Funding

Funding Current priorities for DFID’s centrally funded research are detailed in the Research Strategy for 2008-2013 which was published in April 2008.

They are:

• Growth
• Sustainable Agriculture
• Climate Change
• Health 
• Governance in Challenging Environments
• Future Challenges and Opportunities

Over the coming months CRD will be looking at its future research programme in order to meet these priorities. CRD has prepared an
Implementation Timetable(164 kb) which gives external stakeholders information about the likely content and timing of future scoping work and research competitions and calls for proposals.

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

CRD has concordats with some of the UK Research Councils to fund research relevant to DFID’s objectives. CRD also contributes significant funds to research funded jointly with other agencies and through Public Private Partnerships.

Information on research centrally funded by DFID can be found on Research4Development (R4D).

Sustainable Agriculture

On 13 March 2006 the Secretary of State announced the allocation of £100 million pounds over 5 years for the new Strategy for Research on Sustainable Agriculture (SRSA). The directly funded component consists of 4 elements:

Getting Agricultural Research Into Use to Reduce Rural Poverty

The Research into Use programme commenced implementation in July 2006. This is working to promote the best results of past DFID funded research (and others) and promote them in Africa and south Asia. They are being selected on their potential to raise farmers’ incomes, reduce poverty, halt environmental degradation, and increase food security. Lessons from the programme will be collected and shared to show how best to get forestry, fishing, farming and livestock rearing technologies and policies into use to maximise their impact on reducing poverty. After an open competition the contract for RIU was awarded to Natural Resources International Limited in association with Nkoola Institutional Development based in Kampala Uganda.

• Call for Proposals - Innovation Challenge Fund: Phase 2 Africa
  The purpose of the African Innovation Challenge Fund (African ICF) is to provide financial support to teams so they can take promising research, funded by DFID, to the next stage of use. The selected initiatives will contribute to RIU’s purpose by delivering significant use of RNRRS and other natural resources research outputs for the benefit (direct or indirect) of poor men and women in different contexts. Further Information. All enquiries about this call should go to RIU.

Regional Research Programmes

These are focused on West Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa and South Asia. A smaller programme has been commissioned in the Andes. These programmes are working in close partnership with existing regional organisations so that research is undertaken on those issues that most affect the lives of the people living there. An important part of these programmes is a focus on capacity building. DFID is already supporting the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) to implement a major capacity building programme in Africa.

International Research

Support to international agricultural research to deliver high quality and effective international public good research to tackle poverty reduction and achieve sustainable growth. The majority of this will be to the 15 centres and challenge programmes of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). In addition support is provided to international research organisations outside of the CGIAR which complement its work and/or fill gaps.

Advanced Research Organisations

A responsive research programme with the UK’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) on sustainable agriculture for international development was launched in 2006. This and potentially further programmes will provide opportunities for advanced research institutes to increase their efforts towards the science and technology needs of developing countries.

Climate Change Adaptation in Africa Research and Capacity Development Programme (CCAA)

This programme is being funded jointly by IDRC and DFID. It funds and supports:

• Research that reduces uncertainty and clearly enhances adaptive capacity
• Established capacity-building programmes in Africa that clearly contribute to the goals of the programme
• Action research that supports adaptation by rural or urban people, particularly the most vulnerable
• Research that adds value to existing initiatives

The first call for concept notes for CCAA closed on July 15 2006.

Climate Change Adaptation in Africa website

ESRC / DFID Joint Research Funding Scheme

The Department for International Development (DFID) and Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) are pleased to announce the third call of the joint ESRC-DFID scheme.

Launched in August 2005, this £13 million joint research grants scheme aims to fund world class scientific research on issues relating to economic development and quality of life in less developed countries with the potential for impact on policy and practice for poverty reduction. To this end, both sponsors wish to invite applications from researchers based in recognised higher education institutions, research organisations or organisations with a credible research capacity in both the UK, and also worldwide.

The deadline for applications is 4pm UK time on 5 June 2007.

Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) website

Last updated: 04 July 2008

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