Transform your idea into a life-changing project to fight NTDs

Do you have an innovative idea to help beat neglected tropical diseases?

Following a successful first cycle, the Ascend West and Central Africa programme is excited to announce the opening of the second cycle of the Ascend Learning and Innovation Fund, to accelerate the control and elimination efforts of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). The programme focuses on intestinal worms, lymphatic filariasis, river blindness, schistosomiasis and trachoma.

Ascend works across 13 countries in West and Central Africa to protect millions of people from these painful and poverty-trapping diseases.

The fund can provide up to £350,000 to support a range of NTD-focused projects in West and Central Africa, and is looking for ideas to support the recovery of NTD programmes in the wake of COVID-19 and ways to ‘build back better’ after the pandemic.

The aim of the fund is to enhance NTD programmes by testing innovative new ideas and using evidence to create long-term solutions.

Turn your idea into a life-changing project

If you have a great idea, the fund team want to hear it and help make it a reality. Successful project proposals will address one of the four following challenge statements:

• Challenge 1: COVID-19 – How can adaptive NTD delivery ‘build back better’ in the context of COVID 19 pandemic?
• Challenge 2: Integration and multisectoral action – How can NTD interventions leverage synergies arising from collaborations across diseases, sectors and borders?
• Challenge 3: Universal health coverage (UHC) – How can we enhance access to, and quality of, NTD treatment and prevention services in the context of UHC?
• Challenge 4: Health system strengthening – How can we ensure long-term, in-country sustainability for NTD programmes?
• Challenge 5: Data systems – How can we increase the quality and availability of NTD data at all levels to better inform NTD programming?

If you want to address something outside of these challenges that is relevant to the control and elimination of neglected tropical diseases, please send an email to: [email protected] to discuss further.

Applying

The fund consists of four application windows. Applications for cycle 2 open on 9 October 2020 and will close on 6 November 2020. All project activities and reports must be completed and submitted by 31 January 2022 at the latest.

For more information on the application process, fund guidelines and challenge statements please visit: ascend-west-innovationfund.org or email the team: [email protected].