Grant

Application
Guidelines
THE SVRI RESEARCH GRANT
KNOWLEDGE FOR ACTION TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
AND VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN1
This document is designed to assist organisations conducting research on violence
against women (VAW), violence against children (VAC) and other forms of violence
driven by gender inequality to assess their eligibility for grants made annually by the
Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) and to submit proposals in
accordance with the required procedures.
1
Available evidence highlights the need to create synergies in research and programming to address the multiple
linkages between VAW and VAC as our understanding of the intersections increase. The SVRI will consider proposals
on innovative approaches to conduct intersectional or integrative research and programming that will address VAW and
VAC together, or VAW and/and or VAC within other sectoral work.

Background
Violence against women and violence against programmes we once had,
children are global epidemics. At least one-third of have expanded, including
women across the globe experience VAW and the several adaptations. Even still, few
health and development consequences that this interventions have been sustainably taken to
violence brings. VAW and VAC cause great harm scale to fundamentally transform social norms,
and cost to individuals, families, communities promote gender equitable societies and reduce
and governments, including multiple and long- violence. Knowledge is still limited on the long-term
lasting consequences for rights, health, education, effects of these interventions and what specific
productivity and participation in public spheres. For mechanisms are driving the changes observed
intimate partner violence alone, selected country so far. Further, we know very little about how to
estimates suggest that out-of- pocket expenditures, integrate violence prevention and response efforts
lost income and reduced productivity can amount into large infrastructural development programmes.
to up to 3.7% of GDP – more than what many Additionally, although we know about innovative
governments spend on primary education.2 A 2016 research, quality program implementation and
global prevalence study estimated that up to 1 billion rigorous evaluation clusters in high income
children aged 2–17 years, have experienced physical, countries, knowledge sharing platforms for
sexual, or emotional violence or neglect in the past researchers in low and middle-income settings
year.3 Experiencing violence in childhood impacts remain limited and their contributions to the field
lifelong health and well-being.4 have been largely overlooked.
VAW and VAC are driven by gender inequality, social Effective VAW and VAC prevention and response
norms and entrenched structural inequities and is an area of work for civil society, companies,
laws. Research and uptake of research findings are governments, NGOs and research institutions.
essential for understanding the drivers of VAW and Capitalizing on this momentum to achieve broader
VAC and the contexts within which they flourish and more sustainable change requires tapping
to help identify ways in which we can bring about the creative energy of emerging leaders and
sustained social change to end violence against solution-makers. It also requires documenting our
women and VAC. successes and failures to ensure that we continue
to advance the field by investing
We know more about how to prevent and respond
limited resources towards the most
to VAW and VAC than ever before. In terms of
effective strategies.
prevention, the handful of tested prevention

2
Klugman, J., Hanmer, L., Twigg, S., Hasan, T., McCleary-Sills, J., & Santamaria, J. (2014). estimates. Hillis S, Mercy J, Amobi A, Kress H. Pediatrics 2016; 01
Voice and Agency: Empowering Women and Girls for Shared Prosperity. Washington, DC: 137(3): e20154079.
World Bank.
4
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/violence-
Global prevalence of past-year violence against children: a systematic review and minimum
3
against-children
 The  Grant   and VAC research. Furthermore, a partnership

Programme with the OAK Foundation has provided funding

for regional projects in Kenya, Tanzania and
Uganda for an amount of $340,000. The SVRI, in
partnership with our funding partners including
One of the goals of the 2020-2024 SVRI strategic Sida and an anonymous donor, is proud to
plan is to strengthen the evidence base to issue grants to unique projects that might
improve policies and programmes to respond not otherwise have received funding, such as
to and prevent VAW and VAC in low and middle secondary data analysis, enhancing qualitative
income countries (LMICs). The SVRI will achieve components or adding an additional arm to a
this goal by continuing to support and fund study or research on methods. In funding a broad
innovative research on VAW and VAC in LMICs and range of methodologies, the SVRI is contributing
to encourage debate in the field. to the technical development of the field of VAW
and VAC research.5
The SVRI - on its own since 2014 and in
partnership with the World Bank Group since The SVRI is inviting proposals for action-oriented,
2016 - has supported and funded 68 innovative policy relevant research that will serve to improve
research projects in 37 countries, infusing and expand VAW, VAC and other forms of GBV
more than $7 million USD into the field of VAW prevention and response efforts in LMICs.

https://svri.org/grant-database
5

Eligibility  Criteria
Applications for support under this award should: Other eligibility considerations to note:
• Be affiliated with a recognised, legally constituted • Organisations or consortiums can submit up to two
research institution or organisation with existing proposals, but only one proposal will be funded.
research or programming capacity on VAW and
• Previous grantees will not be considered as
VAC. Grants will only be made to institutions and
principal applicants.
not to individuals.
• Institutions who have an active SVRI grant may not
• Where appropriate, involve partnerships between
apply.
multiple organisations, for example, a local
NGO, practice based agency and an academic • Grant applications that are proposing work on
institution, or local government and an NGO or an behalf of UN Agencies, the World Bank Group or
academic institution. Preference will be given to other multi-lateral agencies will not be considered.
academic/researcher – practitioner partnerships. • All projects under this call should focus on VAW
The partnership arrangement must be clearly and VAC prevention and/or response in LMICs.
outlined and reflected in the proposal and budget
• If the funds are sought for scale up or
allocation.
dissemination activities, the application must
• Preference will be given to proposals submitted provide sufficient information to enable the
and led by organisations based in LMICs. scientific quality of the original study to be
• Where appropriate, have as an objective assessed, as well as a description of the activities
strengthening the research capacity of the for which funds are requested.
implementing agency. Due to high levels of competition
and limited funds available, the
quality of the proposal submitted
will determine success in receiving
a grant. 02
 Nature  of  Supported  Projects
Types of projects that may be supported under this • Those that develop innovative methods and tools
grant include: for VAW and/or VAC research.
• Research projects that are either standalone • Those that evaluate how to effectively expand
projects or a component of a larger project that tested VAW and VAC prevention and response
will guide efforts to effectively address or prevent interventions.
VAW and VAC.
• Secondary analysis of existing data that will
• Qualitative studies that explore the effectiveness provide insights into addressing VAW and VAC
and process of creating change with innovative more effectively and sustainably.
VAW and VAC prevention interventions or the
• Research on violence across diverse populations in
acceptability, impact, and process of change
situations of vulnerability, including persons with
created by interventions that support and assist
disabilities, people living with HIV, older persons,
survivors of VAW and VAC.
indigenous peoples, LGBTQI, refugees, internally
• Projects that seek to address VAW and displaced persons and migrants.
VAC prevention and response together or
• Research on the impact of Covid – 19 on VAW
simultaneously or in one intervention with distinct
and the VAW / VAC intersections, including:
elements.
conducting research and programming during
• Projects that work to understand how to integrate times of widespread instability and anxiety; ethical
VAW and/or VAC programming into other sectoral and safe use of remote data collection; support
work, for instance, infrastructure development services for survivors under restrictive regulatory
programmes. environments.

• Research that will help advance the knowledge on VAW and VAC
prevention and response in LMICs.

What  We   • Consortium led research that, for example, involves researchers,

practitioners, and policymakers.
Like  to   • South-south (LMICs) or southern led research partnerships with
roles and responsibilities outlined.
See  in   • Research guided by local project advisory boards.

Proposals • Proposals that are informed by current evidence, a clear research

question supported by sound methodology and that have policy
potential.
• Ethical issues thoughtfully considered and ethical approval has
been or is being sought.
• Clear research uptake plans with different products for different
stakeholders. See guidance template in the application portal.

• Well-written, concise abstract that properly represents the

research project.
• Logical and clear budget accompanied with a
sound budget justification.

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 Guiding   Types  of 
 
Principles Violence
Projects supported by the SVRI should: The United Nations defines violence VAW as “any
act of gender-based violence that results in, or is
• Apply feminist and women-centred
likely to result in, physical, sexual or mental harm or
principles and partnerships.
suffering to women, including threats of such acts,
• Be conceptualized within a human rights coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether
framework. occurring in public or in private life”.6
• Adhere to international safety and ethical VAW can include but is not limited to: intimate
guidelines. partner violence, including emotional, physical,
• Strive for innovation in ideas, new sexual and financial abuse; sexual violence;
methodologies and partnerships, while reproductive coercion; trafficking; honor killings;
building on evidence. sexual harassment and sexual exploitation and
abuse.7
• Strive to be collaborative, cross-sectoral
and multi-disciplinary VAC – as per the Convention on the Rights of the
Child – includes “all forms of physical or mental
• Promote equitable participation and bring
violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent
diverse voices from LMICs (researchers,
treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including
survivors, marginalised groups) to the field.
sexual abuse, while in the care of parent(s), legal
• Where relevant and appropriate, endeavor guardian(s) or any other person who has the care of
to engage the community where the the child”.8
research will take place.
VAC can include but is not limited to: abuse
• Challenge the gender hierarchy that and neglect in the family, incest, sexual abuse,
contributes to VAW and VAC in order to infanticide; bullying and other forms of violence
promote gender equality. in the school; corporal punishment; psychological
aggression; child trafficking, sale of children, child
• Inform policy, programs and services
sexual exploitation and other commercial sexual
and serve to strengthen access to
exploitation of children; child labour; various forms
comprehensive care and support for
of cyber and online violence; recruitment as child
survivors.
soldiers, children recruited and exploited by terrorist
and violent extremist groups, and many others.9
https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/violence-against-women
6 9
https://www.unodc.org/e4j/en/crime-prevention-criminal-justice/module-12/key-
Ibid.
7 issues/1--the-many-forms-of-violence-against-children.html

https://www.unicef.org/child-rights-convention
8

Grant  Length Applicants can apply for grants between $40,000

to $200,000 no longer than 24months in length.

and  Duration The common characteristic is the provision of

funding for a limited period of time with clear
measurable outcomes.

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 APPLICATION PROCESS
The SVRI will issue a Request for Proposals (RFP)
inviting colleagues to apply for funding. Applicants
should apply after they have considered the above
Application   requirements and assessed whether their proposal is
suitable for support under this call.
Process   All applications must be submitted via the

Review ProposalCENTRAL online system and reach us by

midnight (South African time) on the

and   2nd August 2021.

Only applications submitted via the online system

Assessment   before the given closing date and time will be
considered.

of   Please try and submit well before the deadline.

The SVRI and ProposalCENTRAL cannot be held
Proposals responsible for delays and problems with internet
connectivity.

REGISTERING YOUR INSTITUTION

If you are a first time user of ProposalCENTRAL you
must first register, before you can proceed with your
application. To do so you must:
• Go to https://proposalcentral.altum.com
• Select “First Time Users – Register”
• Complete the registration page.
• Create your own Username, password and
challenge question for your user account.
• Click “SAVE” when done.
• The registration confirmation screen will confirm
your new account has been created. For security
purposes, you will receive a confirmation number
by e-mail which you must enter when you log in the
first time.
Contact ProposalCENTRAL at [email protected]
if you experience any difficulties with this process.

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FILLING IN THE ONLINE FORM • Saving your work: Please remember to save your
work before moving on to the next page. Also note
• Graphics and tables: The online application form
that you cannot edit in print format. Any changes
cannot accept graphics and tables. Any graphics
made whilst you are in print view will not be saved.
and tables must be uploaded as attachments.
• Submitting your proposal: Please note,
• CVs of Key Personnel: Using the CV template
your proposal has not been submitted if you
provided online, provide short CVs of all personnel
do not receive a confirmation email from
who will be working on this project.
ProposalCENTRAL confirming you have
• Project Plan: A project plan must accompany the submitted your proposal. Please check with
application. Please use the template available ProposalCENTRAL if you are uncertain if your
online. proposal has been submitted.
• Budget: Applicants should provide a budget for • Assistance with your online application: Your
12 to 24 months in USD using the online questions and concerns can be directed to
application form. The budget should be a ProposalCENTRAL Customer Service by email to
definitive line-item budget for all direct costs, and [email protected]. Follow-up questions can
administrative or indirect costs, and must exclude be directed to ProposalCENTRAL’s customer service
capital expenditure and general operating support. line 800 875 2562 (Toll- free U.S. and Canada) or
Indirect costs are permitted but may not exceed +1 703 964 5840 (Direct Dial International).
15% of total costs. The total cost of the proposal
REVIEW PROCESS
should not exceed the grant limit including indirect
costs. Indirect costs are expected to cover items Grantees will be selected through a rigorous,
such as office rental, electricity, internet access, multi-layered selection process. Once the deadline
computer programmes, financial management has closed, all proposals are scanned/reviewed by
costs and these are not expected to be itemised internal SVRI staff. Proposals that do not fulfil basic
separately in additon to a 15% overhead. eligibility criteria will be excluded at this stage. I.e.
Proposals requesting more than the stipulated applications that are off topic; not based within a
maximum will be rejected at point of receipt. low and middle income country; exceed project time
frames or budget requirements; submitted late;
The extent of individual cost items should match
not submitted via the online application system;
the scope of the project, reflect real or estimated
do not meet the basic administrative application
cost burdens, and not be padded.
requirements. Please note, providing reviewers with
Please use the following guidelines to calculate a clear, well structured abstract is important for this
personnel costs: stage of the review process.
- Personnel (employee): calculate the
employee daily rate using the person’s REVIEW
Applications scanned and
annual salary inclusive of fringe benefits
(e.g. pension, medical aid, etc.) 1 checked to ensure they meet
the basic criteria
divided by 260.
- Personnel (consultant): the daily cost of REVIEW
the consultant to your institution. SVRI and core partners develop

The budget must be accompanied by a budget

2 a shortlist of proposals

narrative. More details on how to fill in the budget

and budget narrative are provided on the online REVIEW
Independent panel of experts
form.
• Capacity statement: This statement provides the
3 review shortlisted proposals and
make recommendations
SVRI with details on the extent to which applicants
have the relevant expertise / experience to manage
/ complete the project successfully, and the roles
and responsibilities of consortium members.
4 Final selection
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The SVRI staff along with a technical team will REVIEW CRITERIA AND SCORING OF
undertake a more thorough review of applications PROPOSALS
using criteria provided in the following table below.
SVRI staff and peer reviewers are asked to
A shortlist of between 20-30 proposals found eligible
evaluate proposals according to a set criteria as
and technically solid will be prepared for final review
well as specific questions under each criterion.
by a small external expert panel. The small external
In submitting a proposal for funding, applicants
international expert review committee will consist
should make every effort to ensure that the proposal
of up to 6 members, made up of representatives with
address these aspects. The criteria and questions are
technical expertise in the fields of VAW and VAC and
outlined below.
/ or proposal review experience. Participation in the
expert panel is on a voluntary basis. Members of all
review committees must adhere to the SVRI Conflict
of Interest Policy. The results of the review process
will be sent within 4-5 months of application.

CRITERION WHAT REVIEWER HAS TO COMMENT ON

Overall merit Will the project build the evidence for VAW and/or VAW/VAC intersections prevention and
response in LMICs? If it is an intervention, is the intervention likely to succeed with respect
to the qualifications of the project team and the institution within which the project is
housed? Does the proposal abstract clearly and concisely summarise the significance
of the work, the major objectives of the project, the methodology to be followed, the
potential impact of the research and its dissemination plan?

Research / Is the design / method sound, feasible and relevant to the questions being asked? Is the
project design approach proposed appropriate and likely to accomplish the project goal and outcomes?
and methods Are potential problems recognized and addressed with alternative approaches? Does the
project include a thorough proposal for capturing and sharing lessons learned during
design and implementation? Does the proposal take into account the impact of Covid – 19
and has it made provisons to adhere to public health guidelines?

Significance of Will the project advance basic theoretical concepts, improve or enhance policy and
the proposed practice in the field of VAW and/or VAC prevention and response? Does the application
project build on current knowledge in the field? Does it challenge and seek to shift current
research or approaches to policy and practice by utilising sound theoretical concepts,
approaches, methodologies, tools or interventions? Does the project provide a clear theory
of change? Will the project contribute to solving barriers to progress in the field? Is the
project replicable? Will the project strengthen VAW and VAC research capacity, technical
skill and knowledge?

Project manager/ Is the training and experience of the project manager and team appropriate for the project
team or activity? Is there sufficient expertise and level of accomplishments within the team /
institution to generate confidence in success? Is the project led by or include a partner
from a LMIC setting? Is there a partnership between multiple organisations established
and if yes, is it established on equitable basis and explicitly following feminist principles?
I.e. a local NGO and an academic institution, north-south or south-south academic
partnerships. Does the research partnership have building research capacity as an
objective? Are the roles and responsibilities of all project partners clearly outlined in the
proposal?

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 CRITERION WHAT REVIEWER HAS TO COMMENT ON

Ethical Are the research participants appropriately protected from potential research risk? Does
considerations the project include and budget for staff care activities, including addressing potential
vicarious trauma? Will the project be conducted in a professional manner, in accordance
with the applicable international and ethical guidelines, including but not limited to:
• Putting Women First: Ethical and Safety Recommendations for Research on Domestic
Violence Against Women, Department of Gender and Women’s Health Family and
Community Health. World Health Organization. 1999;
• Researching Violence against Women: A Practical Guide for Researchers and Activists.
World Health Organization and Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH).
2005;
• Ethical and Safety Recommendations for Research on Perpetration of Sexual
Violence: Jewkes R, Dartnall E and Sikweyiya Y. SVRI and Medical Research Council
South Africa. 2012;
• Ethical and safety recommendations for intervention research on violence against
women: RTI and WHO. 2016;
• Ethical standards for research during public health emergencies: distilling existing
guidance to support Covid - 19 R&D, WHO. 2020.

Budget Is the budget credible and aligned with the project methodology? Are all budget tables
detailed and complete and demonstrate that all activities/components are integrated
into the budget? Does the budget narrative talk to the budget tables? Are all project costs
(resources/goods, etc.) appropriately budgeted for to ensure the project will achieve its
outputs in the most cost-effective way?

Upon consideration of the above criteria and specific questions, reviewers will score the quality of the proposal
and make recommendations on fundability.

OVERALL TIMELINE FOR PROCESSING PROPOSALS FOR FUNDING

STEPS OR ACTIONS TIMELINE

Call / request for proposals 17 May 2021

Closing date for applications 2 August 2021

External review 6 October-30 October 2021

Communication of outcomes to the research committee November 2021

Notification and acceptance of grants by awardees November-December 2021

Attendance of grantees to an inception and capacity February/March 2022

building meeting

Individual Project timeframes January 2022-December 2023/4 (Upto 24 months)

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APPLICATION CHECKLIST (INCOMPLETE GRANT INFORMATION SUMMARY
APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE • Level of award: between $40,000 to $200,000
CONSIDERED)
• Period of award: 12-24 months in length
• Completed online application (including project
outcomes and budget) • Closing date for applications: 2 August 2021

• Completed and signed SVRI Grant Approval Form • Further information: email [email protected]

• CVs of key personnel using the template (available • Method of application: Applications must be
online) submitted online here (Select Award Maker: Sexual
Violence Research Initiative)
• Project Plan using template provided (available
online) • Language of application: Applications in English,
French and Spanish will be accepted.
• References for evidence used to inform the
research goals and objectives
• Appendices (if required).

Acknowledgements
The SVRI would like to acknowledge the generous contributions
of our funding partners in supporting this grant, including
Sida, an anonymous donor and other in kind contributions from
key experts in the field. Without your support this important
funding mechanism for building evidence in the field would not
be possible. Thank you.

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