Research impact

Over the last 60 years impact has been at the core of what we do and we’re proud that our research contributes to the development of policy and directly influences the strategies, practices and priorities of a range of public and private organisations.

We carry out interdisciplinary research and collaborate with partner organisations, experts and academics in the Global South. We’ve helped countries to redesign their social protection systems, improved supply chains for women farmers and assisted community groups to improve access to basic services and housing.

Our impact work takes many forms and we work with a wide variety of partners. Our researchers are supported by our Communications and Impact team, as well as colleagues from across The University of Manchester.

Women in a circle sat chatting outside in a village

Influencing policymakers and governments

ESID has worked with governments to enable them to use a research-based understanding of what drives the commitments of political elites and of governments' capacity to deliver development.
Reducing cardiovascular risk in Indonesia

Reducing cardiovascular risk in Indonesia

Gindo Tampubolon created SMARThealth which helped identify Indonesians at high cardiovascular risk. The programme is now available to 3 million residents in Malang.
Young woman carrying out interviews with a crowd of people

Transforming international NGOs

Nicola Banks is working with civil society organisations and funders to promote transformative approaches to development.
Smiling young woman with a sewing machine

Promoting corporate responsibility

Stephanie Barrientos' work enhancing the wellbeing of women workers has directly impacted the gender equality strategies of Nike, M&S and Mondelez/Cadbury.
Co-production with partners

Co-production with partners

Diana Mitlin has worked extensively with social movements and activist groups, helping to produce academic research which can provide useful knowledge for social movements.
Men stood on a tractor full of harvested crops

Proving the benefits of collective farming

Bina Agarwal’s research led an international organisation and several NGOs to introduce group farming in India and Nepal.
Shopworkers in a developing country

Redefining development

Rory Horner, David Hulme and colleagues have led new understandings of global development for the 21st century.
Highlighting the importance of farmer-led irrigation

Highlighting the importance of farmer-led irrigation

SAFI highlighted farmer-led irrigation and worked with governments to support smallholder irrigation.
Car on a city street

Taking action to improve gig work in the Global South

Richard Heeks is working to improve pay and conditions in the gig economy, particularly in the Global South.
Series of interconnecting nodes

Using digital datasets to identify positive deviants in development

DPPD project uses digital datasets to identify positive deviants.

Our research centres create networks across sectors and have fostered changes to approaches and policies. The centres bring together academic institutions, civil society groups, NGOs and governments to look at new ways of approaching development. 

Our researchers have made sustained contributions to the field of development studies. Over the past few years, we have hosted five major international conferences, provided two Development Studies Association Presidents and a European Association of Development Research Vice-President, as well as eight full journal editorships.

Many of our researchers have made hugely impacted development discourse. Uma Kothari’s research on race in development has formed an important cornerstone in the increasing discussions about decolonising development and new ways of undertaking development research and practice. Richard Heeks' has set out the case for a shift from ICT4D to digital development as ICTs become the platform that mediates development rather than just the tools to enable particular aspects of development.

Joseph Hanlon, Armando Barrientos and David Hulme's ‘Just Give Money to the Poor: The Development Revolution from the Global South' helped summarise the evidence of the benefits of cash transfers and alongside Armando Barrientos' research helped encourage greater use of social assistance programmes across the Global South. 

Our researchers continue to take on the most pressing issues and have responded to Covid-19 extensively examining the ongoing responses and impacts it is having across the world.