Dear OTT Community,
After speaking with think tanks and funders grappling with funding cuts and political pressures, it’s clear that tailored support is more crucial than ever. Through the Think Tank Leaders Advisory Programme, I’m working directly with organisations like Fundació Bofill on global education funding and UNDP Saudi Arabia on developing a new think tank on public diplomacy. If your organisation needs guidance on strategy, funding, or influence, get in touch.
Funders are facing big shifts, too. The African Education Research Funding Consortium (AERFC) is tackling how to strengthen domestic education research funding, and I recently joined a Jacobs Foundation convening in Marbach to discuss making evidence synthesis in education faster, more affordable, and locally driven. We’re also kicking off new projects, including an IMF-African Think Tanks Dialogue and a WHO initiative on health policy systems.
As we continue these efforts, we invite you to engage with our ongoing initiatives:
Share your insights in the State of the Sector Survey—help shape the 2025 report.
Join us in Johannesburg for the OTT Conference 2025—connect with think tank leaders and funders.
Apply now for the School for Thinktankers 2026—last few early-bird spots are open!
Curious about how think tanks can stay resilient in the face of rising authoritarianism? Read my latest article or listen to our OTT Talks series on how European think tanks are adapting to political shifts.
Until next month,
Enrique Mendizabal
OTT Founder & Director
Featured content
Reimagining the role of Northern research funders in a shifting global funding landscape by Joyjayanti Chatterjee
Funding freezes are disrupting research ecosystems. African think tanks, 60% reliant on international funding, are at risk. But this isn’t just a challenge—it’s an opportunity.
Scaling smart: Strategic approaches to delivering evidence-based solutions by Carol Beidacki, Danilo Castro, Dolores Arrieta
Instituto Veredas shares highlights from their Impact Plus Prize strategy consultation with Sociopúblico, awarded at the 2024 OTT Conference.
Podcast series: Think tanks in a changing Europe
Season 1 is a wrap!
Over the past decade, think tanks across Europe—especially in the South and East—have navigated shifting political landscapes, evolving funding models, and growing challenges to policy influence. In our Think Tanks in a Changing Europe podcast series, supported by Open Society Foundations, we sat down with leading experts to explore these transformations.
In this episode, we speak with Fabian Zuleeg, Chief Executive and Chief Economist at the European Policy Centre (EPC). With over 15 years at EPC, Fabian has closely observed and shaped the evolution of think tanks in Brussels and across Europe. He reflects on the pressures facing policy research today, the funding challenges that come with political shifts, and the strategic decisions required to ensure long-term influence. Tune in!
Be brave: Learning from the experience of think tank leaders by Enrique Mendizabal
Explore how think tanks in Europe are adapting to change—their strategies, trade-offs, and the personal impact on their leaders and teams.
Films, songs and animals: Making sense of context and organisation by Enrique Mendizabal
Think tank leaders share interesting anecdotes and film parallels to describe their countries and regions as experiencing significant political changes—including a move away from democracy in some cases.
OTT Consulting: Work with us
Supporting Funders
Webinar: Strengthening Domestic Funding for Education Research in Africa
On 18 March 2025, the African Education Research Funding Consortium (AERFC) hosted a dynamic discussion on boosting domestic funding for education research. Moderated by Samuel Mugacha (Imaginable Futures), the webinar featured insights from Dr Fatima Adam (Zenex Foundation), Dr Randa Grob-Zakhary (Education.org), Hon Dr Kilemi Mwiria (Education.org), and Dr Matthew Wallace (IDRC). Key takeaways included diversifying funding sources, strengthening local research ecosystems, aligning funding with national priorities, fostering collaboration, and using storytelling to drive policy change.
Find out more about the African Education Research Funding Consortium →
IMF Regional Dialogue with African Think Tanks
OTT Consulting is hosting the IMF Regional Dialogue with African think tanks on 16 June 2025. This event will bring together African think tank experts, senior IMF officials, and OTT experts to discuss key macroeconomic policy issues and explore how think tanks can help shape national and regional strategies. The Dialogue will strengthen relationships, surface shared priorities, and identify opportunities for collaboration. Participants will also continue discussions at the OTT Conference (17-19 June 2025). OTT is excited to partner with the IMF for the first time on this initiative.
Strengthening Impact in Global Health
OTT is working with the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research to develop a robust framework for measuring and communicating impact. By applying our expertise in monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL), we will help refine progress tracking across the Alliance’s 2024-2028 strategy—aligning impact measurement with strategic priorities, strengthening engagement with country needs, and expanding partnerships within the global health ecosystem.
Supporting Think Tanks
Help shape the 2025 think tank state of the sector
Think tank leaders—your insights matter!
How are shifting political dynamics, funding trends, and operational challenges shaping your work? The On Think Tanks State of the Sector Survey captures the realities of think tanks worldwide to inform better support, funding, and collaboration. Join a global conversation that drives real change—share your experiences and help shape the future of the sector.
Think tanks leaders advisory service
Thank you for your interest in our Advisory Programme! We’re supporting think tank leaders worldwide with tailored strategy, funding, and influence guidance.
NEW: Fundació Bofill – Advising on strategies to engage global education funders.
UNDP Saudi Arabia – Helping design a new think tank on public diplomacy.
If you’re a think tank leader looking for expert support, get in touch!
News & Events
OTT Conference 2025
Join think tank leaders, funders and policy experts from around the world in June 2025 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The 10th edition of the School for Thinktankers returns to Fundació Bofill in Barcelona in 2026.
Want to be part of this journey?
Several think tanks around the world are facing huge challenges as a consequence of the cuts in US government funding. Accountability Lab and Humentum’s Global Aid Freeze Tracker dives into the data on this impact.
Nouzha Chekrouni, Senior Fellow at the Policy Center for the New South (PCNS) from Morocco, Anton Rizki, CEO of the Centre for Indonesian Policy Studies (CIPS) from Indonesia, and Fernando Masi, founder and Senior Researcher of Centro de Análisis y Difusión de la Economía Paraguaya (CADEP) from Paraguay.
OTT Jobs board: New jobs for April 2025
- Associate Director and Fellow, Governance — R Street Institute
- Senior Director of Content and Interpretation — National Liberty Museum
- Senior Specialist, Business Development — Basel Institute on Governance
- Executive Director — The International Churchill Society
- Chief Research and Innovation Officer (CRIO) — Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC)
- Executive Director — Keystone Research Center
