Exploring mechanisms, challenges, and opportunities for more equitable research funding across the Global South
How can research funding mechanisms better support South-South collaborations, leadership and autonomy in addressing shared sustainability challenges?
The Belmont Forum’s discussion paper, “South-South Collaborations in Funding Research for Sustainability: Mechanisms, Challenges and Opportunities,” explores this question through the experiences of national public research funders and regional and global initiatives across the Global South, and with participation from partners in the Global North.
What is the paper about?
The paper examines how national institutional mandates, capacities, funding arrangements and collaboration structures shape the ability of countries in the Global South to participate in and lead multilateral research collaborations.
It identifies persistent challenges, including differences in institutional capacity and mandates, asymmetries in research priority-setting, and limitations in existing funding models, including continued reliance on triangular cooperation and donor-driven agendas
At the same time, the paper identifies opportunities to strengthen Southern leadership through:
- More flexible and adaptable funding mechanisms
- Greater alignment of national, regional and global priorities
- Sustained investment in human and institutional capacity
- Strategic use of existing regional and global research networks
Who contributed to the analysis?
The discussion paper draws on qualitative evidence from individual and group interviews with national public research funders and organisations supporting multilateral research collaborations regionally and globally.
It considers experiences from initiatives including e-ASIA JRP, SGCI, PILAR, FASRC, APN, BRICS, TWAS and the Belmont Forum, among others.
The paper was developed with the support of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC).
Why does it matter?
Strengthening South-South collaborations can help enable research funders in the Global South to shape research agendas, mobilise resources, build capacity and lead collaborative research addressing shared regional and global sustainability challenges.
The paper contributes to ongoing discussions on how research funding systems can move towards more equitable and sustainable models of international collaboration.
Read and download the full discussion paper
Published by the Belmont Forum on 30 August 2026.
Contact: Transdisciplinary Coordination Officer, fany.ramosquispe@belmontforum.org