Five keys to improving research costing and pricing in low- and middle-income countries

The Five Keys offer research institutions and funders pointers and guidance on the processes involved in calculating, managing and recovering research costs. It is particularly useful for:

• Institutional leaders, including chief executive officers and other executives, deputy vice-chancellors for research.
• Program directors and program officers, including research directors and funder program leaders.
• Research managers, including grants managers, finance managers/officers, project accountants, project coordinators, learning and development managers/officers.
• Researchers, including principal investigators, mid-career and emerging researchers.

Five keys to improving research costing and pricing in low- and middle-income countries.

Key 1
Improving relations between funders and research institutions

Narrowing the gaps in understanding between institutions and funders, and promoting relationships based on shared interests.

Key 2
Defining terms and clarifying values
Defining the key concepts and values in research costing and pricing and clarifying those that can cause confusion in grants or contracts.

Key 3
Enabling transparent research costing and pricing
Affirming the importance of transparency, as well as institutional policy and support in enabling research costing and pricing.

Key 4
Optimizing the recovery of indirect costs
Exploring cost categories and securing support for the recovery and distribution of indirect costs from funders and research institutions to support sustainability.

Key 5
Strengthening capacities for grant management
Highlighting the importance of skills and capacity at individual and institutional level and how these can be supported by institutions and funders.

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