Programme Knowledge for development: optimising development impact through investments in research Monday 10 Wednesday 12 October 2016 WP1514

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1 Programme Knowledge for development: optimising development impact through investments in research Monday 10 Wednesday 12 October 2016 WP1514 The 2015 Spending Review set out a clear ambition to ensure that UK science takes a leading role in addressing problems faced by developing countries, with a significant increase in UK government funding for research in development challenges to support this. The Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) presents an opportunity to catalyse highimpact, high-quality multi-disciplinary UK-led research in solving the toughest development problems and improving the lives of the poor. It will work alongside an expanded Newton Fund and significant investments in Official Development Assistance (ODA) research made by the Department for International Development (DFID). The increased funding has the potential to catalyse sustainable improvements in the knowledge systems of developing countries, allowing them to generate more of the tailored research to drive economic growth and development they need. It will also create strong foundations for long term partnerships with the UK s outward-looking research base. There is a risk that the investment will fail to achieve its full potential if it is not focused on the right problems and tailored to the needs of developing countries. The fund needs to create pathways to maximise impact and build stronger knowledge systems for research and innovation led by developing countries. The detailed design of the calls and funding mechanisms will be critical to ensure real and sustained impacts. This Wilton Park roundtable will examine how the UK can optimise the impact of its growing research investments on development outcomes. It will explore several critical themes: focussing the GCRF on the highest priority challenges for developing countries; identifying approaches to research procurement, partnerships and management that will drive impact; and understanding how the GCRF can make a sustained contribution to strengthen knowledge systems for research and innovation in in developing countries. High-level policymakers, academic management, researchers and development practitioners from around the globe will develop recommendations on plugging gaps and prioritising the work of the GCRF in order to address global development challenges and deliver impact in developing countries. In association with:

2 Monday 10 October Participants arrive and buffet lunch available Welcome and introduction Kathryn Hingston Programme Director, Wilton Park Research in the development context: a focus on maximising impact Locating research within the broader context of the government s approach to ODA. Overview of UK Aid Strategy and the ODA funding landscape. The importance of research as part of the U s overall development offer. The challenge of moving beyond business as usual to maximise impact. Need for strong collaboration nationally and internationally. Charlotte Watts Chief Scientific Adviser; Director, Research and Evidence Division, Department for International Development, London Claire Durkin Head of Global Science, Innovation and Knowledge Economy, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), London John Ouma-Mugabe Professor of Science and Innovation Policy, University of Pretoria Photograph followed by tea/coffee Problem identification (how to ensure the GCRF is focused on the right issues) The UK Research Council s (RCUK) stakeholder engagement has identified 11 overarching priority themes. The next critical step will be to design the calls that shape research. This session will develop strategies to ensure that GCRF research is focused on the problems where it has the greatest potential to deliver the maximum impact. How will GCRF ensure it integrates a southern perspective so that its prioritisation responds to national and regional development priorities? What criteria /mechanisms / tools / methodologies could be used to support decision-making and focus on the issues that will have the greatest impacts? Where would multidisciplinary/ transformational research add benefit? Debapriya Bhattacharya Distinguished Fellow, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Dhaka Mark Claydon-Smith Programme Manager for Global Challenge Research Fund, Research Councils UK, Swindon Nyovani Madise Professor, Demography and Social Statistics; Co-Director, Centre for Global Health, Population, Poverty and Policy, Southampton 1900 Reception followed by Conference dinner Tuesday 11 October Breakfast

3 Delivering impact through development research: what factors increase the likelihood that research will have an impact on development outcomes? Tea/coffee What should our expectations be of impact from development research? What examples of research have genuinely driven developmental change? The starting point for the discussion is that strong and equal research partnerships, including both practitioners and researchers from the South and the North, are critical for development impact. What types of team, department, infrastructure, tools, and methodologies do you need to build these partnerships? What does experience (eg monitoring and evaluation etc) from previous calls tell us regarding impact? Importance of maximising impact, enhancing sustainability, ensuring additionality and driving value for money. Jeff Waage Former Director, London International Development Centre (LIDC); Visiting Professor, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), London Jalia Kangave Research Fellow, Institute of Development Studies, Brighton David Wilson Director, Global HIV/AIDS Programme, Decision and Delivery, Science, Global Solutions Leader, The World Bank Group, Washington DC Maximising impact through the research project lifecycle Each group will have a leader and will welcome three different groups for 30-minute brainstorming sessions. The four working groups will cover the following topics: Impact, outputs and monitoring, evaluation and learning Lunch Facilitator: Paul van Gardingen UNESCO Chair International Development; Director, Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation Programme (ESPA), Edinburgh Problem identification and selection Facilitators: Samia Saad Senior Program Officer, Global Health Research & Development, Epidemic Preparedness, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, London; and Andrew Mace Senior UK Government Relations Officer, Global Health R&D Policy and Advocacy, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, London Calls for proposals, proposal assessment and selection Facilitator: Mike Turner Acting Director of Science; Head of Infection and Immuno-Biology, Wellcome Trust, London Partnership development and expected ways of working Facilitator: David Dunne Director, Cambridge Africa Programme, University of Cambridge Report out from session 4 working groups Working group leaders will share their stand out findings from the previous session, followed by roundtable debate to draw out recommendations.

4 Tea/coffee Defining a vision of stronger knowledge systems to support nationally led research and innovation in developing countries 1830 Bar open 1900 Dinner What would success mean for work on strengthening knowledge systems for development? Speakers from a range of sectors to set out national, regional and international perspectives to help define a vision for strengthening knowledge systems as a driver for poverty reduction and build strong long-term and equal partnerships with the UK research base. Ernest Aryeetey Secretary-General, African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA), Accra Julia Kemp Head, East Africa Research Hub, Department for International Development (DFID), Nairobi Andrew Thompson Interim Chief Executive, The Arts and Humanities Research Council, Swindon Wednesday 12 October Breakfast and checkout What practical action is required to deliver on a vision of strengthening knowledge systems for poverty reduction? What approaches work to develop stronger knowledge systems and develop capability within institutions? What hasn t worked? What types of funding support institutional development and wider system change (core vs programme; overheads vs direct costs; cofunding and partnership approaches). How can ODA funding complement countries own investments in research and innovation? Santhosh Mathew Joint Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, New Delhi Jonathan Harle Director, Strengthening Research and Knowledge Systems Programme, INASP, Oxford Moses Oketch Professor of International Education, Policy and Development, Institute of Education, University College London equestionnaire Tea/coffee Completion of online equestionnaire

5 Conclusions (actions to take forward) Lunch 1400 Participants depart In this session, participants will be encouraged to propose ways of taking the discussions and operational recommendations forward in practical ways, both at national and international levels. It will give an opportunity to map ideas to processes, propose timescales for adoption of changes, and identify potential for adoption of new strategies. The session will include a review of the results of the equestionnaire and the findings of the working groups and is intended to provide measurable ways for participants to act upon the ideas explored at the meeting. Michael Aaronson Chair, Strategic Advisory Group, Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), Swindon Charlotte Watts Chief Scientific Adviser; Director, Research and Evidence Division, Department for International Development (DFID), London