In 2024, we will launch our ninth call for applications under the GACD banner. This call focuses on implementation research proposals, to address management of multiple long-term conditions, in the context of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Proposals should aim to improve the availability of effective, equitable, efficient, integrated, patient-centred, safe, and timely care for people living with multiple long-term conditions (including at least one non-communicable disease), in low- and middle-income countries or among disadvantaged populations in high-income countries.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to bring together teams across disciplines and sectors and must show evidence of collaboration with communities and decisionmakers, such as policymakers or health system leaders.
Please note that the information provided in the pre-announcement is not binding and that changes may occur prior to the call opening.
Call Focus
Proposals must use an implementation science approach to study interventions to address management of multiple long-term conditions, including at least one non-communicable disease. All funding agencies participating in this call have agreed a common call text, which provides details of the expectations for the proposal.
Preparing an application
In 2024, we will launch our ninth call for applications under the GACD banner. This call focuses on implementation research proposals, to address management of multiple long-term conditions, in the context of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Proposals should aim to improve the availability of effective, equitable, efficient, integrated, patient-centred, safe, and timely care for people living with multiple long-term conditions (including at least one non-communicable disease), in low- and middle-income countries or among disadvantaged populations in high-income countries.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to bring together teams across disciplines and sectors and must show evidence of collaboration with communities and decisionmakers, such as policymakers or health system leaders.
Please note that the information provided in the pre-announcement is not binding and that changes may occur prior to the call opening.
Call Focus
Proposals must use an implementation science approach to study interventions to address management of multiple long-term conditions, including at least one non-communicable disease. All funding agencies participating in this call have agreed a common call text, which provides details of the expectations for the proposal.
Preparing an application
Call Text
All funding agencies participating in this call have agreed a common call text, which provides details of the remit and expectations for the proposal. If you note a discrepancy between the call text or GACD-wide process and the information provided by the agency, you should follow the guidance described by the relevant agency.
Application procedure for the Joint Call (Not applications to NIH)
- First Stage Application submitted via the GACD Portal
- First Stage applications reviewed by an independent panel
- Applicants notified of first stage review outcomes
- Successful applicants invited to submit a second stage proposal and respond to reviewer feedback
- Second stage proposals reviewed
- Applicants notified of outcomes
Creating your first stage proposal
- Instructions on preparing your first stage proposal are available here
- A template first stage proposal form is available here.
All participating agencies except the NIH (United States) use these templates. Please read the guidance carefully, and ensure to use the proposal template when preparing your application.
Eligibility
Applicants must apply to the specific GACD funding agency/ies participating into this call. The funding agency members of the GACD do not pool their funds together. Applicants must therefore ensure that they are eligible to receive funds and that their proposed projects meet all requirements of at least one of the funders participating in this call. These details can be found in the agency-specific information section of the call text.
Submission Platform
All funding agencies except for the NIH (United States) use the same full application form, hosted on the GACD portal. The NIH use their own application form; links will be posted in their agency-specific information once available.
In some cases, funding agencies may require you to download the application that you submitted through the GACD portal and upload it to their own system. Please read the guidance provided in the agency-specific information.
The GACD portal will open for first stage proposals in early 2024. The key documents that you will need to upload will also be available on the portal.
The first-stage application deadline is 15 May 2024 at 5pm BST (UK time) / 6pm CST (Belgium time).
Submitting multiple applications
Applicants can only be listed as a Principal Investigator on one application to any GACD funding agency. However, there is no limit to the number of proposals on which an applicant can be listed as a non-PI (e.g., as a co-Investigator or collaborator).
Co-funding
Teams that include applicants that collectively meet the eligibility criteria to apply to two or more GACD funding agencies may be eligible for co-funding. Co-funded proposals are jointly funded and managed by two or more GACD funding agencies. The GACD is keen to support co-funded proposals in order to maximise the number of awarded proposals as well as to encourage new international research consortia.
Please note that SAMRC (South Africa) require applications to be co-funded with MRC (United Kingdom). At this time, AMED (Japan) and NIH (United States) do not co-fund GACD applications.
Implementation research
GACD only funds implementation research proposals. For more information about implementation research, including resources for crafting a high-quality proposal, please visit the GACD e-Hub.
We publish descriptions of our completed and ongoing implementation research projects. Case studies illustrating the impact of completed GACD-funded projects are also available.
Stakeholder engagement
Stakeholder engagement in research is the process of identifying the appropriate people, groups, and organisations and involving them throughout the research process. This includes responding to their input and ensuring that they can make use of the findings when the project in complete. Stakeholder engagement is critical to the success of implementation research projects.
Stakeholder engagement will be assessed in the scoring of the application; appropriate engagement with stakeholders at the project planning phase will increase the likelihood of funding.
The GACD provides a curated list of best practice guidance for stakeholder engagement. In addition, GACD provides hints and tips on engaging with policymakers, as well as working with communities and implementing partners.
Equitable partnerships
The GACD expects that project teams will exhibit fair and equitable collaboration, especially between HIC – LMIC and non-Indigenous – Indigenous partners. Equitable collaboration refers to partnerships both within the research teams and between the team and community partners. Resources for planning equitable research partnerships are available in our stakeholder engagement webpages as well as on the UKCDR & ESSENCE’s Equitable Partnerships Resource Hub.
Sex and gender-responsive and intersectional analyses
Poverty, racism, ethnic discrimination, and other inequities are directly associated with reduced potential for health promotion. All projects should consider the social determinants of health and discuss their potential impact on the effective implementation of the intervention(s).
A lack of sex- and gender-disaggregated data worldwide has resulted in an incomplete picture on why disparities in health outcomes persist. Wherever projects do not focus on a single sex or gender, studies should aim to identify sex and/or gender differences in intervention access, uptake, and effectiveness, with the aim of developing strategies for reducing any identified inequities. To facilitate this process, studies should be designed to identify differences by sex and/or gender. For guidance on conducting sex and gender-responsive analyses, please consult the resources available from the World Health Organization and the European Institute for Gender Equality.
Where appropriate, researchers are also encouraged to conduct intersectional analyses, exploring differences beyond sex and gender, and identifying how sex and/or gender and other social determinants of health interact with each other to impact health equity. Guidance on conducting intersectional analyses is available from the World Health Organization and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research.
Guidance for digital health interventions
Evidence-based interventions that incorporate a digital technology component are encouraged. In July 2021, the GACD held a workshop focusing on best practices for planning and delivering sustainable and equitable digital health interventions for NCDs in LMICs and Indigenous communities. You can access the summary report from the Digital Health Workshop here and the mERA checklist for projects involving Digital Health Interventions here.
If you have queries or questions, please take a look through our Frequently Asked Questions. We anticipate that this document will continue to be updated as we receive questions about this funding call.
All application materials must be submitted in English unless otherwise noted. However, we anticipate that project teams may include non-English speakers that play a critical role in planning the research project.
There are links to external websites in English throughout this webpage. You may need to view this webpage in its original English to access these links. To translate the material presented on linked websites, please open them in Google Chrome. If you are in a non-English speaking country, you should automatically be given the option to convert the text into your local language.
To translate materials in documents linked to this webpage:
- Download the document
- Go to Google Translate
- Click ‘Documents’ in the upper left hand corner
- Select your preferred language
- Upload the document
- Click translate
Please note that materials translated by Google typically have errors. E-mail addresses in particular may be corrupted if translated; please always use the e-mail address provided in the original document or webpage. We highly recommend that you work with a fluent English speaker when preparing your GACD application materials to ensure that you comply with all GACD eligibility requirements and that the peer reviewers can easily understand and evaluate your application.
Teams should be diverse and multidisciplinary. Teams are encouraged to ensure gender and geographical balance in leadership. The GACD expects that project teams will exhibit fair and equitable collaboration, especially between HIC – LMIC and non-Indigenous – Indigenous partners.
A match-making tool has been created for applicants, to facilitate collaboration and team building.
The tool can be used for both:
- Partners looking for projects: As individual researcher, policymaker, community representative or other relevant stakeholder, searching for a project to join.
- Projects looking for partners: If you want to build a consortium around an existing project and want to find partners for your project or require specific expertise on the team.
Teams should be diverse and multidisciplinary. Teams are encouraged to ensure gender and geographical balance in leadership. The GACD expects that project teams will exhibit fair and equitable collaboration, especially between HIC – LMIC and non-Indigenous – Indigenous partners.
A match-making tool has been created for applicants, to facilitate collaboration and team building.
The tool can be used for both:
- Partners looking for projects: As individual researcher, policymaker, community representative or other relevant stakeholder, searching for a project to join.
- Projects looking for partners: If you want to build a consortium around an existing project and want to find partners for your project or require specific expertise on the team.