Global Challenges Research Fund
Part of the UK’s official development assistance (ODA), the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) supports cutting-edge research and innovation that addresses the global issues affecting developing countries.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has overall strategic oversight for the GCRF but it works primarily at the research base level and decisions on individual research priorities and excellence are made independently. Delivery partners have collectively worked together to produce the overarching UK Strategy for the Global Challenges Research Fund which sets out the research areas linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
GCRF Funding Allocations
In 2020-21 we are distributing over £13 million of formula GCRF to Scottish universities.
GCRF Strategies
Scottish universities have 3 year strategies in place for their GCRF funding, covering the period 2018-19 to 2020-21. Universities report annually to SFC on the progress of these strategies:
Gender Equality
Addressing gender inequalities is an important aspect of international development research, and Gender Equality Statements are now required for all GCRF / Newton Fund project applications.
This GCRF Gender Equality Statement Toolkit [PDF] (produced by genderEd for the University of Edinburgh) provides guidance on completing GCRF Gender Equality Statements.
Additional guidance is available from UKRI.