The Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) is pleased to announce an additional funding envelope as part of the 2025–26 grant cycle, focusing specifically on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), with a particular emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. This new funding stream is introduced in recognition of the unique risks, barriers, and opportunities for addressing GBV in STEM fields within HEIs in low and middle-income countries (LMICs).

This new funding envelope is part of our broader 2025–26 SVRI Grant call, which remains open and continues to invite proposals under two streams:

• Open Grant – Supporting innovative research that contributes to the prevention and response to violence against women (VAW), violence against children (VAC), and other forms of gender-based violence in LMICs.
• GBV in HEIs (STEM-focused) Grant – A newly added stream dedicated to addressing GBV within Higher Education Institutions, with a targeted focus on STEM fields.

SVRI supports projects that generate generalisable knowledge, promote the use of evidence in policy and practice, and foster locally led, equitable partnerships that tackle the structural inequalities driving violence.

What We’re Looking For in the GBV in HEIs (STEM-focused) Grant

Funded by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC)[1], this stream supports research focused on addressing GBV in HEIs focusing on STEM in LMICs, with the aim of promoting evidence-based, gender-responsive policies in national science institutions and workplaces. The goal is to advance the participation of women and other underrepresented groups in higher education. Special attention might be paid to women’s experiences in fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (and other faculties) (STEM) by fostering safer, more inclusive, and supportive environments free from violence and discrimination. All proposals must:

• Show institutional support from participating HEIs.
• Where relevant to the research question, include clear strategies to influence institutional policies and practices.
• Demonstrate multidisciplinary collaboration and alignment with longer-term institutional change goals.
• Apply an intersectional lens throughout the research design and implementation, ensuring that the diverse and overlapping identities and experiences of individuals (e.g., based on gender, race, ethnicity, class, disability, sexual orientation, and other social locations) are meaningfully considered and addressed in the analysis of GBV in HEIs.
• Respond to the key research priorities identified through SVRI’s priority-setting exercise on GBV in HEIs.

Grant Value: $40,000 – $100,000

Duration: 12–24 months

Notes: Only applicants based in IDRC List of Eligible Countries may receive IDRC funding and applicants will need to adhere to other IDRC-specific requirements[2]. Funding is limited; this stream is also highly competitive.

The common characteristic of these awards is the provision of limited funding for a short, limited period to research projects with clear, measurable outcomes.

[1] IDRC is a Crown corporation created in 1970 by the Parliament of Canada. IDRC supports and strengthens the capacity of people and institutions in low- and middle-income countries to undertake the research that they identify as most urgent. It works with researchers and research users as they confront contemporary challenges in their own countries and contributes to global advances in their fields.

[2] IDRC-specific requirements include the following:

• IDRC has cooperation agreements with several national governments that may require additional country-level approval before funding can be released. If your institution is based in one of these countries, you may need to obtain formal clearance from your government in line with these agreements. Please note that SVRI cannot disburse funds until this approval is granted. If there are significant delays in the approval process, SVRI reserves the right to withhold or reallocate funding, or to make alternative arrangements. We encourage applicants to check early whether such approvals will be required in their country and begin the process as soon as possible if selected for funding.
• Open Access: The report and any other outputs of the project must comply with IDRC’s Open Access Policy Open Access Policy for IDRC-Funded Project Outputs | IDRC – International Development Research Centre and Open Data Statement of Principles

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