Research Commissioning Centre (RCC)
The RCC is a commissioning center for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), supporting the full lifecycle of research funding—from designing and running calls to contracting, grant management and impact tracking. Established as a five-year pilot, the RCC was created to support the FCDO’s Research and Evidence Directorate (RED) by enabling more efficient commissioning of mission-driven, equitable research. It is co-led by the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie) and the University of Birmingham, with support from a consortium of academic institutions in the UK and across low- and middle-income countries (L&MICs), working together to deliver high-quality research underpinned by best practice.
About the RCC
The RCC forms part of the Global Research and Technology Development (GRTD) initiative — FCDO’s platform for coordinating and showcasing its science, technology and innovation investments. With an emphasis on efficiency, equity, and impact, the RCC funds high-quality, policy-relevant research that addresses global challenges.
How we work
Through the RCC, we hope to:
- Ensure agile, equitable commissioning by providing accelerated access to FCDO funding and reducing bureaucracy. The RCC is guided by a robust engagement strategy and is informed by the best research commissioning practices.
- Commission and produce relevant, impactful research that is informed by UK government priorities, is responsive to global challenges and prioritizes the use and impact of research by ensuring continuous stakeholder engagement.
- Leverage global academic expertise to produce high-quality, transparent, reproducible and ethical research.
- Adopt a more collaborative and consultative approach by working closely with research teams in FCDO, with the RCC consortium of partners and a range of other organizations.
Funding opportunities from the RCC are updated on the GRTD website.
The RCC Consortium
Our consortium relies on and benefits from the experience and expertise of several research institutions and organizations globally. Our partners bring a range of capacities from across FCDO’s thematic areas of research. These include the American University in Beirut, The American University in Cairo, Birzeit University, BRAC Institute of Governance, BRAC Institute of Public Health, CAB International (CABI), Campbell Collaboration, Cochrane, Greenwich University, INASP, Institute of Development Studies, International Growth Centre at London School of Economics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Makerere University, School of Oriental & African Studies, Royal Veterinary College, United Nations Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, University of East Anglia, and University of Manchester.
3ie-led research programs under RCC
Understanding the impacts of El Niño and the Indian Ocean Dipole in the Indo-Pacific
As part of an RCC-commissioned project, 3ie led the development of a systematic review to examine the evidence on the effects of El Niño and the positive Indian Ocean Dipole on health, economics, conflict migration, food and security across low- and middle-income countries in the Indo-Pacific Region. More information on this program is available here.
Understanding evidence use in policymaking in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia
The Evidence-Informed Policymaking (EIPM) program explores how policymakers engage with evidence and identifies the factors that influence evidence uptake in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, with a central focus on policymaking for national economic growth. As part of this program, we are commissioning several studies and have developed a suite of resources.
Read more
Delivering research programs in fragile and conflict-affected settings (FCAS)
Throughout 2024-2025, the RCC completed several lines of work to support FCDO’s aim of delivering effective research programs in fragile and conflict-affected settings (FCAS).
Read the report | Read the brief
If you have questions regarding the RCC, please write to us at rcc@3ieimpact.org