Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD) to Launch 8th Call in November

The call will support partnerships on the theme of non-communicable disease prevention in cities.

The Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD) brings together major international research funding agencies specifically to address the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in low or middle income countries (LMICs) and vulnerable populations in high-income countries (HICs).

GACD has announced its intention to launch its eighth call for proposals on 30 November 2022 on the theme of NCD prevention in cities. The call will support implementation research that leads to improved understanding of how specific interventions that reduce the risk of NCD onset or progression can be better adapted to different city environments and/or scaled within and across cities, taking into account unique local social, political, economic, and cultural contexts.

All applications will need to consider the impacts of the implemented strategy(ies) on different population groups (ie, to address sexism, ageism, ableism, etc). Projects will occur in disadvantaged populations in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and/or in high income countries (HICs). Investigating strategies that can positively impact planetary health and/or climate change resilience and prevention will be encouraged, though not required.

The GACD encourages multidisciplinary, international teams that include both researchers and non-researchers. Applicants will need to provide evidence of genuine partnership between HIC-LMIC researchers and/or non-Indigenous and Indigenous researchers, collaboration with key city decision makers such as urban planners and mayors, and engagement with the benefitting communities.

Potential applicants are encouraged to explore potential partnerships as soon as possible. Interested participants can use the GACD’s Find a Collaborator tool to identify potential partners. Applicants can also browse through the previously funded GACD projects to identify implementation researchers with a specific geographic and subject expertise.

The full call text and accompanying application forms will launch on 30 November 2022. GACD funding agencies will begin to announce their participation on this date, and will continue to join onto the call on a rolling basis until early 2023. Most agencies will require a letter of intent, which will be due on 31 March 2023, with a full application deadline of 31 May 2023.

(This report was the subject of a ResearchConnect Newsflash.)