| Term | Definition |
| Adaptive Management | A structured, iterative process of decision-making in project or partnership management that uses ongoing monitoring and evaluation data to adjust strategies, improve effectiveness, and respond to emerging challenges or opportunities. |
| ATPS | African Technology Policy Studies Network: a regional body providing policy research, training, and capacity building to strengthen innovation ecosystems in Africa. |
| Baseline Assessment | The collection of data and information before a project starts, used as a reference point to measure changes and assess project impact. |
| Bilateral Donor | A government agency or entity that provides financial or technical assistance directly from one country to another (e.g., USAID, GIZ, DFID). |
| Capacity Building | Activities aimed at strengthening the skills, competencies, and abilities of individuals, institutions, or systems to improve performance and achieve sustainable development outcomes. |
| Civil Society Organization (CSO) | Non-governmental, non-profit entities that represent the interests of citizens, advocate for rights, and deliver services to communities. |
| Commercialization Pathway | The route by which research outputs are transformed into marketable products, services, or processes, such as licensing, joint ventures, or spin-offs. |
| Conflict of Interest | A situation in which personal, institutional, or financial interests could compromise, or appear to compromise, the objectivity and integrity of decision-making. |
| Directly Allocated Costs | Costs that are shared across multiple projects but can be specifically assigned to a particular project in proportion to the benefit received. |
| Directly Incurred Costs | Project-specific costs that are clearly and directly attributable to the project, such as personnel salaries, equipment purchases, or travel. |
| Equity (in Licensing) | Shares or ownership interest given to a licensor in exchange for rights to use intellectual property, often used in start-up or spin-off contexts. |
| Equity-Based Compensation | A licensing or commercialization arrangement in which the licensor receives ownership interest (shares) in a company instead of, or in addition to, cash payments. This allows the licensor to participate in the company’s growth and governance but carries the risk of loss if the company fails. |
| Field-of-Use Restriction | A contractual provision in a licensing agreement that limits the application of a technology to specific sectors, markets, or purposes. |
| Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) | Policies, strategies, and actions aimed at ensuring that both women and marginalized groups have equitable access to opportunities, resources, and decision-making. |
| Impact Pathways | The planned routes through which research activities are expected to lead to outputs, outcomes, and long-term societal impacts. |
| Indirect Costs | Overheads or administrative expenses that support the project indirectly, such as utilities, HR services, or institutional governance. |
| Intellectual Property (IP) | Creations of the mind that are legally protected, including inventions, literary and artistic works, designs, symbols, names, and images. |
| Joint Venture (JV) | A business arrangement in which two or more parties pool resources for a specific project or enterprise, sharing risks, responsibilities, and benefits. |
| Lump Sum Royalty | A one-time payment made for the right to use intellectual property, regardless of future sales or revenue. |
| Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) | A non-binding agreement that outlines the intentions, roles, and responsibilities of parties entering into a collaboration. |
| Milestone Payment | A staged payment in a licensing agreement, triggered when specific predefined project or commercialization targets are achieved. |
| Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) | A systematic approach for tracking project performance, assessing results, and integrating lessons learned into future planning. |
| Non-Exclusive License | A license that allows multiple parties to use the same intellectual property under agreed terms, enabling wider dissemination. |
| Public-Private Partnership (PPP) | A formal collaboration between public institutions, private sector actors, and often civil society, where risks, resources, and rewards are shared to deliver public value. |
| Quadruple Helix Model | An innovation model involving collaboration between four sectors: government, academia, industry, and civil society. |
| Royalty | A payment made to the owner of intellectual property for the right to use it, typically based on sales revenue or production volume. |
| Sublicensing | The granting of rights by a licensee to another party to use the licensed intellectual property, usually under terms approved by the original licensor. |
| Sustainability Plan | A strategy outlining how project benefits, impacts, and operations will continue beyond the funding period. |
| Theory of Change (ToC) | A visual and narrative description of how a project’s activities are expected to lead to outputs, outcomes, and ultimate impact. |
| Unconscious Bias | Attitudes or stereotypes that influence decision-making and actions without conscious awareness, often resulting in unintentional discrimination. In research funding contexts, unconscious bias can affect peer review, hiring, and leadership opportunities, thereby impacting diversity and inclusion. |