EfD aims to generate new and useful knowledge through rigorous, policy-relevant research in the fields of poverty, the environment, natural resources, and climate change.
The EfD Research Committee plays a central role in ensuring the scientific quality, policy relevance, and strategic coherence of research and policy engagement activities across the EfD network. The Committee provides independent and expert guidance on research planning, implementation, and evaluation.
Responsibilities
Beginning in 2025, the Research Committee will oversee a broad set of responsibilities aimed at strengthening the overall quality and impact of EfD's research endeavors. The committee’s main responsibilities include:
- Proposal Review and Funding Recommendations: Evaluate proposals submitted by Collaborative Programs under the Research and Policy Engagement component, recommend funding allocations, and provide feedback to enhance rigor, relevance, and potential for securing external funding.
- Ongoing Monitoring and Support:Assess progress on ongoing research activities, provide feedback on implementation and external funding strategies, and support capacity-building, including potential visits to centers in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Evaluation of Collaborative Programs: Each Collaborative Program will be required to submit a final report before the end of the first half of 2027, detailing achievements and the extent to which they fulfilled the objectives outlined in their Sida 2025-2027 plans. The Research Committee will review these reports and will make recommendations to the Executive Director of EfD regarding the continuation or discontinuation of each Collaborative Program.
Strategic Support Role
In addition to its evaluative and advisory functions, the Research Committee serves as a strategic partner to EfD. It contributes to the identification of high-level research priorities, supports the development of interdisciplinary and policy-relevant research themes, and provides guidance to ensure that EfD’s research agenda remains at the forefront of addressing global environmental and development challenges.
Through these complementary roles, the Research Committee ensures that EfD’s research portfolio is methodologically robust, policy-relevant, and strategically aligned with the network’s mission to promote inclusive and sustainable development.
The Research Committee also reviews the submissions for the Peter Berck's Best Discussion Paper Award.
The Research Committee is chaired by Professor Vic Adamowicz. Members are nominated by the EfD centers and appointed by the EfD Board. You can view the current members here.