Here are some of our stories showing how we work with partners to transform approaches to progressive social, political and economic change.
Our work is helping change awareness, strengthen capacity of individuals and organisations, influence policy and practice and build stronger research networks.
Ensuring everyone in the world has access to decent healthcare is the concept behind universal health coverage. This ambition is part of the Global Goals, but has been on international agendas since 1978, when the Alma-Ata Declaration identified primary healthcare as key to attaining health for...
9 July 2019
China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is the world’s largest infrastructure plan with the potential to accelerate progress towards global sustainability. Whether it can live up to this promise is the subject of intense, often polarised debate. Some point to the BRI’s alignment to the...
9 July 2019
‘Smart cities’ use new technologies to meet their most pressing urban challenges and become more sustainable. IDS researchers have been investigating how inclusive these solutions really are, with a focus on a large-scale smart cities initiative in India. The Indian government’s...
9 July 2019
With more than half of Africa’s workers employed in agriculture, the sector offers a valuable pathway out of poverty for the continent. Agriculture has long been central to IDS’ work, particularly on reducing inequalities, through evidence-based research, policy dialogue, networking and...
4 July 2019
For more than 40 years, IDS has been forging its well-earned reputation for progressive gender research, knowledge sharing and teaching. That work continues apace today with IDS programmes and researchers continuing to deepen understanding of how to strengthen women’s political and economic...
4 July 2019
Amid international responses to conflict, disease or disaster, there is a growing call to pay more heed to local perspectives. Whether this means considering local customs including burial practices during an epidemic such as Ebola or the wellbeing of refugees, the underlying concept is that...
21 June 2019
The STEPS Centre, co-hosted by IDS and the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) at the University of Sussex, has been awarded another four years of ‘transition funding’ in recognition of the value and impact of its work in helping to shape climate and sustainability policy processes. Read...
1 August 2018
Antimicrobial resistance and universal health coverage both dominate global health debates but far too little attention is paid to the links between them. IDS’ Health and Nutrition cluster is making influential contributions to integrate the two agendas, globally and regionally, through...
1 August 2018
IDS is committed to putting research evidence at the heart of efforts to influence policy and practice. In 2017, this commitment could be seen in IDS’ active membership of the Global Coalition to End Child Poverty and in the impacts that followed. Read Annual Review Through partnership...
1 August 2018
In July 2017, for the sixth consecutive year, we ran our Transform Nutrition: Ideas, Policies and Outcomes short course. Over the past year, the course and the growing global network around it have helped to build participants’ capacity and ability to influence change. Read Annual...
1 August 2018
IDS leads the consortium implementing the Knowledge for Development (K4D) programme, which provides a rapid response research synthesis helpdesk service, as well as learning support (through activities and products) for several hundred professional advisers at DFID. Read Annual...
1 August 2018
IDS has produced vital new evidence to show how land property rights could be an effective policy tool in the fight against illicit crop production in Colombia, one of the world’s largest producers of coca. Read Annual Review The evidence has implications for policy in developing...
1 August 2018