Our research approach

Sightsavers’ research team is guided by our strategy and governance framework, which ensure our work is ethical and makes an impact.

Our research strategy

High-quality evidence and research play a key role in Sightsavers’ mission to protect sight and fight for disability rights.

Gathering and disseminating sound research evidence is the best way of ensuring our programmes are effective. But doing research and sharing findings, no matter how compelling they might be, is not enough to have a real impact on people’s lives.

Sightsavers’ research strategy sets out our objectives for strengthening the role of research evidence in our programmes and advocacy, as well as Sightsavers’ role in the global research agenda.

The strategy aims to closely integrate research and programmes at every stage – from generating research questions through to ensuring findings are used to inform decisions, and sharing our work externally.

Making research count

Our evidence uptake and learning team helps ensure that Sightsavers’ research makes a real difference in the world.

Read the Sightsavers blog

Key objectives in our strategy

Inform programmes

Keep up to date with existing evidence and ensure its effective use in our programmes and advocacy.

Generate evidence

Conduct high quality research to generate new evidence that can address global knowledge gaps.

Build partnerships

Build organisational capacity and effective partnerships to generate, understand and use research evidence.

Share findings

Ensure effective dissemination of research findings within and outside the organisation.

We’re experts in a range of research methods

Learn about us

Our research governance framework

Sightsavers’ research strategy is complemented by our research governance framework, which outlines the guiding principles and processes we apply to all our research. This covers study protocols and methods, the tools we use, internationally accepted principles and procedures, training and safeguards around participation, independence and inclusion.

Our research is also subject to wider organisational policies and standards as set out on the policies page on our main website.

Partnerships and collaboration

To increase our impact, all our research projects are conducted in partnership with universities and other research institutions, local and international non-governmental organisations, as well as government entities in the countries where we work. Our staff are an integral part of the research design and implementation, and are involved in all stages of the research process.

Contact us

If you’re interested in working with us, please email [email protected] 

Our partners

  • BRAC
  • CRFilMT
  • Chancellor College, Malawi
  • CSIR, Ghana
  • FAIR
  • Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta
  • FHI360
  • Fred Hollows Foundation
  • Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations
  • Humanity & Inclusion

  • Institute of Development Studies
  • International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (Benin)
  • Innovations for Poverty Action
  • KEMRI
  • Kenyatta University
  • Kilimanjaro Centre for Community Ophthalmology
  • Kyambogo University
  • LSHTM

  • LSTM
  • Lurio University of Mozambique
  • NMIMR
  • Osun State University
  • Oxford Policy Management
  • Pakistan Institute of Community Ophthalmology
  • Sense International
  • Sierra Leone Union on Disability Issues
  • The Carter Center

  • United Disabled Persons of Kenya
  • University College Cork
  • University of Dhaka
  • University of Greenwich
  • University of Jos
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • University of Washington 

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Explore our current and past research

Our studies and publications