In 2004, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation’s Population Program launched a major new initiative to explore the impact of demographic trends and reproductive health on poverty and economic growth in developing countries. The Hewlett Foundation continues to fund research on these issues, with a particular focus on sub-Saharan Africa. This research will be shared with policymakers in both developing and developed countries.
In the 1960s, policymakers attempted to understand the relationship between population growth in poor countries and the impact of that growth on their economies, but were hampered by a lack of data and limits on research methods. For almost a generation, the issue went largely unstudied. This lack of research has hobbled economic policymaking in sub-Saharan Africa, a region with high rates of poverty, lagging economic growth, poor reproductive health outcomes for many women, and fertility rates that have remained high while those of many other regions have declined.
By supporting the design, funding, and dissemination of research in this area, the Hewlett Foundation hopes to foster a deeper understanding of the relationship between demographic dynamics and reproductive health on the one hand and economic development on the other in sub-Saharan Africa as a basis for policy-making. In particular, the goal is to better understand the relationship between reproductive health and demography as they affect both economic growth and poverty reduction efforts.
Funding for research in this area is available through a number of partner organizations, listed below. Unsolicitied proposals to the Hewlett Foundation are not accepted.
Funding Opportunities and Ongoing Research
Population, reproductive health and economic development (“PopDev”)
The new research program 'PopDev' will help to illuminate how expanding access to sexual and reproductive health information and services contributes to reducing poverty and improving equitable economic development. The program focuses on strengthening the evidence-base for policy and practice and identifying ways forward in research on how population and reproductive health impact poverty and economic growth.
WOTRO Science for Global Development (the development research branch within the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research – NWO) and the Hewlett Foundation jointly fund the PopDev program and collaboratively call for proposals from research teams in The Netherlands and in developing countries, with a preference for sub-Saharan Africa.
The call for pre-proposals is open. Deadline 18 December 2007.
A description of the call, the instructions for application and an application form can be found at the website www.nwo.nl/wotro/popdev.
Global Teams of Research Excellence
The Population Reference Bureau (PRB) is currently soliciting proposals from research teams on topics examining how economic development is impacted by population dynamics and reproductive health. In 2007, this joint PRB/Hewlett program will provide $2 million to support three to five "Global Teams of Research Excellence." The Global Teams of Research Excellence are one component of a new Hewlett/PRB initiative to enhance research and policy communication in population, reproductive health, and economic development. The near-term objective is to strengthen the evidence on how population dynamics and reproductive health affect economic outcomes in developing countries. A longer-term objective is for the research findings to be used to inform and influence national and international policymakers, especially those in and supporting Africa, to consider population and reproductive health outcomes appropriately in their development planning and policy agendas. For more information please visit:
http://www.prb.org/About/InternationalPrograms/Projects-Programs/HewlettPRBResearch/GlobalTeams.aspx
See the results of the 2007 U.S. Teams of Research Excellence call for proposals at:
http://www.prb.org/About/InternationalPrograms/Projects-Programs/HewlettPRBResearch/GlobalTeams.aspx