What we commission
Globally, GRTD significantly contributes to health, agriculture, and energy research within the established global research framework. GRTD also makes investments into social research in governance, conflict, social inclusion, humanitarian efforts, economic growth, and education.
You can find the latest information about GRTD funding calls, tenders and procurement on:
In the beta version, FCDO will be posting only funding opportunities managed by the RCC:
Call for applications: Three Senior Research Fellow positions at the FCDO
Deadline: 10 September
The FCDO Research Commissioning Centre, co-led by 3ie and the University of Birmingham, invites applications for three Senior Research Fellows at the FCDO in the fields of Clean Energy and Innovation, Migration, and Humanitarian.
Read more
Multi-Hazard Research Network
The FCDO is looking to establish a Multi-Hazard Research Network (MHRN), which will deliver high-quality research and leverage expertise to help the FCDO and its partners in preparing for and responding to emergencies. The MHRN is envisioned as a collaborative multidisciplinary network of relevant institutions and regional research hubs (including those based in low- and middle-income countries) led by a UK institution, providing rapid, actionable evidence and advice to help reduce suffering and save lives during emergencies.
The planned focus areas are in natural hazards, infectious diseases, and national security, with an emphasis on cascading impacts of hazards and a people-centred approach through embedding social and behavioural sciences.
The key objectives of the MHRN will be to provide:
- Prediction research (developing novel, anticipatory and predictive tools),
- Preparedness research (delivering a programme of applied research on how to prepare for imminent hazards), and
- Emergency response research (developing user-centred products ready to deploy in emergencies to support the FCDO and its partners) and, where required, expert advice to support urgent decision-making.
The MHRN should set up and maintain mutually beneficial partnerships with institutions and networks based in relevant regions (i.e. those at greatest risk of experiencing emergencies covered by the MHRN) to offer access to the widest range of academic disciplines and deliver rapid, evidence-informed responses to the needs of the FCDO and its partners.
This will be a two-stage commissioning process, including a number of engagements to enable organisations to help shape the MHRN and develop or consolidate potential partnerships. This process will take place over late summer and autumn 2025.
To receive updates about this initiative, please sign up to the mailing list here.
Senior Research Fellow placements in FCDO available in Clean Energy and Innovation, Food and Agriculture, Migration, and Humanitarian.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Research Commissioning Centre (RCC) has been established to commission and manage research to enhance development and foreign policy impact. The RCC provides support to FCDO teams for commissioning and delivering high-quality and impactful research. It addresses challenges associated with research bureaucracy, as highlighted by the Independent Review of Research Bureaucracy, by providing a streamlined process for commissioning and delivering FCDO-funded research.
The FCDO RCC is excited to announce four Senior Research Fellow placements at the FCDO. Placements are for roles under the themes of Clean Energy and Innovation, Food and Agriculture, Migration, and Humanitarian.
These placements will be for two years at 0.4 FTE. These roles will be hosted by FCDO and are subject to the Fellow successfully passing “Security Check” level security clearance. Applicants need to be Associate Professor level seniority, associated with a UK University and will need to meet the requirements for obtaining security clearance to undertake the placement.
Applications will open early in July 2025 and will close on Wednesday 10 September 2025. Interviews will be held early in October 2025, with the Fellowship commencing on 1 April 2026.
Call for expressions of interest | A research programme on evidence use in policymaking: Interventions to influence the use of evidence
Deadline: 27 June 2025
On behalf of the FCDO Research Commissioning Centre, 3ie invites expressions of interest from organisations or consortia to advance empirical knowledge on how to improve the use of research evidence by policymakers in the economic policymaking space and beyond. Read more
Call for expressions of interest | A research programme on evidence use in policymaking: Studies of evidence use in practice
Deadline: 30 May 2025
On behalf of the FCDO Research Commissioning Centre, 3ie invites expressions of interest from organisations or consortia to explore the role of research evidence in government economic policymaking in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Read more
Call for proposals: Supporting Pastoralism and Agriculture in Recurrent and Protracted Crises (SPARC) programme: a review
Deadline: 24 February 2025.
On behalf of the FCDO Research Commissioning Centre (RCC), 3ie invites proposals from organisations or consortia to conduct an external review of the Supporting Pastoralism and Agriculture in Recurrent and Protracted Crises (SPARC) programme. Read more
Call for expressions of interest: Private sector-led digital agriculture extension for smallholder farmers: a literature review and learning study
Deadline: 14 February 2025.
On behalf of the FCDO Research Commissioning Centre, 3ie invites expressions of interest from organisations or consortia to conduct a 12-month study of the impact of FCDO’s funding of the GSMA Mobile for Development (M4D) programme since 2013. Read more
Call for proposals: Studying the effects of climate change and variability on water resources in Uruguay
Deadline: Oct 10, 2024
On behalf of the FCDO Research Commissioning Centre, 3ie invites proposals from organisations or consortia to assess the impact of climate change and variability as well as socio-economic activities on water resources in Uruguay and to recommend sustainable strategies for water resource management and adaptation. Read more
Call for proposals: Adopting a behavioural science lens to improve the impact of FCDO’s technology and innovative investments: a portfolio review
Deadline: Oct 2, 2024
On behalf of the FCDO Research Commissioning Centre, 3ie invites proposals from organisations or consortia to conduct a review of FCDO’s technology and innovation portfolio and its current use of behavioural science. Read more
Call for proposals: Systematic review on the impact of climate change on rail operations in Turkey
Deadline: June 10, 2024
On behalf of the FCDO Research Commissioning Centre, 3ie invited proposals from organisations or consortia to conduct a systematic review of the impact of climate change on rail operations in Turkey. This opportunity is now closed and has been awarded to ISSD Bilsim Elektronik Egt. San. Ve. Tic. Read more
Call for proposals: Systematic review on shadow economy in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Georgia, Moldova, Cyprus and Malta: evidence on policy actions
Deadline: April 10, 2024
On behalf of the FCDO Research Commissioning Centre, 3ie invited proposals from organisations or consortia to conduct a systematic review of the shadow economy in the Baltics. The aim of this research is to identify evidence-informed policy options to tackle the shadow economy across Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Cyprus, Georgia, and Moldova. This opportunity is now closed and has been awarded to Universitatea “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” din Iași (Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași). Read more
Call for proposals: The use of artificial intelligence in food and agriculture
Deadline: April 10, 2024
On behalf of the FCDO Research Commissioning Centre, 3ie invited proposals from organisations or consortia to produce a landscape study on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in food and agriculture. This opportunity is now closed and has been awarded to Athena Infonomics. Read more
Call for expressions of interest: Russian information operations in the Baltics
Deadline: April 10, 2024
On behalf of the FCDO Research Commissioning Centre, 3ie invited expressions of interest from organisations or consortia to conduct a systematic review of the effects of policies tackling Russian information campaigns and an evaluation of the ban on Russian propaganda channels in the three Baltic countries. The full terms of reference for this funding opportunity require applicants to hold at minimum ‘SC’ security clearance. For more information, see detailed call for expressions of interest. Read more
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Banner image: Girls in Ethopia; Jessica Lea/Department for International Development
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