UK government doubles investment in international development research

DFID, the UK Department for International Development, launched its new five year research strategy this week. It outlines how DFID will double its investment in research to £220 million a year by 2010 and put research at the heart of its efforts to tackle global poverty.

Key features of the new strategy include:

• £400 million for research on agriculture, fisheries and forestry

• £100 million to study climate change

• £37 million to establish an international growth centre

• £8.5 million for 'Building Capacity for better Governance and Social Policy Research'.

Over the coming months, DFID will publish a business plan which will include information on the timetable for calls for proposals and what procedures should be followed. Full details will be available on the DFID website, www.dfid.gov.uk and DFID’s research portal, www.research4development.info

The new Research Strategy is the result of extensive consultation with stakeholders in the UK and across the world. Around 1,000 researchers, policymakers and representatives of civil society and the media were consulted in the UK and seven developing countries, and a further 750 people contributed their written views electronically.

Overall, the strategy aims to achieve results in the following areas:

• new knowledge to help shape policy: producing cutting edge, relevant research to influence the policy and planning decisions of partner governments, regional institutions and the wider development community

• evidence and new research for better decision-making

• creating and using new technologies

• capability to do and use research: improving researchers' skills and their access to information and resources.

The full strategy and working papers are available online: www.research4development.info/FeatureResearchStrategy.asp

The full text of the strategy is available in PDF format here: www.dfid.gov.uk/research/Research-Strategy-08.pdf

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