Call for Entries: AMBSO Impact Research Initiative

Deadline: 16-Oct-2026

The AMBSO Impact Research Initiative provides grants of up to USD 10,000 for innovative early-stage research, proof-of-concept studies, and pilot projects addressing priority health challenges. Researchers, academic institutions, and research organizations worldwide can apply for projects lasting up to 18 months, with funding supporting activities such as data collection, ethical approvals, community engagement, protocol development, and research data management. The AMBSO Impact Research Initiative supports early-stage research and pilot projects that address important health challenges across Africa and beyond. The initiative is designed to help researchers develop emerging ideas, generate preliminary evidence, and test innovative approaches that can eventually inform health policy and practice. The programme emphasizes research with the potential to strengthen health systems, improve population health outcomes, reduce health risks, and contribute to scalable solutions. The initiative supports bold and innovative research addressing priority health challenges.

Eligible research areas include:

Projects should have a clear research question or problem and demonstrate how the proposed work could generate useful evidence for health interventions, policy, or practice. The programme is particularly suited to researchers who are testing new ideas or developing initial evidence.

Supported research can include:

The funding can help researchers move an idea from an early concept toward evidence that may support future research, implementation, or scale-up. Successful pilot research projects can receive up to USD 10,000. The grant can support direct research-related activities necessary to carry out the approved project.

Eligible activities may include:

Applicants should ensure that requested funding is directly connected to the approved research activities. Each grant has a maximum duration of 18 months. Funding is provided only for the approved project period. There is no continuation or renewal funding beyond the grant term, so applicants should develop a realistic research plan that can be completed within the approved period. The initiative is open to eligible researchers and research institutions worldwide.

Eligible applicants include:

Doctoral students are encouraged to apply as part of a research team led by a faculty Principal Investigator. This structure allows doctoral researchers to participate in innovative pilot research while working under established academic research leadership. The initiative does not accept applications from: Applicants should ensure that both the applicant organization and proposed project structure meet the programme’s eligibility requirements. The initiative is designed to support research that goes beyond generating academic findings. Proposed projects should demonstrate potential to produce actionable evidence that can inform: Applicants should explain how their findings could be used after the pilot stage and identify the stakeholders who could benefit from the research. Research can address infectious disease challenges, antimicrobial resistance, epidemic preparedness, and other issues related to global health security. Projects can explore innovative applications of artificial intelligence that have potential to improve healthcare delivery, research, diagnosis, health systems, or population health. The initiative supports epidemiological research that can improve understanding of HIV/AIDS patterns, risks, prevention, and population-level health outcomes. Research can examine the relationship between climate change and health risks and develop evidence to inform adaptation or health interventions. Projects can address emerging questions in cancer research and develop preliminary evidence that may contribute to improved prevention, understanding, or care. Research can focus on health challenges affecting mothers, children, and adolescents and explore interventions that can improve health outcomes. The initiative also supports research on non-communicable diseases, including mental health challenges and other long-term health conditions. Projects can investigate approaches that support healthier aging and improve health outcomes among aging populations. Applicants should clearly explain the health challenge, research gap, proposed methodology, and expected impact.

A strong proposal should include:

Applicants should also explain how the research can generate actionable evidence for health policy or practice. Early-stage research can help determine whether promising health ideas are feasible before larger investments are made. By supporting pilot studies and proof-of-concept research, the AMBSO Impact Research Initiative provides researchers with resources to generate preliminary evidence, test emerging approaches, and develop research that can inform future interventions. The broad range of priority areas also allows researchers to address emerging health challenges from infectious diseases and AI in healthcare to climate-related health risks, cancer, mental health, and healthy aging. It is a research funding initiative supporting early-stage studies, pilot projects, proof-of-concept research, and emerging ideas addressing priority health challenges. Successful projects can receive up to USD 10,000. Each grant can support a project for a period of up to 18 months. Researchers, academic institutions, and research organizations worldwide can apply, subject to the programme’s eligibility requirements. Yes. Doctoral students are encouraged to participate as part of a research team led by a faculty Principal Investigator. Priority areas include infectious diseases, global health security, antimicrobial resistance, AI in healthcare, HIV/AIDS epidemiology, climate change and health, cancer, maternal and child health, adolescent health, non-communicable diseases, mental health, and healthy aging. No. Funding is provided exclusively for the app