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Research Organisations and Think Tanks

The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs cooperates with research institutions and think tanks in Denmark and in both priority as well as growth and transition countries. Firstly, the purpose of this cooperation is to build research capacity in developing countries, and secondly, to create new knowledge, which may help overcome development problems.
Denmark supports agricultural research as here where research is being carried out on rice at Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute in Vietnam.Photo: Jørgen Schytte

Development research is an important tool for Denmark in order to deliver first class development assistance and for developing countries to fight poverty and create development.

The Danish support to development research takes place through a number of modalities.

Through the so-called FFU projects (FFU = The Consultative Research Committee on Development Research) the Ministry of Foreign Affairs supports research projects which build upon a cooperation between Danish research institutions and research institutions in partner countries. FFU projects are collaborative research projects driven by Danish research institutions and research institutions in selected partner countries. Since 2017, it has been possible to apply for grants for research projects associated with Strategic Sector Cooperation arrangements in selected growth and transition countries. Calls for FFU research projects are announced by Danida Fellowship Centre. Project proposals are evaluated by the Consultative Research Committee on Development Research, which recommends selected projects for financing. FFU projects typically have a 5-year duration and a budget of up to 10 million DKK.

Through the Building Stronger Universities (BSU) programme the Ministry of Foreign Affairs supports the building of long-term and strategic partnerships between universities in Denmark and in research environments in selected countries. The programme strengthens universities in their capacity to perform high-quality research. The activities include support to development of research policies and strategies, Ph.D.-schools, development of research concepts, improved quality assurance of research, improvement of libraries and systematisation and upgrading of scientific publications. The partner universities in Phase 4 (2023-2028) of the programme are Gulu University in Uganda, State University of Zanzibar in Tanzania, and University of Hargeisa in Somaliland.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs supports research in food and agriculture, nutrition and health, fisheries, water, land and natural ecosystems by providing core support to the CGIAR research partnership (2023-2025). The objective of Danish support for CGIAR research is to encourage and enable a green food systems transformation in the context of climate change. Enhancing research through CGIAR is of considerable importance for generating new knowledge and seeking innovative solutions for sustainable food systems transformation in the Global South.

More information on FFU projects and the BSU programme can be found here: Danida Research Portal

Contact information

Cecilia Theresa Trischler Gregersen
Specialist Adviser
Evaluation, Learning and Quality
Tel. +45 33 92 04 13

[email protected]

 

 

Reports from recent minor studies

2017

Impacts and Costs of Forced Displacement

 

Denmark and the Responsibility to Protect - How to put Atrocity Prevention into Practice in Danish Foreign Policy

 

2016

Institutional Capacities for the Implementation of R2P in West Africa: ACase Study of Ghana
 

Reports on Development Policy Trends (5 reports)

Somalia and Afghan Diaspora Associations in Development and Relief Cooperation

 

The UN’s Habitat III Conference: Giving Cities a Voice in the New Urban Agenda

 

Urban Governance and Sustainable Development: Cities on the Agenda 

 

How to Achieve Global Goal 7: Sustainable Energy For All (Policy Brief)

The Promises and Pitfalls of Global Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives

 

 

Middle-income transitions and inequality: is there a link?

 

2015  

Coherence in Conflict: Bringing Humanitarian and Development Aid Streams Together 

 

Impact of Green Trade Liberalisation on Least Developed Countries

 

South-South Cooperation to Open the Capability Trap

 

Democratic Dialogue in 140 Characters

 
How LDC Could Conduct Industrial Policy by Investing in Quality Infrastructure: Policy Note
 

Use of Country Systems in Fragile States

Use of Country Systems in Fragile States - Case Studies

 

Somalia's Troubled Transition: Vision 2016 revisited 

 

Unstable Authoritarianism

 

Community Based Education in Afghanistan 

 

Study of Approaches to Danish-Arab dialogue 

 

2014

Reports on Evidence and Strategic Choices for the Green Growth Priority Area of Danida's Development Cooperation Strategy (2 reports):

Working Paper: Indicators of Sustainable Agriculture "A Scoping Analysis" 

 

Strategic Framework for Natural Resources, Energy and Climate Change 


Reports on New Tendencies in Development Policy (6 reports):

Economic Development and Trade 

 

Fragile Situations 

 

Multistakeholder Partnerships in Danish Development Policy 

 

New Partnerships 

Results 

 

Målrettede partnerskaber (Policy Brief in Danish) 
 

 

Synergies and Linkages 

 

Gender differences in firm’s access to credit in Sub-Saharan Africa 

 

UniBRAIN Agribusiness Innovation Incubator Consortia


Varieties of Democracy (2 reports):

V-Dem Analysis Tools short introduction 

 

Manual for V-Dem online tools

 

Local Administration Structures in Syria 

 

Hiding in Plain Sight 

 

Formalizing a Common Approach to Assessment of Multilateral Organisations 

 

Rule of Law and Development Cooperation (3 reports):

CSR and Extraterritorial Jurisdiction 

 

Denmark and the Responsibility to Protect 

 

The ICC and the Principle of Complementarities 

 

2013

Water Governance and Water Development (5 reports):

Transboundary Water Governance in a Shifting Development Context 

 

Climate Politics in the Lower Mekong Region 

 

Staying Afloat: River Basin Organisations in Transboundary Waters 

 

Building commitment to climate action in the Mekong and Zambezi River Basins

 

Pigs, Prawns and Power Houses: Politics in Water Resources Managemement 

 

 

An issue-focused Approach to the NTB Reduction: Ideas from the Experience of the EAC and SADC

 

Trends of Trade Flows of Countries in the EAC and SADC Regions and Perspectives for the Tripartite Free Trade Area 

 

How the Local Matters: Democratization in Libya, Pakistan, Yemen and Palestine 

 

European Union Development Cooperation in a Changing Global Context 

 

Linking Instruments in Development and Foreign Policy: Comprehensive Approaches in the EU 

 

The EU and Global Public Goods: Challenges and Opportunities 

 

L'Entrepreneuriat Jeune au Mali - Etudes de Cas: Bamako, Segou, Konogougou et Niono 

 

Land and Property Rights - Working Paper 

 

Land and Property Rights - Policy Brief 

 

How can Denmark strengthen Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in multilateral fora 

 

Getting to Rights in Africa 

 

Trade related Capacity Building in Tanzania 

 

Islamic Movements in the Middle East 2007-2008 

 

Towards a Post-2015 Development Framework

 

Employment Intensive Growth - Challenges and Prospects in Bolivia (in Spanish)

 

Global HIV/AIDS Initiatives Network

 

Islamic gender movements and gender equality - case studies from Jordan, Egypt and Morocco

 

2012

Enhancing Access to Electricity for Clean and Efficient Energy Services in Africa

 

Inclusive Growth Thinking in IDA 

 

Sanctioning Assad's Syria 

 

The Involving International Architecture for Development Cooperation 

 

Cooperating with China in Africa 

 

A Study of Migration and Development 

 

Addressing Climate Change and Conflict in Development Cooperation

  

Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights 

 

Using ICT to Promote Governance 

 

Green Growth in Practice

 

2011 

Rewiring Multilateralism (in Danish) 

 

The U.S. Emerging Powers and Transnational Threats Discussion Paper 

 

Leveraging Migration for Africa 

 

Revolution and the power of change 

 

The Changing Balance of Influence and U.S. Strategy 

 

The Global Green Growth Forum 

 

Lessons from the South-South Experience Trust Fund 

 

Climate change negotiations and their implications for international development cooperation 

 

The growth-jobs-poverty nexus: Understanding the binding constraints on the Ghanaian economy

 

2010 

Building more effective tax systems (in Danish) 
 

Multilateralism in Tension Responsibility, Responsiveness and Tolerance 
 

Multilateral policy-making From crisis management to the long game 

 

G20 Development Group Multiyear Action Plan 

 

The G20 and Development A New Era (updated) 

 

The World Bank: G20 and Global Development

 

Innovation and Technology Development Programme 

 

Towards the new international oriented Danish research programme 

 

Annex 5 Towards the new international orientated Danish research programme 

 

The G20 and Beyond 

 

Voice Reform in the World Bank