From ICT4D Wiki
IDS was founded in 1966 as an independent research institute based at the University of Sussex. IDS has close links with the University, but is financially and constitutionally independent. [...]
The institute receives no core funding from the British government but comes from a combination of research grants and fees from advisory work, teaching, and publication sales. The UK Department for International Development (DFID) is the Institute's largest funder. IDS also receives funds from the European Union, various UN agencies, and a wide range of aid agencies, trusts and foundations.