October 2020
As the requirements for access to research funding increase, the competitiveness and compliance of research institutions must improve. Institutions must be able to create transparent and appropriate project budgets that include both direct and indirect costs. This allows them to assess the extent to which funds raised will cover their costs and decide how to address any shortfall. Without this, institutions risk underestimating the costs of their research, running projects at a loss and being unable to sustain their research work.
Research institutions and funding agencies have a shared interest in high-quality research outcomes that effectively address global challenges. For this reason, ESSENCE on Health Research, a funders initiative, has developed a booklet that aims to provide guidelines and good practices on improving research costing and pricing. This booklet, ‘Five Keys to improving research costing and pricing in low- and middle-income countries’, provides an opportunity for funders and research institutions to share their challenges and good practices related to research costing and pricing. The booklet addresses funder–institution relationships, clarifies the terminology related to research costing and pricing and offers guidance on the development and implementation of research costing and pricing policy as well as on enhancing the support for research, specifically the grants management function. Read more about ESSENCE on Health Research and access the good practice booklet English, French and Spanish at https://www.who.int/tdr/publications/year/2020/five_keys_2020/en/.
SARIMA is currently collaboration with ESSENCE to disseminate the good practice document and a series of webinars are planned in different low- and middle-income country regions for this purpose. The webinars will be arranged in partnership with research management association or networks in these regions.
Written by Karin Dyason, Project Manager, SARIMA
