International rescue

Efforts to shore up aid-funded research may need a rethink

Back in spring 2021, swathes of research projects funded by UK international development aid were thrown into turmoil by the government’s sudden decision to slash aid spending. 

Amid a £120 million funding shortfall at the national funder UK Research and Innovation, long-term collaborations on the biggest international challenges, from health to climate change, had to be shut down or dramatically scaled back. Without vital funding for their work, teams combining researchers in the global south and the UK were forced to lose valuable staff.