Global Challenges Research Fund

For spend to be eligible as Official Development Assistance (ODA) its primary purpose must be to benefit a country (or more than one country) on the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) list.

The activity and associated spend does not have to take place in an ODA-eligible country for it to score as ODA, as long as ODA-eligible countries are the primary intended beneficiaries of the activity.

The ‘benefit’ should be something that promotes and specifically targets the economic development and welfare of the DAC country(ies).

Benefitting country(ies) should be determined at the formation/award of a project/programme. It should be made clear who this work is primarily intending to benefit. (Unless the scope of the work changes, in which case benefitting country(ies) and eligibility would be re-assessed). There should be no speculation as to who might benefit when determining benefitting country(ies).

There are guidelines to ODA eligibility, but slight differences in context and detail could mean that an activity would or would not be ODA eligible. Therefore when trying to decide whether an activity is ODA eligible, it is important to focus on the questions which would typically be asked for by the OECD.

Questions you may wish to consider regarding your project’s ODA eligibility include:

• Is the project addressing the economic development and welfare of the country in question?
• Are the countries involved on the DAC List of ODA Recipients (the Development Assistant Committee of the OECD)
• Is there a development need that my project or activity is addressing?
• Is this credible or is there evidence of the need?
• How would this project or activity be applied in the country?
• What would the impact of my  project or activity be, and who would benefit?
• How does my project or activity contribute to sustainable development?
• Would this lead to a reduction in poverty in a developing country?
• What would success for this activity look like?
• How would success or impact be measured?

Any queries about the ODA eligibility of projects should be raised with the relevant delivery partner as early as possible.

No. There is no match requirement from the country or countries involved.

Eligibility for each funding opportunity is outlined in the call documentation which can be accessed through our funding opportunities page.

Yes, you can sign up for Newton Fund and GCRF bulletins with Universities UK International

• Subscribe to Newton Fund bulletin
• Subscribe to GCRF bulletin

Challenge Leaders ensure GCRF can have the greatest possible impact on global development. They provide intellectual and strategic leadership for GCRF challenge portfolios, ensuring coherence and impact.
The Challenge Leaders work closely with GCRF investments to ensure a close match between new insights emerging from GCRF researchers and the strategic needs and ambitions of development partners as framed by the Sustainable Development Goals.
They have provided guidance on a series of interdisciplinary calls across the delivery partners designed to enhance the overall impact across the six strategic GCRF Challenge portfolios.
The Challenge Leaders, who are specialists in their area, are enhancing the impact of the GCRF portfolio by building strategic partnerships with key people and organisations working in international development.

Find out more about the GCRF Challenge Leaders

Framed by the Sustainable Development Goals the 12 challenge areas provide a framework through which the GCRF targets work to achieve lasting change.

Equitable access to sustainable development

Our vision is to create new knowledge and drive innovation that helps to ensure everyone across the globe has access to: 

• secure and resilient food systems supported by sustainable marine resources and agriculture
• sustainable health and well being 
• inclusive and equitable quality education 
• clean air, water and sanitation 
• affordable, reliable, sustainable energy

Sustainable economies and societies

The pace, nature and patterns of economic growth are threatening the future of our climate and ecosystems and are placing a major burden on the Earth’s resources. GCRF encourages research and innovation that in the longer-term, builds: 

• sustainable livelihoods supported by strong foundations for inclusive economic growth and innovation 
• resilience and action on short term environmental shocks and long-term environmental change 
• sustainable cities and communities
• sustainable production and consumption of materials and other resources

Human rights, good governance and social justice

It is increasingly recognised that development, human rights, good governance and social justice are indivisible. The GCRF supports research and innovation that enables us to: 

• understand and respond effectively to forced displacement and multiple refugee crises
• reduce conflict and promote peace, justice and humanitarian action 
• reduce poverty and inequality, including gender inequalities.

The Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) supports UK and international researchers and innovators to take on key issues affecting developing countries.

It does this through:

• challenge-led multidisciplinary research
• strengthening capability for research, innovation and knowledge exchange in developing countries and the UK through partnership with excellent UK researchers
• providing an agile response to emergencies where there is an urgent need.

GCRF addresses key challenges in DAC-listed countries such as: threats to the sustainability of natural resources; flooding and famine resulting from climate change; environmental degradation; population growth and rapid urbanisation; fragile states, growing inequality, and violence; threats to animal and plant health; and global health challenges including the development of vaccines and viral threats.

The fund is managed by the UK’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), and delivered by UK and international partners.