The UK Research Councils will deliver through the GCRF £1.5b in research grants for international development research over the next five years. This funding is new and additional to existing sources of research support like DFID, the Newton Fund, etc., which will continue. The GCRF represents the largest single boost to research council funding in their history and will create an entirely new stream of development research funding across arts, humanities, social and natural sciences, with particular opportunities for interdisciplinary research.
2. RCUK International Champion
Professor Jane Elliott
CEO, Economic and Social Research
Council
RCUK International Champion
Research Council lead for
• Newton Fund
• Global Challenge Research Fund
• RCUK Overseas Offices
• Science Europe
4. Global Challenges Research Fund
Cutting edge research which
addresses the problems
faced by developing
countries
2015 Government Spending Review Outcomes
Address global challenges
through disciplinary and
interdisciplinary research
Strengthening capability
for research and
innovation, within both UK
and developing countries
Agile response to
emergencies and
opportunities
5. UK Context
UK Aid Strategy
Strengthening global peace, security and
governance
Strengthening resilience and response to
crises
Promoting global prosperity
Tackling extreme poverty and helping the
world’s most vulnerable
7. Current RCUK Portfolio
• Active participation in Newton
• Significant and growing portfolio
of ODA research
• Strong clusters of excellence
with high engagement in
developing world issues
• Communities with untapped
potential to contribute
10. Global Grand Challenges
Global Challenge
Research
Current 2015/16
Non-ODA ODA
Disciplinary
Interdisciplinary
RCUK Themes
Energy
Global Uncertainties
Living With Environmental Change
Lifelong Health and Well Being
Global Food Security
Digital Economy
~£460M
Newton
Fund
~£30M
(£75M BIS)
Non-
Newton
ODA
~£86M
11. Global Grand Challenges
Global Grand
Challenge
Target 2020/21
Non-ODA ODA
Disciplinary
Interdisciplinary
Council(s)
Challenge
Programmes
(£?M)
Global Challenge Fund
(£100M-£415M)
~£492M BIS
RCUK
Grand
Challenge
TBD
Newton
Fund
(£150M
BIS)
Non-
Newton
ODA
~£135M
12. Strategy for future investment
CORE
Areas with a strong UK research community, closely engaged with developing world challenges,
often actively engaged with UK and international partners and making a significant global
contribution. Examples include infectious diseases, crops for developing world, development
studies.
STRETCH
Areas with a strong research community, but not strongly orientated to developing world contexts,
examples include clean energy or industrial biotechnology where the opportunity for developing
world is considerable but nascent.
Also renewal and growth in capability through targeted new blood and early career investment.
Careful consideration of the opportunities and implications of supporting new capability overseas.
TRANSFORMATIONAL
All challenge topics benefit from a multidisciplinary approach. However, it is particularly suited to
multidimensional “wicked” challenges seeking new insights or needing radical approaches.
Examples include the consequences for developing world of climate change, demographic shifts,
economic development, rapid urbanisation and conflict.
15. Global Challenges (draft)
Health Clean Energy Sustainable Agriculture
To tackle diseases, strengthen health
systems and reach the worlds most
vulnerable.
To provide access to clean energy,
including new technologies and the
behavioural insights required for
successful introduction to developing
countries.
To improve nutrition and food security,
support technological innovation, and
increase resilience to climate change
Conflict & humanitarian action
Foundations for Economic
Development
Other potential topics
New insights and approaches for
preventing conflict and violence, build
stability and strengthen humanitarian
action.
To understand what works best for
developing countries to build the
foundations for economic development -
macroeconomics, institutions, innovation
and private sector growth, cities and
infrastructure, education systems, jobs and
skills.
Resilient systems
Mass Migration and Refugee
Crises
Challenge categories align with research priorities of
UK Department for International Development
16. RCUK Global Challenge Research Fund
Strategic Advisory Group
To advise RCUK on:
• engagement with research and
stakeholder communities and the
facilitation of new ideas and
opportunities
• the development of a strategic research
agenda and prioritisation of challenge
topics
• the effectiveness of RCUK strategies
and mechanisms, including mechanisms
to build capability where it is needed to
address existing deficits.
• integration of ODA and non-ODA
challenge research, where this is
sensible to do so
• the allocation of research funding,
consistent with the Haldane principle.
Strategic Advisory Group
• Reflect the breadth of disciplines across
Research Councils UK
• Diverse across career stages and life
course
• Drawn from academe, government,
business and international stakeholders
Individuals who can demonstrate:
• Excellence in research
• Achievement through interdisciplinary
working
• Commitment to global development
challenges
17. Growing capability and changing culture
… to meet development needs
Enabling broader, deeper and
more effective academic
engagement with the
development agenda
Updating Pathways to Impact
to emphasise impacts on
developing world
Research base capacity building:
– new faces, new blood, early career
Strengthening international partnerships:
growing overseas capability
20. Pathways to Impact
Stakeholder roles
UK Academies
UK Stakeholders
(Government, Charities, Business)
International Stakeholders
(Universities, Charities, UN, NGO, Overseas Governments)
GCRF
RCUK
Research
Translation
Innovation
Development
Action &
Impact
21. Pathways to impact
… on the developing world
Impacts from research are always uncertain, often
unexpected and cannot be guaranteed – this includes
impacts on developing world.
The likelihood of impact is increased:
• If the research is orientated towards real world problems and
challenges
• If stakeholders that are close to the problem, or have a mandate to
implement any solutions, are involved in the progression of the
research
• If the academics and research team are motivated to achieve impact
and benefit.
22. Pathway to impact
Official Development Assistance
Research is not aid. However, “research directly and primarily
relevant to the problems of developing countries may be
counted as ODA. The costs may still be counted as ODA if the
research is carried out in a developed country.”
The limits and protocols for RCUK ODA assessment have
evolved through case law and precedent.
A new approach to ODA reporting by Research Councils is
required.
From To
Post-hoc assessment and reporting
by RC officials
ODA appraisal embedded within
proposal process and peer review.
Tacit development priorities
Explicit research challenges through
community engagement
Good practices within specific
disciplines and programmes
Mainstreamed across RCUK portfolio
Scheme and theme specific guidance
on development issues
Generic guidance around
development and pathways to impact
Increased academic commitment to
development goals
23. Strengthening pathways to impact
within developing countries
• Building research capacity and
collaborations with academics in
developing countries
• Building partnerships and
collaborative links with
NGOs/charities/civil society in
developing countries
• Developing further collaborative
opportunities to strengthen
international links (including Newton,
DfID, Commonwealth etc)
“doing things
with people and
not simply for or
to them”
25. Competences needed
to deliver this agenda:
• Able to identify global challenges that are tractable through
research
• Able to demonstrate a new approach to ODA compliance
• Grow capability in UK research base and overseas, to
achieve global development goals
• Deliver interdisciplinary research
• Achieve pathways to impact that extend to the developing
world
• Research Councils to operate as an integrated delivery
organisation as envisaged by Sir Paul Nurse
26. Systemic risks
Risk Mitigation
If Research Council approach to ODA
compliance is challenged, we may need to
terminate research grants
Develop a new approach to ODA
compliance, including greater engagement
from researchers
Build competence in ODA assessment within
Research UK and universities
If the balance between ODA and non-ODA
funding starts to distort the pattern of
research funding, we could lose important
opportunities UK needs
Councils to be alert to this issue, which is
likely to manifest itself for particular sub-
disciplines.
If GCRF funding is not sustained through
future Spending Reviews, Research
Councils could be left with ~£1Bn in liabilities
Ensure BIS and Treasury understand
downstream implications of the GCRF
funding profile.
27. UK Aid Strategy
Additional requirements
All departments spending ODA
will be required to put in place a
clear plan to ensure that their
programme design, quality
assurance, approval,
contracting and procurement,
monitoring, reporting and
evaluation processes represent
international best practice.
28. International Commission
for Aid Impact
The independent scrutiny body
for UK development assistance.
• undertakes reviews of UK aid
and its contribution to
development results.
• independent of government -
reports to the International
Development Committee.
• works closely with the
spending departments
throughout the review process
• Publishes reports to support
public engagement with the aid
programme.
29. Questions for discussion
How might we work together to make
the case for unallocated GCRF?
Examples of good (best) practices
– Interdisciplinary approaches
– Capability building UK & overseas
– Critical mass, networks, people
– Building global partnerships
What are the global challenges?
How might we strengthen pathways to impact?
Notas do Editor
Background on locust story:
ASSETS is part of ESPA.
ASSETS country coordinator in Malawi, Professor Sosten Chiotha had played a vital role in setting up a local radio station run by the Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD) for Southern and Eastern Africa (ASSETS main partner in Africa) which focused mainly on development issues. Through it radio listener’s club people were able to talk about local issues affecting them and it was noticed that many were complaining about an outbreak of locusts damaging their crops.
This notified the government that they had a problem and they later sprayed the affected areas to stop further damage. However it was known that the source of the problem was the drying up of a local lake which was increasing grazing for locusts. At the time the government did not have any meteorological information to help then produce models that would forecast when the lake may dry up. Through their connection with LEAD and the local government, ASSETS were able to provide use of their newly purchased weather and river/lake recording equipment (purchased with additional funding they secured through the NERC Strategic Environmental Science Capital Fund). Data gathered indicated that even a partial drying of the lake could trigger a locust outbreak and they discovered that there needed to be a certain amount of rainfall over three years to prevent this. Armed with this new knowledge they are now able to predict a year in advance when they might have a problem and act quickly through measures such as preventative spraying. The government now work closely with LEAD and the new equipment has strengthened local capacity, ensuring that an important threat to food security is now under control.
With BBSRC investment, Professor Luke Alphey from the University of Oxford has pioneered a genetic technique to modify insects that spread disease and damage crops.
In 1999 Professor Alphey patented his genetic modification technique that prevents reproduction in mosquitoes that carry diseases like dengue fever and chikungunya virus.
How it works is that the male mosquitoes have a pest control gene they pass to their offspring so that they do not survive to adulthood. The Oxitec males are released to mate with wild females and with successive releases the pest population is reduced.
In 2002 commercial spin-out company Oxitec Ltd was created. The company currently employs 40 people and has attracted over £xxx funding from venture capitalists.
The Oxitec GM mosquitoes have successfully cut target mosquito populations by at least 90% in field trials in the Cayman Islands, Malaysia and Brazil.
These mosquitoes also carry a colour marker so that they can be identified compared to wild pest mosquitoes. This ‘track and trace’ capability allows Oxitec to monitor pest population suppression in almost real time.
Because the modified insects and their offspring die, the insects and their genes do not persist in the environment.
The proteins of the introduced genes are non toxic and non allergenic and the pest control technology is species-specific. This approach can also help reduce reliance on insecticides so other beneficial predators and insects can thrive.