Knowledge for Development: Optimising Development Impact Through Investments in Research

Abstract

Building on the UK Government’s 2015 spending review, the role that science has to play in addressing challengesfaced by developing countries has been brought to the fore. The Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) is a £1.5 billion fund aimed at catalysing high-impact, quality-driven,multi-disciplinary research to provide major breakthroughs in improving the lives of individuals in the Global South. It will fund cutting-edge research which addresses some of the universal challengesfaced by developing countries.The fund, which is operational until 2020 and dispersed through the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), is to work alongside an expanded Newton FundandOfficial Development Assistance (ODA) funded research from the Department for International Development (DFID). GCRF is administered through delivery partners including the UK Research Councils (RCUK)and national academies.This Wilton Park meeting brought together representatives of UK and developing country policymakers, academic management, researchersand development practitioners to identifyopportunitiesfor effective implementation of the fund. It aimed to inform how the UK can optimisetheimpact and sustainability of development outcomes through the GCRF.