Applications due Oct. 5
These instructions are for VU investigators. VUMC investigators should visit the OOR funding opportunity site.
Vanderbilt University may submit one application to the January 2024 cycle of the Conservation, Food and Health Foundation (CFH) Grants program. The CFH seeks to protect the environment, improve food production and promote public health in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Middle East.
Overview
The foundation supports projects and applied research that generate local or regional solutions to problems affecting the quality of the environment and human life; advance local leadership and promote professional development in the conservation, agricultural and health sciences; develop the capacity of local organizations; and address a particular problem or question in the field.
The foundation prefers to support projects that address under-funded issues and geographic areas. The foundation funds applied research, pilot projects, new initiatives, training and technical assistance, rather than ongoing support for programs that are already well underway. An important goal for the foundation is to provide seed money to help promising projects, organizations and individuals develop the track record they need to attract major foundation funding in the future.
In all of its areas of interest, the foundation gives priority to projects that have the potential to advance the field, build local capacity, promote replication, influence public opinion and policy, affect systems change, and benefit people beyond the immediate project and its local context.
Award information
Grants are made for a one- or two-year period. Second-year funding is conditional on the provision of a satisfactory progress report, interim financial report and work plan. There is no minimum or maximum grant size. It is anticipated that most grants will fall in the $25,000–$50,000 per year range.
Conservation projects
Conservation grants promote environmental conservation through field research, projects and advocacy that:
- Protect biodiversity and preserve natural resources
- Help mitigate the adverse effects of climate change
- Build the scientific and technical capacity of local conservation organizations and promote local, regional and international partnerships
- Increase engagement between scientists, local communities and organizations, and decision-makers
- Partner with Indigenous communities and local people
Food projects
Grants in the food and agriculture program area focus on research-based projects that build capacity for self-sufficiency and resilience to climate change, strengthen local food systems and support healthy nutrition through projects that:
- Enhance food security
- Develop and promote sustainable agricultural practices
- Build the capacity of small-scale farmers
- Advance farmer research and research partnerships
- Develop environmentally sound and affordable approaches to control pests and diseases affecting important local food crops
- Promote indigenous food sovereignty and knowledge systems
- Address challenges of uptake and scalability through new methods of extension, education and technology transfer
Health projects
The foundation supports efforts that test new ideas and approaches that promote public health, with a special emphasis on reproductive health and family planning and their integration with other health promotion activities. It favors community-level disease prevention and health promotion projects and efforts that help strengthen regional and country public health systems over disease diagnosis, treatment and care provided by clinics, hospitals and humanitarian aid programs.
Activities that help increase capacity include applied research, program development, technical assistance and training projects that:
- Promote reproductive health and family planning
- Address issues related to mental and behavioral health
- Address issues relating to pollution and environmental health
- Increase the understanding of zoonotic and neglected tropical diseases
- Address issues relating to nutrition and health
Projects the foundation rarely funds
- Humanitarian aid programs, missionary programs and social service programs
- Projects with primarily a local emphasis
- Village improvement and basic farmer training programs
- Capital requests
- Limited financial capacity
- Microenterprise, ecotourism and livelihood projects
- Publications and media
- Social science research
- Medical care
See the guidelines, previous grantees and FAQs for more information.
Internal application process
Interested faculty should visit https://vanderbilt.infoready4.com/#competitionDetail/1915869 to apply for the internal LSO competition and to find additional information about the opportunity. The deadline for the internal competition is Oct. 5, 2023.
Any questions about this opportunity may be directed to VU-LSO@vanderbilt.edu.