Research and analysis

Global Challenges Research Fund: value for money assessment

Findings from the value for money (VfM) assessment of the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF).

• From: Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
• Published: 16 May 2025

Documents

GCRF value for money assessment: executive summary

HTML

GCRF value for money assessment: full report

PDF, 1.66 MB, 152 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alt.formats@dsit.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Details

This study is part of the five-year evaluation of GCRF (2020 to 2025) that aims to assess whether GCRF’s realised outputs and achievements are in line with its expected outcomes. The report is the year 4 value for money (VfM) assessment of GCRF. A final VfM assessment will be published in year 5.

The study assesses the performance of 50 GCRF awards using an innovative, rubric-based instrument. This assessment rubric includes 3 components:

• characteristics of the award
• dimensions and subdimensions
• performance standards, rated on a five-point scale

This report was produced in 2024. The Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) has now closed. Since then, the government has taken the difficult decision to temporarily reduce Official Development Assistance (ODA) to the equivalent of 0.3% of GNI by 2027 to fund an increase in defence spending. The government remains committed to international development and to returning ODA to 0.7% of GNI when fiscal conditions allow.

Published 16 May 2025