This funding opportunity, coordinated by the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD) and supported by the European Commission, seeks research projects that develop and test implementation strategies aimed at strengthening health systems to deliver equitable, high-quality care and improved health outcomes for non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The focus is on low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and disadvantaged populations in high-income countries (HICs).

Key objectives include:

• Enhancing access to information and evidence for healthcare providers and public health authorities to reduce fragmentation of care and ensure continuity across prevention, diagnosis, and long-term management of NCDs.

• Developing and adapting evidence-based interventions to local social, economic, political, and cultural contexts to improve equity in health outcomes.

• Engaging communities, stakeholders, patients, and policymakers throughout the research process to promote sustainable and patient-centered care.

• Addressing health inequities and social determinants of health such as poverty, gender, ethnicity, and geographic disparities.

• Building research capacity, especially for early career researchers and those from under-resourced settings.

Scope and Expectations:

• Projects should use validated implementation research frameworks and appropriate study designs (e.g., cluster RCTs, hybrid designs).

• Interventions can include workforce strengthening, integration of care, digital health, access to medicines, and policy innovations.

• Proposals must demonstrate equitable partnerships, stakeholder engagement, and sustainability plans.

• Inclusion of social sciences and humanities expertise is encouraged to enhance societal impact.

• Funded projects are expected to participate in international networking and knowledge exchange activities within the GACD community.

The ultimate goal is to generate actionable evidence to guide policy and practice for equitable health system transformation addressing the growing NCD burden, particularly in vulnerable populations.