Wars fought better: Building the evidence on promoting restraint by armed actors

Closed: improving operational and policy options for promoting restraint from violence by armed actors – both states and non-state armed groups.

Thank for your interest in the “Wars Fought Better” research project. This call for proposals has now closed and the proposal from the ‘Beyond Compliance’ consortium has been selected. There were many excellent proposals and FCDO is grateful for all the work that was put in. Feedback has been sent to all applicants.”

This opportunity closed on 27 October 2023.

Overview

This call for proposals is for an accountable grant agreement for not-for-profit organisations to deliver a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) funded research programme for up to 4 years (subject to approval beyond March 2026). The focus of the research must be Official Development Assistance (ODA) eligible countries. Funding will be up to £5 million.

This call is open from 18 September 2023 until 11:59pm British Summer Time (BST) on 27 October 2023.

You can submit questions until 11:59pm (BST) on 13 October.

We have responded to clarification questions received up to 17 October: Wars fought better: questions and answers (17 October 2023)

We will make a decision on the successful bidder in late October or early November.

What the fund will achieve

The objectives of this project are to:

  1. improve the understanding of what is most effective in promoting restraint by armed actors – states, non- state armed groups (NSAGs) and others
  2. ensure this understanding contributes to making the FCDO and others more effective in supporting efforts to prevent and reduce civilian harm caused by conflict, through change to operations and policy

The FCDO will accept proposals from academic and other not-for profit institutions that can demonstrate the required expertise and capacity to deliver. Proposals can be submitted by single entities, or by partnerships or consortia.

How to apply

Details of how to apply are in the call for proposals document:

Wars fought better: call for proposals

The closing date for proposals to be submitted is 11:59pm (BST) on 27 October 2023.

Background information on the funding

The 5 components of this research programme will be:

  1. review and then build the evidence base and theoretical frameworks on the factors that explain international humanitarian law (IHL) compliance and restraint in conflict by both states and NSAGs
  2. develop and analyse the complex causal pathways through which the actions of states and NSAGs committing violations of IHL feed through into creating civilian harm/humanitarian need
  3. provide real-time, on demand, advice to FCDO/UK government on policy options for encouraging IHL compliance and promoting restraint at the country level before and during on-going conflicts
  4. develop a historical data base of contexts where violations of IHL have been determined/credibly alleged and link this with data on humanitarian need
  5. actively disseminate and support uptake of all aspects of the research

Contact

warsfoughtbetterresearch@fcdo.gov.uk

Updates to this page

Published 14 September 2023
Last updated 28 November 2023 + show all updates
  1. Notice of successful bidder added.

  2. Updated responses to clarification questions received up to 17 October.

  3. The deadline for submission of bids for this funding call has been extended to 11:59pm (BST) on 27 October 2023.

  4. The question and answers document has been updated.

  5. Document answering clarification questions has been updated.

  6. We have updated the document responding to clarification questions. 28.09.23

  7. Link added to document responding to clarification question submitted up to 22 September 2023.

  8. The Call for Proposals document has been updated with a correction to the deadline for submitting questions. Questions should be submitted by 11:59pm BST on 13 October 2023

  9. First published.