Strengthening Health and Disease Modeling for Public Health Decision Making in Africa - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)Frequently Asked Questions

Eligibility and Scope

Who is eligible for grants?

Please refer to the Rules and Guidelines document for a full list of eligibility requirements.

Can my proposal address multiple thematic areas?

Yes, you may address multiple thematic areas within option A (Wellcome-funded) or B (BMGF-funded).

I'm not sure if I should apply for Option A or Option B. My topic area is covered by both options. How should I decide?

Please review the different eligibility criteria for Options A and B to see if you meet the criteria for both. If you do, then please assess your funding requirements. Do you require up to 3 million GBP (approx. 3.7 million USD) or 1 million USD in order to successfully complete your project?

If you submit your proposal under Option A or B but is deemed by the funders to be more suitable and eligible for the other Option, applicants will be given the opportunity to be considered for funding through the other Option. This will be communicated via email from the funders asking if you are interested in rescoping your project to align with the criteria for the other Option.

Can my proposal include areas not covered in the thematic areas list?

Yes, if the primary focus of the proposal covers at least one of the listed thematic areas, then you may include additional areas not strictly covered by the thematic area list.

My budget does not meet the geographical budget split criteria. Can I still apply?

No, please refer to the rules of this RFP on regional funding allocation (please refer to the Rules and Guidelines for details as these vary by funder).

Can high income country (HIC) co-applicants and collaborators be included?

Yes, up to 30% (for Wellcome funded awards) or 20% (for BMGF funded awards) of the funding can go to HIC co-applicants. Collaborators are not remunerated for their input (see definitions in next question) so there are no restrictions on HIC partners as collaborators.

How many co-applicants and collaborators can be included? What is the distinction between co-applicants and collaborators?

Co-applicant: Co-applicants have equal standing with the lead applicant in relation to the project but are not the formal grantholder. They provide an equivalent level of intellectual input into, and ownership of, the research. They are essential members of the project, without whom the project could not take place. Wellcome funded awards will be limited to up to 8 co-applicants. This restriction does not apply for BMGF funded awards. Regardless of the funder, co-applicants must be essential for delivering the proposed project.

Collaborator: A collaborator provides essential subject related expertise, support or materials. They are not involved in the day-to-day running of the research. They are not remunerated for their input, although expenses can be covered, for example for their grant-related travel and the costs associated with providing the agreed input into the research, including the materials and consumables involved. There is no limit to the number of collaborators a proposal can have but the added value must be clear.

How do you define 'modeling' for this RFP? What types of analytic approaches are in scope?

We are open to a range of quantitative modeling approaches as long as the methods address the thematic focus area. For example, this could include statistical modeling, transmission modeling, health economic modeling, machine learning, climate modelling and geospatial modeling.

Not all team members have confirmed that they will be co-applicants or collaborators on my proposal. Can they be listed as "to be confirmed"?

Yes. Please clearly note this within your proposal where applicable. If invited to submit a full application, this can then be updated accordingly.

Application Process

What must my application include?

Please refer to the Application Instructions document.

Am I able to edit my proposal once submitted?

Yes, you may edit your proposal up until the specified deadline.

Can I apply for both Options A (Wellcome funded) and Option B (BMGF funded)? Can I submit multiple proposals?

No, lead applicants can only submit one proposal under option A OR option B. However, you may be included as a co-applicant/collaborator on multiple proposals under both option A and B. If you are involved in multiple proposals, you must be able to demonstrate that you can dedicate enough time and resources to all projects if funded.

What amount of indirect/overhead cost is available?

For BMGF funded proposals, please refer to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's indirect cost policy. For Wellcome funded proposals, please refer to Wellcome's information on what we offer and the Wellcome overheads policy.

If my proposal is successful at the initial review stage, will it be funded?

Not necessarily, please refer to the "Key Dates and Deadlines" and the "Review Process" sections of the Rules and Guidelines document which outline the various stages and review process.

Does my budget need to be accurate, and can it be changed?

We encourage requesting the budget that you think will be required, this can be a rough estimate at this stage. If invited to the next stage, this can be refined.

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 about 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 challenge, applicants with proposals that are not selected at this stage may receive a notification of decline without specific feedback.

When will a decision be made? When will I hear from you regarding a decision on my application?

Please refer to the "Key Dates and Deadlines" section of the Rules and Guidelines document.

What are the main differences between BMGF and Wellcome processes after the review stage?

BMGF and Wellcome will jointly review applications made in response to this RFP. Once the review process is complete, proposals will follow different processes depending on the funder. The main difference is that Wellcome will invite their shortlist of applicants directly from this RFP to submit full proposals for consideration. This will be followed by a committee review process by Wellcome before the final selection is made. Hence, an invitation to submit a full proposal to Wellcome is not a guarantee of funding. By contrast, BMGF will first conduct interviews and request additional clarifying information with their shortlisted applicants from this RFP. This will further down-select proposals prior to inviting to submit a full proposal. While an invitation to submit a full proposal to BMGF is not a guarantee of funding, most of the selection processes will already be complete at this stage for BMGF.

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 the grant award prior to award activation.

How much money will each grant provide?

Please refer to the Rules and Guidelines document which outlines the award information for each funder.

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, you will receive an email confirmation.

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].