Strengthening knowledge ecosystems for safe and inclusive development in fragile contexts

Estimates predict that by 2030, 80% of the world’s poor will be living in fragile contexts (OECD, 2018). Funders are increasingly expanding investment to these insecure environments to respond to this trend. Given the challenges of carrying out research in such settings, where high levels of risk are combined with limited capacity of states, systems, and communities to respond, there is a tendency for research to be disconnected from contextual realities. This results in top-down approaches that are often driven from the Global North by funders and other external actors less attuned to social, economic, and political dynamics on the ground.

The opportunities for research to inform policy for safe and inclusive development in these contexts depends upon the ability of researchers to carry out robust, contextually-grounded, and high-quality research. This project seeks to identify good practices for supporting research and researchers in contexts of political fragility. It responds to the need by assessing mechanisms and modalities for supporting localized research agendas, processes, and networks in a way that builds the resilience of local actors and works to build, over the long-term, strong national systems for research and innovation. The project adopts an ecosystem approach, considering all actors and systems involved in the research-to-policy process.