Applications are now open for the Irish Aid SDG Challenge for Sustainable Solutions

• Advancing sustainable, resilient, equitable and healthy food systems;
• Strengthening the use of technology (including digital) and data in food systems transformations, with particular consideration of gender-responsive interventions;
• Encouraging nutrition-sensitive agriculture interventions that advances nutritionally rich foods and dietary diversity and that recognises the importance of genetic diversity in food production;
• Fostering climate resilient and nature-positive production systems;
• Harnessing the role of blue foods for sustainable, resilient, equitable and healthy food systems.

In line with the SFI Future Innovator Prize framework, solutions must be underpinned by a credible and robust pathway to impact, built on primary evidence gathered through direct engagement with stakeholders. Solutions must demonstrate context-specific expected impact in one of Irish Aid’s partner countries (see below), but applicants are also encouraged to consider broader opportunities where solutions may have wider impact and may foster learning for regional and sub-regional use.

Eligible partner countries for this SDG Challenge Call are: Cambodia; Laos; Palestine; Vietnam; ODA-eligible country on the African continent; ODA-eligible Small Island Developing State (SIDS) 

Who Can Apply – Irish Aid SDG Challenge for Sustainable Solutions

The Irish Aid SDG Challenge for Sustainable Solutions is intended to support highly motivated, transdisciplinary teams committed to developing transformative, sustainable solutions that will contribute to addressing development challenges under the UN SDGs in Irish Aid’s partner countries. It is expected that teams will encompass a range of technical and non-technical skills to address barriers associated with challenge definition and solution deployment, and that they will represent collaborative and equitable partnerships between researchers in Ireland and the partner country.

Teams must include expertise in the STEM research area underpinning the proposed solution, but should also include relevant knowledge or experience in complementary areas such as, for example, international development, economics, behavioural science or others, in order to inform the development, translation (incl. adoption) and impact of solutions. As part of an application, two academic researchers (at least one from a relevant STEM discipline) must be identified as part of the core-team.  Funding should be allocated appropriately to reflect the various contributions to the team.

Applications to the prize must identify a core applicant/leadership team comprising a minimum of three or maximum of four members:  

• Team Lead (mandatory) – to provide technical leadership and to have overall responsibility for delivery of research programme objectives. It is expected that the Team Lead has a demonstrable track record relevant to the proposed solution and must be based in a SFI eligible research body.
• Partner Country Team Co-Lead (mandatory) – to provide technical leadership, bringing research expertise relevant to the application. The Partner Country Team Co-Lead must be based in an eligible HEI or RPO in the partner country
• Team Co-Lead (optional) – to provide complementary leadership and expertise to that of the Team Lead. The Team Co-Lead must be based in a SFI eligible research body.
• Societal Impact Champion (optional) - to provide non-technical leadership and support to identify and validate challenges, in addition to advising on solution development. It is envisaged that the Societal Impact Champion will come from a non-academic sector and have appropriate experience in areas relevant to the societal impact and international development focus of the application. They will play a crucial role in identifying barriers and developing strategies to overcome them. They may also play a key advocacy role and assist in maximising the societal impact of the solution. The Societal Impact Champion may come from, for example: public sector/government, non-governmental organisations, charities, patient advocacy, philanthropy or civil society. Where a Societal Impact Champion is not included at the application stage, applicant teams should indicate how they will access relevant end-users, stakeholders, etc. to inform the non-technical aspects of the project.

Applicants should refer to the call document for detailed eligibility information for each team member.

Following successful application, selected core teams will have the opportunity to build a broader challenge team. In addition, funded teams will be assigned a liaison in Irish Aid or one of their overseas missions to further inform the development and deployment of their solution, facilitate access to stakeholder networks and to provide relevant policy context.

In SFI’s External Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy 2023-2028, increasing the number of women and members of Historically Underserved Communities* in Applicant Teams are key objectives. As such, women and members of Historically Underserved Communities are strongly encouraged to apply to this programme.