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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/
Land Degradation Neutrality Fund
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs
The LDN Fund invests in projects which reduce or reverse land degradation and thereby contribute to ‘Land Degradation Neutrality’. The LDN Fund is co-promoted by the Global Mechanism of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and Mirova. It is a public-private partnership using public money to increase private sector investment in sustainable development. The fund invests in sustainable agriculture, forestry and other land uses globally. The Fund was launched at the UNCCD’s COP 13 in China in 2017.
Fleming Fund - Sierra Leone Country Grant (WHO) Human Health
UK - Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)
This is an Official Development Assistance (ODA) funded UKaid project from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)’s Fleming Fund which helps to fight antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where the burden of drug-resistant infection is greater. This grant is delivered by the World Health Organization (WHO) and managed by the Fleming Fund management agent as part of the wider portfolio of country, regional and fellowship grants. The grant aims to develop a robust AMR diagnostic stewardship programme in Sierra Leone, increasing the data collected, analysed, and used. At the national level, it will integrate AMR surveillance into other areas of work at sector and integrated surveillance levels. Efforts will be made to increase health workforce capacity to perform advanced microbiology testing techniques. In addition, coordination will be strengthened following One Health* principles, and practitioner engagement and policy initiatives will be implemented to encourage the use of AMR data. (*One Health is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimise the health of people, animals and ecosystems. It recognises that the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the wider environment (including ecosystems) are closely linked and interdependent.) See ‘Fleming Fund - Country and Regional Grants and Fellowships Programme’ GB-GOV-10-FF_MA for more information on the objectives of country grants. This project was not put out to an open, competitive tender process because the Fleming Fund Managing Agent identified this implementing partner as uniquely placed to undertake project delivery. However, UN policy states that commercial agreements must be MoUs and must be signed with participating countries. As such, DHSC facilitated the signing of commercial agreements for downstream partners of the Management Agent where appropriate.
Fleming Fund - Sierra Leone Country Grant (FAO) Animal Health
UK - Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)
This is an Official Development Assistance (ODA) funded UKaid project from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)’s Fleming Fund which helps to fight antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where the burden of drug-resistant infection is greater. This grant is delivered by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and managed by the Fleming Fund management agent as part of the wider portfolio of country, regional and fellowship grants. The grant aims to develop the foundations for AMR and Antimicrobial Use (AMU) surveillance in the animal health sector and some aspects of AMR surveillance in the environment in Sierra Leone. Its primary objectives are to: (1) Strengthen One Health* governance and data sharing; and (2) Strengthen the AMR and AMU surveillance system in animal and environmental health. (*One Health is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimise the health of people, animals and ecosystems. It recognises that the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the wider environment (including ecosystems) are closely linked and interdependent.) See ‘Fleming Fund - Country and Regional Grants and Fellowships Programme’ GB-GOV-10-FF_MA for more information on the objectives of country grants. This project was not put out to an open, competitive tender process because the Fleming Fund Managing Agent identified this implementing partner as uniquely placed to undertake project delivery. However, UN policy states that commercial agreements must be MoUs and must be signed with participating countries. As such, DHSC facilitated the signing of commercial agreements for downstream partners of the Management Agent where appropriate.
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 Core - Higher Education Partnerships in Sub-Saharan Africa
DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY
The Higher Education Partnerships in sub-Saharan Africa Programme (HEP SSA) – supported by the Anglo American Group Foundation and the UK Government through the Global Challenges Research Fund – was established by the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2016, following the successful pilot scheme, Enriching Engineering Education Programme. 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.
OODA GCRF and Newton Consolidation Accounts - Cardiff University
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.
Delivery costs for ODA eligible activities - Non-Staff Delivery Costs for CHN_147
DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY
Non-Staff Delivery Costs for CHN_147 - Lab based - RAL Space
Sierra Leone Secondary Education Improvement Programme II (SSEIP II)
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
To improve primary and secondary schooling for 1.5 million children and will also improve English and maths results for 400,000 students in secondary school, make schools safer for 150,000 adolescent girls, and target support for disabled students. Would help Sierra Leone achieve its ambition (as one of three country pilots) to improve its standing on the Human Capital Index – it is currently 151st out of 157 countries.
Amplifying Movements, Organisations and Activism to end violence and support gender Equality in Sierra Leone.
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
MOVE will resource and strengthen the women's rights movement and girls’ activism in Sierra Leone to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). It will work through the Survivor Solidarity Fund (SSF) run by women’s rights organisation (WRO) Purposeful – to provide onward flexible grants to grassroots WROs and adolescent girls’ groups. The programme is intended to shift resources and decision-making power to women and girls ‘closest to the ground’ to deliver effective solutions to tackle SGBV.
Invest Salone: Private Sector Development, Trade and Job Creation in Sierra Leone
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
To increase investment in Sierra Leone's exporting sectors, including agriculture, tourism, and fisheries leading to economic diversification, household income growth and job creation. The programme will help Sierra Leone meet the economic aspirations of its growing young population, tackling the drivers of instability and illegal migration. It will also make Sierra Leone more competitive in global markets putting put it on a pathway to becoming a future trading partner for the UK.
Expertise to Support Economic Reform in Sierra Leone
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
This programme provides technical assistance to the government of Sierra Leone on i. public financial management and revenue generation, and ii. private investment in energy and water infrastructure. It aims to i. improve the integrity, efficiency and control of public spending and increase tax revenue, thereby supporting macroeconomic stability, and ii. attract higher levels of responsible private sector infrastructure investment. In combination, this should support economic growth.