The outcry about Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget cuts from research institutions, scientific societies, and concerned groups in the UK is heartening.1 All acknowledge the damage the cuts will do to progress and implementation of life-saving and health-promoting programmes. Many are concerned that the cuts will damage the UK’s reputation as a global funder and major contributor to science and human development, and that the cuts could strain collaborations between UK scientists and their colleagues in Development Assistance Committee (DAC) countries. From the perspective of partners in DAC countries, both are true.