The International Pathogen Surveillance Network (IPSN) catalytic grant fund received initial funding from The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, and Wellcome. The fund is housed by the UN Foundation on behalf of the IPSN. Grant funding is available for IPSN members from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The grant amounts will be in the range of US$50,000 - US$250,000 and are expected to fund projects for approximately one year in duration. Projects will support priorities under the IPSN's scope and theory of change, contribute to knowledge generation and research, and ensure wide dissemination to the broader community. Projects should align with the priorities of IPSN members, including workplans for the Communities of Practice and the Country Scale-Up Accelerator.
Who can apply
Funding is exclusively available to IPSN member organisations, and priority will be given to applicants from LMICs. Applications may be submitted by individual IPSN member organisations from LMICs or in consortia in which the lead applicant is an IPSN member from a LMIC.
The IPSN Secretariat may provide support to organisations with interest in collaborating with partners on a project idea.
For more information on eligibility please refer to the below Request for Proposal (RfP).
How to apply
All applications must adhere to the official proposal templates found below and must be submitted in English to the IPSN Secretariat via email: IPSN-fund@who.int .
The application process will consist of two stages. In the first stage, applicants will be required to submit a short concept note in response to the RfP. The IPSN Secretariat and an independent technical group will review the concept note and may request clarification if needed. In the second stage, shortlisted applicants will be invited to submit full proposals. The full applications will be reviewed, and further clarification may be requested if needed. After review, funding decisions will be communicated to applicants. Successful applications will undergo due diligence by the UN Foundation.
For further information on the application process, please refer to the below Request for Proposals (RfP).
Questions and informational webinar
The IPSN and UN Foundation will host an informational webinar on Tuesday 5 March 2024 across two different time zones, to address questions regarding application submissions.
Sign up for one of the informational webinars for prospective fund applicants:
Applicants are invited to submit questions for the webinar in advance to the IPSN Secretariat: IPSN-fund@who.int. Answers to these questions will be published on this page for those unable to attend the webinar.
Recording of the introduction webinar here.
Application documents