2018-2021 Challenge Leaders

The GCRF consortium appointed nine Challenge Leaders to direct portfolios in Global Health, Food Systems, Conflict, Resilience, Education, and Sustainable Cities between 2018-2021.

The leaders ensured that the Fund had the greatest possible impact on global development to move the world closer towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. They were responsible for the building and success of individual GCRF challenge portfolios and together collectively responsible for maximising the portfolios’ overall research excellence and real-world impact.

The challenge leaders were appointed to provide strong, intellectual and strategic leadership for each strategic research portfolio and to strengthen coordination across multiple delivery partners. They drew on the knowledge and experience of the GCRF Strategic Advisory Group as well as the various GCRF groups in the research councils and academies and sought opportunities beyond GCRF through alignment/integration with the ODA portfolios (for example the Newton Fund) across UK Government and with other funders.

The leaders strengthened international engagement and promoted high-level dialogue with a wide range of international development funders, actors and agencies. They worked closely with the GCRF Hubs and other strategic investments as they came on stream, 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.