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: THiNK's core research themes and strategic priorities. Priority methodologies, populations, technologies, and systems of interest. Geographic scope and eligibility considerations (e.g., citizenship requirements, institutional partnerships, or career-stage restrictions). Three to five "anchor funders" with whom THiNK intends to build long-term relationships. Ten to fifteen additional funders to monitor for strategic opportunities. Examples of priority areas include: Responsible & Trustworthy  AI AI Governance and Policy AI for Education AI for Health Digital Public Infrastructure Climate and AI AI Safety and Ethics Data  AI infrastructure Inclusive Innovation and Emerging Technologies Step 2 – Build and Maintain a Funding Opportunity Tracker Maintain a continuously updated grants database containing, at minimum: FIELD Funder Programme Name Award Amount Letter of Intent Deadline Full Proposal Deadline Eligibility Requirements Strategic Fit Score (1–5) Indirect Costs Allowed Cost-Sharing Requirements Programme Officer Contact Website/Link Current Status Assigned Lead Notes Suggested status categories include: Identified Under Review Eligible Go Decision Pending Proposal Development Submitted Shortlisted Awarded Awaiting Agreement Awaiting Disbursement Implementation Closed Step 3 – Monitor Strategic Funding Channels Funding opportunities should be monitored across multiple channels, including: Government and Public Funders National research funding agencies Ministries responsible for science, innovation, and digital transformation International and Multilateral Organizations IDRC UNESCO World Bank WHO United Nations Agencies Regional Development Banks UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Foundations and Philanthropic Organizations Gates Foundation Wellcome Trust Ford Foundation Mastercard Foundation Mozilla Foundation Regional and Pan-African Funders African Academy of Sciences (AESA) APHRC TWAS Masakhane Research Foundation African Union programmes Corporate and Industry Research Programmes Google Research Google.org Microsoft Research Open-source AI initiatives Technology accelerators and innovation programmes Funding Aggregators Pivot-RP GrantForward Research Professional GrantStation Candid Foundation Directory Grants.gov Professional Networks Funder newsletters Professional associations Conference announcements Academic and practitioner networks Collaborator referrals Step 4 – Establish Passive Monitoring Systems Funding searches should not depend solely on manual monitoring. Establish: Saved searches across funding databases. Google Alerts for strategic keywords. Subscriptions to funder newsletters. Calendar reminders for recurring annual opportunities. Automated deadline notifications where possible. Examples of useful search terms include: Responsible AI grants AI Africa call for proposals AI governance funding Digital transformation research grants Emerging technology funding opportunities AI policy fellowships Step 5 – Conduct a 15-Minute Opportunity Triage Every opportunity should undergo an initial screening process assessing: Eligibility requirements. Deadline feasibility. Budget suitability. Strategic alignment. Institutional capacity. Existing funder relationships. 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: Assign proposal leads. Confirm collaborator availability. Establish internal deadlines. Schedule required reviews and approvals. Update the funding tracker accordingly. Step 8 – Invest in Funder Relationships (Ongoing) THiNK should actively cultivate relationships with priority funders by: Attending webinars and office hours. Introducing THiNK's work to programme officers. Seeking feedback on unsuccessful applications. Sharing publications and project outcomes when appropriate. Participating in relevant research and policy communities. 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. Review the funding call line by line. Create a compliance checklist from every mandatory requirement. Assign responsibilities and deadlines. Establish internal submission timelines. Step 2 – Backward Planning Work backward from the submission deadline. Minimum milestones should include: Concept development Letter of Intent submission (if applicable) First proposal draft Budget completion Scientific review Compliance review Revision period Institutional approvals Final submission Internal deadlines should precede external deadlines by at least 48 hours. Step 3 – Develop the Concept Note Where required: Prepare a one-to-two-page concept note. Obtain feedback from internal reviewers. Incorporate funder feedback before beginning the full proposal. Step 4 – Develop the Scientific Core Draft proposal components in the following order: Research questions and objectives. Background and significance. Innovation statement. Research design and methodology. Preliminary findings or feasibility evidence. Project timeline. Dissemination strategy. Knowledge translation plan. Risk management framework. Sustainability strategy. For AI-related proposals, additional sections should address: Responsible AI principles. Data governance. Inclusion and accessibility. Bias mitigation strategies. Ethics and privacy considerations. AI safety measures. Stakeholder engagement plans. Step 5 – Develop Supporting Documentation Concurrently Supporting documentation should be prepared throughout proposal development and not immediately before submission. Required documents may include: Budget and budget justification. CVs or biosketches. Letters of support. Data management plans. Ethics documentation. Institutional certifications. Partnership agreements. Facilities statements. References and appendices. Step 6 – Internal Review All proposals must undergo: a) Scientific Review  Assess: Clarity Innovation Methodological rigor Feasibility Strategic alignment b) Compliance Review Assess: Eligibility Formatting requirements Required attachments Budget compliance c) Financial Review Assess: Cost allowability Budget calculations Institutional rates Cost-sharing obligations Step 7 – Revision and Quality Assurance All revisions should be tracked. Following revisions, verify: Page limits Budget consistency References Formatting requirements Supporting documentation Step 8 – Final Compliance Review Confirm: Fonts and margins comply with guidelines. File names follow required conventions. Required attachments are included. Submission portal requirements have been met. 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: Save confirmation receipts. Archive all submitted materials. Update the grants tracker. B.3 Pre-Submission Checklist Before submission, confirm that: All funder requirements have been met. Page and word limits are respected. Budgets are internally consistent. Supporting documents are complete. Letters of support are signed. Institutional approvals have been obtained. Formatting requirements have been met. Submission confirmation has been received.