The International Conference on Research for Development (ICRD) 2017 is the fourth in the conference series. Its umbrella theme this year is “Evidence. Engagement. Policies”. A hallmark of the ICRD series is the space it provides for international research collaborations with a strong representation of partners from countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

The ICRD series was originally launched in 2004 by the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) North-South; the ICRD 2017 builds on the achievements of these earlier conferences and on the r4d programme – a unique partnership to tackle global challenges.

The conference offers a platform for researchers, policymakers, civil society, and others to come together and engage in creative dialogue and concerted action. ICRD 2017 will focus on research for sustainable development, in particular on improving our understanding of how evidence can support policies for transformation in countries of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. This includes considering how the scientific community responds to knowledge needs, how decision-makers involve researchers, how evidence-based policymaking can be realized, and how alternative, non-linear science–policy–practice interactions might look. We encourage creative, interdisciplinary, and interactive contributions offering visionary, transformative pathways to sustainable development worldwide.

ICRD 2017 has the following specific goals:

• To stimulate scientific debate on current research topics of global sustainable development;
• To establish and intensify dialogue between science, policy, and practice for enhancing research for development and promotion of more evidence-based development cooperation;
• To strengthen networks of transnational, inter- and transdisciplinary research partnerships for global sustainable development;
• To provide space for efforts to begin synthesizing the five thematic areas of the r4d programme (social conflicts, employment, food security, ecosystems, and public health), which reflect the priority areas of Swiss international development cooperation.