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Our research

High-quality research is critical to help us deliver our strategy and programmes in the countries where we work.

Sightsavers conducts research in eye health, neglected tropical diseases, education and social inclusion.

The main aim of our research is to generate evidence that our programme teams can use to continue improving lives in Africa and Asia.

Our in-house research team is comprised of more than 30 people based around the world, with skills ranging from epidemiology and economics to community-based participatory research. Our research activities also involve many more people across the organisation.

Collaboration with a broad range of research partners and funders is key to developing research capacity both within Sightsavers and among our partners, and we continue to strive to extend our networks in the countries where we work.

In 2017, Sightsavers was awarded Independent Research Organisation (IRO) status, making us one of the only international non-governmental organisations to hold this status in the UK.

Watch the video below to find out what makes our research unique.

Kareen Atekem is shown in a yellow Sightsavers top standing outside next to a Sightsavers vehicle.

Our research centre

Our research website showcases Sightsavers’ research studies along with peer-reviewed journal articles and evidence gap maps.

Our research website

Why we conduct research

Generate evidence

We conduct high quality research to address global gaps in knowledge and improve how we operate.

Inform programmes

We feed evidence back into our programme design, to make sure they help people in the best possible way.

Build partnerships

Our research helps us to build effective partnerships so we can generate and use evidence effectively.

Share our findings

Finally, we make sure our research findings are shared effectively, both within and outside the organisation.

Explore our research studies and publications

Visit the research website

Our latest research news

Sightsavers researcher Martins smiles as he stands in the middle of a road. He's wearing a Sightsavers t-shirt that reads 'Protect. Defend. Promote. Disability rights.'

Sightsavers researcher awarded prestigious fellowship

The Injaz fellowship will support Martins Imhansoloeva's research and PhD project on river blindness, a common infectious cause of sight loss.

September 2024
A lab scientist in Nigeria examines samples under a microscope.
Sightsavers blog

How our research could help more than 50 million women

Sightsavers researchers are working to understand how we can care for women with female genital schistosomiasis, a devastating disease that affects millions of women in Africa.

Omosefe Osinoiki, June 2024
Health worker Adesugba checks some medication in the clinic. She's surrounded by charts on the walls and paperwork on the tables.

Sightsavers and RSTMH extend research partnership

The organisations will publish two further collections of research papers in the journal International Health, focusing on river blindness and general research work.

May 2024