The ILO’s Microinsurance Innovation Facility, set up to promote and carry out research in microinsurance in developing countries, has now announced a Call for Proposals from researchers and academics on conducting research in microinsurance in developing countries. Interested persons can consult to the Microinsurance Innovation Facility website here. NGOs who are interested in carrying out feasibility studies on microinsurance in their field areas can use this opportunity to raise funds and collect the required information.

This is the first round of the research grants and the budget alloted for each selected proposal is US $10,000. Applicants need to consult the following websites for developing research questions and literature on microinsurance;

http://www.microfinancegateway.org/resource_centers/insurance
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/mifacility/grantees/index.htm

The deadline for submission of proposals is 21 January 2009. More information about this opportunity is available at this link. Guidelines and the application form can be downloaded from this link.

The Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship support social entrepreneurs who have been working on current critical challenges such as environmental sustainability, health, tolerance and human rights, institutional responsibility, economic and social equity and peace and security. There are also sub-issues in these areas, which include climate change, nuclear proliferation, pandemics, conflict in the Middle East and water scarcity. NGO practitioners and development professionals working in these fields can apply for the award which includes funding support for a period of three years. This funding can be used for building organizational capacity for greater sustainability and change.

The application process is highly competitive and also comprises of several stages of shortlisting. Initially, interested individuals are required to take a eligibility quiz at the website. If the individual has been found to be eligible, he or she can then submit an online application. If the online application is selected, the Foundation will invite a full proposal.

Although application are invited round the year, there are set deadlines fixed throughout. The next deadline for accepting online applications is 3 March 2009. More information on this opportunity is available at this link.

The Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is an international financing organization, developed from a public/private partnership of global institutions and governments. The Fund provides substantial resources for poor countries to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. It works with other bilateral and multilateral organizations and supports developing countries in strengthening their health systems and build their human resources.

The Fund periodically announces call for proposals from the governments and the civil society. Proposals are usually requested through a consortium and the partnership of the government and NGOs are critical for seeking support from the Fund.

Contact Information:

The Global Fund to Fight
AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
Geneva Secretariat
Chemin de Blandonnet 8
1214 Vernier
Geneva, Switzerland
Tel: +41 58 791 1700
Fax: +41 58 791 17 01
Email: info@theglobalfund.org
URL: http://www.theglobalfund.org

Under the Social Edge Program, the Center for Science, Technology and Society of the Santa Clara’s University in California, United States is organizing the ‘Global Social Benefit Incubator.’ The Global Social Benefit Incubator is a program for social benefit entrepreneurs in developing countries that provides assistance for organizations to develop sustainability ideas and business plans so that they can increase the number of the beneficiaries. The program comprises of three components, in which business plan exercises are carried out online, after which 20 organizations are selected for a 4-month online program in addition to the 2-week residential program for intensive action learning process. Completion of the business planning exercises can help organizations in getting selected for full scholarship of US $ 25,000.

Interested applicants can start working on this application from 6 January 2009 onwards. They need to visit the Social Edge Website and complete the Business Planning exercises, giving all the information. The deadline for the submission of the first set of information is 16 January 2009. More details about this scholarship opportunity is available at this link.

New Deadline: Extended up to 27 March 2009
The European Commission and the United Nations Joint Migration and Development Initiative (UNJMDI) under a Joint Initiative have launched the Call for Proposals to providing funding support in the four priority areas of:

1) Migrant remittances;
2) Migrant communities;
3) Migrant capacities;
4) Migrant rights

The objectives of the Joint Initiative are to reinforce the actors involved in migration and development, share information, experiences and best practices in the field and carry out policy advocacy on migration and development. Proposals will be accepted from a group of NGOs, comprising of at least two organizations working in a consortium. However, one of the partners in the consortium has to be from any of the 16 target countries mentioned below and one from any of the European Union countries. The 16 target countries identified by the Joint Initiative are Georgia, Moldova, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Senegal, Cape Verde, Ghana, Nigeria, Mali, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Jamaica and Ecuador.

Although application is requested through a consortium, funds would be available for each organization directly up to a maximum of €100,000.

The last date for submission of proposals is 13 March 2009 (New Deadline Extended up to 27 March 2009). More information on this call for proposals is available at this link.

Gender in development refers to the socially constructive role of women and men, girls and boys in developmental projects. Gender is highly essential not only from a donor perspective, but also from the developmental planning and implementation points of view. Gender enables effective delivery of services with high level of participation based upon equitable distribution of resources. All advanced planning has to have gender as a priority. Therefore, gender has to be integrated into proposals at the initial stage itself. Below are some useful ways for writing gender into proposals:

- We can reflectively integrate gender into all our documents in two ways. The first is documenting actively and accurately how our activity or training is affecting the entire community, including women.
- We should try to add a gender component throughout the proposal, not merely a section. This maybe a bit difficult to conceive, yet it gives a better chance of success for the project at the donor’s desk. We can understand this using an example. Suppose we are listing out strategies and activities in a proposal. During this time, we ask these questions to ourselves: How does this activity/training increase women’s and men’s participation and decision-making processes? How does this activity/training improve women’s and men’s income levels and economic conditions? How have I actively encouraged the participation of both women and men in the activity/training? What are the women’s and men’s priorities separately? These questions help us gather the gender-based information.
- We also have to use a language which is sensitive to gender. Language is often patriarchal and therefore carries and reflects gender biases and inequalities. Gender-fair language minimizes unnecessary concern about gender in your subject matter, allowing us to focus on what people do rather than on which sex they happen to be. For example, the practice of using he and man as generic terms poses a common problem. Rather than presenting a general picture of reality, he and man used generically can mislead the audience
- All data presented as evidence in the Problem Statement/Project Rationale section of the proposal has to be disaggregated gender-wise. Gender disaggregated data gives a clear overview of the situation and the need for the project.

PowerPoint presentations effectively communicate organizational needs to donors while seeking funds or submitting proposals. An opportunity given to make a presentation to the donor should be utilized most effectively for making the donor understand the challenges and the needs of the organization. This involves designing a successful presentation on the PowerPoint. Below are some PowerPoint tips NGOs can use for developing effective presentations:

- We have to focus less on text and more on graphics while developing a Presentation. Sometimes, we use only text, almost stuffing entire slide with words. This can fail to serve the purpose. So, the less text we use, the better look we can present

- As a general rule we should use not more than 5 points on a slide. Adding another slide if we have more information can be more effective.

- Choosing a text layout is important as it will help us not only design the slide, but also adding graphics in the slide.

- Choose a background which is simple. Bright colors in the background can distract the attention of the audience from the content.

- Animation brings delight to the slide. But we should use it at appropriate places.

Interested students across the world can apply for partial or full scholarships to undertake MS in Gender Studies, Critical Gender Studies and other programs offered by the Department of Gender Studies, Central European University. Although there is no clear information about the specific scholarships to be awarded to the students, announcements have been made as part of its general process of admission to new students. It promises financial aid packages to deserving applicants.

The deadline for submission of applications is 9 January 2009. Applicants are accepted online through the website. More information is available at this link.

The Berghof Conflict Research (BCR) is offering PhD scholarships to international students under the Georg Zundel PhD Grant for Social Sciences 2009 in Europe. There are grants available for two years and provides funding up to 1000 Euros in addition to travel and research support and health insurance. BCR is the research center for the Berghof Foundation for Conflict Studies based in Berlin. The Foundation works mostly in areas of conflict transformation and peacebuilding across the world. The PhD schorlarship is also offered to carry out higher studies in areas related to the Foundation’s themes.

Although this opportunity is open to all international professionals and students, they need to make sure that they are eligible to study in Europe. Candidates should demonstrate high level of commitment in addition to possessing an excellent academic background, relevant degree and some experience with peacebuilding and reconciliation in post-conflict areas.

The deadline for submission of application is 31 March 2009. More information on this can be downloaded from this link. The website of BRC can be accessed at this link.