IDRC, partners pledge US$ 21 Million to bolster Think Tanks in South Asia
July 13, 2010 01:58 pm
“International donors continue to invest in policy research undertaken by Western institutions and sometimes forget that it is strong local think tanks that often generate the most effective policymaking in developing countries,” says David Malone, President of Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC).
Launched by IDRC, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2008, the Think Tank Initiative
is a step towards reversing this trend. It aims to support local think tanks to
produce high-quality research that will improve policies and, ultimately,
contribute to more equitable and prosperous societies. The US$21 million
investment in South Asia is matched by US$14 million in Latin America and
follows US$30 million in grants to 24 think tanks in East and
Think tanks in the developing world are in a unique position to effect change in their societies. They can strengthen public policy debates and promote more objective, evidence-based decision-making. However, most never receive predictable core funding, instead depending on short-term project grants and consultancy contracts. This Initiative provides think tanks with stable funding so that they can attract, retain and build local talent, develop an independent research program, and invest in outreach to ensure that research results are used in policy debates.
The Initiative received over 150 proposals from a wide range
of South Asian think tanks that focus on broad national, social, and economic
policy issues. Following a thorough and rigorous review process, 16
institutions were selected from five countries -
“Our current dependence on individual sponsored projects makes it difficult for our scholars to sustain their research interests over long periods of time. The scale and span of support being made available through the Think Tank initiative will give us an important opportunity to focus our research effort towards longer-term public policy concerns”, observed Suman Bery, Director-General of New Delhi’s National Council of Applied Economic Research. “The resources of the think tank initiative will also allow us to improve our networking and communications.”
The Initiative’s three initial funders have now been joined
by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the Netherlands
Directorate-General for International Cooperation (DGIS). This strengthened
partnership is a concrete move toward establishing and nurturing strong local
policy research institutions that ultimately help generate smart and effective
policymaking. “This is an exciting and innovative initiative. It will provide a
much needed support for evidence-based research and policy on global issues
such as economic growth, good governance and citizen empowerment, which will
help tackle poverty in South Asia and
The Initiative is envisioned as a long-term investment over at least 10 years. The five donors have committed a total of about US$110 million to the program.