The International Pathogen Surveillance Network (IPSN) Catalytic Grant Fund supports member organizations of the IPSN in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to pilot innovative approaches and create an evidence base for scaling-up pathogen genomic surveillance and wastewater and environmental surveillance.
The fund, hosted by the United Nations Foundation on behalf of the IPSN, received initial support from The Gates Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, and Wellcome. In 2025, the Institute of Philanthropy joined as a contributor to the fund. Funding is available for IPSN members from low- and middle-income countries in the range of $50,000-$250,000. Supported projects will be funded for a period up to one year and will uphold priorities under the IPSN's scope and theory of change, contribute to knowledge generation and research, and ensure wide dissemination to the broader community. During this funding round, project proposals will be welcomed under two technical tracks 1) pathogen genomic surveillance and 2) wastewater and environmental surveillance.
Our partners
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Who can apply
Funding is available to IPSN member organizations in low- and middle-income countries. Applications may be submitted by individual IPSN member organizations from LMICs or in consortia in which the lead applicant is an IPSN member from a LMIC. Organizations who are not IPSN members can apply for membership while submitting their proposals. For more information on the IPSN membership terms and application please refer to the IPSN website.
For more information on Fund eligibility please refer to the below Request for Proposal (RfP) below.
How to apply
All applications must be submitted in English to the IPSN Secretariat via this portal under one of the two technical tracks: 1) pathogen genomic surveillance and 2) wastewater and environmental surveillance. Applicants can choose one track and provide one submission to their chosen track. Only one application per applicant may be funded.
Under each track, the application process will consist of two stages. In the first stage, applicants will be required to submit a short concept note in response to the RfP. The IPSN Secretariat and an independent technical group will review the concept notes. In the second stage, shortlisted applicants will be invited to submit full proposals. The full applications will be reviewed, and clarifications may be requested if needed. After review, funding decisions will be communicated to applicants. Successful applications will undergo due diligence by the UN Foundation.
For further information on the application process, please refer to the Request for Proposals (RfP) below.
The IPSN welcomes diverse applications from all backgrounds regardless of gender identity, ethnicity, religious belief, disability, or sexual orientation. Early career researchers are encouraged to apply.
Questions and informational webinar
The IPSN Secretariat will hold informational webinars on April 29-30, 2026 to address questions regarding the application process and funding.
Please sign up for one of the webinar time slots below:
Prospective applicants are invited to submit questions in advance to IPSN-fund@who.int until 24 April 2026. Answers to the questions will be provided during the webinars. Webinars will be recorded and published online for those who are unable to attend either webinar session.