About the opportunity
The 2026–27 Joint WHO AFRO/TDR Impact Grants support implementation research on regional health priorities in the African Region. This initiative, a collaboration between the WHO Regional Office for Africa (AFRO) and the TDR (Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases), aims to strengthen research capacity, generate actionable knowledge, and improve health systems to tackle infectious diseases of poverty, including through person-centred service delivery, health systems strengthening, and addressing environmental health and climate change.
Funding and benefits
- Grants of up to US$ 15,000 per project.
- Co-funding from domestic or other sources is encouraged.
Who can apply?
- Applicants must be from the African Region.
- The Principal Investigator (PI) and most of the research team must be based in an institution in an African Region country or territory (e.g., ministries of health, academic institutions, research institutes, and NGOs).
- Research must be conducted in the African Region.
- Applicants must demonstrate experience in operational and/or implementation research (e.g., through the TDR Implementation Research Toolkit or the MOOC on implementation research).
- Proposals must be submitted in English, French, or Portuguese.
- Applications are particularly encouraged from women, qualified applicants in the early career stage, and those from least-developed countries.
Required documents
- Duly completed and signed research proposal form.
- Curriculum vitae of the PI (maximum one page), including affiliation, address, contact details, and qualifications.
- Project costing expressed in United States dollars.
- Acknowledgement letter signed by the manager of the programme area or the person in charge of the programme related to the project.
- Authorization letter from the public health manager or director if implementation is sought in a health centre.
- Ethical approval for the proposed research.
When to apply
- Deadline for submission: 15 September 2026 (17:00 CEST).
How to apply
- Create an account on the eTDR Community Site if you have not already done so.
- Download and complete the application form in English, French, or Portuguese.
- Prepare all required documents, including the research proposal, ethical approval, budget, CV, and acknowledgement letter.
- Combine all documents into a single PDF file named as 'ApplicantName_SGS2026' (e.g., SmithJ_SGS2026).
- Submit the application online through the eTDR portal by the deadline.
Our Take on This Opportunity
This section reflects Open Opportunities’ own analysis of the opportunity from an applicant’s perspective.
You may be a strong fit if…
- Based in an institution in the African Region (e.g., NGO, academic institution, or ministry of health).
- Experienced in operational or implementation research.
- Early-career researchers or women researchers from the African Region.
What should you think carefully about?
- The grant amount is relatively small (up to $15,000), so you should consider if this is sufficient for your project's scope.
- You will need to provide ethical approval and an authorization letter from a public health manager if working in a health center.
- Relocation is not required, as the research must be conducted within the African Region.
How could this fit your current goals and plans?
This is an ideal opportunity for those looking to build their research portfolio, gain experience in operational research, and contribute to health systems strengthening in Africa. It is particularly well-suited for those who have completed the TDR Implementation Research Toolkit or MOOC.
Our take
Highly recommended for early-career researchers in the African Region who have a specific implementation research project ready to go.
Ready to apply?
Review the opportunity on the official website before applying.
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