The Science for Development Center

Our Approach

Our mission is to drive sustainable development by placing science at the center of development. We conduct research on what works to improve scientific ecosystems in low- and middle-income countries, and translate research into practice through training, policy support and community building. We support the locally-driven, globally-connected, and evidence-based acceleration of science to solve challenges and drive growth and development.

The Challenge

Scientific progress is essential for addressing the world’s most pressing challenges and advancing prosperity and well-being. This is particularly true in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), where the burden of infectious diseases, food insecurity, and climate change is disproportionately high. Yet, in many LMICs, scientific investment, coordination, capacity, and ultimately the development of home-grown innovative solutions to pressing problems, remain insufficient. 

While science can drive sustainable development, and despite the demonstrated high return on investment in these contexts, funding fluctuations and systemic barriers prevent science from having a transformative impact. Scientists in LMICs face resource and institutional constraints, collaboration frictions, limited access to the latest data and technologies, and insufficient opportunities for training and knowledge exchange, all of which are critical for developing a vibrant ecosystem for solving complex problems. 

Compounding these issues is a gap in rigorous, data-driven insights on what works in fostering scientific progress in LMICs. Unlike in high-income countries, where research ecosystems are relatively well-resourced, science in developing contexts involves unique constraints and opportunities. Effective policies and programs cannot simply be replicated from wealthier nations—they must be designed with an understanding of local contexts, institutional structures, and needs. 

Addressing these challenges requires identifying and testing the best ways to support science that advances progress towards specific critical challenges in LMICs. We can improve how we identify talent, support scientific careers, structure science grantmaking, and translate ideas into impact in these contexts. This demands a new approach—one that generates and disseminates evidence while designing, coordinating, implementing, and scaling effective policies and programs. 

Can science for development be more impactful, efficient, and receive the attention it deserves on the global stage? We believe it can.

The Solution

The Science for Development Center (“Sci4Dev”) is committed to closing these gaps by leveraging and developing evidence, programs, and community to catalyze a more effective and sustainable science ecosystem in LMICs. Our work ensures evidence does not just sit on a shelf—it is translated into action through programs, policies, tools and action. Our approach is built on three pillars:

  1. Research and Dissemination – In collaboration with local stakeholders, we conduct and disseminate actionable metascience research on barriers facing LMIC science, the mechanisms that drive scientific progress in LMICs, the benefits of science for development, and approaches that can boost the impact of science. This evidence is shared widely in a range of accessible formats for researchers, policymakers, funders, and practitioners. 
  2. Training, Policy Design, and Technical Assistance – We translate ideas into impact in two ways: First, we provide short trainings and capacity building sessions so that decision makers gain practical knowledge on topics related to science and innovation capacity building. Second, we partner with governments, philanthropists, and universities to support the design and implementation of effective policies and programs. 
  3. Ecosystem Coordination and Learning – We bring together key stakeholders from around the world to build momentum and alignment for this issue, and support network building, coordinated decision making, and learning through events such as convenings, meetups and through the management of an online community space. 

Potential impact

We adopt the framework from effective altruism to assess the potential impact of strengthening scientific capacity in LMICs and to prioritize this issue based on three key criteria: importance, neglect, and tractability.

Is it important? More effective science translates into more lives saved, healthier children, more resilient communities, and more prosperous societies. When science demonstrably benefits society, it creates a virtuous cycle: success attracts investment, which leads to further societal benefits. In the context of shrinking donor budgets, investing in effective local scientific capacity maximizes impact, increases research relevance, and ultimately enables LMICs to become more self-reliant in addressing their own challenges. In a world with fluctuating federal support of research, we hope that this initiative both supports and creates sustainability in scientific capacity building and also serves as a model for sustainability under change. 

Is it neglected? Despite its significance, the role of scientific capacity building in development remains an overlooked policy and research priority. Donor funding for scientific capacity building has been sporadic, and most LMICs spend substantially less than one percent of GDP on R&D (a commonly used target endorsed by the African Union). Whilst LMIC scientific capacity and supporting initiatives independent from federal support are growing, Sci4Dev will harness that upward trajectory. 

Is it tractable? We believe the answer is yes. Many stakeholders are already engaged in addressing this challenge, and there is strong potential for a high return on investment in well-designed programs and policies. By combining rigorous, evidence-based design with stakeholder engagement, we can make meaningful improvements to how science for development is structured and implemented.