Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA OAA 17 000001
Breakthrough-RESEARCH is a USAID-funded global health grant opportunity designed to strengthen how health and development programs use social and behavior change (SBC) evidence to improve outcomes. The project is centered on increasing the adoption of priority health behaviors and strengthening the social norms that support those behaviors, with explicit attention to gender norms as a key driver of health decisions and access to services. Its technical emphasis spans major USAID health priorities, including family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH), HIV/AIDS, maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH), and malaria. The core idea is that better, more actionable SBC research can help programs move beyond awareness-raising and toward measurable changes in behavior and the social environments that shape behavior.
A defining feature of this opportunity is the way it is paired with a sister initiative, Breakthrough-ACTION. The two projects are intended to work in close coordination while playing different roles. Breakthrough-RESEARCH focuses on building and disseminating evidence in SBC areas where the current research base is still thin or inconclusive, helping the field answer questions about what works, for whom, and under what conditions. Breakthrough-ACTION, by contrast, concentrates on scaling and improving SBC programming approaches that already have strong evidence behind them. Together, they are meant to create a pipeline where implementation and research inform each other: programs scale proven approaches while researchers fill evidence gaps and deliver findings in forms that practitioners can use quickly.
The opportunity positions Breakthrough-RESEARCH as a global leader in “actionable” SBC research, meaning research that is not only rigorous but also directly useful to implementers and capable of shaping programming decisions within the project’s lifetime. To do that, the project is expected to build on prior SBC investments and tap into ongoing research and evaluation efforts both inside and outside USAID, rather than operating in isolation. A major expectation is that findings will be actively produced, packaged, and disseminated in ways that translate into practical guidance for SBC teams, implementing partners, and health programs working in diverse country contexts.
In terms of methods, the project goes beyond traditional social science studies by allowing for the development, testing, or dissemination of innovative or under-used research, monitoring, and evaluation approaches. A key theme is enabling more tactical, near real-time use of data for program decision-making, which implies a focus on faster feedback loops, adaptive learning, and tools that help programs adjust strategies as they learn what is and is not working. In practice, this could include improved measurement of social norms, better ways to link SBC activities to health outcomes, and evaluation designs that are strong enough to guide investment choices while still being practical in real-world implementation settings.
Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity issued by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) under Funding Opportunity Number RFA-OAA-17-000001. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which typically means substantial USAID involvement during implementation, including collaboration on technical direction, learning priorities, and coordination with related USAID efforts like Breakthrough-ACTION. The activity category is Health, and the CFDA listing is 98.001. USAID anticipated making one award, with an award ceiling of $55,000,000. The opportunity was posted on January 3, 2017, with an original closing date of March 3, 2017, and eligibility was listed broadly as “Others,” with additional clarification referenced in the full eligibility text of the announcement.Apply for RFA OAA 17 000001
- The Agency for International Development in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Breakthrough-RESEARCH" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 98.001.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jan 03, 2017.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 03, 2017. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $55,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Breakthrough-RESEARCH (USAID) Grant Opportunity FAQs
What is Breakthrough-RESEARCH?
Breakthrough-RESEARCH is a USAID-funded global health grant opportunity focused on strengthening how health and development programs use social and behavior change (SBC) evidence to improve outcomes. The emphasis is on producing SBC research that is rigorous and also directly useful to implementers, helping programs achieve measurable changes in priority health behaviors and the social environments that shape those behaviors.
What is the main goal of the opportunity?
The main goal is to increase the adoption of priority health behaviors and strengthen the social norms that support those behaviors. A central theme is moving programs beyond awareness-raising toward measurable behavior change, supported by evidence that can inform real programming decisions within the project period.
What does SBC mean in this opportunity?
SBC stands for social and behavior change. In this context, it refers to the use of evidence and approaches that influence individual behaviors and the broader social norms and environments that affect health decisions and access to services.
Which health areas does Breakthrough-RESEARCH focus on?
The technical emphasis spans major USAID health priorities, including family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH), HIV/AIDS, maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH), and malaria.
How does the opportunity address gender norms?
The opportunity includes explicit attention to gender norms as a key driver of health decisions and access to services. This means research is expected to consider how gender norms influence behaviors and the ability to use health services, and how shifting norms may support improved outcomes.
What makes this research “actionable”?
“Actionable” SBC research, as described in the opportunity, is research that is not only methodologically rigorous but also directly usable by implementers. It is designed to shape programming decisions within the project’s lifetime by producing findings in forms that practitioners can apply quickly in diverse country contexts.
How is Breakthrough-RESEARCH different from Breakthrough-ACTION?
Breakthrough-RESEARCH focuses on building and disseminating evidence in SBC areas where the existing research base is thin or inconclusive, helping answer what works, for whom, and under what conditions. Breakthrough-ACTION focuses on scaling and improving SBC programming approaches that already have strong evidence behind them.
How are Breakthrough-RESEARCH and Breakthrough-ACTION expected to work together?
The two projects are intended to coordinate closely while playing different roles. Together they create a pipeline where implementation and research inform each other: programs scale proven approaches while researchers fill evidence gaps and deliver findings that practitioners can use.
What kinds of evidence gaps is Breakthrough-RESEARCH meant to address?
The project targets SBC questions where current evidence is limited or inconclusive. The emphasis is on generating knowledge about what works, for whom, and under what conditions, and translating those findings into practical guidance for SBC teams and health programs.
What expectations are there for dissemination and use of findings?
A major expectation is that findings will be actively produced, packaged, and disseminated in ways that translate into practical guidance for implementers. The opportunity emphasizes getting evidence into usable forms for SBC teams, implementing partners, and health programs working across varied settings.
Is the project expected to build on existing work, or operate independently?
The project is expected to build on prior SBC investments and tap into ongoing research and evaluation efforts both inside and outside USAID. The opportunity frames this as an approach that avoids operating in isolation and helps connect new research to existing learning agendas and evidence.
What research and evaluation methods are encouraged?
The opportunity allows for developing, testing, or disseminating innovative or under-used research, monitoring, and evaluation approaches. It goes beyond traditional social science studies by encouraging approaches that can strengthen measurement (including social norms) and better link SBC activities to health outcomes.
Does the opportunity emphasize real-time or near real-time data use?
Yes. A key theme is enabling more tactical, near real-time use of data for program decision-making. This implies faster feedback loops, adaptive learning, and tools that allow programs to adjust strategies as they learn what is and is not working.
What is the funding agency and what type of opportunity is this?
The funding agency is the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). This is a discretionary funding opportunity issued under Funding Opportunity Number RFA-OAA-17-000001.
What funding instrument is used for this award?
The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement. As described in the opportunity, this typically involves substantial USAID involvement during implementation, including collaboration on technical direction, learning priorities, and coordination with related USAID efforts such as Breakthrough-ACTION.
What is the activity category and CFDA listing?
The activity category is Health, and the CFDA listing is 98.001.
How many awards did USAID anticipate making?
USAID anticipated making one award.
What is the award ceiling?
The award ceiling listed for the opportunity is $55,000,000.
When was the opportunity posted and when was it originally due?
The opportunity was posted on January 3, 2017, with an original closing date of March 3, 2017.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was listed broadly as “Others,” with additional clarification referenced in the full eligibility text of the announcement.
What is the central premise behind investing in SBC research through this project?
The opportunity is grounded in the idea that better, more actionable SBC research can help programs move beyond awareness-raising toward measurable changes in behavior and in the social environments that shape behavior, improving health outcomes across priority areas.
What kinds of program decisions is the research expected to inform?
The project is positioned to support program decision-making by generating evidence that can guide strategy adjustments, investment choices, and implementation approaches. The opportunity highlights practical evaluation designs and measurement improvements that can support real-world programming decisions.
Is coordination with other USAID efforts part of the expectation?
Yes. The cooperative agreement structure and the pairing with Breakthrough-ACTION indicate an expectation of coordination. The description also emphasizes tapping into research and evaluation efforts inside and outside USAID, rather than working separately from them.
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