ViiV Healthcare #EndFGM Challenge for $25,000 Prize

Challenge Summary

We are looking for interventions that can demonstrate they have effected a sustained change in attitudes and social norms at community level towards ending the practice of female genital mutilation/cutting. This includes the attitudes of practitioners, boys and men, families, community leaders and the broader community.

Indicators of success include reported change in attitude, reduction in cutting, practitioners taking on a new role in the community and uncut girls not experiencing social or economic disadvantages or discrimination as a result of not being subject to the practice. Additionally, young parents not allowing their daughters to be cut, young men expressing their interest in marrying uncut women and influential community figures declaring their support for total abandonment are meaningful indicators.

 

Challenge Status: open, accepting concept notes

Challenge Close: 20th March

Prize amount: up to three $25,000 prizes are available

JUDGING CRITERIA

In addition to the below criteria, solutions must demonstrate how the challenge statement is met in the context of resource-limited settings without contradicting national breastfeeding guidelines for women living with HIV in the resource-limited settings targeted.

  • People Centred: Entries may focus on a process, technology or other method but the ultimate benefit must be measurable in terms of impact on people’s lives. Must ensure privacy, demonstrate an ability to not perpetuate stigma and discrimination associated with HIV and enhance active community participation in solution development.
  • Replicable: Entries can be replicated and adapted by others at low cost to ensure broader implementation and uptake as quickly as possible in similar settings.
  • Scalable: Entries must demonstrate how they can be scaled beyond pilot programmes to large scale responses that can be implemented at greater/national scale.
  • Affordable: Entries must demonstrate affordability (low-cost or no-cost to the end users) within resource limited settings or other similar settings as detailed in the individual challenges.
  • Sustainable: Entries must demonstrate how they are implementable in the longer term (beyond the lifecycle of prize funding) using the resources that already exist or which can be incremental to existing service delivery.
  • Achieving substantive change: Successful entries are expected to change the thoughts, processes and other barriers that prevent people living in resource limited settings from receiving the best care possible within the resources (financial and other) available, demonstrating a clear benefit to the people and systems targeted.EndFGM photo.jpg

SUBMISSION PROCESS

  1. REGISTER
    Click APPLY NOW to access the PAC Community portal where you can register or log in to start an application. Once registered you can connect with fellow solvers to share ideas, find collaborators and work on applications.
  2. CONCEPT
    Submit a Concept Note to provide a summary of your innovation. You can seek input/feedback from other community members or submit right away. Concepts are shortlisted to progress to the next stage by the PAC team based on the challenge criteria.
  3. DEVELOPMENT
    The best eligible Concept Notes are invited to submit a Full Application. This stage requires more detail about the development and implementation of your innovation. This is the final stage for applicants before the judging process begins.

 

 

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GTBANK Literary Prize Competition For Nigerian Writers, 2018

About the initiative

The dusty Manuscript initiative, is a brand new literary prize set up to promote the Nigerian writer to tell and sell their stories, top winning entries will get published under the Farafina breeze imprint, with over ₦1,500,000 Naira in cash prize.

We believe in not only discovering the next generation of Nigerian writers but also in empowering them, so that they can tell our stories across the globe. Which is why the Dusty Manuscript initiative features a two-day book writing and marketing boot-camp for the top 25 longlisted book authors.

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What we are looking for

We are seeking submissions of genre fiction manuscripts that stretch boundaries creatively, culturally and socially. We believe in the power of genre fiction to tell our stories in an innovative way without sacrificing the Nigerian experience!

Submission Guidelines

Word count: 25,000 minimum word count

Submissions should be adult fiction (in the sense of not being ‘children’s fiction’).

The use of Nigerian slangs and expressions are allowed.

The manuscript must be new in the sense that it is unpublished* in book form.

Eligible participants should have at least one parent born in Nigeria who holds citizenship of the same.

All entries must be submitted online.

One entry per person

Timelines

  • We will be accepting submissions from February 5th 2018.
  • The submission period will close at 12:00 a.m. midnight (WAT) on March 31, 2018.
  • The long list will be announced May 2018.
  • Author writing/marketing bootcamp and announcement of shortlist June 2018
  • Announcement of Top three at Evening Gala June 2018

     

     

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    Application csr.gtbank.com/dustymanuscript

 

 

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Orange Knowledge Programme (OKP) Funds To Study In Netherland

The Orange Knowledge Programme aims to advance the development of the capacity, knowledge and quality of both individuals as well as organisations both in the field of Technical and Vocational Education and Training and Higher Education and in other fields related to the priority themes in the OKP partner countries.

OKP April 2018 Short Course & Master deadline
After formal publication of the subsidy and policy outline in the Dutch Staatscourant, the OKP April 2018 deadline will be confirmed. Please note that until that time, adjustments can still be made to comply with the policy outline. The April deadline 2018 for short courses and master’s is open to candidates from the OKP partner countries.

Criteria
A OKP scholarship is intended to supplement the salary that you should continue to receive during the study period in the Netherlands. The allowance is a contribution towards your costs of living such as tuition fees, visa, travel, insurance etc. If applicable,
the scholarship holder is expected to cover the difference between the actual costs
and the OKP scholarship amount.
The scholarships are awarded in a very competitive selection to highly motivated professionals who are in a position to introduce the newly-acquired skills and knowledge into their employing organisation

You must meet a number of criteria that support the aim of the OKP to be eligible for a
scholarship.
Eligibility

  •  One must be a professional and a national of, and working and living in one of the countries on the OKP Country list valid at the time of application;
  • One must have a current employer’s statement that complies with the formal Nuffic has provided. All information must be provided and all commitments that are included in the formal must be endorsed in the statement;
  • One must not be employed by an organisation which can be expected to have their own funds for staff development, e.g.: a multinational corporation (e.g. Shell, Unilever, Microsoft) a large national and/or a large commercial organisation; a bilateral donor organisation (e.g. USAID, DFID, Danida, Sida, Dutch ministry of Foreign affairs, FinAid, AusAid, ADC, SwissAid); a multilateral donor organisation (e.g. a UN organisation, the World Bank, the IMF, Asian Development Bank, African Development Bank, IADB); an international NGO (e.g. Oxfam, Plan, Care);
  • One must have a current employer’s statement which complies with the Nuffic format. All information must be provided and all commitments, which are included in the Nuffic format, must be endorsed in the statement;
  • One must have a government statement that meets the requirements of the country in which the employer is established (if applicable);
  • One must have an official passport valid at least three months after the submission date of the registration form by the candidate.

How to apply
Before you apply, make sure you review the eligibility criteria carefully and check
whether your employer is willing to nominate you for the scholarship. When you are certain that you are eligible for a OKP scholarship, you can start making the necessary preparations for your application.
Follow these steps to apply:
1. If you want to apply for a OKP scholarship for a short course or Master’s in the
The Netherlands, you need to first find a course that is eligible for the scholarship.
You can find the eligible courses in our study programme database, specifying
in the search criteria: ‘NFP qualified – Yes’.
2. Contact the Dutch higher education institution that is offering the course for
information on:
 course content
 the application deadline (deadlines can differ per Dutch institution)
 the application and selection procedures
 the online application form and the supporting documents

3. Prepare your application and the supporting documents
4. Submit your online application via the Dutch institution offering the course
For any questions on the application -and selection procedures please contact the
Dutch institution directly.
Selection procedure
If your application meets all the course admission requirements and the OKP eligibility
criteria, you can be nominated by the Dutch institution for a scholarship. If your
application is nominated by a Dutch institution; the steps are as follows:
 The Dutch institution will submit a grant request to Nuffic requesting funding for
eligible applications.
 The Netherlands Embassy will check the applications on their eligibility, and will
assess the applications based on the eligibility criteria and the Embassy country
focus areas.

 Only eligible applications will be taken in to further consideration. Applications
that do not meet the eligibility criteria will be rejected.
 The selection will be determined by the available deadline budget, the number
of applicants and the quality and suitability of the applications.
 The scholarships are awarded in a competitive selection to highly motivated professionals who are in a position to introduce the newly-acquired skills and knowledge into their employing organization.
 Candidates who have been nominated will be informed of the outcome of
the selection by the Dutch institution.

Click here to apply

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UNESCO/ISEDC Co-Sponsored Fellowships Programme – 2018

What is it about?

The aim of this fellowships programme is to enhance the capacity-building and human resources development in the area of sustainable and renewable energy sources in developing countries and countries in transition. The training activities in the framework of these fellowships are tenable in specialized institutions in the Russian Federation. The medium of instruction will be English. UNESCO will solicit applications from the developing countries and countries in transition.

In line with the strategy and objectives of the approved UNESCO Programme and Budget for the Fellowships Programme Section, the UNESCO Category II International Center for Sustainable Energy Development (ISEDC) in Moscow (Russian Federation) is offering twenty (20) fellowships of four weeks (4)  duration each in 2018.

Field of Study

One month duration: from 1 to 26 October 2018.

The candidates may choose to study in the following fields of study, which are aligned with UNESCO’s objectives and programme priorities, as per approved 35 C/5 and in accordance with the decisions made by the Executive Board (161 EX/Decision 3.6.3 and 165 EX/Decision 8.6) :

(a) Energy and sustainable development;
(b) Ecological management of energy resources;
(c) Renewable energy;
(d) Sustainable and renewable energy power generation.

List of Invited Member States

AFRICA (46 Member States)

Angola*, Benin*, Botswana, Burkina Faso*, Burundi*, Cameroon, Cape Verde*, Central African Republic*, Chad*, Comoros*, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo*, Djibouti*, Equatorial Guinea*, Eritrea*, Ethiopia*, Gabon, Gambia*, Ghana, Guinea*, Guinea-Bissau*, Kenya, Lesotho*, Liberia*, Madagascar*, Malawi*, Mali*, Mauritius, Mozambique*, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda*, Sao Tome and Principe*, Senegal*, Seychelles, Sierra Leone*, Somalia*, South Africa, Swaziland, Togo*, Uganda*, United Republic of Tanzania*, Zambia*, and Zimbabwe

ARAB STATES (15 Member States)

Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Mauritania*, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Sudan*, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, Yemen*

ASIA and THE PACIFIC (39 Member States)

Afghanistan*, Bangladesh*, Bhutan*, Cambodia*, China, Cook Islands, Federal States of Micronesia, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Kazakhstan, Kiribati*, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic*, Malaysia, Maldives*, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Myanmar*, Nauru, Nepal*, Niue, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa*, Solomon Islands*, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor – Leste, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu*, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu*, Viet Nam

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN (32 Member States)

Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia (plurinacional State of), Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti*, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela

EUROPE (22 Member States)

Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Montenegro, Republic of Moldova, Republic of Serbia, Romania, Slovak Republic, The former Yugolsav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, and Ukraine

Qualifications Required

Candidates must meet the following criteria:

(a) Holder of at least a BSc degree or BA in Economics;
(b) Proficient in English language;
(c) Not more than 35 years of age;

Procedures on Submission of applications

(a) All applications should be endorsed by the National Commission for UNESCO and must be duly completed in English or French with the following attachments in DUPLICATE:

    • • The prescribed UNESCO fellowship application form;
    • • Six photographs;
    • • Certified photocopies of Diplomas;
    • • Certificate of English Language proficiency;

 

    • Subsequently, for those who have been selected, the UNESCO medical examination form duly completed by a recognized physician (not more than four months before the actual date of studies). The prescribed form of which will be sent along with the letter of award. Expenses incurred in the constitution of the medical dossiers will not be reimbursed.

(b) Files which are incomplete or received after the deadline for the submission of applications and candidatures, and do not fulfil the requirements mentioned above, will not be considered.
(c) Each invited Member State is requested to nominate not more than two (2) candidates.

Selection of Beneficiaries

(a) The final selection of beneficiaries lies with ISEDC.

(b) The National Commission of selected fellows will be duly informed by UNESCO and the letter of award will immediately follow.

(c) UNESCO will authorize the departure of beneficiaries who have completely complied with the requirements stipulated in the letter of award.

(d) Candidates not informed of their selection by 1st September 2018 should consider that their applications have not been approved.

Facilities offered by ISEDC

i) Beneficiaries will be exempt of paying tuition fees for the entire duration of studies/training;
ii) Fellows will undertake studies/training under the supervision of an advisor or study director that will be provided by the host institution;
iii) The donor Government will pay stipends to beneficiaries on a monthly basis, in local currency. The stipend amounting to four hundred seventy five (475) US dollars is intended to cover living expenses such as accommodation, meals, pocket expenses, and incidentals. The donor will determine the amount of the stipend to be granted to beneficiaries;
iv) ISEDC will assist in obtaining modest housing for the fellows.

Facilities offered by UNESCO

a) UNESCO will cover the cost of the round-trip international travel at the most economical rate and the most direct flight.

(b) UNESCO will pay a one-time travel allowance amounting to US$100 (one hundred US dollars) prior to the fellows’ departure for the Russian Federation.

(c) Health insurance. To avail of this entitlement, beneficiaries should be declared medically fit by the UNESCO Medical Service that examines the complete medical dossiers.

OTHER CONDITIONS

(a) No provisions can be made to finance or lodge the fellows’ family members.

(b) Beneficiaries will be required to submit to UNESCO a short progress report co-signed with the academic supervisor at the end of the first month and a final report upon termination of the fellowship. These reports could be written in English or in French and copies of which will be furnished to ISEDC.

Visas

Selected fellows from countries where there are Russian Federation Embassies or Consulates must obtain their entry visa in their country prior to their departure. Fellows from countries where no such embassy/consulate exists must secure their visa through the nearest country where the Embassy or Consulate of the Russian Federation can be found.

UNESCO and ISEDC provide no allowance to defray passport and visa expenses.

Deadline : 3 April 2018

Click To Apply

 

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CcHub 2018 Incubation Program Application

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The incubation program is opened to founder anywhere in the world that is looking to grow business in Africa, particularly Nigeria. However, it is important to note that start-ups will have to be based in CcHUB incubation space in Lagos, Nigeria for the duration of the program.

GOAL:

To help the entrepreneur(s) properly structure their business, ensure consistent growth and access funding to build a lasting global entity.

DURATION:  12 months

BENEFITS:

Startups that are accepted into the program will receive the following:

  • Funding of up to $25,000 to run your operations during the program. In addition, startups will get direct access to possible follow-on capital between $100,000 – $250,000 from the Growth Capital fund by CcHUB.
  • Office space for up to 6 team members, high-speed internet, meeting rooms & more.
  • Hands-on support:  Business strategy, financial management, recruitment, product development (advisory)
  • Access to experienced entrepreneurs and industry experts via mentorship
  • Access to the network of corporate partners.
  • Access to investors for funding post-incubation.
  • $15,000 Amazon Web Services Promotional credit and more products from partners.

Note: CcHUB takes 7 – 10% equity in startups that are accepted into the program.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

To be eligible to attend the program, startups must meet the following criteria:

  • Have a revenue model and be generating revenue.
  • Have a functional product (web or mobile).
  • Have gained Users/customers.
  • Been in operations (since launch date) for at least 6 months.
  • Have a management team consisting of up to 3 members which include a technical lead and founder(s) that are fully committed to the business.
  • Have the potential to scale.

DEADLINE: March 16th,2018

 

Click To Apply

 

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