Dr Robert Terry is the Manager of Research Policy at the UNICEF/UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), where he overseas knowledge management, research priority setting, open access, data sharing and the translation of evidence into policy and practice.

A senior strategic and project manager with more than 35 years of experience, Robert has extensive expertise in strategy development and implementation across natural resources management, One Health approaches, and health research policy. He has worked in both low- and high-income countries with governmental, nongovernmental, philanthropic and United Nations organizations.

Robert began his career in agricultural research and development before moving to VSO and subsequently the Royal Society (the UK academy of science), where he managed the international research exchange programme. He later served as Senior Policy Advisor at the Wellcome Trust, leading the development of its first open access policy and contributing to the creation of Europe PubMed Central.

Since joining the World Health Organization in 2007, Robert has led the development and implementation of the WHO strategy on Research for Health. He was one of the lead authors of the 2013 WHO World Health Report– Research for Universal Health Coverage and developed the concept which led to the development of the WHO Global Health R&D Observatory and the WHO Target Product Profile Directory. He also led WHO working groups responsible for key policies, including:

•  A systematic approach for undertaking a research priority-setting exercise  
• Sharing and reuse of health-related data for research purposes: WHO policy and implementation guidance.

He has lived and worked in the Middle East and undertaken development consultancies in several African and Asian countries for Oxfam, Voluntary Service Overseas, United Nations Association International Service and UK Department For International Development. He has a PhD in Global Health Research Policy, an MPhil. in Plant Breeding (crop genetics) both from the University of Cambridge, and a BSc in Plant Science from the University of Sheffield.

LinkedIn:         https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-terry-8a1a421b/

ORCID iD:        https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3849-7705

Learn more about TDR's work where Rob is involved: 

Global engagement - Knowledge management