Report
Impact Success Stories Booklet: The Global Impact of UK Research
Booklet of a series of eleven success stories demonstrating the global impact of UK research
Impact Success Stories: The Global Impact of UK Research
Working to raise awareness of the value and impact of UK research, we collected 11 of our favourite impact success stories that show how UK research is improving the lives of people around the world.
These eleven impact success stories demonstrate the importance of science and research to sustainable international development, and the UK’s contribution to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The success stories were compiled through a collaborative effort by UK research funders including FCDO, UKRI, BEIS, DHSC and Wellcome.
They provide an overview of the UK research’s contribution to improving the lives of people globally, from building the case for climate action and reducing the threat of malaria, to understanding the multidimensional nature of poverty and tackling HIV/AIDS.
They focus on achieving impact through long-term, large-scale, and cross-funded investments. Overall, they underscore the value of a multidisciplinary approach aligned with the holistic ethos of the SDGs.
On 29th September, UKCDR hosted a virtual event ‘Research enablers for impact – accelerating the impact of the UK’s investment in international development research’. This lunchtime dialogue led a strategic discussion on how to enable, accelerate and evaluate the impact of the UK’s investment in international development research.
Watch the recording of this event below:
Opening keynote remarks:
Sir Patrick Vallance, UK Government Chief Scientific Advisor
Moderator:
Melissa Leach, Director, Institute of Development Studies
Panellists:
- Nupur Barua, Head of South Asia Research Hub, FCDO
- Eunice Muthengi, Ag. Head – East Africa Research Hub, Research and Evidence Division (RED), FCDO
- Helen Fletcher, Head of International Development, UKRI
- Nyovani Madise, Director of Research and Development Policy & Head of the Malawi office, African Institute for Development Policy
Case study
Building the Case for Climate Change Action
The climate science behind the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports has shaped the global discourse on climate and provided the basis for international action.
Case study
Growing for growth: improving crops to meet demand for food
Cutting-edge research to improve the resilience, yield and nutritional value of crops is key to feeding a growing global population.
Case study
Livestock Vaccines: Supporting the Most Vulnerable
Protecting livestock from disease will benefit not just animals, but also the health and well being of the people who rely on them.
Case study
Reducing the Threat of Malaria
Efforts to control and eradicate malaria have focused on strengthening public health systems, increasing access to critical health services, and delivering life-saving medicines and resources.
Case study
Tackling HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa
Preventing infections, improving public health services, and testing new treatments have been critical to slowing the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Case study
Understanding the Multidimensional Nature of Poverty
Understanding and measuring poverty better provides poverty reduction strategies with an evidence-based approach to meet the Sustainable Development Goals' pledge to "leave no one behind".
Case study
Urban Futures: Orientating Policy Towards Sustainability, Resilience and Participation
Long-term research collaborations have introduced sustainability and participation into urban governance and shifted the focus towards safe and resilient urban futures.
Case study
Working Towards Stronger, Fairer Tax Systems
Collaborations between researchers and revenue officials can guide bold reforms with big impacts, boosting domestic revenue mobilisation to finance the Sustainable Development Goals.
Case study
Containing the West African Ebola outbreak
The 2014–2016 West African Ebola crisis was contained by combining biomedical interventions with social science intelligence, an approach that may hold the key to managing the current COVID-19 pandemic and future outbreaks.
Case study
Violence against women
UK research has been central to revealing the alarming extent of violence against women and is now firmly embedded in international efforts to combat it.