1. Background

The World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology Africa Network (WAAVP-AN) is an umbrella network working towards the control of parasitic diseases of animals and the advancement of the practice of veterinary parasitology on the continent of Africa. This network aims to consolidate efforts towards reducing the economic and health impact of animal parasites, including those that co-infect humans (zoonoses). WAAVP-AN also aims to establish a framework to train and retain the human resources that underpin long-term sustainable parasite control efforts on the African continent.

2. Purpose

The support under this funding scheme aims for improved control of veterinary parasites. Thus, the objective of the sub-grants is to support research and/or training; bringing the financial ability to drive veterinary parasite control to the members of the network, and support to initiatives that include any activity that demonstrates impact to drive improved control of ecto/endo parasites of animals on the African continent. The grant will support a range of activities such as research, capacity building (e.g. short-term training related to parasite diagnosis & management, parasite management tools development, among others).

2.1 Thematic areas

Proposals should focus on the control of parasites and parasitic diseases of animals, where new solutions would significantly reduce the burden of animal parasites in Africa. These solutions should target sustainable management and surveillance of parasites & parasitic diseases of importance in Africa, and the reduction of the use of antiparasitic drugs, while demonstrating commitment to climate change mitigation.

Four thematic areas have been identified as being research priority areas for the 2^ndt Call for WAAVP-AN Innovations and Capacity Building Grants:

   a. Socio-economic burden of parasites of veterinary importance, including zoonoses.

   b. Epidemiology, distribution, and abundance of parasites of veterinary importance.

   c. Novel interventions for control of veterinary parasites: vaccines, penside diagnostics, alternatives to antiparasitic drugs, and therapeutics.

   d. Capacity building and continuous education in veterinary parasitology (short-course trainings on vector biology and ecology, good practices in laboratory diagnosis of animal parasitic diseases, surveillance, parasite genomics, taxonomy, anthelmintic resistance monitoring and control, progress in parasite vaccines, etc.)

2.2 Grant size, funding duration, and management

The total budget for this call is US$750,000, which shall support individual project grants up to a maximum of US$75,000. Supported projects will be in research and capacity building towards the advancement of veterinary parasitology and control of animal parasitic diseases in Africa. The duration for all projects under this call shall not exceed two and half (2.5) years (30 months), including the time required for project set-up, research activities and final reporting. The inclusion of project set-up (buffer time) is important because projects will not be extended beyond 30 months. The organization/institution managing the awarded funds shall be considered as the implementing partner (within the project team) and shall not sub-grant any portion of the funds to third parties. That is, it shall not be allowed to make calls for proposals for subprojects.

The proposals need to:

   a. Provide details of potential benefits/outputs from the project,

   b. Demonstrate consideration (if any) of the potential environmental impacts of project activities,

   c. Demonstrate how gender inclusivity will be promoted and adopted with respect to the following:

   d. Project team composition and leadership,

   e. The design and implementation of the proposed activities.

WAAVP-AN is under no obligation to issue any funds prior to the applicant returning a fully executed Letter of Agreement (LOA) to the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) acting on behalf of WAAVP-AN. WAAVP-AN reserves the right to make amendments or cancel this call at any time without prior notice to applicants and/or not to issue any grants under this call.

2.3 Eligibility Criteria

The following eligibility criteria will be considered before proposals proceed to technical evaluation.

   a. The lead applicant MUST be an African citizen and African-based professional working in the field of veterinary parasitology for a legally recognized African Institution (public or private).

   b. The lead applicant MUST be an early career professional/emerging scientist; a PhD holder having obtained the PhD not more than five (5) years from the date of this call, or a postdoctoral candidate, and both should not be more than 50 years of age by the date of this call.

   c. The PhD should be in veterinary parasitology or related disciplines, and the postdoc experience should demonstrate experience in handling projects on animal or zoonotic parasites. Applicants whose training is not in veterinary parasitology or related disciplines should demonstrate strong experience of having worked on animal or zoonotic parasites, or One Health.

   d. The applicants (lead and co-applicants) MUST be registered members of WAAVP-AN and members of the WAAVP-AN Community of Practice (refer to www.waavpafrica.org)

   e. The project team MUST comprise at least 2 applicants (1 lead applicant and 1 co-applicant) from different organizations. Proposals demonstrating collaboration between various African countries will be given priority.

   f. The project team should be gender inclusive, and teams led by women will be given priority. However, this should not compromise the leadership and expertise needed to accomplish the project objectives.

   g. The project proposal submitted must be in the format recommended by WAAVP-AN (refer to the WAAVP-AN Proposal template). All annexures to the proposal MUST be in the format recommended by WAAVP-AN.

   h. Applicants from the International Research Institutions, including the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) centres, are not eligible as lead applicants but are eligible as co-applicants or collaborating organizations.

   i. Other complementary criteria shall consider the following:

• i. Quality for impact
• ii. Scientific rigour, and the extent to which the project design demonstrates accepted standards of technical merit for its domain and discipline. This involves an assessment of the structural quality of the project, including the following: the study is framed by examination of current knowledge on the issue, clear presentation of research questions and data-collection strategies (that would enable reproduction), adherence to methodological standards for the type of research, identification of relevant analytical frameworks, and well-considered reporting and sharing. Project legitimacy, originality, and relevance, as well as the knowledge sharing plan. The proposed project adopts a systems approach to strengthen, rather than create silos of information or action.
• iii. Existing capacity of participating institution(s) to carry out the project, including financial, infrastructural and administrative capacity.
• iv. Feasibility of achieving project goals and objectives, as well as appropriateness of proposed human and financial resources.
• v. Support from other agencies or institutions (formal letters of support are required as proof).
• vi. Where relevant, strength of the project monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL) plan.
• vii. Attention to ethical considerations and potential risks.
• viii. Potential for, or commitment to, local contribution and in-kind resources.

   j. The collaborative entities shall be required to:

• i. Formally indicate that they are committed to the project and must have the facilities, infrastructure, and project management systems (evidence required) to support the implementation of the project.
• ii. Ensure that the application is endorsed by the Chief Executive Officers/Heads of the affiliate institutions or the Directors of Research through a letter of support, which should also provide the information required in Section 2.3 j(i) above.
• iii. Sign a research consortium agreement (after signing the LOA with WAAVP-AN) specifying each collaborating institution’s/individual’s responsibility, including issues of confidentiality, modalities for sharing intellectual property rights and publications.
• iv. Ensure that proposals on research areas requiring ethical clearance and research licenses/approvals are provided prior to the start of project implementation.

   k. In addition, the lead applicant shall:

• i. Provide documentation of the roles and responsibilities of the project team (lead- and co-applicants) in the project.
• ii. Provide documentation of the rationale for the inclusion of other personnel and their roles in the project.
• iii. Provide documentation describing the governance and coordination arrangements they will use to produce quality work and support fair and equitable partnership arrangements.
• iv. Be responsible for the grant as shall be detailed in the LOA.
• v. Assume responsibility for ensuring that the project activities are appropriately coordinated and implemented and will coordinate any necessary communication between the funding agency and the project team.

   l. Previously funded applicants (lead- and co-applicants) are NOT eligible.

2.4   Gender-equity and inclusion considerations

The WAAVP-AN strives for gender equality in all aspects of its work. Therefore, proposals should demonstrate how gender equality and inclusion will be promoted and adopted using an intersectional approach, both with respect to the following:

   a. Project team composition and organizations/institutions comprising the project team.

   b. The design and implementation of the proposed project.

   c. More specifically, consideration of gender in the formation of the consortium/team, and gender-specific commitments should be made.

2.5 Budget and eligible expenditures

The approval of funding for the successful project proposals is subject to the terms and conditions of the WAAVP-AN grants management guidelines (refer to the WAAVP-AN guidelines). Funding a project will depend on the nature and duration of the proposed activities and must be justified in terms of the resources needed to achieve the objectives of the project.

The lead applicant and collaborators should note the following while developing their proposals:

   a. Budget request: The maximum award request for this grant is provided in section 2.2 above. All budget line items must directly support research/capacity building and dissemination activities in the proposal and must be justified in relation to the scope of work.

   b. Duration of the grants: Grants are awarded for a maximum of two and a half years (30 months). The WAAVP-AN expects that the funds provided will be utilized during the 30-months period for research/capacity building, and dissemination of data by the consortium, and there shall be no extension beyond the 30 months.

   c. The management of the grants shall not be transferred to another researcher or institution. In cases where the lead applicant transfers to another institution after execution of the LOA, and he/she is not able to manage the project as specified in the LOA, a written notification shall be made to the African Capacity Building Foundation acting on behalf of WAAVP-AN, following which a determination shall be made.

   d. The funds shall not be used for infrastructural development (such as construction or refurbishment of labs, offices, among others), office furniture purchase, vehicle purchases, payment of salaries, and costs associated with accompanying dependents. Purchase of office equipment directly linked to the project, including but not limited to desktop computers, laptops, printers, tablets, projectors, cameras, and other stationery, shall only be permitted upon proper justification and approval by ACBF and WAAVP-AN.

   e. The allowable costs for this grant are as follows:

• i. Supplies, services, and equipment required specifically for the project and not otherwise available through the host or collaborating institutions. The cost of equipment shall not exceed 5% of the total grant.
• ii. Travel expenses, accommodation, and subsistence expenses are allowed only for data collection and/or capacity building activities, directly related to the proposed project activities, and shall not exceed 15% of the total grant
• iii. Costs related to organizing seminars and workshops for data collection/dissemination within the project which shall not exceed 5% of the total grant.
• iv. Allowances paid to the project team shall not exceed 5% of the total grant.

• v. Research management costs/institutional overhead costs must not exceed 5% of the total grant,
• vii. Any other cost not stated above in Section 2.5(e) (i) to (v) above and not mentioned in Section 2.5(d), shall be on request, with the approval of ACBF and WAAVP-AN. WAAVP-AN reserves the right to make amendments to the above-mentioned allowable costs. 

2.6 Submission Process

Submission of complete applications (Full Proposals) shall be through the application portal on the WAAVP-AN website (www.waavpafrica.org), or as may be guided by the WAAVP-AN secretariat. The documents should be saved in doc, docx, or pdf formats as will be specified on the application portal. The maximum file size accepted for any single file is 10MB. Once submitted, no changes can be made to the application.

2.6.1 Conditions for submission of full proposals

Applicants must submit the following:

   a. A full proposal of a maximum of ten (10) pages excluding references. The proposal should be written in Times New Roman font, size 12, line spacing of 1.5, margins normal (2.54 cm for top, bottom, left and right margins) and portrait orientation, and must follow the WAAVP-AN full proposal guide (refer to the WAAVP-AN Full Proposal guide). All headings should appear in their stated order as outlined in the guide. Information must be provided for all the headings, and no additional headings should be added by the applicant,

   b. “Project budget” itemization and justification done using the prescribed WAAVP-AN budget template (refer to the WAAVP-AN budget template),

   c. A “Results Measurement Framework” done using the provided template (refer to the RMF template),

   d. A “Work plan” for the project,

   e. A “Risk Management Plan” done using the provided template (refer to the WAAVP-AN Risk management template),

   f. Resumes of the project team members,

   g. Letters of support from the CEOs or directors of research of affiliate institutions for both lead and co-applicants. Refer to Section 2.3 j(ii),

   h. Other documents specified in Section 2.3 k(i), (ii) and (iii), and where applicable Section 2.3 i(v).

   i. By submitting a full proposal, the applicant agrees to the following:

• i. to abide by all rules for participating in this call as outlined above, and in the WAAVP-AN grants management guidelines and related documents,
• ii. that the WAAVP-AN decision on the proposal is final,
• iii. that if successful, the names, and organization of affiliation of members of the project team, project title, summary and objectives will be shared on the WAAVP-AN website (It’s the responsibility of the applicant to notify WAAVP-AN if there is any proprietary and confidential information, which should not be shared to the public),
• iv. That selected feedback based on the review may be provided to the applicant on request,
• v. that the submission timelines and schedules of funds disbursement to selected proposals may be adjusted without prior notice in the event of uncertainties in funding.

2.7 Evaluation

The evaluation process shall include an initial screening for the proposals that are complete and meet the eligibility requirements. Incomplete proposals, those that do not comply with the guidelines provided, and those that fail the eligibility check will be automatically disqualified. Proposals that pass the eligibility screening will be evaluated by a team of independent reviewers. The final decision by the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) will be based on the reviewers’ assessment of the quality, innovativeness, feasibility, potential impact, and recommendations. The TAC’s final decision shall not be subject to further revisions and reserves the right to revoke its decision on a selected proposal(s) if it is established that the information provided by the applicant(s) is false.

2.8 Selection Process and Important Dates

The following steps with important dates shall be considered in the selection process.

   a. Call opening date (July 15, 2025)

   b. Call closing date (September 15, 2025)

   c. Selection of full proposals:

• i. Screening for completeness, eligibility, and compliance with the guidelines (September 16 – 19, 2025),
• ii. External review by a panel of independent experts comprising of subject matter specialists (September 22, 2025 – October 31, 2025),
• iii. Preparation of evaluation report (November 3 – 7, 2025),
• iv. Final Decision by TAC (November 10, 2025).

   d. Communication of provisional selection to successful applicants (November 14, 2025),

   e. Due diligence evaluation of host institutions of selected projects (November 17 – December 17, 2025),

   f. Communication to successful applicants and issuance of Grant Notification Letters (January 9, 2026),

   g. Completion of internal processes (January 12-23, 2026),

   h. Signing of Letters of Agreement (January 26-30, 2026),

   i. Disbursement of funds (February 2026).

2.9 Ethical issues

In the process of preparing the project grant application, the project team is obliged to observe ethical principles and rules and describe how ethical issues in the proposed project will be addressed. The applicant should indicate plans to obtain ethical approval from relevant bodies if the proposed project involves human or animal subjects. The period for providing the approval shall be as specified in Section 2.3 j(iv) above.

2.10    Further information

Please visit https://www.waavpafrica.org for more information about WAAVP-AN and this call or contact us on email: info@waavpafrica.org for any inquiries about the call. Information webinars on this call will be conducted fortnightly after the launch. Interested applicants should visit the WAAVP-AN website for the schedule of the webinars.