Call for Applications: IDRC Cultivate Africa’s Future Fund Program (CA$20 million Grant) 2018

Canada’s IDRC calls for research projects with the potential to generate high impact and innovative results for improved food security in Africa. 

Application Deadline: 1st March 2018

Eligible Countries: This call is open to applicant organizations that will work in partnership with others to carry out research in one (or more) of the eligible countries:

• Burundi;
• Ethiopia;
• Kenya;
• Malawi;
• Mozambique;
• Rwanda;
• Tanzania;
• Uganda;
• Zambia; and
• Zimbabwe.

About the Award: This call will support cutting edge applied field and/or laboratory research projects with the potential to generate high impact and innovative results with particular impact on the food insecure and poor in eligible eastern and southern African countries. All projects require a sound environmental impact assessment, the consideration of social and gender issues, and an applicability to smallholder farmers. The projects should address real practical development challenges and research needs of the 10 developing countries.

The fund will focus on issues under four key research areas aligned to regional priorities as stated in the Malabo declaration:

1. Improved productivity and incomes for farmers and communities and decreased post-harvest losses;
2. Improved gender equity;
3. Nutrition and human health; and
4. Climate change and sustainable water management.

Of special interest is supporting innovative research with the potential for breakthrough results that can be effectively scaled-up and easily adopted by smallholder farmers, food processors, post-harvest handlers, and other value chain actors to improve food and nutrition security and achieve gender equality.

Type: Grants

Eligibility: 

• Applicant organizations must be developing country organizations (national agricultural research systems, universities, government departments, NGOs, regional organizations, and Southern-led international organizations) with legal corporate registration in an eligible country. They may work in partnership with Canadian or Australian organizations, but this is not a requirement.
• United Nations organizations, Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research centres, and Canadian and Australian organizations shall not apply to this fund as applicant organizations. They may, however, be included in applications by other research teams as third-party organizations.

Number of Awards: Not specified

Value of Award: CA$20 million.

Project budgets under this call must be in the range of CA$1 million to CA$3 million (please see the instructions document for more detail on budgets).

Duration of Program: 6 weeks.

Project duration must not exceed 42 months, including all research activities and final reporting. It is anticipated that projects selected in this call will begin in January, 2019. Please plan activities accordingly.

How to Apply: Apply on-line

Visit the Program Webpage for Details

Award Providers: IDRC and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research