DFID priorities
Malaria & NTD research
Dr Sue Kinn
Head Health Research
Research and Evidence Division
APPG meeting 18th March 2014
DFID’s Research Programme
• Three broad aims:
– Development of new technologies which will have an impact on poverty
– Better and more cost-effective ways of delivering aid and development assistance
– Understanding the context for policy choices and delivery
• To provide new knowledge and rigorous evidence to address the
challenges of poverty reduction
• Research is seen as a development intervention – research which will
have development outcomes and impact.
• Research to be linked with programmes, as well as high-quality global
public goods
Research and Evidence Division
3 pillars in the division:
1. Research Commissioning teams (£252m)
2. Evidence and Evaluation (£62m)
3. Professional Development (£5m)
• Total approx. £320m
Research spend by commissioning team
Provisional figures for 2013-14 (£252m)
Agriculture
37%
Human Development
33%
Growth
9%
Governance, Conflict and
Social Development
7%
Climate and
Environment
14%
DFID commissioned research
First consideration ALWAYS is high quality
• Focus on:
– Poverty reduction
– Problems being faced in developing countries, by Governments,
service providers and citizens
– Getting research findings into policy and practice (GRIPP) quickly
– Strong focus on the development part of R&D
– Actively encourage partnerships between institutions in the north
and those based in developing countries, to enable capacity building
and genuine collaboration
– Increasingly encouraging partnerships between the public and
private sectors.
What does DFID want to achieve with its research?
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Innovation and risk as well as more established research
Mix of research methods
Working with the private sector
Capacity building in various ways
GRIPP
Effective partnerships and influencing
Existing portfolio for Malaria and NTDs
• New drugs, diagnostics, insecticides
– MMV, DNDi, FIND, PATH-DxG, IVCC
• Delivering effectively
– RPCs, TDR, Health Systems Implementation Research*, Alliance for
Health Policy and Systems Research, icddr,b, Global Health Trials*,
DFID-MRC Concordat*, ZELS*
• Understanding the context
– TRAC
* Responsive programmes (Research Councils and/or Wellcome Trust)
PDP funders group
• Share information and experiences to make better informed
funding decisions
• Identify and address areas where it is beneficial for funders to
work together in a coordinated manner
• Harmonise funder’s requirements where possible (e.g. reporting,
reviews/evaluations, meetings) to reduce transaction costs for both
funders and PDPs
• Currently chaired by DFID