Updates on the Institute Grant support and applications process
The Collective Impact Fund (CIF) is designed to support cross-program collaboration to achieve sustainable impact in addressing local, regional and global inequities. The CIF was set up as a pilot scheme with an overall budget of 1.5 million GBP (British pounds) and was due to end in June 2023, however, grantmaking will now be extended until June 2025.
The decision-making powers for awards over 10,000 GBP are now assessed by a grants awards panel
Decisions for awards over 10,000 GBP now involve an assessment process by an awards panel made up of Fellows, program staff and the Atlantic Institute (i.e., the Atlantic Institute executive director, an Atlantic Fellows program executive director, a program staff member working with graduated Fellows and three members of GFAB/ Global Atlantic Fellows Advisory Board). The panel met for the second time in September and from eight recommended proposals (after a previous shortlisting process), they made six awards. Fellows who put forward the other two proposals that did not receive awards have been asked to supply more information to the panel.
There were originally five grant streams that came out of the Collective Impact Fund but they have been streamlined to three:
The Connect Grant
Connect Grants were fixed at 10,000 GBP or below, but now applications made for a higher amount can be assessed by the grant awards panel. The Connect Grant aims to foster connection between Atlantic Fellows (i.e. Fellows from two or more Atlantic Fellows programs applying together) to explore solutions to address the root causes of inequities.
The Pilot Grant
These are grants of up to 50,000 GBP, with applications assessed by the grants award panel. These grants aim to support Global Atlantic Fellows from at least two, ideally three, different programs to roll out and test a defined (k)new project idea and evaluate its feasibility.
The Scale Grant
These are grants of up to 100,000 GBP, with applications assessed by the grants award panel. These grants aim to support projects proposed by Global Atlantic Fellows from at least two, ideally three, different programs to be scaled up when those projects fulfill their potential to achieve high impact.
The following project was awarded a Scale Grant in the latest round of awards assessed by the panel
1. Walking the Talk
The project is an immersive, (k)new experience that aims to empower people with dementia and their families, as well as raise global awareness, enhance/diversify an understanding of dementia, catalyze collaborations, and foster a cohesive community united by a strong purpose. The funding will support the establishment of an institute, the implementation of ‘Walking the Talk Dementia 2024’, capacity building and scoping visits to Peru and South Africa for ‘Walking the Talk 2025’.
Fernando Aguzolli-Peres (Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health), Michelle Steele (Atlantic Fellow for Social Equity) and Maureen Sigauke (Atlantic Fellow for Social and Economic Equity) were awarded 100,000 GBP to spend within two years.
The following projects were awarded Pilot Grants in the latest round of awards assessed by the panel
2. The Girl Who Found Her Smile
The project aims to improve access to oral health services for young children through the provision of oral health education in Nigeria and the Philippines. The funding will support a baseline assessment and stakeholder engagement, the re-illustration and the distribution of 1,000 copies of the book “The Girl Who Found Her Smile” in the Philippines context. There will also be the establishment of joint oral health book clubs, campaigns and outreach events on oral health; and the integration of the oral health programs into public school curriculums.
Alfredo M. Coro II (Atlantic Fellow for Health Equity in Southeast Asia) and Adekemi Adeniyan (Atlantic Fellow for Health Equity U.S.+Global) were awarded 32,500 GBP to be spent within a year.
3. Reliving Memories
The project aims to shift narratives of social stigma by using passion to drive cognitive and social activities for older adults and people with dementia. The funding will support a research study on the impact of cognitive and socialization activities for older adults, the implementation of cultural activities and workshops
Carlos Chechetti Junior (Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health) and Carla A. Arena Ventura (Atlantic Fellow for Health Equity U.S.+Global) were awarded 50,000 GBP to be spent within a year.
4. Shifting the Narrative on Data and Dementia in Africa
The project aims to shift the narrative on data and dementia in Africa through the development of visual tools and infrastructure, empowering stakeholders and supporting meaningful discussions on contextually relevant life course brain health. The funding will support the development of standard architecture for visualizations, the launch of the prototype, a refinement of the dashboards, and the capacity building of stakeholders on the use and engagement of the dashboards. See the prototype here.
Kirsten Bobrow (Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health), Ifeanyi Nsofor (Atlantic Fellow for Health Equity U.S.+Global), Wambui Karanja (Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health) and Lebo Molete (Atlantic Fellow for Health Equity in South Africa) were awarded 48,970 GBP to be spent within a year.
5. I_Menstruate
The project aims to work toward achieving menstrual equity in education by developing the capacity of learners to catalyze community action and national public attention to end period poverty in 18 I_Menstruate schools. The project also drives up public pressure to secure a commitment from the government to implement and resource a sanitary dignity framework policy. The funding will support a cost-benefit study for making sanitary products free for all, an exploration of the sanitary dignity policy framework, the development of the I-Menstruate tool kit, awareness and training workshops, engagement and mobilization of school management and governing bodies, creative action and activism, and an engagement exercise with Fellows and menstrual equity organizations in India and Scotland on best practice.
Tracey Malawana (Atlantic Fellow for Health Equity in South Africa) and Joey Hasson (Atlantic Fellow for Social and Economic Equity) were awarded 50,000 GBP to be spent within a year.
6. Making A Way Out of No Way
The project aims to improve the lives of adolescents in underserved communities through the implementation of an interdisciplinary approach that combines music, value-based education and brain health prevention. The funding will support a community baseline study, the implementation of the interdisciplinary approach in the target communities, training and the development of a documentary.
Agustín Ibañez (Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health), Dominic Campbell (Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health), Jane Sloane (Atlantic Fellow for Social and Economic Equity), Ariadne Gorring (Atlantic Fellow for Social Equity), Tim Aye-Hardy (Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Southeast Asia), Haseena Majid (Atlantic Fellow for Health Equity in South Africa) and Ganzamungu Zihindula (Atlantic Fellow for Health Equity in South Africa) were awarded
49,060 GBP to be spent within a year.
7. Grant Artificial Intelligence
The project aims to undertake a learning process to determine how artificial intelligence can be harnessed and adapted to create a community-led, democratized model, trained on narratives from the global majority. The funding will support a literature review on artificial intelligence, datasets and ethical issues, capacity building, technology development, model training, research activity planning and management.
Syed Mustafa Hasnain Hasnain Nadir (Atlantic Fellow for Health Equity U.S.+Global), Wilneida Negron (Atlantic Fellow for Racial Equity) and Gilberto Lopez (Atlantic Fellow for Health Equity U.S.+ Global) were awarded 50,000 GBP. (Additional conditions are attached to this award).
The following project was awarded a Connect Grant in the latest round of awards assessed by the panel
8. COP (Conference of the Parties - United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) 28
Three Fellows applied for costs to attend and connect at COP 28, joining other Atlantic Fellows and Rhodes Fellows (who are self-funded already). The Fellows plan to use this opportunity to connect, deepen relationships, self-organize and strategize across thematic areas in the climate justice space during and after COP28.
Jordi Luke (Atlantic Fellow for Health Equity U.S.+Global), Azeeza Rangunwala (Atlantic Fellow for Health Equity in South Africa) and Janine Mohamed (Atlantic Fellow for Social Equity) were awarded 16,020 GBP with additional conditions being attached to this award.