UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

Impact evaluation of the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) programme (2024 to 2025)

We undertook an impact evaluation of the GCRF ARUA-UKRI partnership programme to understand how effectively the programme had met its original objectives to:

build significant capacity for science and research across African universities

provide opportunities for African research teams and GCRF grant holders to co-create new projects that build on current investments by ARUA and UKRI

build equitable collaborations to strengthen capacity for research, innovation and knowledge exchange in both the UK and Africa

The impact evaluation focused on the following evaluation questions:

what outcomes and achievements has the programme realised to date?

what will the likely sustainability and longer-term impacts of the programme be?

how did the design and delivery of the programme support or hinder its ability to deliver against its objectives?

The final evaluation report is available to download

Impact evaluation of the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) Growing Research Capability (GROW) programme (2023 to 2024)

We undertook an impact evaluation of the GCRF GROW programme to understand how effectively the programme had met its original objectives to:

grow research capacity around the globe

strengthen and broaden skills and expertise to address specific challenges of developing regions and countries

The impact evaluation focused on the following evaluation questions:

to what extent (and how) has the GROW programme met its original objectives?

what successes and early impacts have the GROW projects realised to date, and what will the likely legacy or long-term impacts, or both, of the GROW programme be?

what can we learn about capacity strengthening and how or if it works, within the context of GROW?

The final evaluation report is available to download

Review of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) support for knowledge-based festivals (2020)

We undertook a rapid review of UKRI’s support for knowledge-based festival activity. The study consisted of an analysis of festival documentation and evaluation reports, supplemented by telephone interviews with UKRI staff and external stakeholders with an interest in and knowledge of the festival sector.

Outcomes review of the Catalyst Seed Fund (2018)

The Catalyst Seed Fund provided flexible project funding to 10 UK universities to help them create a culture where public engagement with research was better embedded within their institutional policies procedures and practices. We undertook an outcomes review through an analysis of programme reporting and other documentation.