The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is launching an accountable grant competition to improve operational delivery and value for money of FCDO research.
This will be achieved by investing up to £25 million over 5 years to establish a commissioning centre. It will include testing and developing a streamlined commissioning process for the delivery of research in FCDO priority areas, based on learning and best practice from other research-funding government departments and the wider sector.
FCDO will retain a full control over the scope and approach to research whilst embracing its existing sectoral partnerships and thematic research platforms.
The commissioning centre will have the infrastructure and capacity to manage research calls in any thematic area in development and diplomacy research, focusing on the International Development Strategy priority areas including:
- investment
- economic growth
- women and girls
- humanitarian
- climate change
- nature
- global health
- a portfolio of non-ODA R&D focussed on wider FCDO diplomacy and policy priorities
The improved delivery model will reduce current timescales for commissioning research, increase access to academic expertise and align FCDO closely with the sector, to reduce bureaucracy and deliver more timely research.
Eligible Countries:
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Congo (Democratic Republic), Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, Occupied Palestinian Territories, The, Pakistan, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Grant size: More than £1,000,000
Deadline: November 11th, 2022