Strong and inclusive science, technology and innovation (STI) systems play a key role in addressing national and global problems. When functioning optimally, these systems count on strong partnerships and collaboration between national governments, the private sector, higher education and research institutions.
A strong STI system is becoming increasingly important in our technology-driven world. Globally, investments in scientific research and development (R&D) have tripled in the last 25 years — evidence of a significant shift toward a more R&D-driven global economy. Policymakers in many low- and middle-income countries continue to face challenges as they try to keep up. Brazil, Malaysia and Thailand are the only countries in the Global South to invest more than 1% of their GDP in research and development.
Funding from international sources can help fill the gap, but it’s not always in their interest to address national priorities and local challenges. Countries need strong, independent STI systems to ensure that national priorities and local challenges are met.
IDRC has been building an evidence base and best practices to transform STI systems in the Global South for more than a decade. The work IDRC supports focuses on strengthening the capacity of science and innovation systems, championing gender equality by supporting education environments that enable girls and women to become scientists and supporting innovations that meet society’s most complex problems.
National science granting councils and innovation agencies are key actors in funding and catalyzing inclusive research, development and innovation in low- and middle-income countries. These councils and agencies work directly with potential research beneficiaries and policymakers and are often best placed to guide and manage research through national landscapes. To decolonize the production of knowledge in the Global South and rebuild more inclusive societies through innovation, it is vitally important to ease resource and capacity constraints that hamper the ability of these organizations to shape, fund and manage research for inclusive development. Building closer links with the private sector and universities would enhance research uptake, ensuring the entire science, technology and innovation system is working in tandem.
Since 2015, the IDRC-supported Science Granting Council Initiative in Sub-Saharan Africa (SGCI) has been building capacity, increasing research funding and influencing policy across the region.
In partnership with the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and South Africa’s National Research Foundation, SGCI is now active in 17 countries across sub-Saharan Africa and is still growing.
A recent study by SGCI revealed the complexity of research funding flows in Africa, and sheds light on how Northern funding can drive research agendas that are less relevant to local needs, with a disproportionate investment in health research, for example. Empowering granting councils and innovation agencies today will strengthen their ability to respond to the unique demands they face and to handle new challenges in the future.
Beyond Africa, IDRC is supporting councils in Asia and across Latin America and the Caribbean, applying the same demand-driven approach to promote greater inclusivity in an increasingly globalized science system. In Latin America in particular, exploring policies and practices that enable the development and regulation of new innovations such as artificial intelligence has become a priority. Through networked approaches, innovation agencies in Latin America work collaboratively to ensure cutting-edge research is well-funded and connected to policy and private sector opportunities.
The Evidence for Innovation cohort of projects in Africa and Asia aims to show what supportive innovation systems may be capable of. These projects are building evidence on how innovation policies can drive positive outcomes for women working in small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as address the unique policy challenges associated with quick digital transformation. With each project working directly with a government agency or ministry, the cohort is directly supporting evidence-informed policymaking that targets the ecosystem where innovations are developed and eventually scaled.
IDRC has long recognized that a focus on promoting gender equality and inclusion is largely absent from science, technology and innovation agendas in low- and middle-income countries, as well as increasingly deprioritized by higher-income countries. IDRC supports a more inclusive approach to science, technology and innovation — one that not only integrates women as scientists and users of science, but that recognizes gender analysis as integral to high-quality research and innovation. Promoting women scientists through the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World’s (OWSD) Early Career Fellowship and direct calls for proposals from women scientists that run through national science granting councils can make systems more supportive for women and other marginalized voices.
Since 2020, IDRC has been funding more than 15 projects that examine the specific obstacles hindering gender equality in science fields among countries and institutions across Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. The projects’ findings point to important next steps to address the low retention rate and leadership opportunities for women working in science fields and disciplines. A recent IDRC report, Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges, suggests that solutions must go beyond providing more access to science opportunities. It says environments themselves must be more conducive to the retention of female students and workers.
In today's web of interconnected crises — spanning climate change, public health, economic instability and social inequalities —, the importance of science and its institutions is paramount. These challenges demand robust, evidence-based solutions from rigorous scientific research. Engaging diverse voices, particularly those generating vital knowledge, is crucial for tackling these complex issues. By fostering collaboration, investing in innovative research and translating findings into actionable policies, we can drive meaningful change and build resilient societies.