Research – a prerequisite for sustainable development in every country

What

Research is essential for achieving all of the sustainable development goals: for better health, education and food security, tackling the climate and nature crisis, combating poverty and promoting democracy and equality. The research sector contributes to this through knowledge production and the development of innovative solutions to current and future (unknown) challenges. Furthermore, the sharing of knowledge and insights with different actors contributes to critical debate, better understanding of various phenomena and to knowledge-based policies and practices.

Research also has its own sustainable development goal (9.5), to enhance  scientific research in developing countries, including increasing the number of researchers per million inhabitants and increasing the spending on research and development. This is because research expertise and knowledge are crucial for countries to be in the driver’s seat for their own development.

Norad’s research support contributes to 1) strengthening research systems and research capacity in sub-Saharan Africa and 2) increasing African-led research of high quality.

Why

Sub-Saharan Africa has the lowest number of researchers per million inhabitants and the lowest number of scientific publications and patents compared to the rest of the world. The result is that African knowledge and perspectives have limited influence in African development processes and international knowledge production and science-policy processes.

It is a paradox that most of the research on Africa has been produced by researchers based in the global north rather than in Africa, and that African researchers collaborate significantly more with researchers from other continents than researchers from their own country or other African countries. A major reason for this is the low levels of national investment in research and, hence, dependence on external funding. External funding is often earmarked and project-based and dominated by the interests and priorities of Western researchers and donors. This contributes to undermining African-led research agendas and African-led research.

Furthermore, the African research sector is characterized by inequality and women are underrepresented – especially in senior and management positions. Another challenge is the increasingly restricted space for academic freedom.

How

To respond to these challenges, Norad prioritizes direct funding to African research institutions. In exceptional cases, funding may also be allocated to international institutions that run programmes that are aligned with the overall goals. Funding is allocated to national and regional research councils, research institutions and other key stakeholders in the African research ecosystem.

Norad supports institutions (systems, policies, practices, infrastructure, equipment and people) and funds calls for research in line with national and regional priorities. Several countries also contribute with co-funding. In this way, African countries are more likely to achieve their own research agenda and the undertaken research may become more relevant and more used by local actors. is The aim is also to increase national research mobilization to the sector, African-led research and intra-African and inter-African cooperation.

Furthermore, Norad works to ensure that African knowledge and perspectives are better represented in global research production and gain greater influence. This includes support to research publishing – with an emphasis on Diamond Open Access publishing, science-policy engagement, and conferences.

Norad has a particular focus on early career researchers and female researchers who gain access to research grants, mentorships, research schools, research networks, research funds and the opportunity to publish research. This is crucial to increase the quality, production, access, and visibility of African-led research and thereby also its use.

Norad’s support to research must be seen in line with Norad’s support to higher education, as these are mutually reinforcing.

Where/Who

Norad prioritizes the region with the greatest needs – hence, sub-Saharan Africa.

Norad’s research partners include 17 national research councils in sub-Saharan Africa that participate in the Science Granting Council Initiative (SGCI), a pan-African research council in the fields of social sciences and humanities (CODESRIA), the Tanzanian research council (COSTECH) – regarding a bilateral cooperation on climate research – and research institutes in the field of food security (icipe), global health (AHRI) and oceans (CORDIO). Norad will strengthen its efforts towards research publishing, academic freedom, early career researchers, gender equality and inclusion.  

Links

Research partners:

• Science Granting Council Initiative (SGCI)
• Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH)
• Council for the Development of Social Sciences (CODESRIA).
• Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI)
• International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe )
• Coastal Oceans Research and Development in the Indian Ocean (CORDIO) East Africa

News stories:

• We will strengthen research in the global south (khrono.no)
• Call for more African answers to African challenges (panoramanyheter.no)
• The soldier flies that are on guard for the climate (vg.no)

Contact details

For further information, please contact the higher education and research team at the Section for Education and Research (UTFORSK).