Enhancing Nutrition Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning in the Health Sector (NuMERAL) | 7200AA23RFA00005

Opportunity Information: Apply for 7200AA23RFA00005

The Enhancing Nutrition Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning in the Health Sector (NuMERAL) opportunity is a U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) funding solicitation focused on strengthening the evidence, learning, and performance of nutrition work within the broader health sector. The program is framed as a monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning (often abbreviated as MERL) effort, meaning it is designed to improve how nutrition programs and policies are measured, how results are interpreted, how research fills critical knowledge gaps, and how lessons learned are shared and used to make better decisions. Rather than being a direct service delivery grant, the emphasis is on building and using high-quality data and analysis so nutrition investments can be better targeted, better managed, and more accountable for outcomes.

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), numbered 7200AA23RFA00005, uses a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument. In practical terms, a cooperative agreement typically indicates substantial involvement by USAID during implementation compared with a standard grant. That involvement can include collaboration on priorities, learning agendas, research questions, evaluation design, and the dissemination and uptake of findings. The opportunity is categorized under “Other” in the solicitation system but sits within the funding activity category of “Science and Technology and other Research and Development,” signaling that the core work centers on evidence generation and the technical systems that support it rather than routine program operations.

A key feature of this solicitation is that it is structured in two phases. Phase I requires submission of concept notes, which function as a screening step where applicants present their overall approach, capabilities, and high-level plans. Only those applicants deemed successful in Phase I are invited to proceed to Phase II, which consists of full applications that provide the detailed technical narrative, implementation plans, staffing, budgets, and supporting documentation. After Phase II, USAID anticipates identifying an “Apparently Successful Applicant” (ASA). The ASA designation generally means the applicant is the leading candidate for award pending final checks, clarifications, and completion of any remaining requirements.

The opportunity lists an award ceiling of $45,000,000, setting the maximum total amount available under the solicitation as presented in the source summary. Eligibility is described as “unrestricted,” indicating that a broad range of organizations may apply (for example, nonprofits, universities, research institutions, for-profit entities, and potentially others), as long as they meet USAID’s standard responsibility and compliance requirements detailed in the full NOFO. The CFDA number associated with this opportunity is 98.001, which aligns with USAID’s foreign assistance programming cataloging. The posting shows an original closing date of March 15, 2023, and a creation date of February 1, 2023, which together indicate a relatively short initial application window for Phase I submissions.

While the brief summary provided does not enumerate specific technical tasks, a NuMERAL-style activity in the health and nutrition space commonly covers areas such as strengthening nutrition indicators and data systems, improving routine monitoring and performance tracking, conducting evaluations of nutrition-related interventions, commissioning or supporting targeted research to address evidence gaps, and ensuring findings are translated into practical guidance for programs and policymakers. It can also include building capacity among partners and country stakeholders to use data for decision-making, establishing learning agendas, running learning events or communities of practice, and producing tools, briefs, and dissemination products that help evidence travel from analysis to action.

For applicants, the most important operational takeaway is that this is not a single-step application process. Organizations must plan first for a strong, competitive concept note that clearly shows how they would improve nutrition monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning across health-sector programming, and then be prepared to expand that concept into a fully detailed proposal if invited. The notice explicitly directs applicants to the attached NOFO (7200AA23RFA00005) for complete instructions, evaluation criteria, submission requirements, and the specific scope and expected results, which are essential for understanding exactly how USAID defines NuMERAL priorities, what deliverables are expected, and how success will be assessed.

• The Agency for International Development in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Enhancing Nutrition Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning in the Health Sector (NuMERAL)" 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 2023-02-01.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-03-15. (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 $45,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

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