Introduction to the G-FINDER project
The G-FINDER project is conducted by Policy Cures Research, a not-for-profit global health think tank based in Sydney, and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The project tracks annual investment into R&D for new products and technologies to address priority global health challenges. This includes funding for basic research and the development of new drugs, vaccines, diagnostics and other tools for global health priorities that disproportionately affect people in low- and middle-income countries, such as neglected diseases, emerging infectious diseases, and sexual & reproductive health issues. Appropriately targeted platform technologies (such as adjuvants, diagnostic platforms and delivery devices) and multi-disease vector control products are also included.
The basis of the G-FINDER project is an annual survey of the world's key public, private and philanthropic organisations involved in global health R&D. New invitees are continually identified through research conducted by Policy Cures Research, and validated by relevant sector experts. Although the primary focus is on funders, we also survey key research, intermediary and industry groups to allow us to better track funding flows. The G-FINDER survey is sent to more than 900 organisations in approximately 60 countries. If you would like to participate in the survey, please email us at g-finder@policycuresresearch.org.
Not all funding for biomedical R&D is included in the scope of the G-FINDER survey: some health issue/product type combinations — such as dengue vaccine funding, for example — are excluded on the basis that they are likely to be commercially motivated and/or tailored to high income countries' needs, while some combinations — such as basic research for HIV - are included only with restrictions. In-kind contributions are also excluded, due to the difficulty of accurately quantifying them and determining the share applicable to diseases or health issues within the scope of the G-FINDER survey. Finally, the G-FINDER project only captures funding that has already been disbursed to the recipient, and does not include any data on undisbursed funding commitments.
The data collected in the G-FINDER survey has been used to create this unique repository of investment data — the G-FINDER data portal — providing an unmatched resource for policy-makers, donors, researchers and industry. Our database allows users access to the long-term landscape of funding for R&D for global health priority areas, identifying where funding gaps exist and demonstrating how investments fit into the global picture. Additional information on how the data presented via the portal is collected and aggregated is available via our methodology page.
G-FINDER is recognised as the gold standard in tracking and reporting global funding for neglected disease R&D. The WHO Expert Panel's Global Strategy and Plan of Action on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property (GSPOA) includes a recommendation that Member States commit to providing information to G-FINDER, and G-FINDER has been included — as both a primary source and an indicator — in agenda items presented at the WHO Executive Board meeting and World Health Assembly. G-FINDER is the primary source of neglected disease R&D funding data for both the WHO Global Observatory on Health R&D and Donor Tracker, and helps support the work of many other groups in the broader global health community.