IFS eNews No. 11, February 2004
IFS eNews appears quarterly. Ad hoc newsbulletins (fellowship announcements etc) are also sent out to all IFS eNews subscribers. We hope that it is an effective way to inform you about recent developments. Your comments on the contents of IFS eNews are most welcome to info@ifs.se
Developing Science - Science for Development
In this issue
1. MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR
1.1 New Grants in the Pipeline
1.2 More Applications, More Grants
1.3 Precision Support
2. IFS GRANTEES
2.1 IFS Awards 2003
2.2 IFS Grantees Surviving and Thriving in Cameroon
2.3 Travel Grant Policy Revised
2.4 IFS Grantee on OPCW Board
3. PARTNERSHIPS & FUNDING
3.1 IFS-TWOWS Collaboration Confirmed
3.2 IFS-COMSTECH-INWRDAM Water Project
4. MEETINGS & WORKSHOPS
4.1 CIBIA IV - Food Engineering Congress
5. IFS SECRETARIAT
5.1 IFS Annual Meetings 2003
5.2 IFS Staff News
6. ANNOUNCEMENTS
6.1 NUSESA Service Providers
6.2 EcoSanRes - Training in Ecological Sanitation
6.3 ANCAP Workshop on DDT Against Malaria
6.4 IHDP-IAI Workshop on Globalisation & Food Systems
1. Message from the Director
1.1 NEW GRANTS IN THE PIPELINE
I am very happy to announce that we approved 119 new IFS Research Grants in the second session of 2003. The new IFS Grantees will be informed by e-mail and letter in early February. Their names and institutions will appear on the IFS website when contracts have been signed.
On behalf of the IFS Secretariat, I want to extend a warm thank you to the 460 individual IFS Advisers, and the 35 Members of the eight Scientific Advisory Committees (SACs), whose excellent input provided the professional underpinnings for the decisions about approval.
1.2 MORE APPLICATIONS, MORE GRANTS
As IFS already approved 119 grants during the first session of 2003, the total number of new grants for the year amounts to 238. This is a great leap upwards from the figures for 2002 and 2001 (187 grants/year).
The surge in the number of grants responds to the growing number of applications. IFS received over 1,300 applications for Research Grants in 2003. This is a significant increase compared to 2002 (893 applications) and 2001 (678 applications), which shows that our support programme is in high demand.
1.3 PRECISION SUPPORT
IFS' policy to put emphasis on supporting scientists in countries with vulnerable scientific infrastructure is now substantiated. As reported in IFS eNews No 9 (July 2003), our aim was to allocate at least 50% of our grants to scientists in Low Income Countries (LIC) and Lower Middle Income Countries (LMIC) by 2004. The result: In 2003, more than half of the grants went only to Low Income Countries. LIC and LMIC scientists together received in all 62% of the IFS Research Grants attributed in 2003.
A regional breakdown of the grants approved in 2003 show that 46% (109
grants) went to young researchers in Sub-Saharan Africa, 27% to Latin America,
22% to Asia and 5% to North Africa and the Middle East. This is quite in line
with our orientation to give Sub-Saharan Africa the greatest emphasis. Although
the African subcontinent will remain in focus, IFS will pay due attention
to other regions as well. The year 2004 will see a strong drive in the less
developed regions of Latin America.
Michael Ståhl
IFS Director
2. IFS Grantees
2.1 IFS AWARDS 2003
IFS Scientific Advisers, IFS Affiliated Organisations and other IFS partners may nominate IFS Grantees of merit for the annually awarded IFS Awards. Grantees from Sub-Saharan Africa are eligible for the IFS/Danida Award, while the IFS Jubilee Award is given to IFS Grantees outside Sub-Saharan Africa. Each of the Awards is in the amount of USD 2,000.
This year, we are pleased and proud to announce
IFS/Danida Awardee
Dominic Ajong FONTEM, Cameroon
and IFS Jubilee Awardees
Maya B GUNASEKERA, Sri Lanka
Marta S MAIER, Argentina
Mariana C de OLIVEIRA, Brazil
Marco RITO-PALOMARES, Mexico
YIN Tongming, China
2.2 IFS GRANTEES SURVIVING AND THRIVING IN CAMEROON
The newly-published IFS Impact Study "Scientific Research Capacity in
Cameroon: An assessment of IFS support" is the second country case study
of IFS Grantees on the African continent. Much like the study on Tanzania
(Impact Study No 4, published in 2002), the findings from Cameroon indicate
that IFS Grantees have a high scientific productivity in local and international
journals and find it easier to attract funding after winning an IFS Grant.
Long after the completion of their IFS-supported projects, ex-IFS Grantees
continue to be active and often prominent members of their national and regional
scientific communities.
Of particular interest is that the brain-drain factor among African IFS Grantees proves to be negligible. A small number have left their home country to work in other African countries. Meanwhile, out of the 84 Cameroonian Grantees interviewed, only 4 had left the continent.
The Impact Study on Cameroonian IFS Grantees also documents their strategies for coping with the last 30 years of drastic changes in research conditions. In the difficult early-mid 1990s, the importance of IFS support increased, which backs up the argument that IFS support has the greatest impact in vulnerable research infrastructures.
Electronic copies of the Impact Studies are available from the IFS website. Hard copies of the report can be requested from info@ifs.se - write "IFS Impact Study" in the subject/title row of your message.
2.3 TRAVEL GRANT POLICY REVISED
The new Travel/Publication Grant policy intends to enable IFS Grantees to make their research findings known to the scientific community and other stakeholders with more efficiency.
IFS Grantees may now apply for supplementary support from IFS to make a presentation at a scientific meeting, or, alternatively, to cover expenses related to publishing of a paper or article.
A prerequisite for a Travel/Publication Grant is to have produced a written account, preferably a Final Report, on the IFS-funded research project.
For more details on how to apply, get in touch with your contact person at IFS.
2.4 IFS GRANTEE ON OPCW BOARD
Argentine IFS Grantee Rolando A Spanevello, working in Natural Products at Universidad Nacional de Rosario, has been appointed member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
Rolando A Spanevello was awarded his First IFS Research Grant in 1995 for the project "Studies towards the enantiospecific synthesis of pentalenolactone and other related natural products". The continuation of his research was secured with two OPCW/IFS co-funded Renewal Grants, which now have brought unexpected recognition. In Dr Spanevello's own words; "it was through the grants awarded by IFS in cooperation with OPCW that our Minister of Foreign Affairs learnt about my chemical work and proposed my name to OPCW". Congratulations!
3. Partnerships & Funding
3.1 IFS-TWOWS COLLABORATION CONFIRMED
IFS and TWOWS (Third World Organization for Women in Science) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the purpose to provide more scientific career opportunities for women.
Under the confirmed collaboration IFS and TWOWS are now producing a Plan of Action, which will set up various capacity enhancing activities for young women scientists.
Read more about TWOWS on http://www.twows.org
3.2 IFS-COMSTECH-INWRDAM WATER PROJECT
IFS, COMSTECH and INWRDAM have decided to pool their assets for building capacity in developing country water resources research.
COMSTECH - the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation - is channelling support to young scientists in OIC Member States through the IFS Granting Programme since 1998. INWRDAM is the OIC technical organ specializing in water resources management and development programmes.
Now a recently signed agreement and 10-year Plan of Action sets off IFS, COMSTECH and INWRDAM co-funding of research projects, workshops and seminars in OIC Member States on the following topics:
* Water for livelihoods
- Safe drinking water
- Sustainable sanitation
- Pollution abatement
- Water treatment
* Water for Agriculture
- Rain fed agriculture and rainfall harvesting
- Use of low-quality irrigation water
- Micro-irrigation technologies
* Social and Economic Dimensions of Water Resources Management
IFS-COMSTECH-INWRDAM-funded Research Grants will be incorporated in the IFS Granting Programme. Project proposals should therefore be made on the standard IFS Application Form, which can be downloaded from the IFS website.
How to apply: as for IFS Research Grants, see http://www.ifs.se
For more details on the agreement, contact Murad Jabay Bino (INWRDAM) or Cecilia Öman (IFS).
Visit INWRDAM on the Internet at http://www.nic.gov.jo/inwrdam COMSTECH's website is on http://www.comstech.org.pk
4. Meetings & Workshops
4.1 CIBIA IV - 4TH IBEROAMERICAN CONGRESS OF FOOD ENGINEERING
** Congreso Iberoamericano de Ingenería de Alimentos - CIBIA IV, October 5-8, 2003, Valparaíso, Chile **
The 4th Iberoamerican Congress of Food Engineering was hosted by Universidad Técnica Federico Santa Maria (UTFSM), and attended by some 400 scientists and engineers. Their presentations provided state-of-the-art update on research in biotechnology, food processing, packaging and storage, modelling and simulation, separation process, physical properties of food, transport phenomena, ambient technologies, and emergent technology.
IFS and CYTED (the Iberoamerican Programme on Science and Technology for
Development) co-sponsored the participation of 14 Latin American IFS Grantees.
IFS and CYTED also co-organized a special IFS session on international co-operation,
where several of the IFS Grantees presented their work.
CIBIA IV brought together scientists working in various CYTED programmes, which gave the participating IFS Grantees the opportunity to establish contacts with senior scientists in their field, and create new collaborations with prospects to apply for CYTED funding.
Visit the CIBIA IV website on http://www.eventos.utfsm.cl/cibia4
Read more about CYTED on http://www.cyted.org/nueva.asp
5. IFS Secretariat
5.1 IFS ANNUAL MEETINGS 2003
The IFS Board of Trustees, the IFS Donors Group meeting and a Joint Forum took place in Stockholm during four days in early November.
For the Joint Forum IFS held a seminar on "Proprietary Science and Developing Countries". International speakers gave presentations on various intellectual property rights (IPR) issues as they affect developing countries. This was followed by a discussion, which resulted in the recommendation that IFS create a very general level of awareness of important IPR issues among applicants and IFS Grantees.
5.2 IFS STAFF NEWS
The IFS Secretariat has had three recent additions to its ranks. One position has been filled by secondment, and two new staff members have been hired for one-year project positions.
Just arrived from Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD) in Paris, France, is Jean-Marc Leblanc. During his secondment at IFS he will take on the responsibilities of Programme Coordinator in Forestry/Agroforestry, and manage relations with French-speaking countries. As M. Leblanc is working with assessment and foresight at IRD, he has a special interest to be involved in the IFS Impact Studies.
Sri Sahlin, Programme Administrator for Food Science and Social Sciences, has worked in international organisations (UNDP/ILO, Asian Development Bank, GTZ) as well as in the diplomatic mission. Ms Sahlin is from Indonesia, but adjusted to the Nordic climate while living and working in Canada for several years.
Joining the Purchasing department is Eva Haddleton, who has expertise in global marketplaces having worked for telecom giant Ericsson. Ms Haddleton is Swedish, and she has spent time abroad with an animated job: Business administrator at Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
6. Announcements
** If you have news, an invitation to an event, or any other type of message that could be of interest to the readers of IFS eNews - people working in fields related to the sustainable management of biological resources - e-mail it to tanja.lunden@ifs.se for publication in this section of next IFS eNews! **
6.1 NUSESA SERVICE PROVIDERS
The Network of Users of Scientific Equipment in Eastern and Southern Africa
(NUSESA) is endorsing individual entrepreneurs offering repair, maintenance,
consultancy and training services. Under NUSESA auspices, they receive professional
training and support in withstanding competition from larger commercial suppliers.
In return, NUSESA members can solicit them for good value expertise.
Two new service providers have been added to NUSESA's listings of resource
persons:
- Charles Wentley, South Africa, e-mail cwentley@uwc.ac.za
- Sainety K Museka, Zimbabwe, e-mail skmuseka@yahoo.co.uk
For more information about NUSESA, visit http://www.nusesa.org or e-mail info@nusesa.org
6.2 ECOSANRES - TRAINING IN ECOLOGICAL SANITATION
** "Ecological Alternatives in Sanitation", the EcoSanRes Training Programme 2004/05 targeting Africa, Asia and the Palestine Territories **
The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) are announcing an advanced international training programme in ecological sanitation. Professionals, researchers, teachers, key persons at NGOs, engaged in field related to sustainable sanitation, from selected countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East are invited to apply for the 2004/2005 programme.
The EcoSanRes training programme focuses on "sanitation solutions for urban and peri-urban areas to promote human health, enhance human dignity, improve nutritional status and protect water resources". Closing date for applications is April 15, 2004.
For further details, this year's list of target countries and the application
form, visit http://www.ecosanres.org
or contact Cecilia Ruben, cecilia.ruben@sei.se, at Stockholm Environment Institute
(SEI), Box 2142, 103 14 Stockholm, Sweden
6.3 ANCAP WORKSHOP ON DDT AGAINST MALARIA
** "Is DDT the only viable solution to Malaria in Africa?" - Regional Workshop, April 26-27, 2004, Kampala, Uganda **
The African Network for Chemical Analysis on Pesticides (ANCAP) and Makerere University are hosting a two-day symposium and workshop on Persistent Organic pollutants with special emphasis on DDT.
The theme is set against the debate that has raged ever since 2002, when a number of African authorities and experts widely recommended the use of DDT to combat malaria.
For more information, visit the ANCAP website
http://www.ancap.org
or contact Professor B T Kiremire, kiremire@chemistry.mak.ac.ug, or Mr J Wasswa,
jmwasswa@chemistry.mak.ac.ug, at the Chemistry Department, Makerere University,
PO Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda
6.4 IHDP-IAI WORKSHOP ON GLOBALISATION & FOOD SYSTEMS
** 2004 Global Environmental Change Institute on Globalisation and Food Systems - Scientific Workshop and Science-Policy Forum, Oct 24-Nov 6, 2004, Nicoya, Costa Rica **
IHDP (International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change) and IAI (Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research) are inviting applications to a two-week meeting on global change to be held at the Mesoamerican Institute of the National University of Costa Rica in Nicoya.
The focus is on interactions between processes of globalisation and global environmental change, and the implications of these interactions for food systems and food security. Particular attention will be paid to areas characterised either by poverty and food insecurity or by growing per capita incomes and rapidly changing demands for food. The deadline for applications is April 15th, 2004.
Visit http://www.institutes.iai.int for more details or contact Maarit Thiem, thiem.ihdp@uni-bonn.de
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