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Pakistan
Darwin Initiative
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs
The Darwin Initiative is the UK’s flagship international challenge fund for biodiversity conversation and poverty reduction, established at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. The Darwin Initiative is a grant scheme working on projects that aim to slow, halt, or reverse the rates of biodiversity loss and degradation, with associated reductions in multidimensional poverty. To date, the Darwin Initiative has awarded more than £195m to over 1,280 projects in 159 countries to enhance the capability and capacity of national and local stakeholders to deliver biodiversity conservation and multidimensional poverty reduction outcomes in low and middle-income countries. More information at https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/the-darwin-initiative. This page contains information about Rounds 27 onwards. For information about Rounds 1 to 26, please see the Darwin Initiative website -https://www.darwininitiative.org.uk/
Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs
Illegal wildlife trade (IWT) is a widespread and lucrative criminal activity causing major global environmental and social harm. The IWT has been estimated to be worth up to £17 billion a year. Nearly 6,000 different species of fauna and flora are impacted, with almost every country in the world playing a role in the illicit trade. The UK government is committed to tackling illegal trade of wildlife products and is a long-standing leader in efforts to eradicate the IWT. Defra manages the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund, which is a competitive grants scheme with the objective of tackling IWT and, in doing so, contributing to sustainable development in developing countries. Projects funded under the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund address one, or more, of the following themes: • Developing sustainable livelihoods to benefit people directly affected by IWT, • Strengthening law enforcement, • Ensuring effective legal frameworks, • Reducing demand for IWT products. By 2023 over £51 million has been committed to 157 projects since the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund was established in 2013. This page contains information about Rounds 7 onwards. For information about Rounds 1 to 6, please see the IWTCF website -https://iwt.challengefund.org.uk/
Global Programme on Sustainability
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs
The programme supports sustainable economic growth that is both long-lasting and resilient to climate-related stressors. It does this through the integration of natural capital into decision making by governments, the private sector and financial institutions. The inability to value natural capital can undermine long-term growth and critically, the livelihoods of the poorest people dependent on ecosystems for their livelihoods. This programme directly addresses this challenge by (i) investing in data and research on natural capital; (ii) assisting countries to integrate this analysis into government policy making; and (iii) integrating this data and analysis into financial sector decision making.
Education, Justice and Memory Network (EdJAM)
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
Using innovative practices for teaching and learning about Pakistan's violent past, in order to promote a culture of peace and non-violence. Benefits teachers, artists, community educators and museums. With secondary benefits to Cambodia, Colombia & Uganda. SDGs: 4,16,17
Mitigating presentation attacks in remote identity proofing (MIMER): Pakistan in Focus
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
The shift towards digital channels for financial transactions due to the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in fraudulent financial transactions in low-middle-income countries like Pakistan due to weak remote identity proofing (RIDP) processes. The existing methods of verifying a person's identity through electronic means, such as facial recognition, can be easily deceived by advancements in artificial intelligence, such as deep fakes. These deep fakes are much more successful in bypassing the verification process than traditional methods. As a result, there is a lack of trust among users, particularly in countries like Pakistan, where cash is still widely used, in adopting mobile technologies for accessing banking services. This hinders the government's efforts to increase financial and digital inclusion for millions of underbanked individuals. The goal of the MIMER project is to develop a robust authentication method that can protect remote identity verification systems from emerging identity spoofing attacks. The objective is to create a mechanism that is specifically tailored to the conditions in Pakistan by creating detection models that are adapted to local language and other specific characteristics. The project will also focus on developing a framework for detecting audio and visual forgeries, making it resistant to antiforensics and multi-spoofing attacks, and well-suited for real-world scenarios. The project is aligned with various sustainable development goals and addresses the needs of the partner country, particularly by developing a secure and reliable remote identity verification system. This will lead to the creation of robust digital and financial services and decrease the risk of identity theft crimes. The research will be carried out through a seamless collaboration between The University of Glasgow, the University of Engineering and Technology Taxila, Pakistan, and an industrial partner, stech.ai. The focus of the project is to establish sustainable partnerships, network with policymakers within the UK and Pakistan, and co-create knowledge to address the challenges related to developing a secure and reliable remote identity verification system while working towards a common strategic theme of "building a secure and resilient world."
NeuReader: Eye Tracking Enabled Explainable-AI for Empowering Resource Scarce Neurological Healthcare in Pakistan
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
Neurological disorders place a significant burden on the healthcare system of Pakistan where only a handful of trained neurologists are available to serve a population of 231 million people. More than 60% of Pakistan's population resides in rural areas where healthcare is provided via basic health units (BHU) and rural health centres (RHC) which are run by junior doctors or nursing staff. These facilities do not have the manpower or resources to provide any neurological care. The aim of project NeuReader is to develop a system that helps improve the provision of neurological care to patients in Pakistan. Neurological health will be monitored using electroencephalograms (EEG) which measure the brain's electrical activity via electrodes placed on the scalp. NeuReader will leverage Artificial Intelligence and Natural Language Processing to read EEG data, diagnose neurological disorders, and provide a report explaining the problem. Simple diagnostic decisions with no explanation are not very helpful as junior medical staff administering the tests at BHUs or RHCs would also need help to increase patient awareness about their health condition. A better understanding of the diagnosis will also allow patients and their families make informed decisions about travelling to hospitals in urban areas to seek further assistance since that entails substantial travel and lodging expenses. The explainability features of NeuReader will also help neurologists (connected remotely to the system) prioritise patients based on the gravity of their conditions. Building such a system requires overcoming several technical challenges. The performance of AI systems is highly dependent on the amount and quality of data available for training them. Two types of data will be used for training: (1) EEG recordings with doctor's reports summarising them in words (2) Locations of abnormalities spotted within an EEG recording. Doctor reports will be written by neurologists during data collection. Labelling of locations of abnormalities within EEG recordings is time consuming and laborious. An EEG recording may consist of several minutes/ hours of data with abnormalities lasting only a few seconds and spread out across different locations within the recording. To avoid investing hundreds of hours labelling EEG records, eye tracking will be used to record locations of neurologist gaze patterns on a computer screen as they examine EEG data in their routine practice. These eye gaze patterns will then be used to promptly generate labels of events saving hours of highly valuable neurologist time. The recorded labels will be used to train AI algorithms that can automatically spot events of interest which can then be used to generate a text report that can be used by junior doctors and nursing staff at BHUs or RHCs to assist patients suspected of suffering from neurological disorders. A significant time will be dedicated to field studies designed to assess the needs of patients and doctors who will be the end users of this systems. The learn outcomes of these field studies will be incorporated into the final design to maximise on ground impact.
Tobacco control policies and the health of Adolescents in Pakistan (TAP): a multi-method study
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
MRC AGHRB Award with the aim to inform policies on plain packaging and taxation in Pakistan in order to reduce tobacco uptake and use in adolescents thereby improving their health and preventing premature deaths and disabilities in later life
Improving access to sustainable energy in rural Pakistan using food and fiber agro-waste as a renewable fuel (SAFER)
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
Our project, "Improving access to sustainable energy in rural Pakistan using food and fiber agro-waste as a renewable fuel (SAFER)," is a bold initiative aimed at tackling the dire lack of electricity in rural areas of Pakistan especially for off-grid communities. It harnesses the immense potential of agro-waste generated from fiber production to create a sustainable and accessible source of energy. Despite Pakistan's abundant renewable energy resources, more than 50% of people in rural areas still live without electricity, heavily reliant on energy imports and fossil fuels. With only 7% of energy generation coming from renewables, there exists a significant deficit in meeting the country's energy needs. Our innovative approach combines two cutting-edge technologies to establish a true sandpit technology, forging a circular model based on food, fiber, and energy while generating zero waste. SAFER leverages NTU Pakistan's indigenous technology, which efficiently produces high-quality textile fibers using agro-waste from bananas. Remarkably, the fiber production process generates a second round of agro-waste, allowing us to maximize resource utilisation. SAFER utilises ERL UK's Patent-pending and advanced thermo-chemical conversion technologies to deploy sustainable and clean energy solutions in remote areas of Pakistan. By converting agro-waste into renewable fuel, our project offers affordable and accessible energy to local industries and communities, alleviating the burden on Pakistan's overstretched energy sector. Through gasification technology, we harness the power of agro-waste to generate syngas, which are then used to produce electricity. Beyond energy production, SAFER also targets the improvement of Pakistan's textile sector, a vital industry that serves as the country's largest exporter and employs millions of individuals. In SAFER, we utilize agro-waste, such as banana peels, to manufacture high-quality textile fibers, biochar/biofertilisers, and electricity. This not only creates value-added commodities but also facilitates effective waste management. Our approach curbs the industry's environmental footprint while mitigating the adverse effects of declining cotton production caused by environmental changes. To ensure the commercial viability of our solution and effectively address Pakistan's energy crisis, we adopt a holistic approach to integrate systems (Food, Fiber, fertiliser, Energy) and ensure compatibility with multiple market routes and technical solutions. With SAFER, we envision a brighter future for rural Pakistan, where access to sustainable energy becomes a reality through the transformation of agro-waste into value-added products. Through these efforts, we empower local communities, contribute to Pakistan's sustainable development, and pave the way toward a brighter and more prosperous future for all.
Cotton Footprint: transitioning the carbon intensive cotton and textiles industry to renewable infrastructure through a whole supply chain approach
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
A collaboration to deliver affordable energy solutions in rural Pakistan communities who are integral to the farming and production of global cotton supplies. The Affordable Clean Energy Farm (ACE-Farm) is a novel insetting scheme that aims to redistribute capital via investments by fashion brands, textiles manufacturers and clean cotton networks to reduce the impact of their own carbon consumption. This project will continue the work delivered by UK energy management company, Pilio, and Pakistan energy infrastructure company, SAMA^Verte, under an Energy Catalyst 8 funded feasibility study. Within this continuation project, we will demonstrate the economic model that aims to bring clean and affordable energy access to Pakistan's 10m cotton workers. Our focus is on creating a multiplier effect via a range of ecosystem services, including household energy access, productive energy on industrial cotton farms (ginners) and enabling micro-enterprises to offer energy services and create new markets. Within this project Pilio will develop our technology platform, that measures the investment brands make in terms of carbon reduction and affordable energy uptake, as well as economic terms including ROI. This project will be delivered in close working partnership with WWF Pakistan and global sustainability experts, Better Cotton.
SolarERA (Solar Electrification of Rural Areas)
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
The people of Thar Desert have little to no electricity access. Those that have access, use diesel polluting generators to produce this electricity, while fuel supply is unreliable and intermittent. The Thar is the most populous desert in the world, with approximately 16.6m people living there. Tharis are far behind the Pakistani average on economic skills. They rely predominantly on agriculture/livestock and "Thari crafts" (ornate embroidered/sewn garments such as quilts and cushions) to survive. The Thari women who make these crafts are extremely hardworking and talented, spirited and committed. Empowering women can change the destiny of Tharparkari people. However, the unavailability of electricity needed to power productivity enhancing stitching/sewing machines, means these women must make every stitch painstakingly by hand. As such, garment making is incredibly slow, laborious, and they are unable to leverage their skills to benefit their families and the wider village community. By the end of 2026, SolarERA systems will be ready to provide a unique electrification solution that will benefit these people by affording them access to off-grid electricity and in turn electric sewing/craft machines, and in doing so revolutionise their current economic situation. As a result, Thari-crafts can form the bedrock of the economic model that will provide microfinance institutions with the confidence to offer the initial investment to fund the SolarERA pico-grids. From this key initial electrification enabler, further downstream benefits can flow in relation to Health and Well-being, Education and Learning, Communication and Connectivity etc. Additionally, SolarERA will serve to preserve the age-old Thari crafts skills of these women, passed down by successive generations for centuries. The benefits to project partners are clear, major growth in jobs (25-UK, 125-PAK) and economic activity (£22.5million in revenues) by 2031. Kunwaa Foundation will be able to achieve its aim of improving the lives of the Thar people more easily and faster. SALATEEN will become a leader in the supply and installation of pico-grids across Pakistan and neighbouring countries. Zhyphen will see a significant boost in exports of critical technology for the enablement of low-cost off-grid solar solutions, enhancing it and Brunel-University-London's reputation as leaders in this area
SFC - GCRF QR funding
DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY
Formula GCRF funding to the Scottish Funding Council to support Scottish higher education institutes (HEIs) to carry out ODA-eligible activities in line with their three-year institutional strategies. ODA research grants do not represent the full economic cost of research and therefore additional funding is provided to Scottish HEIs in proportion to their Research Excellence Grant (REG). In FY19/20 funding was allocated to 18 Scottish higher education institutes to support existing ODA grant funding and small projects. GCRF has now supported more than 800 projects at Scottish institutions, involving over 80 developing country partners.
UUKi Delivery Support
DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY
These are delivery cost for shared learning workshops/training and best practice (for current and future applicants) on ODA assurance, eligibility, reporting and partnership working through either the NF and GCRF
Ad-hoc GCRF activity on BEIS Finance system
DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY
Increased contributions towards a range of research projects jointly funded with DFID, and funding for the Devolved Administrations for disbursement to universities within the devolved regions to fund the full economic cost of GCRF ODA research.
DfE NI - GCRF QR funding
DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY
Grant to Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland to enable Northern Irish higher education institutes to carry out pre-agreed ODA-eligible activities in line with their institutional strategies. For Queen’s University Belfast in FY2019/20 this included: workshops in Cambodia, Vietnam, South Africa, and Uganda about health and education; 11 pilot projects spanning 16 eligible countries (Angola, Burundi, China, Colombia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Kosovo, Malaysia, Nigeria, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam and Zimbabwe); and additional support to GCRF and NF-funded activities. For Ulster University in FY2019/20 funding supported six pump-priming projects on: LMIC maternal, neonatal and child health; PTSD in Rwanda; Decision-Making in Policy Making in Africa and Central Asia; and hearing impairment and dementia in China.
HEFCW - GCRF QR funding
DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY
Additional GCRF funding to the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales to support Welsh higher education institutes (HEIs) to carry out ODA-eligible activities in line with their institutional strategies. ODA research grants do not represent the full economic cost of research and therefore additional funding is provided to Welsh HEIs in line with their research council grant income. In FY19/20 funding was allocated to Aberystwyth University, Bangor University, Cardiff University and Swansea University. In FY19/20, the funding was used to fund: the full economic cost of existing ODA eligible activities (e.g. already funded by GCRF); small ODA-eligible projects; fellowships to ODA-eligible researchers; and to increase collaboration and impact. 53 ODA-eligible countries have been reported as benefiting from the funded work, with Brazil and India the most frequently mentioned. By region, the largest number of projects were based in the LDC’s (Least Developed Countries) in Asia, South America, and East Africa, with only a few projects in the middle-income countries such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Georgia.
Royal Academy of Engineering Academies Collective Fund: Resilient Futures - Frontiers of Development
DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY
Frontiers of Development is part of the Joint Resilient Futures Initiative which is a collaboration between all four UK Academies under the GCRF. The aim of the JRF initiative is to construct a pipeline in the UK and the developing world for interdisciplinary researchers focused on tackling development challenges in a sustainable manner.
Royal Academy of Engineering Core - Frontiers of Engineering for Development
DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY
Frontiers of Engineering for Development is a series of interdisciplinary symposia that facilitates national and international collaboration to tackle global development challenges. The event brings together a select group of around 60 emerging UK and global engineering and international development leaders from industry and academia to discuss pioneering technical work and cutting-edge research for international development from a diversity of engineering fields. Seed funding is available to progress some of the best ideas coming out of the event. COVID-19
Do neighbourhoods matter? Country- cluster- and individual effects on attitudes towards intimate partner violence in low- and middle-income countries
DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY
The study will address significant knowledge gaps in our understanding of women's and men's attitudes towards intimate partner violence against women (IPV) at the neighbourhood-level in 54 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) across Central-, East- and South Asia, the Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and North- and Sub-Saharan Africa.
OODA GCRF and Newton Consolidation Accounts University of Exeter
DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY
The GNCAs represent an additional allocation from BEIS designed to reinvest in excellent UKRI Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) and Newton Fund programmes and enable them to maximise development impact. This involves instances where funding can be utilized to 9 original grant objectives affected by the ODA review, or opportunities for new follow-on, knowledge exchange or impact activities. In either case, the funding is targeted to support research along the route to achieving economic or social impact in countries on the OECD DAC list.
OODA GCRF and Newton Consolidation Accounts - Queen Mary University of London
DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY
The GNCAs represent an additional allocation from BEIS designed to reinvest in excellent UKRI Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) and Newton Fund programmes and enable them to maximise development impact. This involves instances where funding can be utilized to 9 original grant objectives affected by the ODA review, or opportunities for new follow-on, knowledge exchange or impact activities. In either case, the funding is targeted to support research along the route to achieving economic or social impact in countries on the OECD DAC list.