IDRC — Addressing Neglected Areas of Sexual & Reproductive Health and Rights in sub-Saharan Africa (ANeSA)

Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) underpin healthy, productive lives, yet evidence on sustainable, equitable, gender-transformative SRHR interventions for under-served populations in sub-Saharan Africa remains thin. ANeSA, co-funded by IDRC, Global Affairs Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, funds implementation research that improves SRHR service design, policy and systems. This call supports a second cohort of up to six Implementation Research Teams.

The Principal Investigator must be a sub-Saharan African researcher based in sub-Saharan Africa, working with co-PIs from a local civil-society organisation, a local/national decision-maker and an independent researcher at a Canadian institution. The project must take place in at least one eligible sub-Saharan African country; Malawi is on the eligible list.

Five priority areas:- family planning and contraceptive services
- safe abortion (where legally permitted) and post-abortion care
- adolescent SRHR
- preventing sexual and gender-based violence and improving services for survivors
- strengthening SRHR advocacy

Two stages: submit a Letter of Interest with the required documents by 23 August 2026; shortlisted teams (up to 12) attend a proposal-development workshop and submit a full proposal. All applications are externally reviewed.

• LoI launch 29 June 2026
• informational webinar 15 July 2026
• LoI deadline 23 August 2026
• applicants notified 18 December 2026
• proposal-development workshop 9–11 February 2027
• full-proposal call 12 February 2027
• full-proposal deadline 2 May 2027
• funding decisions 21 July 2027