The Health Funders Forum (HFF) is a UKCDR standing group, first convened in 2007 which brings together major UK funders of global health research. It provides members with an overview of UK-funded global health research activity, including current or future priority areas, to support coherence of UK funded global health research.

What are our aims?

  • Sharing information, learning and best practices and staying up to date with current and future research activities, gaps and priorities in the UK global health research landscape
  • Increasing strategic overview among the members of challenges, activities and trends across the global health landscape.
  • Providing a channel of communication between members and the Strategic Coherence of ODA funded Research (SCOR) Board.
  • Identifying opportunities for joint working, alignment and collaboration, where approaches are different but complementary.

Who are our members?

Members are major UK government research funders including:

  • Department for International Development (DFID)
  • Department of Health & Social Care (DHSC)
  • Wellcome
  • UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) including:
    • Medical Research Council (MRC)
    • Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
    • Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
    • Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
  • The Academy of Medical Sciences (AMS)

When do we meet?

The HFF meets three times a year; in March, June and October.

What have we done?

The Health Funders Forum has supported the development of joint UK funder initiatives such as the Joint Health Systems Research Initiative  and the Maternal and neonatal health research scheme. Additionally, members of the Health Funders forum have several jointly funded research initiatives.