PHM-Exch> Call for Applicants for Regional Research grants on Global Health Diplomacy for equitable health systems in East and Southern Africa

[Claudio Schuftan]

Call closes April 3rd 2012
Regional Network for Equity in Health in East and Southern
Africa (EQUINET)
How can African policymakers engage in global health diplomacy to achieve
more
equitable health systems and better population health? What factors have
supported
effective negotiation of African policy goals on health systems within
health diplomacy?
The Regional Network for Equity in Health in East and Southern Africa
(EQUINET) is a
network of professionals, civil society members, policy makers, state
officials,
parliamentarians and others within 16 countries in east and Southern
Africa, who have
come together to promote and realise shared values of equity and social
justice in health
(see www.equinetafrica.org). In 2012 EQUINET is initiating a three year
policy research
programme working with government officials in health and diplomacy, with
technical
institutions, civil society and other stakeholders in ESA countries. This
research
programme will examine the role of global health diplomacy (GHD) in
addressing selected
key challenges to health and strengthening health systems and use the
evidence and
learning to inform African policy actors and stakeholders within processes
of health
diplomacy. Health diplomacy has been defined as the policy-shaping
processes through
which states, intergovernmental organizations, and non-state actors
negotiate responses
to health challenges, or utilize health concepts or mechanisms in
policy-shaping and
negotiation strategies to achieve other political, economic, or social
objectives.
This call is for applicants for grants for policy research into global
health diplomacy , and
particularly in relation to the manner in which African interests around
equitable health
systems are being advanced through health diplomacy.
Applicants are invited to indicate their capacities and proposals for
implementing the work
in ONE of the three areas below
1. On the reflection of African interests and issues around equitable
health systems in the
stages of motivating, negotiating, implementing, monitoring and reporting
of the WHO
Code on international Recruitment of health personnel;
2. On collaborations on access to essential drugs through south- south
relationships with
China, Brazil and India, particularly in relation to medicines production,
distribution and
regulation across countries within the ESA region, the alignment with and
outcomes for
national health systems, regional and global health diplomacy processes and
the
lessons learned for health diplomacy.
3. On the involvement of African actors in global health governance,
particularly in
relation to the participation, issues raised, outcomes and thus influence
of African
state and non-state actors on the decision making processes in the WHO and
Global
Fund, particularly on universal access to prevention, treatment and care
for HIV and
AIDS, and the lessons for health diplomacy.
Although applicants may apply for more than one of the case studies above,
they should
do so in a separate application for each area. The successful teams will
only be accepted
to work on ONE case study area; therefore, the programme will have three
teams, one for
each of the three case study areas. If the teams within one institution are
composed of
totally different individuals, they will be regarded as two separate teams.
2
Teams accepted for the case study area will be provided with a grant for
their work of up to
US$ 60 000 including travel and per diem for field work. In EACH of the
three areas each
area the case study team will work with a small advisory group of policy
and technical
advisors. The protocols are also expected to include review and
organization of
background evidence; stakeholder and policy analysis; key informant inputs,
internal and
external peer review and policy dialogue. Teams will be supported through
programme
wide processes, including a background review of methods, a methods
workshop,
technical and peer review, a results review workshop, and editing and
publications support
of papers produced and communication with regional processes.
Two members of each successful team will attend a methods workshop in June
2012 to
work with relevant expertise to review and develop the research design. The
three case
study designs will be finalized after peer review in August 2012. The case
study work will
be conducted between August 2012 and September 2013.
EQUINET is feeding this work into regional processes, including the
Strategic Initiative of
Global Health Diplomacy co-ordinated by the East Central and Southern
Africa Health
Community and into global processes with the Global Health Diplomacy
Network (GHDNET).
The programme is supported by IDRC (Canada).
Applications:
The application should be made jointly by the applicant and the institution
that they are
affiliated to. The applicant may work as a consortium of institutions, and
are
encouraged to do so if this strengthens their capacities or coverage.
Consortia are
asked to make clear which one of the partners is their lead institution and
individual.
Consortia may include institutions from all regions, but the grantee for
the work in a
consortium must be an institution in the East and Southern Africa region.
Applicants
are expected to show experience in health policy and health systems, in
international
relations and political economy / political science and to show evidence of
work and
links to policy processes related to health equity and health diplomacy in
Africa,
particularly in the subject area of the case study. Those active in EQUINET
work are
encouraged to apply.
The proposals must be submitted by 3rd April 2012 and the feedback will be
provided
by April 20th 2012. Successful applicants will be expected to attend a
regional methods
workshop, to be held on June 4th and 5th in Johannesburg South Africa.
Applications must include all of the following to be considered
 A proposal in no more than six pages for the case study research setting
out
the specific issues to be addressed in the exploration of the case study,
the
policy processes, forums, events to be covered; the methods to be used and
analysis to be implemented, specific countries or key informants to be
included, the institution through which ethical clearances will be obtained
and
how the applicant will use the results;
 A CV of the lead applicant and name, brief profile, full contact
information and
url of the institution;
 The names, institutions, contact information, qualifications and roles in
the work
of any other members, if the application is from a consortium;
 The reference list of materials published by the applicant (including
members of
the consortium) directly relevant to the area of the case study;
 Confirmation of availability to attend the June methods workshop if
successful
Applications should be submitted to admin at equinetafrica.org with GHD GRANTS
in
the subject line by 4pm 3rd April 2012.
For further information, please visit www.equinetafrica or contact EQUINET
Secretariat,
TARSC Box CY2720, Harare, Zimbabwe email admin at equinetafrica.org with GHD
GRANTS QUERY in the subject line.
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