About GRTD

Global Research and Technology Development (GRTD) is the UK government’s flagship research and innovation portfolio for international development.

Funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), GRTD brings together science, partnerships and innovation to build prosperity, resilience and security around the world – supporting a world free from poverty on a liveable and safer planet.

Who we are

GRTD is managed by the FCDO’s Research and Analysis (RAD) Directorate under the Chief Scientific Adviser. We work with UK and international universities, research institutions, governments, multilaterals, foundations, civil society and the private sector to deliver global public goods, including evidence, technologies and innovations that can be adopted at scale.

What we fund

GRTD funds mission-driven research and innovation that tackles shared global challenges and supports FCDO’s international development and diplomacy objectives. Our portfolio focuses on evidence, technologies and innovations that can inform policy, strengthen systems, support uptake and deliver long-term impact across countries and contexts. The GRTD Research Commissioning Centre is improving how we work with partners – supporting more equitable funding, stronger collaboration and better commissioning practice.

Where we focus

GRTD concentrates on scalable advances and robust, decision-relevant evidence and cost-effectiveness, and delivering impact where need is greatest. We work with partners across the world to co-create research that responds to locally identified priorities and supports people and communities facing the greatest development and security challenges, particularly in fragile and conflict-affected states and across Africa and South and West Asia.

Our thematic portfolio

Explore the full GRTD-funded programme portfolio.

GRTD’s portfolio is organised around five thematic areas.

Climate, food and nature

GRTD supports science, innovation and evidence that help countries adapt to climate change, transform food, land and water systems, and protect nature. Our investments focus on scalable solutions for those most at risk, including climate-resilient agriculture, early warning systems, sustainable resource management and research on climate, food and environmental security.

Geopolitics and humanitarian response

GRTD invests in research that helps policymakers understand and respond to a changing international order, including conflict, fragility, political instability, security threats, humanitarian crises and irregular migration. This work strengthens the evidence base for diplomacy, crisis response, resilience and international cooperation.

Growth, energy and infrastructure

GRTD supports research and innovation that drive sustainable, inclusive economic growth, clean energy transitions and resilient infrastructure systems. Our investments generate evidence on jobs, productivity, macroeconomic stability, trade, transport, energy access and women’s economic empowerment.

Human development

GRTD generates evidence and innovations that strengthen health and education systems across the life course. Our work focuses on infectious disease and health security, women’s and children’s health, foundational learning, and resilient systems that can adapt to conflict, climate change and crisis.

Technology, gender and inclusion

GRTD invests in evidence and innovation to harness technology for inclusive development while reducing harms and future risks. This includes work on inclusive AI, digital access, responsible innovation, women’s economic empowerment, online harms, disinformation and technology-enabled gender-based violence.

Together, these themes focus GRTD’s investments on the critical evidence needs, technologies and innovations that advance FCDO’s international development and diplomacy objectives.

How we work

We invest in research and innovation through a focused, partnership-led model designed to deliver impact at scale, combining strategic partnerships, rigorous research standards, and a clear focus on translating evidence into practice.

We work through catalytic investments, partnering with like‑minded funders, governments and institutions to align funding, reduce fragmentation and maximise collective impact, with our portfolio designed around clear pathways to scale that support the development, testing, and adoption of evidence and innovation across countries and systems.

We also embed evidence and expertise in policy and practice, supporting uptake and use by governments, multilateral institutions, and other partners so that research informs real-world decisions and investments.

Modern approach to development

GRTD reflects a shift in how the UK invests in and uses research and innovation internationally, moving towards a model that is more strategic, partnership-driven, and impact-focused. This is captured through four core shifts:

From donor to investor – tackling global challenges through strategic partnerships

We will evolve from a donor to a catalytic investor, using research and innovation funding alongside expertise and influence to build strategic partnerships with like-minded governments, foundations, and research institutions, and to crowd in additional finance, capability, and policy traction to tackle global challenges.

From service delivery to advice and support – strengthening impact at scale

Rather than delivering services directly, we will strengthen the systems that sustain impact over time – building evidence on what works across contexts, informing policy and institutional reform, and supporting new, affordable, and scalable innovations to reach new markets and enhance equitable access to goods.

From grants to expertise – informing policy and uptake

We will place UK and international expertise, not grant funding alone, at the centre of our offer – drawing on world-class research, technical and institutional capability through deep, in-country research partnerships to inform evidence-based policymaking and innovation uptake.

From international intervention to local leadership – co-creating research

We will engage Southern institutions and governments as leaders in defining shared priorities, co-creating, co-leading and delivering research that reflects local needs, strengthens national capability, and advances shared global priorities.

Together, these shifts underpin a more coherent approach to research and innovation, focused on generating global public goods, strengthening partnerships, and delivering impact at scale.

Whole-of-UK approach

GRTD draws on the UK Government’s collective capabilities, networks, and global reach to maximise impact. A joined‑up approach across government, combined with FCDO’s global footprint, science diplomacy, and the UK’s scientific strengths, enables research and innovation to deliver development impact at scale and reinforces the UK’s role as a trusted partner.

We are strengthening coherence across UK Government development research through shared priorities and governance, with funding increasingly delivered through joint and aligned mechanisms that reduce duplication and improve value for money.

Delivering high-quality, trusted research

All GRTD-funded research is expected to meet the highest standards of quality, ethics, transparency and value for money.

Research is commissioned and managed in line with UK government standards, and outputs are shared openly following robust quality assurance and peer review processes to support evidence use, learning and uptake.

This includes compliance with:

FCDO Programme Operating Framework
HM Treasury’s guidance on Managing Public Money
UK government standards for commissioning research
FCDO Ethical Guidance for Research, Evaluation and Monitoring Activities
Safeguarding requirements for international development research

All research meets the internationally recognised OECD Frascati definition of research and development.

Most funding is delivered as Official Development Assistance (ODA), in line with OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) criteria.

FCDO also funds research beyond ODA where it supports broader strategic priorities.

Equity, inclusion and partnerships

GRTD embeds equality, diversity and inclusion across all research design, delivery, partnerships and investments.

This includes:

supporting equitable research partnerships, particularly with institutions in low- and middle-income countries
ensuring research reflects the needs and priorities of the most marginalised groups
promoting inclusive access to funding, collaboration and knowledge

Open research

FCDO-funded research outputs are made openly and immediately available in line with FCDO’s Open Access policy wherever they are intended for publication.

This helps ensure research is accessible, shareable, scalable and useful for policy, practice and further research.

Improving how research is funded

GRTD is committed to making research funding more efficient, accessible and effective.

The GRTD Research Commissioning Centre (RCC) is supporting GRTD in delivering more equitable commissioning approaches, accelerating decision-making, reducing bureaucracy and strengthening partnerships with global researchers.

Banner image: Local staff member of Azuri Technologies delivering solar system to householder in Africa. Azuri has been supported by the FCDO Transforming Energy Access (TEA) platform to scale-up its technology; ©Azuri