Doing research to reduce poverty and global risks

​Last year, funding decisions for three out of six modules of the r4d programme were taken. Now, the first 17 transnational research partnerships have initiated their work, addressing a wide range of issues such as international trade impacts on employment, ethnic power relations and conflicts, manufacturing of affordable building materials or enhancing the situation of people with disabilities.

A rapidly growing research community

The first kick-off meetings in March and April brought together researchers from about 30 countries and offered opportunities for exchange among scientific peers as well as between scientists and representatives from development policy and practice.

Transnational research partnerships

The r4d programme is a joint long-term initiative of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). With a contribution of CHF 72 million by the SDC and CHF 25.6 million by the SNSF, the r4d programme supports research projects carried out in transnational research partnerships between researchers from at least two countries.

Scientific excellence and developmental relevance

The programme aims to generate knowledge and research-based solutions for reducing poverty and global risks in poor countries within the normative and conceptual framework of sustainable development. It intends to establish methods and options for finding integrated, holistic approaches to solving problems and to preserving public goods in developing countries. The r4d programme stands out for giving equal value to scientific excellence and developmental relevance. In particular, it demands from the funded projects strategies for knowledge co-production and diffusion of research results to stimulate development and societal change.