The Office of the Third Sector, the Scottish Executive, the Economic and Social Research Council and the Carnegie UK Trust, are calling for the gap in research to be plugged by the establishment of a Centre for Charitable Giving and Philanthropy.

The new centre, which will see a joint investment of £2.2 million over five years, is aimed at supporting high quality independent research to influence policy and practice decisions in the UK, as well as developing an evidence base to better understand charitable giving. It is likely to focus on contextual issues around why people are motivated to give, an area that has previously lacked research.

Professor Ian Diamond, chief executive of the ESRC, said: “This exciting new centre will build on the ESRC’s long tradition of providing high quality independent research which meets the needs of a wide range of stakeholders, allowing us to engage nationally and internationally in order to inform on and develop the charitable giving and philanthropic issues that really matter.”

The call came as key commissioning representatives announced the intention to set up a non-profit professional institute called the Institute of Commissioning Professionals. Acevo chief executive Stephen Bubb said the institute would prove a useful forum for third sector members to speak directly to commissioners.

Meanwhile the charity communications institute CharityComms is to launch in the autumn. Led by NfpSynergy founder Joe Saxton, it aims to promote best practice in communications.