ReFinD has awarded grants to five successful applicants under its second request for proposals (RFP2). The new group of grantees add to 10 researchers who are benefitting from grants under the ReFinD research initiative. This brings to a total of 15 the number of ReFinD-funded projects across Africa and Asia.  

Retracing the RFP2 process 

ReFinD organized an inception meeting for the successful applicants of its second Request For Proposals (RFP2). The virtual meeting provided a space for the newly selected grantees to deepen their understanding of the processes and expectations of the ReFinD grant, and learn about the projects of fellow grantees. The grantees represent six institutions from three countries.

^{ReFinD Executive Director, Prof. Peter Quartey (2nd from left); Project Director, Adadzewa Otoo (first right); and team members Mariam French-Anaman and (2nd from right) and Derick Walt-Collins (first from left) at E2A 2023}

The Retail Finance Development Research Initiative (ReFinD) and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) are joining forces to co-host a dialogue centered on leveraging data to drive the development of agent networks. The event, scheduled for July 25, 2023, is part of this year's Evidence to Action Conference taking place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The Retail Finance Distribution Research Initiate (ReFinD) has appointed to its Policy Advisory Committee Ms. Rashmi Pillai, Group Head of Public Policy at Wave, a leading mobile money operator in Africa. She joins a representative committee that includes people from academia, public policy, and finance, positioned to provide policy leadership and guidance in advancing the aims of ReFinD.

         The maiden ISSER Inclusive Finance Development Series was a hybrid event graced by people from academia and industry. Prof. Aryeetey and Prof. Quartey (1st and 5th from left) with some of the in-person participants after the event

The Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) and the World Bank will on Thursday, May 4, 2023, host a public engagement on the 2021 Ghana Findex Data. The event will be the maiden edition of the ISSER Inclusive Finance Development Series (IIFDS), an initiative under ISSER’s agenda to position African research institutions at the forefront of advancing evidence for the development of inclusive finance.  

ReFinD would like to thank applicants for the second ReFinD request for proposals (RFP) which closed on March 31, 2023. Garnering proposals from Africa and Asia across all five grant categories, the second RFP recorded a marked increase in the received number of applications compared to last year’s round.

Members of ReFinD have attended CSAE 2023, a three-day international conference held at Oxford University, United Kingdom, organised by the Center for the Study of African Economies (CSAE). As official exhibitors, the team showcased ReFinD to hundreds of conference participants and engaged in activities aimed at promoting and deepening the visibility of the research initiative.