Subsidies

NACCAP funds are allocated by open calls for proposals, co-funded EDCTP calls, commissioned project and supportive activities.

• Open calls
  It is envisioned that the majority of NACCAP funded projects will be selected through open calls. Calls will be published internationally describing the objectives and the desired activities, along with the formal criteria for application, and the evaluation and selection criteria and procedure. An open call typically consists of two stages. First, a call for letters of interest is published. Based on the evaluation of the ideas generated through this bottom-up procedure, a selection of applicants will be invited to elaborate the proposal for the second stage evaluation and selection. If deemed necessary, specific requests can be made to alter/improve proposal from the NACCAP perspective. International peer review is an essential part of the second stage (final) evaluation and selection. To encourage joint proposal development, funding may be provided for joint workshops/meetings of the partners. Competition based on quality criteria be an essential part of both stages.
• Co-funding EDCTP calls
  Since NACCAP is the Netherlands' contribution to EDCTP, NACCAP will co-fund specific EDCTP calls. For this applicants of EDCTP calls have to submit a request for co-funding to the NACCAP secreteriat (ENO, The Netherlands) including the completed EDCTP application form. For co-funding by NACCAP, see EDCTP calls. NACCAP co-funding budget should be assigned to African citizens and/or African infrastructure only.
• Commissioned projects
  To complement the result of open calls, (consortia of) organisations may be invited to develop proposals for specific activities. Commissioned projects will, however, form only a minor part of the portfolio and will only be sought in case open tenders did not result in (sufficient) qualified proposals, or in case it is deemed necessary to complement existing projects or to reach specific goals. As with all NACCAP funded activities, international peer review will be a crucial element in the evaluation process.
• Support activities
  In addition, the NACCAP programme may undertake own activities of minor size aimed at specific activities for the programme, such as advocacy, informing and consulting stakeholders, knowledge dissemination etc. These include: funding of activities aimed at joint proposal development (travel workshops, etc.) for invited proposals, funding of NACCAP wide activities to encourage coherence amongst funded activities (e.g. joint workshops, symposia, conferences, visits of supported centres) or advocacy (conference talks by advocate speakers invited by the Programme Committee, attendance of international forums, etc.).
  

For all projects (except support activities) financed by NACCAP, one or more of the following funding rules apply:

• The activity must be executed by an international consortium involving institutions and groups from the African country involved, and at least two partner groups/institutions from another European country.
• The activity must be clearly supported, and preferably initiated, by the participating African partner institutions, demonstrated by active and equal involvement in proposal development and execution plans. Research centres supported through NACCAP must be well embedded in, and form part of, the local health system.
• The activity must be focused on the capacity development for conducting clinical trials and testing of new interventions against HIV/Aids, malaria and TB in sub-Sahara Africa. If direct benefit to the African centres can be demonstrated, initiatives including activities in (developing) countries outside Africa may be considered.
  Proposals for the investment in African research centres should include a multi-faceted analysis of the current status of and prospects for the focal centre(s) with respect to the ability to conduct clinical trials according to international standards.

In addition, the following is preferred and encouraged:

• Public-private partnerships: strategic cooperation between public and private organisations, notably including industrial partners.
• Multidisciplinary cooperation, e.g. combining multiple disease fields and scientific disciplines (e.g. biomedical, epidemiology, health systems research, social sciences).
  Generation of added value to previous and existing public investments by the Netherlands in the field of poverty-related diseases.

Additional criteria may be defined, depending on the specific goal of a specific activity.