Nominations are now open for the Global Development Awards Competition, an innovative award scheme administered by GDN, funded under the Policy and Human Resources Development Fund (PHRD) trust fund managed by the World Bank, and generously supported by the Ministry of Finance, Government of Japan.
The theme of the 2023 edition is ‘Nexus of Education, Development and Human Security’.
Categories
The Japanese Award for Outstanding Research on Development (ORD)
This award program identifies and funds outstanding research proposals in low- or middle-income countries with high potential for excellence in research and clear policy implications for addressing development issues.
The three winning projects will receive grants worth US$ 60,000. The awards will be given to the researcher(s) whose proposals hold the greatest promise for improving the understanding of development issues and puts forth clear, articulate and well researched policy implications to address relevant developmental problems.
The first prize winner will receive a grant of US$ 30,000. The second prize and third prize winners will receive a grant of US$ 20,000 and US$ 10,000 respectively. The funds will be used to support the research work proposed by the winners towards the completion of their research. Additionally, awardees will be paired with world-class academic in their area of work who will play the role of a Scientific and Technical Advisor.
Finalists will be invited to join a communications training in preparation of a pitch of their project in front of a high-level Jury, which will decide which research proposal to award, at an event in April 2024 and projects are expected to start in June 2024.
The Japanese Award for Most Innovative Development Project (MIDP)
The award program invites non-profit NGOs and CSOs to submit project proposals supporting (in particular) improved service delivery, and innovative approaches that may be scaled-up through a grant. The award targets projects currently at the stage of implementation, and which have a high potential for impact targeting exceptionally marginalized and disadvantaged groups located in developing countries – per the World Bank’s recognition as low and middle income countries.
The winning projects will receive grants worth US$ 125,000. The awards will be given to organizations whose projects embody an innovative approach to an important development need and hold the greatest promise for:
responding directly to the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable, underserved groups to improve their lives aiming at rapid results for improved livelihood;
supporting initiatives that lead to developing sustainable outcomes through the scaling-up of the project.
The two first prize winners under each theme will receive a grant of US$ 50,000 each. The second prize will receive a grant of US$ 25,000. Additionally, awardees will be paired with a Technical Advisor throughout the entire implementation of the grant.
Finalists will be invited to join a communications training in preparation of a pitch of their project in front of a high-level Jury, which will decide which research proposal to award in April 2023 and projects are expected to start in June 2024.
Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF) Award
The JSDF award focuses on piloting socially innovative development projects that have been identified as having the potential for development impact and replicability through the MIDP Award. The objective of JSDF Award is to support community-driven development and poverty reduction programs that serve to enhance productivity, increase access to social and community services and infrastructure, and improve the living conditions of poor and vulnerable groups in eligible countries.
The two first prize winners will compete for the JSDF award after a minimum of 12 months’ implementation of their MIDP grant. GDN will review the suitability of the proposals for a much larger grant of up to US$ 200,000 within the framework of the World Bank-administered Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF).
Eligible Countries
Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; American Samoa; Angola; Argentina; Armenia; Azerbaijan; Bangladesh; Belarus; Belize; Benin; Bhutan; Bolivia; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Botswana; Brazil; Bulgaria; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cabo Verde; Cambodia; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Chad; China; Comoros; Colombia; Costa Rica; Congo, Dem. Rep; Congo, Rep.; Cote d’Ivoire; Cuba; Djibouti; Dominica; Dominican Republic; Ecuador; Egypt; El Salvador; Eritrea; Eswatini; Equatorial Guinea; Ethiopia; Fiji; Gabon; Gambia; Georgia; Ghana; Grenada; Guatemala; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Guyana; Haiti; Honduras; India; Indonesia; Iran; Iraq; Kenya; Kiribati; ; Jamaica; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kosovo; Kyrgyz Republic; Lao; Lebanon; Lesotho; Liberia; Libya; Madagascar; Malaysia; Malawi; Maldives; Mali; Marshall Islands; Mauritania; Mauritius; Mexico; Micronesia; Moldova; Mongolia; Montenegro; Morocco; Mozambique; Myanmar; Nepal; Namibia; Nicaragua; Niger; Nigeria; North Macedonia; Pakistan; Papua New Guinea; Panama; Paraguay; Peru; Philippines; Romania; Russian Federation; Rwanda; Samoa; Sao Tome and Principe; Senegal; Serbia; Sierra Leone; Solomon Islands; Somalia; South Africa; South Sudan; Sri Lanka; St. Lucia; St. Vincent and the Grenadines; Sudan; Suriname; Syrian Arab Republic; Tajikistan; Tanzania; Timor-Leste; Thailand; Togo; Tonga; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Tuvalu; Uganda; Ukraine; Uzbekistan; Vanuatu; Vietnam; West Bank and Gaza; Yemen; Zambia; Zimbabwe.
Eligibility Criteria
Japanese Award for Outstanding Research on Development
The ORD is open only to researchers from the list above with the requirement that they need to be also their citizens and residents and the project to be implemented in one of the mentioned countries.
Citizens of eligible countries currently residing in a non-eligible country are also eligible to apply only if they have been living in the non-eligible country for no more than five years as of 1 January 2024.
Past ORD winners and finalists are not eligible to apply with the same or similar research proposal. Additionally, winners are not eligible to apply for a period of three years subsequent to the end of their agreement with GUN.
GDN strongly encourages female researchers to engage and apply.
Each applicant maybe involved only with one proposal.
Japanese Award for Most Innovative Development Project
The MIDP is open to non-profit Non-Governmental Organizations (NG0s) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) from above to submit applications on projects currently at the stage of implementation. Projects must have started their implementation on 1 June 2022 or before to be considered eligible.
Additionally, NG0s/CSOs applying for the MIDP category must be eligible to receive funds from abroad according to the national legal framework (e. g. in India, the NGO/CSO must be FCRA compliant).
Applicants from previous years (except winners) may re-apply, but they must update the application to include new aspects of the project. Previous MIDP winners are not eligible to apply.
An organization can only submit one application.
The upper age limit for all applicants is 45 years by the end of 2023. Individuals above 45 years of age as of 1 January 2024 are not eligible to apply.
Previous and current employees of GDN (Including interns and members of evaluation teams) or its Regional Network Partners’ are not eligible to apply up till 5 years from the completion of their tenure.
