OTT MONTHLY newsletter

 

Dear OTT Community, It's almost been a month since we launched the OTT Membership Programme — and tomorrow we're hosting our first masterclass. After 15 years of working with think tanks, OTT knows what separates those that thrive from those that struggle: the people leading and running them never stop developing their skills and deepening their knowledge. That's exactly what membership is built around — expert-led learning, practical tools, and a peer community, all grounded in the realities of the sector. Join the OTT Membership Programme to attend the May masterclass → This month, we’re also opening early-bird registrations for the School for Thinktankers 2027, taking place 1–5 February in Barcelona. The School remains our most intensive offering for think tank professionals — a week of peer learning, reflection, and practical skill-building designed to make you more effective in your role. Apply for the School for Thinktankers 2027→ Whether through membership or the School, OTT is here to help you develop your capabilities and do your work better — because a stronger you means a stronger sector.   And for those attending the 2026 OTT Conference in Rabat next week — see you there! Until next month, Enrique Mendizabal What’s new at OTT? INITIATIVE School for Thinktankers 📍 Equitat.org, Barcelona 📆 1-5 February 2027 Submit an early-bird application now → REPORT Supporting African Think Tanks for Evidence-Based Policymaking Download the report → PROJECT Supporting Transparency International and its Asia-Pacific chapters to identify funding opportunities and develop realistic fundraising strategies Explore OTT’s work with funders → Featured content New blogs: Funding differently: What three years of working with funders taught us, by Joyjayanti Chatterjee How can think tanks in India be more visible in the State of the Sector? by Annapoorna Ravichander IstanPol: think tank navigating Turkey’s polarised politics, by Enrique Mendizabal Podcast: Think tanks in a changing Europe: Season 4 — catch up with all new episodes! Petra Reszkető from the Budapest Institute on leading an economic think tank in Hungary Leading a think tank in Slovakia: Richard Durana on INESS and 20 years of free‑market advocacy Leading the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies: Mario Holzner on economic think tanks, funding, and independence Leading in a changing Europe: Scarlett Varga on neutrality, relevance, and funding Do you have insights, case studies, or groundbreaking research to share? Submit your article​​​​​​​ to reach a global audience of policy experts, change-makers, and thought leaders. Our services Supporting better-informed decision-making. Support to funders Three Years Supporting the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank: Reflections on a Partnership Between March 2023 and January 2026, OTT's Research Support Service (RSS) worked with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank's Operational Partnership Department, delivering regular sector briefings that synthesised public-domain analysis on peer MDBs and the wider development finance ecosystem (covering among other topics, MDB reform, energy and nature finance, and shifts in the multilateral system), alongside pre-event briefings, talking points, and readouts around key moments in the international development finance calendar. The RSS provides an important function in a sector being reshaped by both increasing fragmentation and information overload. This model is highly replicable: OTT has previously supported clients including the Gates Foundation, UK FCDO, and Open Society Foundations, and offers other MDBs, bilateral agencies, and DFIs tailored thematic and country briefs, event support, and strategic inputs drawing from a global network of over 3,000 think tanks and policy experts. Get in touch If your team would benefit from regular analytical support, or strategic input on emerging policy debates, we'd welcome a conversation: Joyjayanti Chatterjee, Research Support Service Lead | Enrique Mendizabal, Founder and Executive Director Explore OTT’s work with think tank funders → Support to think tanks May Masterclass: The Think Tank Business Model | 13 May 2026 Our first Masterclass for members takes place tomorrow — facilitated by Enrique Mendizabal, Founder and Director of OTT. The session explores the full set of dimensions that make up a think tank's business model, helping organisations and professionals review and refresh their approaches in a changing context. A timely conversation, given the pressures the sector is navigating right now. Sessions like this are part of what OTT Membership unlocks: regular expert-led masterclasses designed to help you sharpen your skills and stay connected to what's happening across the sector. If you've been thinking about joining, use code ESSENTIALUPGRADE for 50% off your first month. Join as a Member → Learn more about our work with think tanks → Think tank ecosystem news Latest updates, events, funding & job opportunities from the global think tank sector. Events OTT Conference 2026, 19-21 May 2026  | 📍 Rabat, Morocco See you next week! Think Tank Leaders’ Consultation, 15–16 June 2026 |  Brussels, Belgium This invitation-only convening will bring together senior think tank leaders from across Europe for a strategic exchange on the evolving policy and funding landscape shaping the sector. Hosted by the European Policy Centre and On Think Tanks, the meeting will focus on strengthening collaboration, resilience, and democratic values within Europe’s think tank community. Asian Think Tank Network Forum 2026, 6-8 October 2026 | 📍Singapore The Asian Think Tank Network (ATTN) is a network of think tanks and research centers focused on sustainable economic growth and inclusive development in Asia and the Pacific, and its annual Forum is a flagship event for exchange and policy-skill capacity-building. School for Thinktankers 2027, 1-5 February 2027 | 📍 Barcelona, Spain Early-bird registrations for the 2027 School are now open. Apply early to get a limited-time discount and secure your spot! RFPs and news from funders Global Development Awards Competition (GDAC) | Innovation for peace and human security in LMICs | Global Development Network | $25,000–$50,000 | Deadline: 17 June 2026 Call for Papers: Local Voices, Global Debates — ASIAC Days in Central Asia | Political economy, development, migration, and climate research on Central Asia | ASIAC & CAPS Unlock | Deadline: 23 May 2026 Africa Fellows in Education Program (AFEP) 2026/2027 | Building the next generation of education policy leaders in Sub-Saharan Africa | Partnership for Economic Policy (PEP) | $25,000 research grant + up to $25,000 in expenses | Deadline: 30 June 2026 LEVANTE Open Call for Proposals | Global research network on children’s learning variability and development | LEVANTE Network | No amount specified | Apply now The Roger Federer Foundation has published its 2026–2030 strategy, setting out its ambitions and priorities for the next phase of its work in education and child development. IDRC and Global Affairs Canada have launched the Women’s Voice and Leadership (VLM) Learning Partnership Learning Centers, a new initiative to strengthen gender equality and women’s rights globally. WINGS has published a new report on philanthropy trends in Latin America and the Caribbean, drawing on findings from its Latin America and the Caribbean Working Group. DIV Fund Open Call | Evidence-based innovations tackling poverty in LMICs | DIV Fund | Up to $1.5M (staged) | Rolling deadline Gender Gap Analysis in Eastern European Newsrooms | Regional research on gender-inclusive practices among grantee newsrooms in the Eastern Partnership portfolio | International Fund for Public Interest Media | 30-day application window Knowledge Laboratory: Radicalism and Political Radicalisation in Latin America | Research grants on democratic challenges, polarisation, and political radicalisation | Maria Sibylla Merian Center for Advanced Latin American Studies (CALAS) | Deadline: 5 July 2026 Think tank news The African Union Commission has signed grant agreements with 13 African think tanks, including ACET, AFIDEP, Denis & Lenora Foretia Foundation, SAIIA, Nkafu Policy Institute, and the Policy Center for the New South, as part of the BRIDGE Africa consortium — which secured a $10 million AU/World Bank grant to advance evidence-informed policymaking across the continent. Fundación “la Caixa” has inaugurated the CaixaResearch Institute, the first centre dedicated to immunology in Spain and Portugal and one of the first in Europe. The High-Level Expert Group on Beyond GDP (HLEG) has published its final report, marking a key milestone in the UN-led effort to complement GDP as a measure of progress. OTT was among the organisations that contributed to the consultation process. The Instituto Mexicano para la Competitividad (IMCO) has marked its 23rd anniversary, continuing its work on analysis and research for a more competitive and inclusive Mexico. The African Centre for Economic Transformation (ACET) is set to lead the BRIDGE Africa consortium, alongside AFIDEP, the Denis & Lenora Foretia Foundation, SAIIA, Nkafu Policy Institute, and the Policy Center for the New South. The Fonds d'Innovation pour le Développement (FID) has marked its fifth anniversary with a new strategic partner: the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), which is allocating €10 million over the next two years to support high-impact solutions for vulnerable populations in LMICs. Leadership appointments Goran Buldioski has joined Visegrad Insight as Senior Fellow. Maricel Lonati has been appointed as Director of Civic Compass, the research and public policy team of Civic House. Olga Lucia Romero Londoño has been appointed as the new Director of the Evidence Lab (EdLab) at Colombia Evidencia Potencial en Educación (CEPE), a centre focused on bridging education research and practice in Colombia. Marco Simoni has taken over as Director of the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI), an independent think tank founded in 1965 by Altiero Spinelli. Eeva Primmer has been appointed Executive Director of the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI). Velislava Petrova, Chief Programme Officer at the Centre for Future Generations (CFG), has been appointed Bulgaria's Minister of Foreign Affairs. Vaqar Ahmed has joined the Partnership for Economic Policy (PEP) as Research Director of its Macro-Micro Policy Modelling Group. OTT jobs board: Featured opportunities Associate Director – AI Policy, Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF) | 📍Washington DC, USA | $110,000 – $155,000 Managing Editor, Badi - The Alternative Policy Institute | 📍Beirut, Lebanon (Hybrid) Multimedia Producer / Videographer, Badil - The Alternative Policy Institute | 📍Beirut, Lebanon (Hybrid) Explore OTT’s Jobsboard