A curated listing of global health funding opportunities.
About
At the General Assembly, hosted by WHO in Geneva 3 to 4 December, the Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness (GloPID-R) coalition of research funders launched a new funding mechanism, "Global Research Improving Pandemic Preparedness (GRIPP)". This initiative aims to improve collaboration between international research funders around the world, improving our research responses to future outbreaks, epidemics and wider health emergencies.
The first GRIPP call, focused on strengthening the clinical research ecosystem in LMICs to improve clinical trial good practices aligned with WHO guidance and GloPID-R Roadmap for Clinical Trial Coordination, will be launched in early 2025.
About
This call supports implementation research addressing strategies for strengthening of health systems to improve equity in high quality care and health outcomes and reduce the prevalence and impact of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in low- and middle-income countries and/or in underserved populations experiencing health disparities such as Indigenous populations, in high-income countries.
Applicants to the 2025 funding call are invited to propose appropriately designed and targeted implementation research to support health system transformation and/or strengthening using evidence-based interventions that can be adapted to, and implemented in, LMICs and populations experiencing health disparities to encourage equitable health outcomes and decrease the burden of NCDs.
Process
GACD uses a a two-step application process. Applicants will need to submit a brief first stage proposal, which will be peer reviewed. All applicants will be provided with feedback from the first stage review process and successful applicants will be invited to submit a second stage proposal.
Webinar for prospective applicants: GACD will hold a webinar for prospective applicants in April 2025.
Key dates
Application Portal opens: April 2025
Participating funding agencies confirmed: 28 March 2025
First stage proposal deadline: 16 June 2025 (18:00 CET)
First Stage proposal outcomes: 10 September 2025
Second stage proposal deadline: 22 October 2025 (18:00 CET)
Awards: January-April 2026
More info on the GACD Strengthening Health Systems opportunity
ABOUT
The NIHR Global Health Research (GHR) Health Policy and Systems (HPS) programmes will be looking for applications to this annual funding opportunity. GHR-HPS funds research to improve the understanding and effectiveness of health systems and health policy in low and middle income countries (LMICs) on the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) list. Research must address evidence needs relating to health systems that are locally identified and prioritised, and must promote health equity, aligning with the aims of Sustainable Development Goal 3. Applications can span from broad, ambitious programmes of research to projects with a narrower scope.
All applications must make clear:
- what will change as a result of the research, and how the change will be enacted
- what health service, system or policy area will be influenced and how it will be done
The GHR-HPS programmes replace the previously run Global Health Policy and Systems Research (HPSR) Programme and now commissions research through 3 programme bands.
This is a 2 stage (outline application then full application) researcher-led opportunity.
Webinar
In anticipation of this new HPS funding opportunity, a series of webinars to build capacity in the field of HPSR will be delivered by the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research at WHO, in partnership with NIHR. These will cover key HPSR theories, frameworks and research designs and the broader systems perspectives to consider when undertaking HPSR, as well as innovative methodological approaches and frontier topics. The first webinar will be held via Zoom at 11am (UK time) on 20 January 2025 – register to attend the Building capacity in HPSR webinar – Alliance for HPSR at WHO, in partnership with NIHR.
NIHR will then be running a dedicated webinar to support you with your application to GHR-HPS bands 1 to 3 in March 2025 – date to be confirmed. Further details and sign up information will be added to the funders webpage.
Eligibility
There are 3 bands of funding based on the scale and ambition of the proposed research, the maturity of partnerships, teams’ experience and expected capacity strengthening plans. Researchers from high income countries are not eligible to apply as Sole Lead. See Leadership model on funders webpage for more details.
NIHR will consider applications in any field of applied global health policy and systems research. This includes applications from experienced health systems and health policy researchers, or those who are new to research. All applications must benefit people living in one or more Official Development Assistance (ODA)-eligible country.
Amount
Through this opportunity, funding ranges from £0.25 to £4 million, over a period up to 5 years, depending on the band applied for.
About
UKRI is offering funding for transdisciplinary research to better prepare for the silent pandemic of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This phase-two investment, part of the UKRI Tackling Infections strategic theme, supports ‘transdisciplinary’ and integrative AMR projects, which bring new perspectives to better understand, detect, and disrupt the emergence of AMR in animals, humans, and plants. Resistance by all microbes is within the scope of this funding opportunity.
Elegibility
Employment by a research organisation eligible to apply for UKRI funding.
Duration: Up to five years.
Funding availability: Maximum award: £3,000,000 (UKRI will fund at 80% of the FEC)
Criteria: You must provide a notification of intent (NoI) at the pre-application stage to be eligible to make a full application.
Apply to the UKRI: Transdisciplinary research to combat antimicrobial resistance
About
UKRI is offering funding for interdisciplinary research to improve epidemic preparedness. This phase-two investment, part of the Tackling Infections strategic theme, supports projects that improve understanding of infectious disease risks and severity of infectious disease threats, and inform new ways to manage and respond to infections disease threats.
Criteria
Eligibility: Open to new and established research groups, proposals must span at least three research councils.
Duration: Up to five years. Projects should begin within six months of award notification.
Funding availability: Maximum award £3.75 million (UKRI will fund 80% of the FEC and 100% of permitted exceptions)
Learn more at a webinar on 24 April: here. More information: here
Apply to the UKRI: Interdisciplinary research to tackle epidemic threats
About
The Michelson Medical Research Foundation is looking for research proposals on human immunology and vaccine research. The committee is seeking research that aims to tackle the current roadblocks to human vaccine development and expand our limited understanding of key immune processes that are fundamental to successful vaccine and immunotherapy development.
Applicants from related disciplines, including clinical research, biochemistry, molecular biology, protein engineering, computer science, artificial intelligence/machine learning, biophysics, nanotechnology, etc., are encouraged to apply.
criteria
- Maximum award: US $150,000
- Duration: 1 year
- Deadline: 22 June 2025
- Eligibility: Open to researchers 35 years old and younger who are working on human immunology and vaccine development
More information: here
Apply to Michelson Prizes: 2026 Next Generation Grants
About
Apply for funding to generate critical data that builds confidence in developing a new or repurposed medicine, medical device, diagnostic test, or other medical intervention.
The concept for the product should be backed by prior funding. Projects should focus on one high-risk step, not multiple, to ensure efficient management. This step must address the crucial missing evidence needed to rapidly de-risk onward development or determine failure. All human diseases and medical interventions are eligible for support, including in addressing global health issues.
criteria
- Award range: £50,000 - £300,000
- Deadline: 22 June 2025
- Duration: Between six and 18 months
- Publication date: 22 April 2025
- Eligibility: you must be based at a research organisation eligible for Medical Research Council (MRC) funding
Apply for the MRC Gap fund for early-stage development of new healthcare interventions
ABOUT
The Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) Australia, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Australia and National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) UK are inviting applications for ambitious platform studies in areas of unmet medical need. The platform must be internationally collaborative, with joint leads based in Australia and the United Kingdom.
Applications to this funding opportunity must describe a platform trial seeking to evaluate a number of specified technologies. Each technology must have sufficient clinical, human proof of concept to justify a definitive efficacy study. This call is for either Phase 2 or Phase 3 focused platforms, where there is a pipeline of technologies which justifies a platform approach. This call will not support funding for studies aiming to run platforms seamlessly from phase 2 into phase 3. See call specifications for more details.
The funder is holding a webinar (1.5hrs) to support applicants to this funding opportunity on 19 November 2024, 08:00 UK (UTC+0)/19:00 AEDT (UTC+11). To register for the webinar, please sign up via their online form.
Amount: Aiming to fund 1 to 3 platforms for up to 7 Years. NHMRC and MRFF will fund the Australian research component and the NIHR will fund the UK research component of successful applications.
Learn more about the NIHR: Australia-UK platform studies in areas of unmet clinical need