Climate Change XX: Women’s Health in Focus

This Challenge will support young and female researchers who are addressing the impact of climate change on women and girls’ health – with special attention to the topic of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and gender equity and inclusion in the design of climate solutions.

Challenge Objectives

• They invite proposals for a Research Challenge that specifically focus on the intersection of women’s health and climate change.
• Through this challenge, UNFPA aims to:
  • Enhance the capacity of young and female researchers from UNFPA Programme Countries to develop research solutions at the intersection of women’s health and climate change by offering funding, capacity building, and engagement in developing research.
  • Expand the scope of research at the intersection of women’s health and climate change, thereby bolstering UNFPA’s initiatives aimed at improving access to information, commodities, and services related to women’s health.
  • Increase women’s participation and engagement in climate solutions with a particular focus on locally-led participatory research approaches.
• To accomplish these goals, the Research Challenge will select up to six teams and organizations as winners, prioritizing teams led by female researchers. Each selected proposal will build resilience in health systems and empower women and girls in regions most vulnerable to climate change.

Challenge Dimensions

• They ask that researchers consider the linkages and impact of climate change in the following areas as it relates to:
  • Women and Girls’ health with special attention to Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH), and/or
  • Gender equity and inclusion in the design of climate solutions.
• They seek research projects that address at least one of the following dimensions, but are not limited to:
  • Impact of climate change on the health of women and girls, including but not limited to pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, fertility, menopause, and menarche/puberty, and broader aspects of women’s health.
  • Impact of climate change on access to SRH information, commodities, and services.
  • Data gathering on climate emergencies and its impacts on women and girls.
  • Inclusion of women and girls in high-level decision-making on climate adaptation and mitigation solutions.
  • Building gender-equitable climate-resilient health systems that address the needs of women and girls.

Funding Information

• Each winning proposal will receive the grant to support the researcher or research team with seed funding of up to $15,000.

Winning teams will sign a 4-month contract during which they will:

• Advance their research in identifying and understanding the impact of climate change on the health of women and girls.
• Enhance integration of gender transformative approaches in the design of their study, focusing on equitable inclusion of women in the dataset at all stages of the study.
• Strengthen inclusivity and responsiveness to the unique needs of women and girls.

Eligibility Criteria

• They invite submissions from research teams and organizations led by young researchers under 35 years old, or by a female researcher, with a preference for women-led research.
• Applicants must commit to the bi-weekly support program from August to November and be prepared to deliver the results of the research study or share new findings within a four-month period.
• While the final outcome of the research is not expected to be delivered within the timeline and scope of this initiative, applicants must be prepared to present evidence of how the received grants have advanced the research by November 2024.
• Individuals and teams must be living and working in, and originate from, UNFPA Programme Countries and demonstrate proximity to the community served by their solution.
• At a minimum, applicants must already have an established scope of research and key research questions.
• Organizations can be for-profit, nonprofit, or hybrid models.
• Team members must have a working knowledge of English to participate in the support program.
• Only one submission per applying team is permitted. All submissions must be made in English only.

For more information, visit UNFPA.