Bilateral Research Programmes
The bilateral component of the Renewable Natural Resources Research Strategy is organised as ten research programmes. These programmes are managed by institutions contracted by DFID. All research programmes have the common goal of improving the livelihoods of poor people through sustainable enhancement of the production and productivity of Renewable Natural Resources (RNR) systems. Calls for proposals are often restricted to a small number of topics so that families of projects can concentrate resources on well-defined problems. All research programmes are required to carry such environmental, social and economic investigations as are necessary to achieve results in an environmentally and economically sustainable way. Bids for research funding are assessed competitively by programme managers. Each programme manager has the benefit of advice from a Programme Advisory Committee (PAC). PACs are independent of the managing institution, and representation on them includes specialists in natural and social sciences, development and a relevant professional adviser from DFID. Each programme has its own distinct objectives and funding procedures. All programmes use similar Concept Note structures, full proposal formats and contracts.
Research Programmes
Animal Health | Aquaculture & Fish Genetics | Crop Post-Harvest | Crop Protection | Fisheries Management | Forestry | Livestock | Natural Resources | Plant Science | Post-Harvest Fisheries
The AHP aims to improve people’s livelihoods and reduce poverty by improving the performance of livestock owned by poor people through the control of disease. The programme purposes are currently as follows:
- to identify the economic and social impact of livestock disease
- to develop sustainable, environmentally beneficial and cost effective strategies to control livestock disease
- to develop improved methods of diagnosis and control of livestock disease
- to understand the interactions between infectious disease, husbandry and genetics and incorporate them in livestock management strategies
The AHP welcomes proposals which address demand-led problems documented in national agricultural, livestock and environmental plans and similar national and regional statements and rated as high priority by governments. In general, research themes focus on:
- Livestock in high potential (including peri-urban), semi-arid and forest-agriculture crop/ livestock production systems
- Sustainable management of wildlife and domestic livestock in semi-arid rangelands; the economic and social impact of livestock disease on livestock productivity
- Improved methods for diagnosis and control of disease
- Sustainable, environmentally friendly and cost-effective strategies of livestock disease control
- The interaction between genetic resistance, nutrition, management and infectious diseases
Research is ideally conducted with appropriate international or national collaborating institutions and outputs are delivered to and through target institutions such as universities, veterinary departments and non-governmental organisations. Proposals are welcomed from institutions with a documented record of research related to tropical livestock health and production. Individual AHP projects normally run for a period of three years and have an average budget of about £50,000 per year. Projects are limited to a maximum of £100,000 per year. There is usually one annual call for proposals, normally issued in February/March. Following the submission of the concept note and, where appropriate, a subsequent full proposal, successful applicants are notified in November/December with funding made available the following April.
Contact: Professor I. Maudlin, Centre for Tropical Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Roslin, Midlothian, EH25 9RG., Tel: 0131 650 6287; Fax: 0131 650 7348; E-mail:
ahp@vet.ed.ac.uk / Website:  http://www.vet.ed.ac.uk/ctvm/AHP/ahp/index.htm
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Aquaculture already provides about one quarter of global food fish supply and is expected to contribute an increasing share to meet the world’s future food needs. Aquaculture is particularly important for food security in poorer countries. The AFGRP aims to address key issues constraining sustainable aquaculture production in poor rural communities, and to enhance production in fish species important in tropical aquaculture and enhancement fisheries by the use of genetic methods The programme’s purpose is to generate and sustain productive benefits of aquatic resources for poor people through improved knowledge of aquatic stocks and their selection, enhancement and culture. The geographic focus of the programme is south and east Asia. The programme welcomes proposals which seek to identify and remove constraints to productive aquatic culture systems where this provides sustainable benefits to poor communities. As yet there is limited understanding of the full potential for poverty reduction using aquaculture as an entry point. To address this collaborative interaction is needed between local and external knowledge, biological, technical and social sciences, aquatic and terrestrial systems, as well as a clear concept of the extent to which aquaculture opportunities can be defined within human and resource contexts.
Contact: Dr James Muir, Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA., Tel: 01786 473171; Fax: 01786 472133; Email:
j.f.muir@stir.ac.uk / Website: http://www.dfid.stir.ac.uk
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The CPHP commissions research on processing, marketing and storage of cereals, root crops, legumes and oilseeds, and horticulture. The CPHP is designed to benefit people involved in post-harvest commodity systems by providing them with opportunities for enhanced income, employment and food supply. A common objective in all work is to improve food security of poor households. Outputs specific to each production system are targeted as follows:
- Peri-urban interface: Strategies which increase availability and improve quality of horticultural foods and provide better access to markets.
- High potential system: Strategies which increase availability and improve quality of cereal and horticultural foods and provide better access to markets.
- Forest-agriculture interface: Strategies which increase availability and improve quality of root crop and horticultural foods and provide better access to markets.
- Semi-arid system: Strategies which improve food security of poor households through increased availability and improved quality of cereal and pulse foods and better access to markets. Proposals are normally considered in response to competitive calls which are issued periodically to appropriate organisations. Limited funds may be available at other times for proposals which are particularly innovative or which seize opportunities for high impact research.
Contact: Mr T Donaldson, Crop Post-Harvest Programme Manager, Natural Resources International Ltd., Park House, Bradbourne Lane, Aylesford, Kent ME20 6SN., Tel: 01732 878675; Fax: 01732 220497; Email:
t.donaldson@nrint.co.uk / Website: http://www.cphp.uk.com
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The purpose of the CPP is to generate benefits for poor people in target countries by the application of new knowledge to the protection of specified crops. Outputs specific to each production system are as follows:
- Forest Agriculture interface: Strategies to reduce the impact of pests and to stabilise yields and productivity of annual and herbaceous crops and tree crops for the benefit of poor people
- High potential system: Strategies to reduce the impact of pests on poor peoples’ crops and to improve quality and yield.
- Hillside system: Reduced impact of pests on herbaceous crops and yields stabilised for the benefit of poor people
- Land-water interface: Livelihood options of poor communities improved by minimising the impact of pests on coconut-based systems and rice-based systems
- Peri-urban interface: Strategies which reduce the impact of pests, improve crop yield and quality, and which reduce pesticide hazards
- Semi-arid system: Strategies to reduce pest impact on cereal-based systems and cotton production systems; stabilising crop yields. Improved migrant pest forecasting to support more effective control. Calls for proposals are issued periodically to institutes or organisations which have demonstrated appropriate capability and have expressed interest in specific aspects of the programme. Limited funds may be available at other times for proposals which strongly support achievement of programme objectives, which offer an innovative approach and which involve leadership or a high degree of participation by partners in developing countries.
Contact: Dr F. Kimmins, Crop Protection Programme Manager, Natural Resources International Ltd., Park House, Bradbourne Lane, Kent, ME20 6SN., Tel: 01732 878677; Fax: 01732 220497; Email:
f.kmmmins@nrint.co.uk / Website: http://www.cpp.uk.com
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The purpose of the FMSP is to generate benefits for poor people by the application of new knowledge to fisheries management systems. The programme is targeted at small scale and subsistence fishing communities which have little or no alternative to fishing as an activity and largely depend on fishing for their livelihood. Improved food security and opportunities for income generation are achieved by sustainable resource management. Changing climatic, ecological and social conditions mean that management constantly needs to adjust. The FMSP seeks to support research which will identify and promote innovative management solutions for marine and freshwater fisheries, and which will improve the productivity of water bodies so that they provide a sustainable yield of fish, and which will deliver benefits to poor people. The development and promotion of management tools and guidelines is a key element within this. Meetings of the Fisheries Programme Advisory Committee which reviews bids for funding are held during January, April, July and October. Concept notes must be received 21 days before a PAC meeting. The total process from submission of concept note to acceptance of project memorandum can take 3-6 months.
Contact: Professor J. Beddington, Marine Resources Assessment Group Ltd., 47 Princes Gate, London SW7 2QNA, Tel: 0207 594 9888; Fax: 0207 823 7916; E-mail:
j.beddington@ic.ac.uk / Website: www.fmsp.org.uk
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Within the objectives of the overall Strategy, the FRP supports research on problems identified and documented as priorities by DFID’s forestry partner countries. The FRP seeks to improve the livelihoods of poor people who are notably dependent on forest and tree resources. The FRP supports research within and across the range of production systems covered by the Strategy. The FRP commissions projects which are directed towards priority problems in the management of forest, woodland and tree resources in DFID forestry partner countries. Projects are usually carried out in partnership with national agricultural research systems, international and regional agricultural research centres, and/or non-governmental organisations and community based organisations. FRP issues an annual call for concept notes, usually in July. The FRP welcomes applications from institutions, both public and private sector, with a documented record of completed and published research related to tropical forestry and land use. Applications are similarly welcomed from NGOs and CBOs. Individual projects are currently limited to a maximum of £100,000 per year for three years; families of projects may have greater budgets.
Contact: Dr J Palmer, Forestry Research Programme Manager, Natural Resources International Ltd., Park House, Bradbourne Lane, Aylesford, Kent, ME20 6SN., Tel: 01732 878660; Fax: 01732 220497; E mail:
j.palmer@nrint.co.uk / Website: http://www.frp.uk.com
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The LPP addresses problems documented in national and regional agricultural, livestock and environmental plans and rated as high priority by governments in developing countries. In general, research themes focus on improvements in the production and productivity of livestock through supporting research on:
- Livestock in semi-arid crop/livestock production systems (including draught animals)
- Sustainable management of wildlife and domestic livestock in semi-arid rangelands
- Marketing of eggs, milk and meat from peri-urban production systems
- Livestock (including draught animals) in forest/ agriculture interface, upland, crop/ livestock and high potential livestock production systems
Institutions from which research is commissioned must have the capability and motivation to carry through research to promotion and field implementation.
Contact: Dr J. Richards, Natural Resources International Ltd., Park House, Bradbourne Lane, Aylesford, Kent, ME20 6SN., Tel: 01732 878659; Fax: 01732 220497; Email:
w.richards@nrint.co.uk / Website: http://www.lpp.uk.com
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The purpose of the NRSP is to generate benefits for poor people in target countries by the application of new knowledge to natural resource management. Desired outputs, specific to each production system, are targeted as follows: Semi-arid system :
- Diverse coping strategies for poor rural households
- Strategies for the integrated management of crop and livestock production systems which benefit the poor
- Livelihood strategies based on the sustainable use of common pool resources (including wildlife habitat)
High potential system:
- Integrated management strategies offering improved and sustainable benefits to the poor
- Efficient systems for the provision of rural services to the poor
Forest/ agriculture interface:
- Planning strategies to sustain livelihoods of poor people dependent on forests adjacent to croplands
- Strategies to secure the livelihoods of poor people dependent on agricultural systems near the receding forest margin
Peri-urban interface:
- Land-use planning and natural resources management strategies which benefit the poor in peri-urban areas
- Strategies to improve the availability of biomass energy resources and their efficient use by peri-urban and urban poor
- Improved resource management strategies which increase the production of food and commodities in peri-urban areas
Land/water interface:
- Improved resource-use strategies in coastal zone and floodplain production systems
Hillsides system:
- Improved hillside farming strategies relevant to the needs of marginal farmers
Proposals are normally considered in response to competitive calls which are issued periodically.
Contact: Dr C Floyd, HTS Developments Ltd., Thamesfield House, Boundary Way, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, HP2 7SR, Tel: 01442 214 369; Fax: 01442 219 886; E-mail:
christopher.floyd@htsdevelopment.com
/ Website: http://www.nrsp.co.uk
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The PSP seeks to reduce the effects on crop production of biotic and abiotic stresses by research in crop physiology/ agronomy and plant breeding. The major constraints which the programme aims to address are drought, high temperatures, low soil fertility, pests and diseases. The PSP funds the development of key technologies - simple, low-cost interventions, the impact of which is large enough to induce farmers to make changes in agronomic practices in order to obtain further benefits. There are no specific timings for research calls. Competitive calls for research applications/ concept notes are issued periodically and advertised in the New Scientist.
Contact: Dr J Witcombe, Centre for Arid Zone Studies, University of Wales, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, Tel: 01248 382116/382922; Fax: 01248 371533; E-mail:
j.r.witcombe@bangor.ac.uk / Website:
http://www.dfid-psp.org
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The PHFP investigates problems which affect the use and value of fisheries products in South Asia and West Africa. The Programme’s objectives are to produce benefits for poor producers, traders and consumers through the application of new knowledge to the improved utilisation of fish from fisheries in these regions. To address these objectives, the programme welcomes proposals which help to achieve certain outputs within three broad areas of work:
- developing appropriate methods which enable fisheries sector managers to better understand the magnitude and source of post-harvest losses.
- developing an improved understanding of changes in utilisation of fish in developing countries due to globalisation, liberalisation of markets, rising population, changing eating habits and stabilisation of fish catches. The programme aims to understand the effects of these changes on poor producers and consumers.
- developing processes and technologies to reduce loss and add value: fish harvesting, processing and trade is often the employment of last resort for the poor, and may be the only income earning opportunity available to poor women. The PHFP aims to develop and promote value-adding technologies and loss-reduction processes specifically aimed at the needs of such vulnerable groups.
Contact: Mr J Sanchez, Natural Resources International Ltd., Park House, Bradbourne Lane, Aylesford, ME20 6SN, Tel: 01732 878655; Fax: 01732 220498; Email:
j.sanchez@nrint.co.uk / Website: http://www.phfp.uk.com
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