RFP - Global Development Awards Competition Japanese Award for Outstanding Research on Development (ORD) 2025 Edition

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About the Organization

The Global Development Network (GDN) is a public international organisation that supports high-quality, policy-oriented, social science research in Low- and MiddleIncome Countries (LMICs), to promote better lives. Founded in 1999, GDN is headquartered in New Delhi (India), with offices in Clermont-Ferrand (France) and Arlington (USA). Our work spans the Global South.

About the Proposal

The Japanese Award for Outstanding Research on Development (ORD) is a competitive research grant programme under the umbrella of the Global Development Awards Competition administered by the Global Development Network (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.

This awards programme identifies and funds outstanding research proposals in low-income or middle-income countries with high potential for excellence in research and clear policy implications for addressing development issues.

Scope of the Call:

GDN is recruiting reviewers to conduct the assessment of research proposals under the ORD category of the Global Development Awards Competition. The review is scheduled to take place in two phases:

• Lot 1 - Reviewers will be selected to conduct a first assessment of proposals based on the ORD selection criteria and shortlist the best proposals.
• Lot 2 - Experienced researchers to review the shortlisted proposals and select the three finalists of the ORD category. The final decision will be validated by the Panel Organiser.

Panel Organiser: Out of the Lot 2 reviewers, a Panel Organiser is selected based on their professional experience, upon demonstrated availability for this additional task. This individual will have the additional task of approving the final ranking after taking into consideration all comments and (normalised) scores. Interested candidates can apply to one lot only, depending on their profiles.

Profile of applicants:

• Lot 1: Be a researcher with 2-10 years of research experience, with a track record of work and publication in the award theme for the current edition.
• Lot 2: Be a researcher with 10+ years of research experience, with a track record of work and publication in the award theme for the current edition.

Theme | 2025 Global Development Awards Competition: Digital Transformation for Universal Health Coverage

Digital health is a cultural transformation of traditional healthcare. Digital technologies offer powerful tools to improve access, affordability, and quality of health services. Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are often at the forefront of innovation in this space, offering valuable lessons to the global public health community on how to do more with less, impacting health outcomes, behaviour and knowledge among the most marginalised communities. The right combination of research and research-led implementation can help scale innovations to benefit larger groups, or it can enable impactful innovations to travel and be adapted across different health systems.

In 2025, the Japanese Award for Outstanding Research on Development (ORD) invites social science researchers based in LMICs to put forward proposals that focus on building the empirical evidence and the actionable knowledge capable of transforming the pursuit of universal health coverage through digital solutions. Research should illuminate how digital solutions impact the pursuit of universal health access across LMICs.

In parallel, the 2025 Japanese Award for Most Innovative Development Project (MIDP) will support existing (i.e. ongoing) NGO-led projects engaged in the development, implementation or evaluation of digital solutions in support of universal healthcare delivery in underserved areas.

Together, these awards bridge the gap between knowledge and real-world impact, advancing inclusive health systems.

Under the ORD 2025, GDN will be accepting proposals from early-career researchers focusing on the topic above. Examples of research questions include (but are not limited to) the following:

• How do mobile health platforms impact healthcare access and health outcomes for marginalised populations in fragile and conflict-affected settings?
• What are the socioeconomic impacts of telemedicine on reducing healthcare barriers for women and informal workers in rural LMICs?
• Can AI-powered diagnostic tools be adapted for use on low-cost devices (e.g., older smartphones) to detect common diseases in remote settings?
• What are the key privacy, security, and equity challenges in national digital health data systems, and how can policy frameworks address these issues to enhance human security?
• How do mobile health applications influence mental health support and chronic disease management for displaced populations in humanitarian crises?

Adherence to one of the questions above does not increase chances of success - these are examples. Researchers are urged to focus on their own interests within the 2025 topic. Proposals must, however, demonstrate policy relevance, originality, and clear methodologies, along with a direct and well-articulated link to the call topic. Research must align with human security principles, emphasising the protection and empowerment of individuals to ensure freedom from health-related risks and vulnerabilities.

Focus areas of Submissions:

• Access and Equity
• Behaviour and Attitudes
• Empowerment
• Knowledge and Awareness
• Systems and Capacity
• Social Norms
• Technology and Data

How to Apply

Interested individuals must submit the following information:

• Indicate to which Lot (1 or 2) they are applying for
• Overview of how their expertise matches the theme and scope of the competition
• Description of past experience on similar assignments
• Full CV

Selection Criteria:

The criteria for the selection of Reviewers are as follows:

• Research background on the theme of the call
• Policy background
• Leadership experience
• Evaluation and experience on project implementation experience

Application Procedure:

• Head to GDN’s dedicated online submission platform using the following link: www.gdn.int/gdac/2025/apply
• Register or log in to the platform to access your profile. You will receive an email confirming the successful registration of your profile and setting your password. Only after verifying your profile will you be able to submit an application.

The deadline for submission of applications is on Friday, May 23 2025 (Indian Standard Time 6 PM).

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Tags Healthcare and Healthtech Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Research Others