Hub of Advanced Policy Innovations for the Environment (HAPIE) Request for Proposals

Eligibility

HAPIE provides an opportunity for researchers to collaborate with J-PAL Middle East and North Africa (MENA) to conduct studies in Egypt with the endorsement of a government partner. J-PAL affiliates, J-PAL postdocs, and J-PAL invited researchers are eligible to apply for full research projects, pilot studies, and travel/exploratory grants. Implementing partners may involve NGOs or international organizations partnering with the Egyptian government to implement programs related to the priority themes.

To be considered for funding, all proposals are required to first reach out to the lab team to learn more about matchmaking opportunities and requirements at [email protected]

HAPIE Funding Priorities

HAPIE aims to generate research to resolve the fundamental problems at the heart of the air and water crises in Egypt. Research funds are allocated to evaluate government priority policies and programs across different multi-sectoral aspects of clean air and water access, including but not limited:

• Air Quality, Emissions & Pollution Control; Carbon Emissions & Market Mechanisms; Renewable Energy Access & Adoption; Urban Air Pollution & Health Impacts; Waste Reduction & Pollution Control
• Water Quality, Access & Sanitation; Water Quality & Public Health; Sanitation & Hygiene Infrastructure; Water Management and Quality; Sustainable Irrigation & Water Use
• Climate Adaptation & Resilience in Agriculture; Training and Education; Farmers' Climate Adaptation Strategies; Gender Equity in Agricultural Adaptation; Climate-Risk-Adjusted Credit Mechanisms; Early Warning Systems for Rural Communities; Agricultural Insurance & Risk Management

HAPIE  will prioritize funding research and scaling projects in partnership with the government partner(s), as well as projects with high potential to influence policy and/or to improve access to clean air and water at scale. With a focus on approaches that respond to partners’ top priorities regarding air and water or other environmental issues (demand driven) and have the potential to benefit people in poverty at scale, HAPIE  will consider projected effect size and cost-effectiveness of Research and Path-to-Scale proposals of promising innovations measuring one or more of the following outcomes:

• Outcome 1: Improving air quality and/or reducing air pollution 
• Outcome 2: Improving water quality and/or reducing water pollution
• Outcome 3: Increasing access to clean, usable water for people facing water stress
• Outcome 4: Measure the impact of research on policy changes at local, state or national levels (this could be by introducing new guidelines, standards or regulations)
• Outcome 5: Level of community engagement and participation in air and water quality improvement efforts
• Outcome 6: Increased level of climate resilience and adaptation of vulnerable communities

Research teams considering expanded topics are invited to reach out to the HAPIE  team if they would like to discuss whether other topics may be in scope. Outcomes of interest may also be determined through these conversations.  

Types of Proposals 

Three types of proposals will be considered for HAPIE:

• Travel/proposal development grant applications (up to $10,000)
• Pilot (up to $75,000)
• Full RCT (up to $250,000)

Proposal Timeline

Full randomized evaluations, path-to-scale, proposal development, and pilot proposals for HAPIE funding will be available on a rolling basis for the year 2025. Interested applicants should connect with the team before developing their proposals to ensure alignment with the lab’s research focus and funding priorities at [email protected]

Application Instructions

If you are interested in applying, please first reach out to [email protected] to request the relevant application templates.