Randomized Controlled Trial on Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and Reproductive Tract Sequelae in Non-Pregnant Women - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Eligibility

Who is eligible for grants?

• This initiative is open to nonprofit organizations, for-profit companies, international organizations, government agencies, and academic institutions.
• Study design must be randomized controlled trial or comparable, robust prospective in Sub-Saharan African settings.
• We encourage groups to build upon existing and/or complimentary projects/studies/trials and to collaborate with other institutions.
• We particularly encourage applications involving projects led by African Primary Investigators (PIs), women, early-career researchers, and practitioners seeking to innovate in women’s health measurement, or from women-led organizations and applications from institutions based in LMICs.

Upon registration, applicants must provide information about the tax status of their organization as different terms and conditions may apply under the applicable tax laws. You should confirm your organization’s tax status with the appropriate advisor or entity within your organization such as your grants or contracts department, finance, or office of sponsored research. Either funder may request additional information regarding your tax status. For information about tax statuses, you may check with your own advisors and review information on the applicable tax requirements.

Why sub-Saharan Africa only?
Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest estimated burden of untreated STIs and the most significant gaps in representative data. A focused investment in this region will yield critical insights where they are most needed and support policy change and product development in settings of greatest potential impact

Application Process

What must my application include?
Please refer to the Application Instructions document.

What are the key considerations for competitive applications?

Design and objectives	Randomized controlled trial in sub-Saharan Africa Generate causal evidence for PID and related sequelae after STI Capture impact, cost, and cost-effectiveness of STI screening, treatment, and sequelae management Provide insight into timing of pathogenesis (e.g., frequent sample collection, testing intervals, symptom diaries) Enable stratified risk assessment by presence of symptoms, co-infection, and repeat infection Collect detailed sexual behavior data and STI incidence/duration
Feasibility	Applicants should demonstrate feasibility of the proposed design and recruitment strategy, including justification based on population STI prevalence and sample size
Stakeholder engagement and ethics	Applicants should demonstrate feasibility of the proposed design and recruitment strategy, including justification based on population STI prevalence and sample size
Data and analysis	Strong governance across sites Monitoring for quality, adherence, and safety Real-time data analysis capability preferred Willingness to integrate additional foundation-prioritized outcomes (e.g., care-seeking behavior, menstrual health)

Am I able to edit my application once submitted?
Yes, you may edit your application up until the specified deadline.

Review Process

How does the review process work?
Please refer to the Rules and Guidelines document.

Can I get a list of potential reviewers who might be assigned to my application? 
No. We do not make public the roster of reviewers.

Can I request that my application not be reviewed by a specific individual? 
No. However, we will ask reviewers to self-identify conflicts of interest and will not assign reviewers with conflicts.

Will I receive specific feedback on my application if it is not selected? 
Due to the rapid proposal and review timelines applicable to this RFP, applicants with proposals that are not selected for award may receive a notification of decline without specific feedback.

Award Information

Are grant awards made directly to individuals? 
No. All awards are made to the organization where the individual holds their primary appointment. Institutions must agree to the terms and conditions governing each grant award prior to award activation.

How much money will each grant provide? 
We will consider applications requesting awards ranging from $8 million to $10 million USD per project, with a grant duration of up to 48 months. Budgets should align with the scale and complexity of the proposed work. Indirect costs are allowable and should be included within the total requested funding. (subject to the Gates Foundation's indirect cost policy).

Technical Support

I forgot my password. How do I reset my password? 
You can request to update your password within the application site. If you continue to have issues, please reach out to [email protected].

How will I know if my application was submitted?
Once an application is submitted, an email confirmation will be sent.

I'm having trouble uploading my application file. What should I do? 
If you are having issues submitting your application, we would encourage you to submit from a different browser. If the issue persists, please email the specifics of your problem to [email protected].

How often do you intend to update the Frequently Asked Questions, and do you plan to provide answers to all questions submitted? 
We will periodically post answers to questions as they are submitted, but do not have a specific schedule. We will provide answers on this page that are of relevance and of general interest to potential applicants. For answers to specific questions that are not covered here, please email [email protected]