The CIDRZ Grants and Contracts Department, through its Business Development Unit, has conducted an In-house Proposal Development Training to strengthen participants’ capacity to develop competitive grant proposals, from idea generation to final submission.

Facilitated by Business Development Specialist Daniel Chibutu, the training aimed to boost staff skills, improve proposal success rates, and enhance overall organisational performance. Participants were guided through the process crafting strong project proposal applications and submitting successful grant applications.

The training covered key themes, including the development of logic models to support effective conceptualisation of project ideas, approaches and skills for writing compelling concept notes and specific aims, and grant writing 101 highlighting the processes of proposal development within CIDRZ.

Participants shared their experiences from CIDRZ In-House Proposal Development Training: One of the participants, Herbert Nyirenda, Assistant Study Coordinator, described the training as particularly valuable as it shed light on the internal resources and support available at CIDRZ for grant application processes.

“The training provided valuable insights into the resources and support available through the Business Development Unit. I feel encouraged to take a stab at any grant that aligns with my interests, and I urge fellow staff to make use of the support offered by the Business Development team,” he said.

Meanwhile, another participant, Dr. Chimwemwe Zulu, a Medical Mentor for Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT), appreciated the interactive format, open discussions, and practical guidance provided during the training enhanced her understanding of the grant writing process.

“The interactive sessions helped us understand what goes into writing a strong proposal. As an early researcher, I was glad to learn about the proper channels to use when applying,” she said.

Dr. Chikumbi Chambwe, a Medical Mentor for Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health, also shared that the In-house Proposal development training provided an in-depth understanding into how to effectively express interest in Requests for Proposals (RFPs).