Elrha

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: ??4.5 million (R2HC Annual Call typical allocation)
• Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
• Decision Time: 2-4 months (two-stage process)
• Grant Range: ??20,000 - ??400,000+ (varies by programme)
• Geographic Focus: International (humanitarian crisis settings globally)

Contact Details

Website: http://www.elrha.org

Email: info@elrha.org

Phone: 029 2105 2545

Programme-specific contacts:

• HIF (Humanitarian Innovation Fund): hif@elrha.org
• R2HC (Research for Health in Humanitarian Crises): r2hc@elrha.org

Pre-application support: Elrha provides application guidance through their website and will support partner searches where possible, though cannot guarantee securing partners.

Overview

Founded in January 2009 and originally hosted by Save the Children UK, Elrha became an independent charity (Charity Number: 1177110) in May 2018. The organisation finds solutions to complex humanitarian problems through research and innovation, having supported over 350 research studies and innovation projects generating 750+ resources. Since 2013, they have funded more than 60 research studies through R2HC, while the Humanitarian Innovation Fund (HIF), established in March 2011 as the first of its kind, has disbursed over 200 grants since 2012. In June 2023, Elrha launched a new long-term strategy extending to 2040, emphasising locally-led innovation, stronger partnerships, and ethical approaches. The organisation works across multiple focus areas including gender-based violence, mental health support, WASH, non-communicable diseases, and disability inclusion.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Humanitarian Innovation Fund (HIF)

• Early-stage Innovations: Up to ??20,000 (Recognition and Invention projects)
• Innovation Challenges: ??50,000 - ??300,000 per project (varies by challenge theme)
• Scaling Challenge: Up to ??150,000 for adopting innovations in high severity settings
• Journey to Scale: ??400,000 per project (first phase) plus mentoring and technical assistance
• Application method: Thematic Innovation Challenges with fixed deadlines; early-stage innovations open year-round

Research for Health in Humanitarian Crises (R2HC)

• Formative Research: Maximum ??100,000 per proposal (24 months duration)
• Open Research: No maximum limit (applicants encouraged to request sufficient funds; up to 36 months duration)
• Total Annual Call funding: Approximately ??4.5 million
• Application method: Annual Open Call with two-stage selection process (Expression of Interest, then Full Proposal)
• Seed Funding: Offered to shortlisted applicants to strengthen partnerships and proposals

Priority Areas

1. Artificial intelligence and emerging technologies
2. COVID-19 response (in humanitarian settings only)
3. Gender-based violence (GBV)
4. Health systems and services
5. Inclusion of people with disabilities and older people
6. Locally-led innovation
7. Mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS)
8. Non-communicable diseases (NCD)
9. Scaling innovation
10. Undernutrition and food insecurity
11. Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH)

What They Don't Fund

Geographic/Context Exclusions:

• Countries not on the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) list of official development assistance (e.g., Greece including refugee camps)
• General populations in low- or middle-income countries unless qualifying as humanitarian crisis settings
• COVID-19 response alone outside existing humanitarian settings
• Vulnerable populations (migrants, informal settlements, rural communities) not affected by humanitarian crises

Cost Exclusions:

• Intervention costs (R2HC generally won't pay for implementing interventions, only researching them)
• Currency exchange losses
• Applicants who have already implemented or been part of developing the innovation they propose to adopt

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Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

Chair: Dr. Jane Cocking OBE (appointed January 2024) - Freelance practitioner, consultant and researcher with over 30 years' experience in humanitarian action. Former Humanitarian Director at Oxfam and CEO at MAG (The Mines Advisory Group).

Trustees (nine-strong board):

• Freddy Bob-Jones - Managing Director, Aceli Africa
• Genevieve (Genny) Kiff - Senior Change Manager, Oxford University
• Karen Twining Fooks - Associate Africa Director, Oxford HR
• Mathieu Cantegreil - Resource Mobilisation Specialist, Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund
• Rhea Tariq - Deputy International Programmes Director, CAFOD
• Sorcha O'Callaghan - Global CEO, Talent Beyond Boundaries (Director, Humanitarian Policy Group at ODI)
• Toby Smith - Partner & General Counsel, Arcus Infrastructure Partners
• Uju Aderemi - Co-Interim Executive Director, Global Programmes, Save the Children International

Senior Leadership Team

• Kate Maina-Vorley - Chief Executive Officer
• Sian White - Director of Programmes
• Peter Sargent - Director of Finance and Operations
• Liz Rawlins - Head of Policy Engagement and Communications
• Shirin Maani - Head of HIF Programme
• Kai Hopkins - Head of Research Initiatives
• Susan Crowther - Head of Grant Operations & Finance
• Sarah Fealey - Head of HR and Operational Support

Leadership Quotes

Former CEO Jess Camburn emphasised: “Now more than ever, we must work together to ensure people affected by crises receive humanitarian response that is supported by coordinated investments into evidence.”

On leadership priorities for the sector: “Humanitarian leaders need to be bolder, willing to give up power to allow others to lead meaningful change. Leaders need to re-evaluate their roles, shifting away from protecting and growing their own institutions as their primary responsibility to one which prioritises the effectiveness of the sector as a whole.”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Requirements:

• Must be a legally registered not-for-profit organisation worldwide
• Must have a bank account registered to that organisation
• Must pass Due Diligence process and agree to standard terms and conditions
• R2HC minimum requirement: Partnership between at least one academic/research institution from the study region and one operational humanitarian partner (either can lead)
• All applications must be made via online platform in response to specific funding calls
• Applications must be in English

Application Portal:

• Check Funding Opportunities page: https://www.elrha.org/funding-research-innovation-humanitarian/
• Sign up for newsletter to be informed of future opportunities
• No unsolicited applications accepted

Partnership Notes:

• Partnerships do not need to be finalised at Expression of Interest stage for R2HC
• Evidence of partnerships (MoU, agreement in principle) required by Full Proposal stage
• Elrha will support partner searches where possible but cannot guarantee securing partners

Decision Timeline

R2HC Two-Stage Process:

1. Expression of Interest stage: Initial submission
2. Full Proposal stage: For shortlisted applicants only
3. Total timeline: Typically 2-4 months from initial submission to final decision
4. Rapid response: For urgent calls (e.g., COVID-19), decisions within two weeks of round deadline

Review Process:

• Each Full Proposal reviewed by at least two independent experts
• Final assessment by independent Funding Committee
• Applications assessed on individual merit

Notification Methods:

• Direct notification to applicants via email/letter
• Public announcements through newsletters and website
• Feedback provided when possible for unsuccessful Expression of Interest applications (though not detailed if eligibility criteria not met)

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly disclosed. Elrha receives high volumes of applications (e.g., over 450 applications for COVID-19 research call).

Reapplication Policy

No explicit reapplication restrictions mentioned in publicly available guidance. Organisations can submit multiple applications for different HIF Innovation Challenges with no limit on number of applications per organisation if proposing different projects.

Application Success Factors

Strategic Guidance from Elrha

From the Humanitarian Innovation Guide:

The more enabling factors you have in place, the more likely your innovation will positively impact users and crisis-affected communities. Successful innovation requires:

1. Follow the 6-stage innovation process: Recognition ??? Search ??? Adaptation ??? Invention ??? Pilot ??? Scale
2. User-centered approach: Focus on end-user needs and crisis-affected communities
3. Partnerships: Strong collaboration between academic/research institutions and operational humanitarian partners
4. Theory of Change: Clear articulation of how your innovation will drive impact
5. Evidence of innovation: Creation and implementation of new or improved methods with potential to improve efficiency, effectiveness, quality or social outcomes

Application Best Practices

From Elrha guidance:

• “Carefully review specific Call Guidelines”
• “Demonstrate explicit alignment with assessment criteria”
• “Proposals must show clear links to humanitarian outcomes”
• Apply for sufficient funding to complete the research successfully (especially for Open Research)
• For R2HC: Research must strengthen the public health evidence base in humanitarian settings

Humanitarian Settings Must Include:

• Conflict-affected locations
• Natural disaster areas
• Refugee/IDP camps
• Complex emergencies

Examples of Funded Projects

• Mental Health: Scaling up Problem Management Plus (PM+) for low-cost psychological support in Haiti
• Menstrual Health: Distribution of reusable period underwear in Gaza, Lebanon, Mali, Somalia, Central African Republic
• GBV: Co-design of tool with women-led organisations in South Sudan and Myanmar to measure adherence to GBV standards
• WASH: Evidence-building around WASH innovations

Overhead and Costs

• Funding covers research costs plus up to 10% overhead
• Budgets must be realistic and justified
• Cannot include intervention costs (for R2HC)

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

1. Partnership is essential: For R2HC, you must have both academic/research institution AND operational humanitarian partner. Start building these relationships early, though they don't need to be confirmed for initial Expression of Interest.

1. Context matters critically: Your project must be in a genuine humanitarian crisis setting (conflict, disaster, refugee/IDP camps, complex emergencies). General populations in LMICs don't qualify unless also in humanitarian crisis.

1. Innovation must be evidence-based: Demonstrate how your innovation creates or implements new/improved methods. Follow Elrha's 6-stage innovation process and articulate clear Theory of Change.

1. Align explicitly with assessment criteria: Review Call Guidelines carefully and demonstrate how your proposal meets each criterion. Link proposals clearly to humanitarian outcomes.

1. Be realistic about funding needs: For R2HC Open Research, there's no ceiling - request what you genuinely need. For Formative Research, maximum is ??100,000. Budget must be justified and exclude intervention costs.

1. Embrace locally-led approaches: Elrha's 2040 strategy emphasises locally-led innovation and research. Demonstrate community engagement and participatory approaches.

1. Plan for the long term: R2HC grants run 24-36 months. HIF grants vary by challenge type. Ensure your timeline is realistic for achieving meaningful impact and generating evidence.

References

1. Elrha Official Website - Homepage. https://www.elrha.org
2. Elrha - What We Fund. https://www.elrha.org/what-we-fund
3. Elrha - Applying for a Grant. https://www.elrha.org/funding-guidance/applying-for-a-grant
4. Elrha - Our History. https://www.elrha.org/our-history/
5. Elrha - Governance. https://www.elrha.org/governance/
6. Elrha - Board of Trustees. https://www.elrha.org/our-people/our-board
7. Elrha - Leadership Team. https://www.elrha.org/our-people/our-team
8. Elrha - R2HC Annual Funding Call. https://www.elrha.org/funding-opportunity/r2hc-annual-funding-call/
9. Elrha - Humanitarian Innovation Fund. https://www.elrha.org/programme/hif/
10. Humanitarian Innovation Guide. https://higuide.elrha.org/
11. Elrha - “We announce our new chair of trustees for 2024”. https://www.elrha.org/news-blogs/we-announce-new-chair-for-2024
12. Elrha - “New funding opportunity for adopting innovations in high severity settings”. https://www.elrha.org/news-and-blogs/new-funding-opportunity-for-adopting-innovations-in-high-severity-settings/
13. Elrha - Application Guidance & Grantee Support. https://www.elrha.org/funding-support/guidance-and-support/
14. Elrha - “Our strategy for research and innovation in humanitarian action”. https://www.elrha.org/shaping-the-future/