Supporting STISA 2034: SGCI Multilateral Research Call advancing Africa’s Science, Technology and Innovation priorities

Summary

Launch date: July 3rd 2026, at 09:00 EDT

The Science Granting Councils Initiative in sub-Saharan Africa (SGCI) is pleased to announce a call for expressions of interest on collaborative research to support key pillars underpinning the Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa 2034 (STISA-2034).

Expressions of interest must be received no later than September 25, 2026 at 23:59 EDT.

Overview of the call

Background and rationale

The Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA-2034) is the African Union’s continental framework for driving socio-economic transformation through science, technology and innovation (STI). STISA-2034 places STI as central to Africa’s renewal in the face of global challenges such as climate change, pandemics, and economic shocks. Its mission is to harness STI to accelerate Africa’s transition into a knowledge-based, innovation-driven continent.

The strategy identifies five priority sectors:

• Agriculture – addressing food and nutritional security 
• Health – ensuring emergency preparedness for healthy lives and promoting nutrition 
• Artificial intelligence and Digital Technologies – towards an integrated and more connected Africa 
• Energy – access to affordable and reliable energy
• Environment – addressing biodiversity loss & water scarcity and building the climate resilience of economies & communities 

The Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) is a key mechanism supporting the implementation of this agenda. SGCI is a continental platform of 19 national Science Granting Councils (SGCs) across Africa, which fund, manage and use research and innovation in support of national and regional development priorities (see participating countries in the box below). Launched in 2015, SGCI has evolved through multiple phases (SGCI-1, SGCI-2, and now SGCI-3). Across these phases, it has become a central mechanism for enhancing science, technology and innovation (STI) systems in sub-Saharan Africa. 

This call is funded by the participating African science granting councils (SGCs) , the Government of Norway, the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Wellcome Trust and Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) . IDRC manages the call on behalf of the funders and councils, and it is expected that grants will be issued by the respective national science granting councils.

This call operationalizes SGCI’s contribution to STISA‑2034 by supporting multi-country research aligned with its priority sectors. It focuses on generating high-quality research, strengthening cross-border partnerships, and ensuring that evidence is translated into policy and practice.

By linking research investments to continental priorities and promoting collaboration across countries and sectors, SGCI seeks to accelerate the implementation of STISA‑2034 and strengthen Africa’s STI ecosystem in support of inclusive and sustainable development.

Objectives

A call with five different streams will support a cohort of multi-country flagship projects to: 

• Produce new knowledge and innovations that address Africa’s challenges based on AU’s STISA-2034 and national research priorities. 
• Support research and innovation that include well defined pathways to policy uptake and application. 
• Support a more integrated African STI ecosystem, linked to policy and with lasting partnerships.

This approach builds on SGCI-2’s successes and reinforces Africa-led STI agendas. By fostering inter-African collaboration, specialization and shared learning, this call will generate high-quality research, strengthen institutional networks, and amplify the development impact of SGCI-3 investments across the continent. 

A regional and thematic focus that is fit for purpose

This call is an opportunity for researchers to align their focus with established regional STI and policy frameworks and initiatives. While the natural focus is on STISA-2034, proposals should, where relevant, align with other elements of Agenda 2063, as well as the Africa Health Strategy, the Health Research and Innovation Strategy for Africa , the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Progamme, the Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa,  the Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy, the Africa Continental Free Trade Area, , and the African Energy Transition Strategy and Action Plan. Where appropriate, proposals may also link to key organizations or networks that have a clear continental remit related to one or more thematic focus areas. This includes, inter alia, leading development organizations such as AUDA-NEPAD, technical offices or agencies under the African Union (e.g. the African Energy Commission), and continental public health agencies such as the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

While it is recognized that a proposal may be cross-cutting and touch on more than one stream, a primary focus should be clearly articulated during the application. In all cases, proposals should consider existing data and infrastructure and leverage, rather than duplicate, said resources and structures to maximize impact, ensure value for money, and enhance alignment with key policy stakeholders and research organizations.

All funded projects should ensure that vulnerable populations benefit directly from call outcomes and are engaged iteratively and meaningfully in the project cycle. Refer to Annex 3 for more guidance on gender, equity and inclusion.

Stream 1 – Health

Health research strengthens primary health care, health system resilience, biomedical innovation, and One Health preparedness, while advancing data-driven approaches, genomics and precision health, local manufacturing, and cross‑disciplinary innovation. Emphasis on this stream is placed on integrating biomedical engineering, artificial intelligence (AI) enabled health solutions, sustainable financing models, and equitable access to medicines, supported by strong governance and interdisciplinary collaboration, alongside the enhancement or leveraging of robust health data systems. Furthermore, the research undertaken can develop and strengthen new or existing pathways for the uptake or scale-up of data and technologies that can support one or more of the three research avenues listed below. Proposals should carefully consider what type of work (data gathering, meta-analysis, case studies) is most needed to support the work of key national, regional or sub-regional health organizations, as well as adherence to continental and international standards or requirements in the health field.

Research Avenue A: Developing and testing new models for resilient health systems, particularly related to primary care

• Supporting cost‑effective, accessible health systems, including policy frameworks, infrastructure, information technology and workforce capacity, particularly in fragile or crisis‑affected contexts.
• Strengthening of primary care, trauma and emergency medical services that improves equity and access to treatment for vulnerable and underserved populations, particularly mothers, children, and adolescents.
• Innovation in health financing and public health insurance models, including public–private partnerships, that promotes sustainable and equitable health system funding and patient access.
• Integrating insights from health‑determining sectors and the social determinants of health to address mental health, malnutrition, or other non-‑communicable diseases that place strain on health systems.

Research Avenue B: One Health preparedness and infectious disease surveillance

• Strengthening integrated One Health surveillance and diagnostic systems through coordinated use of human, animal, or environmental data to improve early warning, detection, and response to emerging diseases.
• Application of AI‑driven surveillance and predictive modelling technologies that improves preparedness for zoonotic and/or climate‑linked health threats.
• Supporting prediction of emerging and re‑emerging diseases and strengthens pandemic preparedness at transboundary or regional levels, taking explicitly into account the context of climate change impacts.
• Integrating interdisciplinary insights related to agriculture, food security and the environment, and/or elements of traditional knowledge to support a holistic approach to One Health.

Research Avenue C: Exploring the use of traditional knowledge to combat communicable and noncommunicable diseases

• Improving, harmonizing, and strengthening pharmacopoeia systems, focusing on the quality, safety, and efficacy of traditional medicines through meta-analyses and new guidance.
• Development, promotion, and scaling of traditional therapeutic products and approaches at multi‑country or regional levels to address communicable diseases, non‑communicable diseases, and trauma or injuries, as well as mental health.
• Biodiversity‑based research, including bioprospecting and genomics, that contributes to health objectives through the development of new compounds.

Stream 2 – Agriculture

This stream centers on agricultural research that leverages STI to transform agrifood systems for food and nutritional security, climate resilience, and value addition. Priority areas include climate smart production systems, precision agriculture, and agro-industrial innovations. Efforts should emphasize inclusivity (ensuring smallholders, women, and youth are central beneficiaries), scalability (developing innovations that can be replicated across diverse African contexts), and public goods (producing knowledge, tools, and technologies that are openly shared to strengthen regional food systems). 

Research Avenue A: Climate resilient and agroecological production systems

• Advancing integrated climate‑smart and agroecological practices that enhance productivity, resilience, and sustainability across diverse African agro‑ecologies.
• Innovation in soil, livestock, and water management that reduces climate vulnerability while increasing yields in rain fed and irrigated systems.

 Research Avenue B: Inclusive precision agriculture, post‑harvest systems, and value addition supporting small-scale farmholders

• Use of digital and precision agriculture tools, including AI, Genetic editing, earth observation, drones, and sensors, that improves farm-level decision-making and resource efficiency.
• Innovations in post-harvest handling, processing, and traceability technologies that reduces losses, enhances food safety, and strengthens agro-industrial value chains.

Stream 3 – Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technologies

Artificial intelligence (AI), alongside broader Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), is central to a development-oriented digital transformation agenda. It can enhance productivity in other priority sectors, such as agriculture and environment, and expand Africa’s participation in global scientific output. This research stream focuses on supporting digital applications to respond to local development priorities; enhancing the use of AI in scientific research, and furthering skills development and entrepreneurship. As appropriate, supported research through this stream, alongside its synthesis and knowledge uptake efforts, should seek to build on existing initiatives and policy efforts including those by AUDA-NEPAD, ECOWAS, and other relevant agencies and organizations to integrate AI into national STI and development strategies, inform guidelines on AI governance and responsible research and support harmonization efforts nationally and regionally. 

Research Avenue A: Applications

• AI applications addressing community challenges in national priority sectors (i.e. agriculture, health, environment, education)
• Support scaling of proven AI-enabled innovations (I.e. computing, support commercialization pathway) 
• Enhance use of AI in scientific research 

Research Avenue B: Learning and entrepreneurship

• Skills development models for African youth and women, researchers, and STI institutions in STEM and AI. (i.e. training programs, fellowships).
• Stimulate digital and AI-enabled entrepreneurship

Stream 4 – Energy

This stream focuses on research on energy diversification, innovation, efficiency, security and autonomy of energy systems as drivers of economic transformation, climate action, and universal energy access. Further, it focuses on productive uses of energy and their linkages to economic sectors (such as transport, industry and agriculture) and how demand from these growth driving sectors shapes energy demand.  Emphasis will be on off grid solutions, energy storage technologies, local manufacturing, sustainable value chains and science, technology and innovation (STI) pathways that support energy access and enterprise development, especially for women and the youth, contributing to a just and inclusive energy transition.

Research Avenue A: Diversified, renewable, and optimized energy sources and systems   

• Energy diversification strategies that reduce dependence on fossil fuels and climate‑vulnerable energy sources, ensuring accessibility for marginalized populations. 
• Leveraging traditional ecological knowledge and biodiversity to support clean energy production.
• Optimization of renewable energy systems, including solar, wind, biomass, biogas, green hydrogen, and hydropower technologies, for affordability and scalability across diverse African contexts.

Research Avenue B: Innovation for energy storage, efficiency, and smart systems

• Innovation in battery technologies, energy storage systems, and smart grids that increases energy reliability and efficiency.
• Supporting clean cooking and demand‑side energy efficiency.

Research Avenue C: Local and regional commercialization, manufacturing, and partnerships

• Strengthening of local and regional manufacturing and commercialization of energy technologies to enhance energy access and security- especially for vulnerable and marginalized groups such as women, youth and the disabled - while promoting inclusive industrial development.
• Development of resilient and sustainable practices across energy value chains to support strategic autonomy and reduce maintenance and lifecycle.

Stream 5 – Environment

This stream focuses on water security, biodiversity conservation, and climate change adaptation and mitigation.  When appropriate, Indigenous and local knowledge systems can be considered as a crosscutting priority. 

Research Avenue A: Water security, biodiversity and natural resource governance

• Improving access to safe water and sanitation under increasing climate stress. 
• Application of digital and geospatial technologies and/or innovative governance models and protocols that support biodiversity conservation and enable sustainable management of land, water, and natural resources. 
• Circular economy and waste‑to‑resource solutions that reduce pollution and environmental degradation, from sectors such as mining and other extractive industries.

Research Avenue B: Water security, climate resilience and adaptation

• Improving access to safe water and sanitation under increasing climate stress. 
• Disaster risk reduction and emergency preparedness through improved climate modelling, forecasting, and early warning systems.
• Adaptation and scale-up of strategies and community participation frameworks that support climate resilient livelihoods and ecosystems 

Project scope and funding guidelines

Where possible, grants will be issued to the recipient institutions in each country by their respective SGCs. If this is not possible, grants may also be made directly by IDRC or another council. IDRC and the participating SGCs reserve the right to fund additional proposals from this call should more funding become available. Similarly, IDRC reserves the right to cancel this call at any time without prior notice and/or to not issue any grants under this process.

Each consortium must involve at least three different participating institutions from three different SGCI countries. The project duration cannot exceed 36 months, including all research activities and final reporting. Only one institution per country may be a co-applicant. In the case of five participating institutions, for instance, these should be from five different countries. If justified, it is possible for more institutions from a given country to participate in the consortium, under the auspices of the chosen co-applicant institution (as subgrantees). 

All institutions (co-applicant and lead applicant) must be able to administer a significant amount of funds, ranging from CA$50K to CA$300k per consortium member (see Annex 1 for details) and jointly apply for funding. The lead applicant institution must be the one who submits the proposal. 

The funding guidelines will be set by individual participating councils at the full proposal stage. In addition to budget requirements for individual councils (Annex 2), applicants must include and demarcate the following within their budget:

• Costs for field work, laboratory work and other research expenses: Eligible travel costs are limited to economy class (or lower) travel. 
• Personnel costs may include salaries and benefits for researchers, technicians, research assistants, and project advisors, as well as replacement salaries or salary research allowances to support researchers' participation in project activities. 
• Stipends, scholarships and fellowships to support the active participation and training of students and postdoctoral fellows.
• Infrastructure and equipment: Given the duration and scale of the projects, the use of significant funds for large pieces of equipment is discouraged. 
• Costs related to dissemination and knowledge sharing, including the production of policy briefs, publication of articles, etc.
• Consultancies and sub-grants, which may be designed for technical expertise, for monitoring, evaluation or learning, or for other reasons.
• Indirect costs, at a rate of no more than 13% of the total budget, or the rate indicated in Annex 1 for a given country, whichever is lower.

Eligibility criteria for Expressions of Interest

Only expressions of interest that meet the following eligibility criteria will be considered.

• The consortium must be composed of one lead applicant institution and 2 to 4 co-applicant institutions (5 institutions maximum), each from a different participating SGCI country  (see Annex 1).
• Each institution must nominate a principal investigator. The principal investigator must have a full-time employment status within the applicant institution.
•  All institutions must be able to administer a significant amount of funds and jointly apply for funding. The lead applicant institution must be the one who submits the proposal. 
• A principal investigator can only submit one proposal as lead but is allowed to be a co-applicant in more than one proposal.
• Unless otherwise stated in the country annexes (See Annex 1), eligible lead applicant or co-applicant institutions include public research organizations (PROs), public and private universities, as well as governmental research organizations.
• Additional institutions may be involved as part of the consortium under the auspices of the lead applicant or any co-applicant institution (i.e., as participants or consultants). These can include universities, PROs, governmental organizations (e.g., Ministries), private sector organizations, civil society organizations and non-governmental organizations from the applicant countries, from other countries in Africa, and from countries outside Africa. Participation of other organizations, including the private sector, is highly encouraged, particularly if they are end users or key stakeholders that can help inform and orient the research. However, note that organizations outside of Africa cannot directly or indirectly receive research funds from this call.
• Applicants must have independent legal status (or “legal personality”) and be capable of contracting in their own right and name, receiving and administering funds from their respective national science granting council, and have authority to direct proposed project activities. 
• Applications must directly speak to at least one of the priority themes and research avenues of the call. 

Requirements for applications and assessment processes

Stage 1 – Expressions of interest (EOIs)

IDRC invites eligible applicants to submit expressions of interest through IDRC’s grant application submission system for this call before the deadline. 

• Applications must be received by no later than September 25, 2026 at 23:59 EDT.  Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.
• Applications can be submitted in either English, French or Portuguese. 
• All applicants must complete the online application form for expressions of interest. Main fields included in the application are listed below:
• Project title
• Selected thematic area and research avenue
• Estimated project duration, up to a maximum of 36 months.
• Estimated budget sought by the lead and each co-applicant organization. Totals cannot exceed the guidance provided in this call and the amounts per country cannot exceed the guidance in Annex 1. The overall consortium budget total should be presented in Canadian dollars (CAD), while each individual institution's specific budget should be entered in that institution's own local currency. A more detailed budget will be requested at the full proposal stage. 
• Background description of the development challenge being addressed, with explicit references to regional development outcomes as well as key national, global, sub-regional, and especially regional, frameworks and policies.  The description must detail the research’s desired end users. (500 words)
• Key research question(s) being addressed, a brief justification of their alignment with a thematic priority and research avenue, and a statement regarding their relevance and novelty against the current state of knowledge in the field and national/regional STI priorities. (500 words)
• Description of applicant institutions highlighting their specific role(s) in the proposed project, their ability to collaborate (including any past examples of collaboration, when existing), and their technical and administrative capacity to support large-scale research (500 words)
• A brief description of the proposed methodology, project timeline, main activities and expected outputs. This should include both research and capacity building activities.  (500 words).
• Applicants will also be required to upload the following documents:
  • Two-page CVs of each of the principal investigators from each country. 
  • One-page CVs of up to three additional key team members across the consortium. Their selection is at applicants’ discretion. Note that all CVs must be uploaded as a single file. 
  • Signed letters of commitment: one from each lead applicant or co-applicant organization

As of IDRC’s commitment to transparency and fairness in the evaluation process, we ask all applicants to disclose whether any form of generative AI — including tools for writing, coding, design or data analysis — was used in the preparation of their application materials. This information will help us better understand current practices and ensure responsible use of emerging technologies.  Applicants should note that they are ultimately responsible for all the content of their expressions of interest. 

Assessment criteria and selection process

• Each EOI will undergo an administrative review for completeness. This will be followed by a review of the eligibility criteria, in accordance with the administrative requirements of the relevant SGCI countries. If an EOI does not clearly demonstrate alignment with a thematic priority, it will be immediately eliminated. 
• To ensure equity across participating countries, no more than 40 full proposals per thematic area, and no more than 40 full proposals that include a given country may be accepted following the EOI stage. If there are more eligible EOIs than the set limit, eliminations will be made by consensus based on the two following criteria: 
  • The alignment of the institutional and individual profiles of the lead and co-applicants to the selected research topic and approach.
  • The alignment of the selected research topic with national and regional development priorities and key end users.

Stage 2 – Full proposal

Teams selected to develop a full proposal will be required to submit the following information:

• A description of the development context and challenge to address, with explicit references to regional development outcomes as well as key national, global, sub-regional, and especially regional, frameworks or policies. (600 words)
• Elaborate on the research question(s) being addressed, a justification for how the question(s) fit under the selected thematic priority and research avenue, and a statement regarding the novelty of the proposed research question(s) based on the current state of research in the field. (500 words)
• A description of the main research institutions involved, highlighting their specific and distinct contributions in the proposed project, eligibility based on the call and specific country requirements, their ability to collaborate (including any past examples of collaboration) and their technical and administrative capacity to support large-scale research. (500 words maximum).
• A completed budget template with a clear description of each proposed expenditure. 
• A description of the methodology proposed to successfully carry out the project, a project timeline indicating key project activities and outputs per month, and a theory of change or outcome pathway. This should include a description of institutional and individual capacity-building activities planned under the project, highlighting main specific benefits for students and early-career researchers as well as the institutions themselves, through peer-learning, mentoring, fellowships and scholarships, etc. Special consideration should be given to gender, inclusivity and equity considerations. (1250 words maximum)
• Description of potential risks, including research ethics and safeguarding issues and proposed mitigation strategies, including project monitoring plans and key indicators. (500 words maximum)
• Description of knowledge sharing plans and intended policy audiences. This should include key outputs and activities aimed at strategically positioning findings to improve policies and practices at the national or regional levels. (500 words)
• CVs of up to 4 pages each for principal investigators and up to one additional investigator for each of the lead applicant and co-applicant institutions, highlighting accomplishments that go beyond project outputs (e.g., papers). These should be uploaded as a single file. 
• Up to 3 letters of support from collaborating institutions, key stakeholders and/or users. This serves to demonstrate research legitimacy and importance, in terms of the engagement of users or other key stakeholders that help position the work being proposed.

Assessment criteria and selection process

Full proposals will be assessed by an independent peer-review committee, using the following criteria.

A) High quality research for impact 

Assessed against the following four quality dimensions (refer to IDRC’s Research Quality Plus (RQ+) framework for more details):

1. Scientific rigour: extent to which the research design demonstrates accepted standards of technical merit for its domain and discipline. This involves an assessment of the structural quality of the research protocol, including the following: the study is framed by examination of current knowledge on the issue, clear presentation of research questions and data collection strategies (that would enable reproduction), adherence to methodological standards for the type of research, identification of relevant analytical frameworks, and well-considered reporting and sharing.
2. Research legitimacy: extent to which the research proposal accounts for the concerns and insights of relevant stakeholders and addresses potential environmental consequences. IDRC has defined three sub-dimensions for assessing the legitimacy of the proposed research:
   • Addressing potentially negative consequences – appropriateness of proposed strategies to address the risk of negative consequences of the research process or expected outcomes. 
   • Equality, diversity and inclusion (see Annex 3)
   • Engagement with local context – extent to which the research proposal is contextually grounded, relative to the appropriate scale (community-level, national, regional, or global) at which the research is designed. 
3. Research importance is the value of the research questions for intended users and uses. IDRC has defined two sub-dimensions for assessing research importance:
   • Originality – potential to contribute to theory and/or practice in terms of innovation in generating new knowledge relative to current state of the research field or context. Both a gap in the existing state of knowledge, as well as a clear demonstration of novelty in at least one regard (conceptual, methodological, empirical, etc.) must be clear in the research proposal
   • Relevance – extent to which the proposed research design and expected outputs and outcomes address existing social and/or environmental problems. 
4. Positioning for use: extent to which the research design has a knowledge sharing plan that will enhance the probability of use and impact. IDRC has defined two sub-dimensions for assessing positioning for use:
   • User engagement – degree to which the research proposal has incorporated plans to build meaningful, two-way connections with intended knowledge users at appropriate stages of the research process. 
   • Openness and actionability – appropriateness and feasibility of the plans in the proposal for sharing research data and results. This includes the extent to which the knowledge sharing plan has considered tailoring products to be timely, useful, comprehensible, and attractive to knowledge users, as well as following guidance on whether a data management plan is required. 
5. Research novelty must be apparent in the proposal. This concept refers to the originality, or newness of a study, representing a distinct contribution to existing knowledge rather than replications of previous studies (although meta-analyses are permitted, the approach and object of the meta-analysis can itself be novel). —such as a new methodology, theory, dataset, or application—thereby advancing the field.
   • A research gap to be filled must be apparent in the proposal 
   • The proposal must indicate a degree of novelty in at least one aspect, such as concepts, methodologies, objects of study, etc.

B) Team composition and strength

The proposal should demonstrate the ability of the host institutions to collaborate with one another and provide complementary expertise, aligned with the conceptual frameworks, methodologies, and intended outputs of the proposed project. The qualifications of the research groups, institutions and individuals involved should be based on a strong track record of collaborative research and relatively large-scale research in this area, with demonstrated results (not just outputs such as papers, but also outcomes). Evidence for previous collaborations between team members will be considered an asset.

The team must also be supported by institutional research environments that enable high-quality research to be conducted through access to appropriate resources, including infrastructure, as research support services. The support provided may also include cash or in-kind support, as well as facilitating the recruitment of students, research assistants, technicians, etc.

C) Capacity strengthening

It is expected that projects will contribute significantly to capacity development of research institutions as well as researchers, particularly graduate students, and early-career researchers (including post-doctoral fellows). Projects that combine research with capacity strengthening of researchers, civil society organizations, research users, and community members are strongly encouraged. Where relevant to the project, additional capacity-building may support to a lesser degree civil society organizations, research users and community members. 

D) Other considerations 

Applicants funded through this program will be expected to comply with IDRC’s Open Access Policy and IDRC Open Data Statement of Principles, as well as any additional requirements for open access and open data required by participating councils. 

The use of Data Management Plans (DMPs) is encouraged. At the stage of full proposal, applicants will be required to submit a Stage 1 DMP. The DMP templates can be found here.

Research work must be carried out in accordance with high ethical standards, in keeping with IDRC’s Corporate Principles on Research Ethics as well as any country-level guidance on research ethics. 

Prior to commencing research, applicants may need to obtain approval from an official institutional or national research ethics body. In contexts where there is no official institutional or national research ethics body, the applications will need to propose how they plan on setting up an ethics committee for the project.

Scoring of full proposals

Projects receiving a total score of at least 75% will form the set of fundable projects.  While endeavouring to fund the highest ranked consortia, final selections will be informed by the available funding of any given country. Similarly, consideration may be given to ensuring a thematic and geographic balance across the selected cohort. 

Proposed Timeline and communication of results

• Launch of call for expressions of interest: [July 3, 2026]
• Proposed dates for Information session/webinars (dates can be adjusted): [July 23 and August 13  2026]
• Deadline for submitting proposals; receipt of proposals acknowledged: [September 25, 2026]
• Eligibility screening and country review [October 9, 2026]
• Shortlisted successful expressions of interest informed they have been selected to submit a full proposal by [October 19, 2026]
• Unsuccessful applicants notified by [November 2, 2026]
• Information session / webinar for full proposal applicants:­ [November 5, 2026]
• Applicants submit full proposals: [December 4, 2026]
• Successful applicants informed and provided detailed feedback [February 15, 2027]
• Unsuccessful applicants notified and provided summary of feedback by [March 15, 2027]
• Award/Approval of proposals: [May 3, 2027]

Information session, inquiries, and FAQs

Following the launch of the call for expressions of interest, IDRC will organize information sessions to address any queries from potential applicants. The schedule above provides the dates. These sessions will also be an opportunity for prospective applicants to connect with each other and potentially build a consortium. 

Information Session 1
Date: Thursday, July 23, 2026
Time: 8:00–10:00 a.m. EDT (UTC-4)

Information Session 2

• Date: Thursday, August 13, 2026
• Time: 8:00-10:00 a.m. EDT (UTC-4)

This session has concluded. The recording is available in English, French, and Portuguese.

Questions raised during the webinars, as well as other inquiries that affect all applicants, will be added to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document with detailed responses.

Any additional inquiries related to the call and application process should be sent by e-mail to SGCSSA@idrc.ca. All inquiries should be received at least 36 hours before the submission deadline to receive a response. 

An acknowledgement of submission will be sent by email to all applicants whose application was received before the deadline. This applies both to the EOI and full call for proposals. IDRC will notify non-selected applicants via email. Individual inquiries about the selection process will not be responded to.

How to apply

To submit an Expression of Interest, applicants must complete and submit their application through the SurveyMonkey Apply (SMA) portal. 

Permission for use and disclosure of information

As a Canadian Crown corporation, IDRC is subject to Canada’s Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. Consequently, any submissions in response to this call for expressions of interests will be managed by IDRC in a manner consistent with applicable legislation and IDRC’s Privacy Policy, including IDRC's obligations to disclose documents requested by members of the public or requests for personal information. For more information on how IDRC manages information in accordance with this legislation can be accessed here.

Expressions of Interest, proposals and any supporting documents submitted through this process will also be disclosed outside of IDRC to participating SGCs and managed pursuant to their information and retention policies. IDRC is not responsible for information protection once disclosed outside of IDRC systems. To understand how respective SGCs protect and manage information please visit their respective websites. 

Annex 1. Country Eligibility Requirements and Funding Ceilings

Visit the SGCI STISA Matchmaking platform at  http://call.sgci.africa for tools that will help you build your research consortium.

Visit the SGCI STISA Matchmaking platform at  http://call.sgci.africa for tools that will help you build your research consortium.

Annex 2. Additional country requirements (to be completed at the full proposals stage)

Annex 3. Equality, diversity and inclusion

SGCI support the generation of knowledge — including by individuals from diverse genders, communities, histories, and experiences — that tackles the systems which perpetuate inequalities based on identity. Inequalities exist across multiple and intersecting categories of identity, including, but not limited to, the following: gender, sexuality, age, class, race, caste, ethnicity, citizenship status, religion, and ability. Taking an intersectional approach to equality recognizes these differences and understands diversity as central to advancing equality. 

Accordingly, proposals should demonstrate how gender equality and inclusion will be promoted and adopted using an intersectional approach, both with respect to the following: (i) team composition and organizations comprising the research team; and (ii) the design and implementation of the proposed research, including the intended beneficiaries from research outputs and outcomes. 

This call recognizes the importance of striking a balance between ambition and pragmatism. Actions to address gender and other inequalities require doing the groundwork to interrogate and surface the ultimate root causes of inequality; at the same time, changing gendered structural dynamics takes time, trust and long-term commitments to policies and practices.

The questions below are intended to guide you in reflecting how your research addresses social and gender equality and inclusion, and how you can strengthen these dimensions in your proposal. Note that not all these questions may be applicable to your specific proposal.

1. Does your proposal intend to understand and address socio-cultural and gender inequalities and their underlying causes?
2. In the context of your proposal, what are the power structures and power dynamics that exist between men and women, and other groups which underpin gender inequality? What are some possible avenues to address and change these conditions? 
3. In the context of your research problem, how is this affected by identities or experiences such as race, ethnicity, socio-economic class, income levels and where individuals live (e.g., rural, urban settings)? 
4. Is there a logical theory of change of how your research objectives will promote or lead to greater equality and/or inclusion? What impact will your research proposal have on these aspects? 
5. Do you have a stand-alone objective on addressing gender equality and inclusion? How are other objectives framed in relation to addressing gender equality and inclusion?
6. How will the proposed conceptual framework(s), research design, and related research methods address, and analyze the root causes and context-specific factors contributing to intersectional forms of inequality? Which individuals and groups should be engaged in co-creating this research design and its implementation – to what extent and how will they be engaged? 
7. Has your project identified clear outcomes and indicators with respect to equality and inclusion? Are these integrated into project measurement tools? For example, do you plan to collect and analyze sex-disaggregated data? What about gender-disaggregated data? Have you planned to undertake a pre- and post-project gender analysis?
8. Does the proposal’s knowledge translation plan integrate sex and gender considerations (including intersectionality) in how the iterative processes of engagement, analysis, synthesis, product development and knowledge facilitation are designed and operationalized? 
9. Do the members of your research team understand contextual equality and inclusion issues? Do you have the right skills and experience in your team? Which of your team members will take the lead in designing, implementing, monitoring, and assessing your project’s objectives to address gender inequality and inclusion?
10. Does your research team have a good balance between male and female scientists or scientists of other identities?

Have you clearly budgeted for equality and inclusion activities and staffing? Have you allocated sufficient time and resources to strengthen the capacity of your team, partners and other stakeholders on gender and inclusion issues?