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Research

Current priorities for DFID’s centrally funded research are detailed in the Research Strategy for 2008-2013. They are: Growth, Sustainable Agriculture, Climate Change, Health, Governance in Challenging Environments and Future Challenges and Opportunities. In addition there is a focus on improving the impact of DFID funded research through communication, dissemination and getting research into use.

We have prepared an Implementation Timetable which gives information about the likely content and timing of future scoping work and research competitions and calls for proposals. Calls for DFID contracted research can be found on the Procurement pages.

DFID is not able to accept unsolicited requests for funding nor to accept Expressions of Interest in advance of the calls being made

How DFID Funds Research

DFID funds research in a variety of different ways.

  • Multifunded research (including research uptake) where DFID engagement is likely to be in strategy/policy formulation and providing funds. Many of our research uptake programmes are multifunded. We would not generally project manage such activities. Such programmes would not normally be competitively tendered. Types of multifunded research are:                      o Multilateral research where DFID funds, along with other donors, international research organisations such as the Centres of the Consultative Group of International Agricultural Research.
    o Joint funding where more than one donor contributes to a certain strategic objective, programme or project, usually managed by a non-governmental body, such as SciDev.net.
    o Concordats with UK Research Councils such as the Medical Research Council.
  • Public Private Partnerships. DFID currently has a range of investments in product development public private partnerships (PDPs). Most of the PDPs are in human health but there is one in animal health. DFID has played a key role in donor co-ordination around the development of PDPs in the area of neglected diseases. An increased DFID Research budget has released further funds for investment in this area.
  • Bilateral Funded Programmes in which DFID directly contracts providers following the European Rules to ensure that processes are fair and transparent.                                                                                  o Research Programme Consortia. This is the main mechanism that DFID uses to directly contract research. The Consortia have a lead organisation, which can be based outside the UK. However some of the partner institutions of the Consortia must be based in developing countries. Calls are issued for expressions of interest in defined areas. Those which score most highly are then invited to submit detailed bids. The contract is awarded to the Consortia judged to have the best bid.  Further guidance is available for Research Programme Consortia.                                       o Other bilateral programmes including some of the research uptake programmes such as Research4Development. 

For more information on DFID Research see Research4Development or sign up for R4D alerts.

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