Institute for Social Development Studies in Vietnam

What Institute for Social Development Studies in Vietnam does

The Institute for Social Development Studies (ISDS) is a Hanoi-based, non-governmental, non-profit research institute founded on May 27, 2002 by the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA) under Decision 468/TC-LHH. Its mission centers on applied social-science research, advocacy, and capacity building in gender equality, sexuality and sexual health, HIV/AIDS, social inclusion of marginalized groups (people living with HIV, men who have sex with men, people with disabilities, migrants, and ethnic minorities), labor migration, and public health. ISDS serves a tripartite constituency: vulnerable Vietnamese populations as direct beneficiaries, government and National Assembly stakeholders as policy audiences, and civil society organizations and academia as partners in evidence generation and training.

ISDS's 'products' are research programs rather than commercial offerings, organized into four pillars: Gender and Sexuality Research, Social Inclusion Research and Advocacy, Law and Policy Research, and Health/Nutrition/Population Research. The technical backbone is social-science research methodology — quantitative surveys, qualitative inquiry, and intervention research — supported by a research output suite (reports, professional toolkits, academic publications) and delivered through an annual training institute (VNIGSS), a public Resource Center on Gender, Sexuality and Sexual Health, and broadcast partnerships with Vietnam National Television (VTV). The most technology-adjacent deliverable is Tele-SSM, a NAFOSTED-funded telephone-based depression self-management platform with custom case-management software deployed alongside the SPR-COVID project.

ISDS operates on a grant-funded non-profit model with no commercial pricing. Revenue streams consist entirely of grants and donations from international development organizations and bilateral/multilateral donors, including the World Bank (Japan Social Development Fund), the Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, NAFOSTED, USAID, PEPFAR, the Global Fund, the Canadian and Australian governments, UN Women, UNFPA, and Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung. The GTM motion is community-led, reaching beneficiaries through community-based interventions, capacity-building partnerships with civil society organizations, technical support to government policymakers, and earned media via national broadcast partnerships; no equity, debt, or commercial revenue mechanism is in place.

Name

Institute for Social Development Studies in Vietnam

Legal name

Institute for Social Development Studies (ISDS)

Website

https://isds.org.vn

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Institute for Social Development Studies (ISDS) is a Hanoi-based non-profit research institute conducting social-science research, advocacy, and capacity building on gender, sexuality, HIV, disability, migration, and public health for vulnerable populations and government stakeholders in Vietnam.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Development Research and Advocacy Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Global Health Research, Clinical Trials & Product Development Partnerships (PDPs) (HLAJAOAM)

Keywords

• Social development research
• Gender equality studies
• Public health research
• HIV/AIDS interventions
• Social inclusion advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Hanoi

HQ country

Vietnam

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant funding from international development organizations: ISDS operates as a non-profit NGO funded primarily through grants from international development organizations, bilateral donors, and foundations. Major funding sources include World Bank (Japan Social Development Fund - US$2.75 million), Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (VND 635,954,000), The Ford Foundation, NAFOSTED, and various UN agencies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ISDS is a non-governmental, non-profit research institute that conducts social science research, community-based interventions, policy advocacy, and capacity-building training in Vietnam. Its core offerings span gender and sexuality research, social inclusion programs for HIV-positive people and marginalized groups, law and policy research, and health/nutrition/population research, funded primarily through grants from international development organizations.

Product overview

The Institute for Social Development Studies (ISDS) is a non-profit, non-governmental research organization in Vietnam that operates as a portfolio of interconnected research, advocacy, and capacity-building programs rather than a single commercial product. Its core offerings include Gender and Sexuality Research, Social Inclusion Research (covering HIV, disability, and marginalized groups), Law and Policy Research, and Health/Nutrition/Population Research. Major program deliverables include the SPR-COVID Project (a US$2.75M World Bank grant), the Tele-SSM Depression Management System (telephone-based psychosocial intervention software), and the full suite of Publications (Reports, Professional Materials, and Academic Publications). ISDS also provides Capacity-Building Training Programs, maintains a Resource Center on Gender, Sexuality and Sexual Health, and produces Video Content and Public Communication materials. These offerings collectively advance ISDS's mission of promoting gender equality, social inclusion, and evidence-based policy in Vietnam.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gender and Sexuality Research Program
• Social Inclusion Research and Advocacy Program
• Law and Policy Research Program
• Health, Nutrition, and Population Research Program
• SPR-COVID Project
• Tele-SSM Depression Management System
• Reports and Research Publications
• Professional Materials and Training Toolkits
• Academic Publications
• Capacity-Building Training Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• 60% of adolescents unaware that staring and whistling constitutes sexual harassment; 60% experienced sexual harassment at least once
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• International Center for Research on Women (ICRW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on groundbreaking HIV-related stigma and discrimination research in 2002 and Horizons intervention research (2006) on reducing S&D in healthcare settings.
• University of Western Ontario (Canada)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint longitudinal research on transnational migration of Vietnamese females for work and marriage (2007-2009) funded by IDRC. Also jointly organized workshops on marriage migration.
• Columbia University Mailman School of Public HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in STAR project on reproductive and sexual health of PLHIV participating in ARV treatment in Hanoi. ISDS staff involved in training as part of this project.
• Harvard School of Public HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on research linking sexual violence and HIV vulnerability (2006-2009) through Program on Global Health and Human Rights.
• Vietnam National Television (VTV)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerProduced broadcasts on sexuality and sexual health issues repeatedly aired nationwide. Also collaborated on PLHIV rights promotion through roundtable discussions.
• TFCF (Taiwan Fund for Children and Families)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on sexual harassment research in youth at schools to develop comprehensive model for education and prevention skills.
• ActionAid VietnamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on research on link between sexual violence and HIV vulnerability and adolescent sexual harassment prevention.
• UN Women VietnamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Country Gender Equality Profile Viet Nam 2021 launch with Australian Embassy, ADB, and ILO.
• UNFPA VietnamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in reproductive and sexual health research of PLHIV (2009-2010) with support from PEPFAR.
• Plan International Ha NoicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on EMPoWR project for ethnic minority children and youth to use digital space for understanding and claiming their rights.
• Oxfam VietnamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as organizational partner for development work.
• ICRW (International Center for Research on Women)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitial collaborator on HIV-related stigma and discrimination research and Horizons program evaluation.
• VUSTA (Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization that established ISDS by Decision 468/TC-LHH on May 27, 2002. ISDS is registered under VUSTA.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Plan International Vietnam: International NGO focused on children's rights, gender equality, and youth empowerment in Vietnam — overlapping ISDS in adolescent and gender programming, including co-implementation on the EMPoWR ethnic-minority rights project.
• Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA): ISDS's parent umbrella organization, which also hosts and incubates dozens of other Vietnamese research-focused NGOs in social development, science policy, and public advocacy — the closest structural peer to ISDS's governance and funding setup.
• UN Women Vietnam: UN entity advancing gender equality and women's empowerment in Vietnam — direct collaborator with ISDS on the Country Gender Equality Profile 2021, and a peer in delivering evidence-based policy advocacy.
• Centre for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population (CCIHP): Vietnamese NGO conducting community-based research and advocacy on sexual and reproductive health, gender, and HIV — the same thematic focus areas as ISDS, serving overlapping populations of vulnerable women and sexual minorities through grant-funded programs.
• Oxfam Vietnam: International development organization working on gender justice, inequality, and social inclusion in Vietnam — competing for the same bilateral funding, serving overlapping marginalized populations, and a current ISDS partner.
• International Center for Research on Women (ICRW): Global research organization focused on gender, sexuality, HIV and women's empowerment — ISDS's earliest international research collaborator (since 2002) on HIV stigma, with overlapping methodology, funding base, and policy translation goals.
• Center for Research and Applications in Social Inclusion, Health and Gender Equality (CHANGE): Vietnamese non-profit applying social research and advocacy to advance gender equality, LGBTQ+ rights, and sexual health — closely overlapping with ISDS's gender, sexuality and social inclusion portfolio, and competing for the same bilateral donor funding.
• Institute for Studies of Society, Economy and Environment (iSEE): Vietnamese social science research institute producing policy-relevant research on social development, gender, and inclusion — directly comparable to ISDS in operating model, funding sources, and policy-influence ambitions.
• ActionAid Vietnam: International development NGO working on gender-based violence, women's rights, and social inclusion in Vietnam — directly comparable in target populations and programming, and an existing ISDS partner on HIV and sexual harassment research.

Others

• UNFPA Vietnam:

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/isdsvn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institute-for-social-development-studies-in-vietnam

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Institute for Social Development Studies in Vietnam