A consortium-wide initiative, Partnerships for Innovative Research in Africa (PIRA) is a tiered funding opportunity designed to cultivate and support multidirectional, collaborative research partnerships at any stage of their development, whether they are initiatives to explore and create new relationships or scale existing ones. A unique aspect of these grants is the expectation that organizations establish and develop fair and equitable partnerships from conception to closeout of the project, involving local stakeholders throughout the project, respecting their knowledge and expertise, and taking an adaptive approach that is responsive to the local context.
PIRA is an evolution of AAP's previous Strategic Partnership Grants program, building on lessons learned about establishing and maintaining equitable research partnerships. Partnership activities may entail cooperative research, capacity building initiatives, outreach and/or other activities that align with AAP’s pillars of building bridges, transforming institutions, and transforming lives. Projects address at least one of AAP’s priority areas: agri-food systems; water, energy and environment; culture and society; youth empowerment; education; health and nutrition; and, science, technology, and innovation.