a scaling journey. One purpose of this research is to improve our knowledge about the scaling process. Research about scaling could entail reflections of the projecknt about things to consider during the adaptation process, including trade-offs; effective approaches to building connections with relevant stakeholders and facilitating their buy-in and uptake of research evidence and innovation; effective approaches to transferring innovation from an NGO to the government; the costs involved and how costs change at different scales; and any other things related to the scaling process.

Scaling issues should be part of concept notes’ research questions and the research design should clearly address the scaling questions. 

5. Can the concept note focus on scaling-up be on existing strategies by government and/or other not-for-profits?  

Yes. 

6. What should we consider in identifying innovative approaches to address the challenge? 

Concept notes should present existing promising or proven innovative approaches to address the identified challenge and how their impact could be scaled. Innovative approaches can originate from anywhere – from within the countries involved, or beyond. We encourage applicants to work with culturally relevant and contextually appropriate interventions that are feasible, cost-effective and scalable in the countries that the call targets. As part of the research process, selected projects may further adapt their interventions in the countries of focus and then test their effectiveness to determine which conditions facilitate successful implementation and scalability. That work can vary by country within the same project.

7. Does the innovation have to be tested and mobilized in all countries in the concept note, or can an innovation be tested in one country and the knowledge shared and mobilized in the other countries? 

Concept notes should have one set of overall objectives and research questions. However, project activities may vary from one country to another. Concept notes should include applied research in each country involved, along with a knowledge-mobilization strategy. 

8. Can our project focus on developing and piloting new innovations?

No. Funded projects are expected to work with already existing innovations that are promising or proven.

9. Can we explore and decide what innovations to work with as part of the project?

No. Applicants are expected to include the innovation on which they are planning to work in their concept notes, along with evidence of their effectiveness. This call is not intended to fund exploratory studies to surface innovations.

10. Is there a methodology that IDRC prefers? 

No, we have no preference. The selected methodologies must be appropriate to answer the questions and achieve project objectives in their contexts. Concept notes must be explicit and elaborate on the justification for methodological choices. The quality of projects will be assessed against IDRC’s Research Quality Plus Framework (as indicated in the detailed call document). 

11. May projects be related to higher education or technical and vocational education and training (TVET)? 

No. Although other IDRC programming focuses on strengthening TVET and higher education, it is not a focus of KIX calls. As a GPE mechanism, KIX’s research focuses on early childhood to secondary education, in addition to teacher training.

Higher-education institutions may be involved in addressing these challenges and teams based at these institutions are welcome to apply.

PARTNERSHIPS  

12. Who are the education stakeholders? 

Education stakeholders may include (but are not limited to) local education groups, teacher unions, school principals and teachers, parents and children, education ministry officials, development partners and policymakers.

CALL THEME AND GEOGRAPHIC FOCUS  

13. How many applications may an organization submit? 

Organizations may submit up to two concept notes as an individual organization, or as the lead of a consortia.   

14. Which countries are the focus of this call? 

This call targets education priorities in emergencies or fragile and conflict-affected contexts. Applications must target and be grounded in relevant contexts in GPE partner countries (see Annex B for the list of countries).

15. What marginalized groups of learners does this call target?  

We encourage applicants to think about children who face overlapping issues of gender inequalities and social marginalization within the contexts in which the project will be implemented. We understand that marginalized groups of learners vary across contexts and that marginalization can manifest itself in different ways. Based on the data collected across 88 GPE partner countries, the most referenced marginalized groups were:   

• children with disabilities (including those with physical and/or learning disabilities)    
• girls  
• children living in rural, remote or other marginalized geographic areas   
• children who are migrants, refugees or internally displaced people 
• children living in poverty (including both urban and rural forms of poverty)     

WHO CAN APPLY 

16. Is priority given to applications from organizations in low- and middle-income countries? 

Yes, concept notes for this call can only be submitted by organizations based in low- and middle-income countries, who can apply as individual organizations or as leads of a consortium. 

17. What do you mean by “individual organizations”? 

Individual organizations may be NGOs, civil society organizations, universities, academic institutions, research institutions, think tanks, private-sector organizations or private foundations (not for profit). 

18. What is meant by “consortia”? Who can be a member of a consortium? 

• Consortia are groups of organizations that come together to submit a concept note to receive KIX funding and to implement the project. Groups of up to three organizations (maximum) may submit an application as a consortium.   
• Concept notes from consortia must name one lead organization, which can sub-grant to the others. Concept notes from, or that include, private-sector partners should demonstrate how private-sector resources – financial or technical know-how – 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.  
• Fair and equitable partnerships must be established among consortia members.    
• Although there are specific eligibility criteria for the lead organizations in consortia, there are no specific geographic criteria for consortia members in any of the grant types. 

19. What criteria will you look for in a lead organization? 

• ability to manage a large-scale grant from a financial and operational point of view   
• presence in the field 
• thematic experience in the subject of the proposed project  
• ability to coordinate multiple partners and members of a consortia  
• ability to participate in knowledge exchange with the other KIX-funded projects   
• be an independent, legally incorporated entity capable of contracting in its own right and name. 

20. What documentation would need to be provided by the lead organization for IDRC to verify its legal status? 

A copy of (or internet link to) the legal documentation will be required to confirm the lead organization's creation and independent legal status. The documentation provided to IDRC should clearly indicate the name of the institution. Documentation that is in a language other than English, French or Spanish requires a certified translation that also needs to be submitted.   

Legal documentation varies depending on the location and type of organization. By way of illustration, this legal documentation may include:   

• letters of patent   
• articles of incorporation   
• articles of association  
• certificates of incorporation    
• certificates of registration    
• récépissés issued by government authorities for private-sector/non-governmental organizations.  

21. Does the “lead” organization assume all financial responsibilities? May other consortia members assist in the financial, administrative and logistical management? 

The lead organization is responsible for ensuring that there is one grant agreement with one main recipient who is responsible for all aspects of the grant. The lead recipient may enter into sub-grant arrangements with partners who can then be responsible for portions of the work (reporting back to the lead), but ultimately the lead organization is responsible for reporting on all financial and technical matters related to the work. Only in exceptional circumstances, and at its sole discretion, IDRC may be willing to provide a direct sub-grant to a consortium member. 

22. May consortia have additional partners? 

Yes, consortia may name additional partners involved in the project. It may be necessary to include additional partners, such as teachers’ associations, a relevant NGO or people with specific research expertise. 

Each project should consider stakeholders relevant to the project’s objectives, including stakeholders relevant to knowledge-mobilization strategies, and how to best engage them. 

23. May consortia include national governments? 

No. The majority of GPE funding goes directly to governments to implement their education sector plans. KIX is an additional mechanism in support of education sectors that targets different actors. 

Applicants are encouraged, however, to involve national and local governments as strategic partners in their projects. Scaling in education systems will most likely need connections with governments.  

24. Do consortia need to include Canadian organizations? 

No. 

25. Can KIX help match applicants to form a consortium? 

No. It is the responsibility of the applicant to find partners and form a consortium. 

26. Should partners be in the same geographical region? 

Not necessarily. Consortium partners do not need to be in the same geographical region.

27. May an organization that has previously or is currently receiving funding for initiatives from IDRC, the Global Partnership for Education or the Knowledge and Innovation Exchange be allowed to apply to this call? 

Yes.

28. May an organization with a pending registration in an eligible country apply to a call? 

No. Organizations must already be registered or incorporated.

29. May for-profit organizations apply for KIX grants?    

Yes.   

• However, for-profit organizations that provide core education services (e.g., private schools) are not eligible for KIX funding. KIX will remain consistent with GPE’s private sector engagement strategy.    
• Concept notes that include private-sector actors should demonstrate how private-sector resources (for example, financial or technical know-how) will contribute to the project.    
• All grant recipients, including for-profit organizations, must comply with IDRC’s Open Access Policy.  

30. Will you provide individualized feedback to applicants following the concept-note selection process? 

Only applicants that are shortlisted to develop full proposals will receive feedback, as outlined in the call selection process. KIX typically receives hundreds of applications to each call, and we are unfortunately unable to provide individual feedback to all applicants.

31. What is the chance my concept note will be selected? 

This depends on the number of applications received. A concept note is more likely to be funded if it aligns directly with the challenge and themes and is relevant and important to the education systems in the countries of focus. The research questions should speak to the guiding questions of the call, including the focus on research for scaling impact. A concept note should address all the evaluation criteria laid out in the call document. 

32. Can the research focus on refugee or displaced populations from GPE partner countries who are not in GPE partner countries?  

No. While education for displaced populations, including refugees, is a focus in this call, the research needs to be conducted and be for use in GPE partner countries.   

33. Does KIX work with only a specified age range?   

No. KIX focuses on ‘basic education’, meaning pre-primary to secondary education, plus teacher training. We do not specify age ranges for pre-primary to secondary education, noting that in contexts of emergencies, fragility and conflict, there may be quite a few so-called “over-age” learners.  

34. Would you consider multi-country grants for two countries, not three, if there is a strong justification?    

No. Multi-country grants target impact in three or more countries with direct relevance to specific priorities in those countries.   

35. Are all countries listed in Annex B (GPE partner countries) eligible as countries of focus for this call, or only the ones marked as Conflict-Affected by the World Bank or other such lists? 

The call is open for work in GPE partner countries listed in Annex B affected by contexts of emergencies, fragility, conflict and violence. They may or may not be mentioned on such lists.