Become an Associate Member

GACD is an alliance of international health and medical research funding organisations, (the Associate Members of GACD), which come together in support of a common mission, as set out in the GACD Strategic Plan 2025-30:

To reduce the burden of chronic NCDs in LMICs, and in underserved groups such as Indigenous Populations facing conditions of inequity in HICs, by building evidence to inform national and international NCD policies and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals under section 3.4.

GACD’s strategic objectives are to:

• Invest in chronic NCD research to inform policy and practice.

• Foster capacity and capability in research on NCDs that will inform policy and practice.

• To partner and collaborate for impact.

Values

Our values and organisational culture aim to promote open, responsible, ethical global science that will provide high quality results that will offer relevant and sustainable impact to improve health for all.

GACD:

• will work globally with a range of funders and partners, respectful of all. We promote and expect integrity and the highest ethical standards in all that we do, respecting fundamental human rights.

• will foster meaningful participation by all partners in our global research, to ensure that our outcomes and impact are relevant and sustainable.

• is committed to the highest standards of transparency, scholarship, performance and delivery, striving for excellence and impact in everything we do.

• encourages active global citizenship, reflected in our aim to provide evidence to reduce health disparities within and between countries.

• seeks ways to expand and enhance collaboration within our alliance, amongst funders, researchers, stakeholders and across all sectors within the global community in a culture of mutual learning and respect to find relevant impactful solutions to real world issues.

• recognises the rights of all people to accessible and effective prevention and care, in particular people living with chronic NCDs. We believe in the enormous potential of our joint work to impact human health and change the world for the better.

Criteria for Associate Membership

Associate Membership of GACD has evolved since GACD’s inception, from five members (all national public funding bodies) to a current broader membership base. To ensure a common understanding of our mutually agreed organisational values, the health priorities to be pursued as well as the bigger impact of the collective actions of GACD, a Terms of Reference including a set of key criteria for Associate Members has been agreed. This enables open and transparent discussions on engagement of prospective new Associate Members.

The agreed Associate Membership criteria are:

• Associate Members of GACD will be publicly funded national, subnational or multi-country research funding organisations, development agencies, foundations, trusts, or philanthropic organisations with a mission which must include funding health research.

• The mission of Associate Members of GACD will include the funding of research on chronic, non-communicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries and underserved populations, as defined by each Associate Member.

• Associate Members of GACD are required to actively participate in funding or supporting health and implementation research as part of joint GACD Research Programmes.

• Associate Members of GACD make their funding decisions based on the principles of peer review processes.

• Associate Members of GACD will commit to actively engage in the activities of the GACD Strategy Board. Each Associate Member will be granted one vote on the Strategy Board.

• Associate Members of GACD will commit to nominate representatives to the Programme Subcommittee and other committees as required.

• The Associate Membership of GACD aims to include representation from all regions of the world, in order to more comprehensively inform the scientific and strategic agenda for the GACD.

Funding calls and Funding Partners

GACD is also interested in partnering with other organisations on an ad hoc basis including public, private and charitable agencies that may wish to partner selectively in specific funding calls where the topics are of mutual interest. A Funding Partner organisation may provide investment support, or in-kind support (i.e., provision of key research resources).

GACD has announced its next three funding topics from 2025-2027. If you are interested in discussing opportunities for partnership on any of these forthcoming GACD research call topics, please email admin@gacd.org.