DEEP Challenge Fund launches in third country as researchers in Bangladesh are invited to apply for grants to finance projects focusing on national poverty reduction

The Bangladesh Challenge Fund launched over two days on 10 December in Dhaka and on 12 December at the University of Chittagong. Members of the National Steering Committee for the fund and representatives from the DEEP team explained the rationale of the Challenge Fund and provided guidelines for applicants. The launch events were attended by academics, researchers and members of civil society.

While Bangladesh has seen a significant reduction in poverty, thanks to one of the highest sustained economic growth rates in the South Asia region, it is also experiencing a widening inequality gap in urban areas. The DEEP Bangladesh Challenge Fund aims to support research that will offer evidence-based insights into the ways in which poverty is affecting people’s lives in Bangladesh and the factors that influence different trajectories. The goal is for funded projects to provide the data and evidence that policy makers need to inform national strategies, policies, and programmes related to poverty and vulnerability to poverty.

To ensure that the funded research feeds into ongoing initiatives to reduce extreme poverty and targets identified research gaps, Bangladeshi policy makers, research communities and other key stakeholders will shape and define the focus and scope of the Challenge Fund. The National Steering Committee will provide ongoing support during grant awards and implementation and will facilitate research dissemination and identify policy impact opportunities using the research outputs.

Jamie Williams, Project Manager of the Deep Challenge Fund, said: “We want to support policymakers in developing more effective national strategies for eradicating poverty by reducing evidence gaps. Through the Challenge Fund, we aim to inspire national researchers to investigate previously unexplored areas related to poverty reduction.”

Applications for the fund are welcomed from organisations, institutes or individuals. Grants will be awarded based on a competitive bidding process.

More information and link to apply: https://bit.ly/4bJwFlg

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About DEEP:

Data and Evidence to End Extreme Poverty (DEEP), is a consortium of the Universities of Cornell, Copenhagen, and Southampton led by Oxford Policy Management, in partnership with the World Bank’s Development Data Group and funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. DEEP’s focus countries are Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Madagascar, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nigeria and Tanzania.