Join our work in Nigeria: grant applications now live 💡💉

Who are we?

The #VaccineDataCoLab was established to convene local & global multi-sector stakeholders to build a common vision on hyperlocal vaccine data for decision making. It also funds portfolios of grants to experiment and learn from to build a better future. The Vaccine Data CoLab is delivered by Brink and DT Global, and funded by UK Aid.

By funding local collaborations, promoting data sharing and coordinating with the global community on what works, the CoLab bridges the gap between countries’ data needs, existing data systems, and appropriate technologies. We call this approach ‘precision public health’.

We recently shared news about our new partners in Nigeria, Uganda and Indonesia.

We’re now launching applications for grants in Nigeria.

What are we trying to do?

Driving vaccine uptake requires knowing WHO needs to be vaccinated, WHERE they are and WHY they are not vaccinated. Hyperlocal data on both supply (vaccine stock level, location of facilities and health staff etc) and demand (target populations by location, employment, age, co-morbidities; insights on why people are not getting vaccinated such as hesitancy, access, other priorities, misinformation etc) are crucial in planning and delivering targeted behaviour change approaches that go beyond national campaigns.

Each country is unique, so together with our partners Dev Afrique and Data.FI, we looked at all systemic factors that needed to be taken into account when addressing vaccine uptake in Nigeria, using WHO’s 7 Pathways framework. You can read more from our recent Nigeria Vaccine Data Landscape report.

Local priorities by local actors: three opportunity areas

We brought together 39 participants representing over 12+ organisations across National and State government, NGOs, data experts, applied research, and behaviour change experts to build together a shared desired future: where data enables better decision-making to improve vaccine uptake.

Together, using WHO’s 7 Pathways framework we chose priority Pathways to focus on and identified three Opportunity Areas that will help unlock our shared desired future.

Our key Opportunity Areas are:

Opportunity Area 1: Making Data Accessible and Coordinated

How might we strengthen coordinating structures to support data ecosystems?

• The CoLab has found that whilst correct, consistent, and comparable data exists, it isn’t always effectively coordinated nor widely accessible between organisations. We’ve learnt that there is often a lack of leadership or common policy around data sharing and a lack of structures and guidelines to enable vaccine data transfer between different types of users.

Opportunity Area 2: Making Data Actionable

How might we support people to be better equipped to take action based on existing data?

• We have identified that even where hyperlocal data exists, key individuals and organisations across the vaccine data ecosystem need further skills and knowledge-related support to better understand, utilise, and act on that data. Due to these competency gaps, data often goes underused. Relatedly, a lack of alignment and clarity around what problems need to be solved results in analysts and scientists being unsure how best to target their efforts in ways that are action-oriented and relevant to decision-makers.

Opportunity Area 3: Making Data Interoperable

How might we bring data together so it’s easier to access and understand?

• In hearing from a range of data users in Nigeria, the CoLab has discovered that there is a lack of standardisation in terms of how data is collected and stored. This lack of data interoperability results in the siloing and subsequent underutilisation of data. The absence of common tools, methodologies, and formats, leads to inefficiencies including resources and capacity being lost to the duplication of efforts.

Will you help us build that better future?

We’re looking for interventions that help us address at least one of the Opportunity Areas, and that are:

Impactful

• They can have an impact addressing at least one of our three key Opportunity Areas.
• They would be able to have a demonstrable impact before August 2023.

Catalytic

• They can combine our funding with existing work, or funding from other sources, to create greater impact.

Connected

• They can link into a wider ecosystem of solutions to achieve even greater impact.
• They have buy-in from a national or sub-national government partner to ensure that the solution is aligned with national priorities.

Our first workshop in Nigeria, 2023

Our Offer to You:

We’re asking a lot here, but we think that we can offer you a lot too. The Vaccine Data CoLab will be able to provide:

Grant funding

• We can provide up to 6 months of grant funding for your intervention.
• Each award made by the CoLab will be an average of £43,000, but we would consider applications that require less funding, or slightly more funding.

Technical assistance

• We will link each grantee up with coaching from innovation and data experts who can help you achieve your goals.
• Our team can also help to source in-kind contributions to support implementation.

Global sharing and connections

• We’ll support grantees with global sharing to show and replicate what works across geographies.
• We’ll provide matchmaking support to additional funders to address data needs at scale.

Eligibility Requirements

• Only legally registered non-government organisations (including for-profit firms and UN agencies) are eligible for receiving direct support from the Vaccine Data CoLab.
• No individuals nor government entities will be considered.
• If the intervention is delivered as a consortium, the lead organisation should submit the application.
• Please submit one application per intervention.
• Applications must cover only Nigeria.
• Organisations are welcome to submit multiple applications if their work covers interventions addressing different factors.
• An organisation can receive multiple grants for different applications.

The Application Process

The Vaccine Data CoLab is using a two-stage rolling application process.

We’d love to hear your initial idea. The application shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes!

If your idea:

1. Meets the eligibility criteria for round one

2. Is impactful, catalytic and connected, based on our Evaluation Criteria.

Your organisation will be asked to complete a second-round application, asking for more detail.

Please note: not all organisations asked to complete the second application process will receive support from the Vaccine Data CoLab.

Apply by completing the submission form here.

You can also find a full summary of this overview, the questions in the submission form, and the evaluation criteria, here.

If you have any questions, contact VaccineData@makingbetterfutures.org

Deadline and Next Steps:

We will be reviewing submissions weekly and inviting eligible applicants to submit a second application within 1–2 weeks of invitation. Applications close 11:59 pm 28th February 2023 (West Africa Time). Grants will be awarded starting in March 2023 and projects will run until August 2023.