CFAs: Implementation Research for the Integrated Management of Non-Communicable Diseases

The call is designed to meet the needs of implementers in LMICs, supporting their efforts to conduct implementation research, address implementation bottlenecks and sustainably scale up NCD care.

The Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research (the Alliance) and the World Health Organization (WHO) are committed to aligning research efforts with national priorities embedded in ongoing policy efforts, demonstrating the importance of locally relevant evidence in informing policy and improving NCD management. Implementation research offers a critical tool for bridging the gap between policy and practice, enabling countries to understand which NCD policies are most effective in specific contexts.

The burden of NCDs requires not just immediate action but also the institutionalization of implementation research within national health strategies. The Alliance, in partnership with the WHO Department of NCDs, Rehabilitation and Disability, is committed to strengthening local and national capacities for implementation research to improve integrated NCD management at the primary care level.

Focus Areas

• Projects should consider and include all four of the following areas in their applications:
  • Integrated health services:
    • Integrated health services are defined as those that are managed and delivered so that people receive a continuum of health promotion, disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment, disease management, rehabilitation and palliative care services coordinated across different levels and sites of care within and beyond the health sector, and according to their needs throughout the life course.
  • Embedded implementation research:
    • Projects should adopt an embedded implementation research approach. Policy-makers, service providers, local communities and relevant stakeholders should be part of research teams. They must demonstrate the potential to influence policy and transform health system practices.
  • Aligning research, implementation and policy cycles and driving impact:
    • Proposals should demonstrate a deep understanding of the relevant national implementation and policy cycles and align their research activities with these timelines. Projects are encouraged to provide details of the current policy context and define the stages of policy development they plan to engage with (including agenda-setting, formulation, implementation and/or evaluation).
  • Institutional capacity strengthening:
    • Projects are expected to contribute to institutional capacity strengthening. Projects and teams must support the institutionalization and capacity building of NCD implementation research. The proposed plans should also consider project sustainability and the potential for scale-up.

Funding Information

• Up to four research teams will be funded up to US$ 150 000 each. No further funding will be provided by the Alliance within or beyond the project period. The activities are expected to run for twenty-four months, from early 2025 to early 2027. Eligible research teams will have the opportunity to receive mentoring and support through relevant WHO networks.

Eligible Countries

• The Principal Investigator must be a researcher or policy-maker based in a research institution in one of the the following countries:
  • Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Jordan, Morocco, Pakistan, Philippines, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Viet Nam and Yemen.

Eligibility Criteria

• To be eligible for this award, proposals will demonstrate the following:
  • Teams are based at a research institution (this can include think tanks and/or be a consortium of research institutions as long as they are based in eligible countries)
  • Teams are gender-balanced, with women comprising at least 50% of the research team;
  • Teams include young researchers and should include at least one policy-maker currently or previously working in the health system at the national or subnational level whose role must be clearly identified in the proposal; and
  • A clear articulation of how it addresses all the four areas outlined.

Selection Criteria

• To be competitive for this award, applications will be assessed across the following criteria:
  • Documented experience in conducting implementation research, especially in the field of NCDs and health systems, and demonstrated capacities in multistakeholder engagement;
  • A clear plan to engage and work closely with policy-makers, communities, community health workers, or other key actors relevant to the specific NCD integrated services and interventions identified in-country;
  • Embeddedness of the research and approach to align research, implementation and policy cycles;
  • The potential of the proposed research to contribute to improving NCD health outcomes and overall impact;
  • The quality of research in terms of the appropriate use of implementation research, political economy analysis, methods selected, and data sources, the qualifications and experience of the research team and the feasibility of the proposed research over a two-year duration; and
  • Value for money.

Application Requirements 

• Submissions can be made in English, French or Arabic and should be no more than eight pages (1.15 spaced, using a standard font sized 11, and using regular margins) should include the following sections and content:
  • Cover page: including title of the project, institution name and name of the key contact person.
  • Motivation for applying: The institution should describe its background and how this work fits in with its expertise and aligns with its current areas of work in improving NCD management. The institution should highlight any existing/previous engagement with policy-makers and other key actors.
  • Composition of the proposed team: Names, expertise, function in the institution, gender and role in the team and experience relevant to the call. CVs (max 3 pages each) should be included as an annex to the submission, which does not count towards the page limit. All CVs should be compiled into a single PDF document.
  • Technical focus: Description of the national priority issue related to implementation research for NCD management and integrated services. The implementation research framework to be used, collaborating stakeholders (including policy-makers, implementers and communities), political economy analysis of NCD service delivery, plan for aligning research, implementation and policy cycles, contribution to institutional capacity, expected outputs and health and policy impacts should also be clearly described.
  • Research plan and detailed budget for two years: outline a two year plan for the proposed research and engagement activities and provide a budget summary and justification for costs requested in US$ across the following high-level categories (not all may be applicable) personnel, supplies/facilities, equipment, communications, travel and per diem, and other (meetings, publications).

For more information, visit Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research.