Mapping ODA research and innovation (MODARI)

Map of ODA research and innovation projects

Data last updated: 16th Aug 2024

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Download the underlying dataset here.

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Data caveats

For FCDO projects, due to currently limited availability of partner project data, both funder and partner data have been included to avoid information gaps where possible. As such, care may be needed to avoid double counting these activities if both the funder and delivery partner are included in analyses. The ‘Project Title’ and ‘Funder Programme Name’ columns allow the user to see which projects are funded under the same programme where known.

Many external partners receive funding from multiple organisations for their projects, some of which may be non-UK ODA. This should be considered when totaling UK ODA investment across projects. Projects labelled as belonging to the funds “FCDO Research – Partnerships” and “Global Health Research – Partnerships” are more likely to include non-UK ODA.

Missing data

Some data on beneficiary countries and names/countries of partner organisations is missing as this is not always available in public data. As of the August 2024 update, there is less missing data, and work to increase coverage across UK government funders and delivery partners will continue.

Who is this designed for?

This is a public resource designed for a wide range of stakeholders:

Country-based development staff – to find projects with a focus on your country or involving local partners

ODA data analysts in government – to see their organisation’s R&I portfolio mapped in a single place and download data

Research institutions – to look for existing projects on a thematic area to inform your organisation’s research planning

Archived datasets

Download January 2024 MODARI data here

Download July 2023 MODARI data here

Download December 2021 MODARI data here

Themes

Projects have been categorised into the following key research themes:

Agricultural advancements: research and development projects focusing on improving agricultural practices, enhancing crop yields, sustainable farming methods, and technological innovations in the agricultural sector

Climate change: focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, developing policies and strategies to combat climate change, and enhancing carbon sequestration methods

Education: projects focusing on educational research, access to quality education, and innovations in the education sector

Energy: initiatives aimed at advancing renewable energy sources, improving energy efficiency, and exploring innovative technologies for clean and sustainable energy production

Environmental sustainability: projects promoting environmental sustainability, biodiversity conservation, sustainable resource management, and solutions to mitigate the impact of environmental challenges

Governance and policy: projects related to improving governance structures, policy development, and capacity-building for effective public administration

Health: projects dedicated to medical advancements, public health research, disease prevention, and the development of healthcare technologies to improve overall health outcomes

Humanitarian assistance: research and development efforts focused on providing aid and support to communities affected by disasters, conflicts, or emergencies

Infrastructure development: initiatives aimed at improving and expanding critical infrastructure, including transportation, water supply, and technology networks

Social equity and protection: projects addressing gender disparities, promoting women’s rights, enhancing social welfare, poverty alleviation, and developing safety nets to protect vulnerable populations

Violence and conflict mitigation: initiatives focused on understanding, preventing, and mitigating violence and conflict, ranging from conflict resolution strategies to promoting peace-building efforts

Mapping ODA Research and Innovation (MODARI) Interactive Map – Database and User Guide

Using the MODARI dashboard

The dashboard in the ‘Data Tool’ tab consists of a world map (number of ODA-funded Research & Innovation projects for each country), a tree map (showing number of ODA R&I projects for each key research theme) and a project table (with details of the ODA R&I projects).

The project table is filtered by clicking the country/theme on the maps, or selecting from filters on the right-hand side of the dashboard. The keyword search bar underneath the filters can be used to look for keywords in the project abstract and used in conjunction with the themes. A country or theme can be unselected if clicked again on either of the maps. When more than one country or a region is selected, the project table may include several rows of the same project if that project benefits or is located in the selected countries/regions. These can be identified using the project title or id column in the project table.

By default on the Country filter, ‘United Kingdom’ is unselected to allow for greater definition in colour between other countries on the world map. The status filter project status is set to show Active projects only by default, although these filters can be cleared to show the whole dataset. The project table can be downloaded, after clicking somewhere on the table to select it, using the Download button in the Tableau toolbar. If the full data in the project table is not showing in the data download, then its likely due to the project table not being selected before downloading.

How to interact with the MODARI data

Using the Tableau dashboard (click country on world map or theme on tree map below, or apply filters), download data from within the Tableau window – designed for users who only want data on certain countries/themes.
Download the full underlying dataset (click here) – designed for users who want to use and manipulate the full dataset for their own analyses.

We have recorded a demo video demonstrating how users should navigate the dashboard, which is shown below.

In addition to the demo video, we have produced a written guide with instructions and visual tips on how to pull out data at different levels: Tableau R&I project map user guide

What is MODARI?

UKCDR is leading a project working to improve the availability and consistency of data on ODA-funded research and innovation across UK government funders and implementing partners. There has been a long-standing need for more joined up information on research and innovation activities funded by UK Official Development Assistance (ODA). In 2021, UKCDR worked across UK government funders and their delivery partners to improve the availability and consistency of data on funded projects. This work has continued in 2024.

MODARI has three specific areas of focus:

ODA funding calls (browse the UK ODA Funding Overview here for signposting to funders’ websites, and the Funding Calls page here to find a selection of specific funding opportunities)
ODA–funded projects (click on the Data Tool tab to explore the dashboard of UK ODA R&I activities)
Results of ODA-funded projects (work commencing in 2024)

Support for MODARI

Statement from Professor Charlotte Watts (Chief Scientific Advisor and Director for Research and Evidence at the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, FCDO):

‘By giving us a much better picture of the ODA R&D landscape across UK funders, MODARI is proving to be a valuable information tool for colleagues based in the UK, in our overseas network, and our partners in ODA-eligible countries. MODARI should be viewed as a priority, and I am keen to see how the platform evolves. Huge thanks to the MODARI team.’

Improvements made with the Aug ’24 update

1. Adding regions to the dashboard: Countries have been mapped to 14 regions following those used by the FCDO’s international network. Regions can be combined and specific countries can be excluded. Countries within each region can be viewed using the Country filter once a region has been selected.

2. Adding key research themes to the dashboard: A large language model has been used to read project titles and abstracts and assign a probability score against 11 overarching research themes (themes and definitions found in the Theme drop down below). The theme displayed for each project in the dashboard is the one with the highest classification score. This is a preliminary output and gradual improvements will be made over time. If you have any suggested improvements or comments, or would like to know more, please complete the MODARI feedback form in the dashboard, or alternatively email the MODARI mail box (modari@ukcdr.org.uk).

Why are we working on this?

UKCDR has delivered several analyses on ODA-funded research and innovation, for example, UK ODA and Wellcome-funded research capacity strengthening in LMICs. We understand the challenges and opportunities associated with cross-funder datasets perhaps better than any other organisation. We strongly believe that timely, reliable data are key for a coherent, impactful approach to funding development research.

ODA-funded projects

To ensure that data can be collated across organisations and made accessible to a wide range of stakeholders, we have built on funders’ existing IT systems and ODA reporting processes. This has involved agreeing common information to collect and coordinating regular updates to a database of ODA projects. The data fields were chosen to balance range of potential portfolio analyses with data collection feasibility across organisations.

We are encouraging stakeholders to use this tool, as it makes it possible to view cross-government ODA portfolios in a single place, allowing for quicker country/thematic analyses and for use of this data in ODA planning. Iterative improvements to data coverage will continue and we welcome feedback on improvements to this page. Please email us at modari@ukcdr.org.uk if you have any suggestions.