Putting research at the heart of development
24 April 2008
 With the world changing rapidly, new challenges are emerging that threaten the
livelihoods of people in the poorest countries. To respond to these challenges -
which in the years ahead are likely to range from climate change to population movements
to higher oil and food
prices - there is a need for scientific innovation, new knowledge, and fresh
ideas.
On 22 April, DFID launched its Research Strategy - a five-year, £1 billion plan
that will put research at the heart of fighting poverty. The strategy recognises
that research is essential for understanding and addressing the challenges
that the world faces. To make the right choices, decision-makers must have
access to reliable information and be able to tap into the best available knowledge and
experience.
Meeting the challenges
DFID already has a reputation for cutting-edge research and analysis. As well as setting out where we will build
on existing achievements, the strategy shows the new directions that our
research will take over the next five years.
For example, to ensure that agricultural productivity improves as the world's
population grows, and to support farmers as they adapt to a changing
environment, £400 million will go towards research on agriculture, fisheries and
forestry. And to help individual countries strengthen their economies, an
International Growth Centre will be established.
In addition, recognising that the greatest threat to development is climate change, £100
million will be invested to look at the science, and the social and economic
impact, of global warming for the most vulnerable developing countries.
The strategy also lays out our plans for scaling up research into health -
including work to develop drugs and vaccines for HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria - and
how we will find new ways to tackle the toughest challenges in fragile states
and those affected by conflict.
 Back
to top
Research that works
Launching the strategy at the new London International Development Centre,
Secretary of State for International Development Douglas Alexander spoke of how
the commitments outlined for the next five years would make the UK Government
the largest funder of development research. He also stressed the importance of
research that makes a real difference on the ground, impacting on policy and
practice:
"The sheer scale of this investment...will, I believe, put the United Kingdom at
the forefront of research for development literally around the world. Yet with
the opportunity this affords comes a heavy responsibility – to ensure that
research provides the hard evidence we need to make an impact on the lives of
the poorest people anywhere on the planet."
DFID's commitment to research - which includes doubling its investment in
this field to £220 million-a-year by 2010 - will help ensure that the best
knowledge and technology, both new and existing, get to the people who need them
most. Coming at the halfway point to 2015, the target year for achieving the
Millennium Development Goals, the Research Strategy is a major step forward
towards meeting our promises in the fight against world poverty.
Back
to top
Links
Back to top
| 
Directgov |
(1
mb)