How to Apply

Innovative Small Grants Program
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Letter of Intent

Before we will consider a grant proposal for funding, we need to receive a one-page "letter of intent" which describes the project that you will be proposing. It need not be in great detail, but it should indicate the "innovative" nature of your work. (Please see the definition of "innovative" below.) Please send it by e-mail, FAX or regular mail before the specified deadline for the letter of intent in the information below. After reviewing it, we will notify you as to whether we will accept a full proposal. Please do not send a proposal until we ask you to do so. We will not consider proposals unless they have been requested. The information for making the full proposal is given below.

Background

New biomedical and social technologies have led to the development or successful application of products and approaches that can be used globally. These products and innovative approaches have brought dramatic improvements in infant and child health over the past 50 years. For example, research studies led to the development of oral rehydration therapy (ORT) for diarrhea in the 1960's in Bangladesh and India. This therapy has saved millions of lives in the developing world every year and more recent studies have demonstrated that ORT can be effectively applied in any country in the world, including the U.S. The Child Health Foundation has supported innovative approaches to adapting ORT to the health care and social situations in urban Baltimore and Boston as well as rural Mississippi.
Small innovative projects can make a major impact on child health in diverse settings, and show concerned health workers, community organizations and/or government policy-makers that answers to some persistent health problems are available.
Child Health Foundation wishes to receive proposals from interested health workers, investigators, or community organizations for innovative research or innovative service projects directed at improving the health of infants and young children. Proposals may be submitted by individuals or groups.
Areas of priority include:

• development of biomedical and social technologies; and
• adaptation and implementation of technologies in local situations that may have widespread applications.

Projects that involve only general medical care of children but without innovative aspects will not be considered. To see a summary of projects CHF has funded, click here

The projects should be for no more than one year and should be able to document measurable results. The projects may address child health issues in a developing country or in the United States. Budgets should not exceed US$5,00O. The projects will be reviewed by the Program Committee of the Child Health Foundation. Outside reviewers will be used if necessary. The number of projects approved depends on the amount of funding available.

Deadline for Letter of Intent in 2008 is April 30th; The 2008 Deadline for the Proposal is September 30th.

Proposal Format (Format is for proposal only, not letter of intent)
NOTE: The project proposal should not exceed 5 single-spaced, typed pages. Proposals not sent in this 5-page format will not be considered. To save time and money for yourselves and us, please do not include certificates of registration, recommendations, annual reports, or photos until they are requested. Your five pages are enough and can be sent by post, fax or email. Email is preferred and is enough. If you do not hear from us that we have received it, please contact us.

Cover page must include: (1 page)

• Name and address of organization
• Name of director and contact person(s), telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses
• One paragraph summarizing the mission of the organization
• One paragraph stating the purpose of the grant request, and how it relates to the mission of the organization
• Total dollar amount of the organization's annual budget
• Total dollar amount of the proposed project's budget
• Total dollar amount being requested from CHF for the project
• Total dollar amount committed from other funding sources for the project
• Beginning and ending dates of the project (not to exceed one year)

Project narrative: (2-3 pages)
All of the following points must be presented and discussed:

• Background of the project and why it is needed
• Aims /objectives of the project, what the project will achieve
• Methods to be used and what procedures will keep it on track
• Plan of analysis of the data
• Plan for making results available to appropriate health agencies

Budget: (1 page)

• Detailed categories and justification of how funds will be used
• Amount requested must not exceed $5,000
• Funds may not be used for international travel, computers, secretarial support, or overhead

Scheduled disbursement of funds to successful proposals:
US$4,000 at start of project;
US$1,000 upon receipt of final report.