Global Development Network (GDN)

The Global Development Network (GDN) is a public international organization that supports high quality, policy-oriented, social science research in developing and transition countries to promote better lives. It supports researchers with financial resources, global networking, as well as access to information, training, peer review and mentoring. GDN acts on the premise that better research leads to more informed policies and better, more inclusive development. Through its global platform, #GDN connects social science researchers with policymakers and development stakeholders across the world. Founded in 1999, GDN is currently headquartered in New Delhi.  An agreement establishing the Global Development Network was signed by representatives of Colombia, Egypt, India, Italy, Senegal and Sri Lanka.     Activities The Global Development Network has a three-pronged strategy which guides its programs around the world.     1. Strengthening research in low-capacity environments Because available funding for research capacity building tends to target the highest quality research outputs, too little effort is made to raise research capacity in weaker environments. GDN’s approach is to help local research institutions build their own capacity. GDN - Establishes two-to-three-year partnerships with institutions selected for the ambition, quality and feasibility of their research capacity building objectives - Provides research institutions with a package of services to implement their plans of action and monitor their results 2. High-quality, global, collaborative research Many developing country researchers lack opportunities and incentives to interact globally or engage in substantive, global collaborative work, because such opportunities and incentives require speci­fic efforts that are currently under-rated and under-funded. GDN uses its network and experience to promote research excellence through collaborative research across regions and disciplines. GDN supports - Global collaborative research projects on major sustainable development challenges through organizational help - North-South and South-South research connections - Capacity building, quality control and monitoring 3. Putting development research to better use A patent mismatch in developing countries between the potential demand for policy research and the actual supply of academic research results in poor research-policy interaction. GDN works on the process of using research by developing various products and approaches to connect researchers and other stakeholders: governments, private sector, civil society. GDN aims to - Develop instruments and approaches to mediate between the supply of, and demand for academic research - Open the design of research to influences from all development stakeholders in order to improve the match between the supply of research and demand for it - Develop high quality “research translation” products and provide training on them, including a high-quality blog on development