Welcome to the GSDRC Projects hub — a showcase of research and evidence-driven initiatives that advance understanding and action on global development challenges.
Our projects bring together cutting-edge research, international partnerships, and practical insights to support decision-makers, development agencies and practitioners. From rapid evidence assessments that deepen understanding of norms and rights to collaborative programmes tackling air pollution, conflict dynamics, and capacity-building in fragile contexts, GSDRC’s work connects rigorous evidence with real-world policy and practice.
Explore our portfolio to learn how evidence, learning and innovation can lead to better outcomes for societies around the world.
Current Projects
Knowledge for Development and Diplomacy (K4DD) is the successor to the Knowledge, Evidence and Learning for Development (K4D) programme, continuing its mission to provide high‑quality evidence, rapid synthesis and learning support to inform development and diplomacy policy and practice. Building on the legacy of K4D (2016–2022), K4DD delivers demand‑driven rapid evidence reviews, facilitated learning events and bespoke knowledge products through a consortium of leading global partners. Funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), K4DD supports evidence‑informed decision‑making across areas such as climate, health, education, conflict and economic development, strengthening the impact of policy and programming through learning and evidence uptake.
Partners: Institute Development Studies | Itad |Education Development Trust| Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine | Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute (HCRI) at the University of Manchester | Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) | Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU)
SUPPORTED BY: FCDO
The Future of Aid and Development Cooperation
The Future of Aid and Development Cooperation is a joint GSDRC / UNU-WIDER research project to examine how recent trends in the global aid landscape, including changes in donor priorities, conflict and climate change, are reshaping development cooperation. It pays particular attention to the effectiveness and response of aid in fragile and conflict affected contexts. The project will produce a series of research papers, drawing on existing and emerging evidence and support knowledge exchange through seminars and engagement with policy stakeholders. To find out more, see here: The Future of Aid and Development Cooperation.
SUPPORTED BY: UNU‑WIDER
RESEARCH THEMES: Aid Effectiveness | Development Cooperation | Peacebuilding
Strengthening Evidence Based Policymaking In Mozambique: Rapid Evidence Reviews And Capacity Building
Strengthening Evidence Based Policymaking in Mozambique: Rapid Evidence Reviews and Capacity Building is a project that supports the work of the Inclusive Growth in Mozambique (IGM) programme, a partnership between the Ministry of Planning and Development (MPD) of Mozambique, Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM), and UNU-WIDER. Responding to current priorities of the Government of Mozambique to adopt stronger evidence-based economic policies that inform government decision-making, it will support the co-production of three rapid reviews that synthesise global and comparative evidence on key economic issues, including youth employment, social protection for informal workers, and public finance. In parallel, an accompanying capacity development workshop will build practical skills among analysts at the National Directorate of Economic Policies and Development (DNPED) of the Ministry of Planning and Development (MPD) of Mozambique and the Centre for Economic and Management Studies (CEEG) of the University of Eduardo Mondlane (UEM), including around scoping questions, search, appraisal, synthesis, and drafting, so that rapid, high‑quality reviews can increasingly be co‑produced locally.
SUPPORTED BY: UNU‑WIDER
RESEARCH THEMES: Economic Policy | Poverty and Inequality | Public Finance | Social Protection | Capacity Building
