PART A – GRANT SEARCH AND IDENTIFICATION

Process

A.1 Objective

To maintain a live pipeline of relevant and fundable opportunities aligned with THiNK's strategic priorities, ensuring that proposal development begins from a position of preparedness rather than in response to tight deadlines.

A.2 Roles and Responsibilities

Role

Responsibility

Team Lead (Brian)

Sets strategic funding priorities and makes the final Go/No-Go decision on applications.
Advises on indirect cost rates, cost-share requirements, and institutional commitments before proposal development begins.

Grants Maintainer (Conrad Kabuye)

Maintains the funding opportunity tracker, manages funding alerts, conducts first-pass eligibility screening, and coordinates grant pipeline reviews.

 

Step-by-Step Process

Step 1 – Define Funding Priorities (Annual Exercise)

At the beginning of each year, develop a one-page Funding Priorities Statement outlining:

Examples of priority areas include:

Step 2 – Build and Maintain a Funding Opportunity Tracker

Maintain a continuously updated grants database containing, at minimum:

FIELD

  1. Funder

  1. Programme Name

  1. Award Amount

  1. Letter of Intent Deadline

  1. Full Proposal Deadline

  1. Eligibility Requirements

  1. Strategic Fit Score (1–5)

  1. Indirect Costs Allowed

  1. Cost-Sharing Requirements

  1. Programme Officer Contact

  1. Website/Link

  1. Current Status

  1. Assigned Lead

  1. Notes

Suggested status categories include:

Step 3 – Monitor Strategic Funding Channels

Funding opportunities should be monitored across multiple channels, including:

Government and Public Funders

International and Multilateral Organizations

Foundations and Philanthropic Organizations

Regional and Pan-African Funders

Corporate and Industry Research Programmes

Funding Aggregators

Professional Networks

Step 4 – Establish Passive Monitoring Systems

Funding searches should not depend solely on manual monitoring.

Establish:

Examples of useful search terms include:

Step 5 – Conduct a 15-Minute Opportunity Triage

Every opportunity should undergo an initial screening process assessing:

  1. Eligibility requirements.

  2. Deadline feasibility.

  3. Budget suitability.

  4. Strategic alignment.

  5. Institutional capacity.

  6. Existing funder relationships.

  7. Reporting and compliance obligations.

Applications that fail mandatory eligibility requirements should be immediately removed from consideration.


Step 6 – Make the Go/No-Go Decision

Evaluate each opportunity using the following criteria:

Criterion

Score

Strategic Alignment

1–5

Team Capacity

1–5

Competitiveness

1–5

Budget Adequacy

1–5

Probability of Success

1–5

Existing Relationships

1–5

Expected Impact

1–5

Borderline decisions should be discussed collectively rather than determined by a single individual.

Step 7 – Confirm Timelines and Commitments

Before committing to an application:

Step 8 – Invest in Funder Relationships (Ongoing)

THiNK should actively cultivate relationships with priority funders by:

Relationship-building should be viewed as a long-term investment rather than an activity that begins immediately before a funding call.

A.4 Review frequency

Activity

Frequency

Funding Alert Review

Weekly

Opportunity Tracker Review

Monthly

Funding Strategy Review

Quarterly

Funding Priorities Review

Annually

 

New PART B – RESEARCH PROPOSAL WRITING PROCESS

B.1 Objective

To transform a strategic funding opportunity into a competitive, compliant, and high-quality proposal that accurately reflects THiNK's expertise, partnerships, and implementation capacity.

B.2 Proposal Development Process

Step 1 – Proposal Kickoff

Within one day of confirming grant eligibility.

Step 2 – Backward Planning

Work backward from the submission deadline.

Minimum milestones should include:

Internal deadlines should precede external deadlines by at least 48 hours.

Step 3 – Develop the Concept Note

Where required:

Step 4 – Develop the Scientific Core

Draft proposal components in the following order:

  1. Research questions and objectives.

  2. Background and significance.

  3. Innovation statement.

  4. Research design and methodology.

  5. Preliminary findings or feasibility evidence.

  6. Project timeline.

  7. Dissemination strategy.

  8. Knowledge translation plan.

  9. Risk management framework.

  10. Sustainability strategy.

Step 5 – Develop Supporting Documentation Concurrently

Supporting documentation should be prepared throughout proposal development and not immediately before submission.

Required documents may include:

Step 6 – Internal Review

All proposals must undergo:

a) Scientific Review 

Assess:

b) Compliance Review

Assess:

c) Financial Review

Assess:

Step 7 – Revision and Quality Assurance

All revisions should be tracked.

Following revisions, verify:

Step 8 – Final Compliance Review

Confirm:

Step 9 – Institutional Approval

Obtain all required approvals before submission.

Institutional approval timelines should be incorporated into proposal schedules and should never be treated as a final-day activity.

Step 10 – Submission

All proposals should be submitted a minimum of 24–48 hours before funder deadlines.

Following submission:

B.3 Pre-Submission Checklist

Before submission, confirm that: