IFS eNews No. 2, March 2001

Welcome to IFS eNews, the International Foundation for Science's electronic newsletter, which is also available as a printed document. IFS eNews appears quarterly, and we hope that it is an effective way to inform you about recent developments at IFS. If you wish to subscribe to the electronic version, please see the information given at the end of the document. Your comments on the contents of IFS eNews are most welcome to info@ifs.se

IN MEMORIAM

IFS sadly notes that Prof Sven Brohult passed away, at the age of 95, on 11 January 2001. Prof Brohult was Founding President of and the driving force behind the creation of IFS. Thanks to his foresight and the force of his vision, IFS was established as an independent organization, with a goal of great simplicity-the support of developing country scientists to carry out research in their home countries. Prof Brohult understood that support to scientists while they are young and not yet established would greatly increase their chances to stay in their own countries and not have to move abroad to pursue a career in science. He was also responsible for laying the groundwork for the IFS research programme on the management, use, and conservation of biological resources.

WATCH FOR NEW IFS LOGO

After nearly 30 years of activities, IFS has decided that it is time for a new logo and a distinct graphic profile, both of which are important steps in the overall effort being made by IFS to raise its visibility. We hope that you will enjoy the new look it gives to publications, correspondence, and other printed material as much as we do. The logo will appear for the first time on the Third External Evaluation Report, which will be published this spring.

THIRD EXTERNAL EVALUATION

The Evaluation Team Members-Erik Thulstrup, Ana Mar’a Cetto, Thierry Freyvogel, and Moctar TourŽ-met in MŽrida, Mexico, in January to discuss the Third External Evaluation. Also invited to participate in the discussions were IFS Director Thomas Rosswall and project assistant Eren Zink. The meeting was hosted by the Centro de Investigaci—n Cientifica de Yucat‡n. A draft of the Team's report arrived at the IFS Secretariat in early March for correction of factual errors. It will be officially submitted to the Donors and the Board of Trustees in May.

SPECIAL CONTRIBUTIONS BY IFS DONORS

Eight IFS Donors have contributed a total of USD 115,000 towards the Third External Evaluation. They are: Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR); Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Danida); Ministre des Affaires Etrangres (MAE), France; Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), Germany; Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD); Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency/SAREC; Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF); and Department for International Development (DFID), UK.

SECRETARIAT

IFS staff just returned from a two-day retreat. The Secretariat discussed the workplan, which will be revised based on the recommendations of the Third External Evaluation. In addition, the internal SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis formulated in September 2000 was revisited. Another topic for discussion was ways of streamlining the routines for processing research grant applications and awarding grants. Recommendations resulting from these discussions will be passed on to the Board of Trustees.

IFS GOVERNANCE MEETINGS 2001

Stockholm, Sweden:
Joint meeting for discussions of the Third External Evaluation, 18 May Donors Group, 18 May and possibly 19 May Nominations and Membership Committee, 18 May Scientific and Grants Committee, 18-19 May Board of Trustees, 19-20 May

Washington, DC, USA:
Board of Trustees, 3-4 November Possible meeting of the Donors Group in conjunction with ICW2001 of the CGIAR the same week

IFS PROGRAMMES

Carolina MacGillavry PhD Fellowship
This Fellowship is open to young scientists from countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and provides formal course work at selected universities in the Netherlands. Research work at the fellow's home institution is supported with an IFS Research Grant. IFS Head of Programme Richard Fuchs has been to Amsterdam to discuss ways of promoting and recruiting applicants for the Fellowship with the IFS Member Organization the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). For more information visit the IFS Web or send an email to tanja.lunden@ifs.se.
Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
In this Programme, the costs of grants to young developing scientists for research on the promotion of the peaceful utilization of the chemical sciences are shared by IFS and OPCW. Richard Fuchs visited OPCW headquarters in the Hague to discuss the progress made in the Programme as well as future collaboration.
Organisation of Islamic Conference Standing Committee on Scientific Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH)
COMSTECH and IFS share the cost of grants to young developing scientists in COMSTECH's member states. Richard Fuchs participated in a meeting at the Secretariat in Islamabad to discuss the co-funding of grants. In February, funding for seven grants was approved within the programme.
Latin American Initiative (LAI)
As scientists from Argentina and Uruguay are no longer eligible for first-grant support, new avenues for collaboration, such as the LAI, an IFS Partnership Programme, are being sought to ensure a continuing role for IFS in promoting scientific capacity-building in all of Latin America. Thomas Rosswall visited the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnolog’a (CONACYT), the Mexican IFS Member Organization, and met with Efrain Aceves (Director for International Co-operation), Clara Moran, and Rita Torres. CONACYT has provided support to the LAI and collaborated in the MESIA country case study on Mexico, which will soon be finalized. Another sponsor of the LAI, Consejo Nacional para Investigaciones Cient’ficas y Tecnol—gicas (CONICIT), the Costa Rican Member Organization, recently made a contribution to LAI in the amount of USD 6,000. IFS has also established contacts with the Inter-American Development Bank, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, and the Forum for the Americas on Agricultural Research and Technology Development.

MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS (MOs)

Great Britain's prestigious Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education was awarded to the University of Greenwich for the outstanding work on food security in developing countries done by the National Resources Institute (NRI), which is part of the University and an IFS MO.

Richard Fuchs visited the MO the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) for discussions on collaboration. He also visited the Department of Biotechnology of the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Thomas Rosswall visited the US MO National Academy of Sciences and met with Ms Wendy White, Director of the Academy's Office of International Affairs. While in Washington, Thomas Rosswall also visited the Consultative Group on Agricultural Research (CGIAR), which very recently became an IFS MO, and met with Francisco Reifschneider, CGIAR's Director.

Thomas Rosswall was in the Republic of Korea to strengthen the dialogue between IFS and its MO the National Academy of Sciences, where he met with the Academy's President Wo-Wang Lee and others.

MONITORING AND EVALUATION SYSTEM FOR IMPACT ASSESSMENT (MESIA)

A report based on the responses to the questionnaire sent last year to some 1,600 African scientists (IFS grantees and beneficiaries of the European INCO-DEV programme) has been prepared. In it, an analysis is made on the impact of IFS support, not only their research careers, but also on their working environment. Other issues include the reality of being a scientist in Africa today, the conditions under which research is being practised, an African scientist's perception of the role of science and scientists in society, the main obstructions to research, and dependency on foreign funding. The report "Questionnaire Survey of African Scientists" is available on request from the IFS Secretariat and soon from the IFS Web. For more information on MESIA contact jacques.gaillard@ifs.se or anna.tullberg@ifs.se.

VISITS AND MEETINGS

The International Conference on Advanced Technologies in Fisheries and Marine Sciences took place in Thuckalay, India, in February and was organized by IFS grantee Peter Marian. Richard Fuchs was there and made a presentation on IFS.

Richard Fuchs met grantees and participated in a number of information seminars at the following institutions in India and Pakistan: Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi; Cochin University of Science and Technology; College of Fisheries, and University of Agricultural Sciences, Mangalore; and Agricultural University, Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology, and National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Faisalabad.

Richard Fuchs also met with IFS Trustee, Kauser Malik, Director General of the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council. He visited the Pakistan Science Foundation as well and presented IFS at an information seminar.

Thomas Rosswall travelled to Washington and visited a number of organizations, amongst them USAID, where he met with Ms Emmy Simmons, Deputy Assistant Administrator. He also visited Roland Fuchs and Hassan Virji at the START (Global Change System for Analysis, Research and Training) Secretariat and discussed ways of promoting global change research in developing countries.

In January, Thomas Rosswall participated in a meeting as an ex-officio member of the COSTED Executive Committee in Zhongshan, China. The meeting provided a good opportunity for IFS to review matters of common interest not only with COSTED but with a number of other organizations represented at the meeting, including the International Council of Science and the IFS MO the Brazilian Academy of Sciences.

IFS SIGNS MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THIRD WORLD ACADEMY OF SCIENCE (TWAS)

During a visit by Thomas Rosswall and IFS Deputy Director Jacques Gaillard to TWAS headquarters in Trieste, Italy, IFS and TWAS signed a Memorandum of Understanding intended to strengthen co-operation between the two organizations in their efforts in developing science and technology in the Third World. Both organizations have small grants programmes and will collaborate further to promote mutual goals. There is a great deal that can be accomplished through the co-ordinated efforts of TWAS fellows and IFS grantees and Scientific Advisers, especially in strengthening networks and developing regional collaboration.

TWAS runs a spare parts programme for scientific equipment, which provides small grants (up to USD 1,000) to institutions in developing countries to meet the cost of small spare parts for scientific equipment which can be obtained or manufactured locally. For more information and a copy of the application form, contact Mrs M T Mahdavi, email mahdavid@ictp.trieste.it.

SCIDEV.NET

The international science journals Nature and Science are collaborating on the establishment of a www-based information network dedicated to reporting on and encouraging debate about the contribution of science and technology to development. Support and collaboration is also provided by the Third World Academy of Sciences, UNESCO, and the UK Department of International Development (DFID). IFS has been asked to help SciDev.Net reach the IFS constituency to get their opinions on how the gateway can be developed into an effective tool for promoting science and eliminating poverty. IFS recommends all readers of IFS eNews to respond to their short questionnaire, by contacting www.SciDev.Net.

INCO-DEV SUPPORT

INCO-Dev is a programme of the European Union (EU) to support scientiic collaboration between organizations in EU member countries, EU associated countries, and those in developing countries. In nearly all cases, only a consortium of organizations can apply. The programme is designed to foster, strengthen, broaden, and deepen scientific linkages between organizations in the EU and developing countries. For more information on the programme contact www.cgiar.org/isnar/inco-dev/index.htm.

ELECTRONIC PUBLISHING

The Second ICSU-UNESCO International Conference was held in February and attended by IFS Scientific Secretary Richard Hall. Presentations focussed on many aspects of electronic publishing, including logistical, legal and economic considerations, the many new opportunities offered by the medium and the problem of archiving material published electronically. E-publishing opens the door to innovations not possible in printed material, access to original scientific data, details of the peer review process, and instant citation indexing. Many issues were discussed in depth and recommendations were formulated that could lead to, amongst other things, the provision of on-line access to databases and journals for low-income countries at a very low cost. IFS will continue to pursue initiatives arising from the conference.

NETWORKING ACTIVITIES

Food Fermentation Cyber Congress would like to invite members to re-activate their memberships by visiting the new website and registering. The address is www.egroups.com/files/FFCC/_system/login.htm. As was the case at the former address, the purpose of the website is to create a world-wide network of scientists to stimulate the exchange of scientific information and opinions and to facilitate co-operation between individuals and institutions that are active in the field of food fermentation. New grantees working in this field are strong encouraged to register on the website.

Cassava is one of the most important food sources and considered to be a key component for securing food stability for the world's growing population. A new Internet site has been created to bring as much information as possible together in one place. The address of the interactive portal is www.danforthcenter.org/iltab/cassavanet.

CONGRATULATIONS TO IFS GRANTEES

Benjamin Ngatunga, Tanzania, was awarded a PhD (2000) by the University of Rhodes, South Africa. His IFS research project is on fish and fisheries of Lake Malawi/Nyasa Basin and the adjacent waters.

Mariam Naciri, Morocco, was awarded a Doctorat d'Etat (2000) by Mohammed V University, for her work on genetic differentiation of sea bass Dicentrarchux labrax using microsatellites and allozymes.

He Peimin, China, was awarded a PhD by Nanjing Agricultural University (2000) for his work on molecular localization of the key enzymes of photosynthesis and CCM in algae and analysis of photosynthetic physiology of CodA transgenic tobacco.

Antonio Acedo, Philippines, was awarded the Best Research Paper Award by the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural Research.

Mukaila Kadiri, Nigeria, was appointed Professor of Plant Physiology at the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, in November 2000.

Philippe Rasoanaivo, Madagascar, was awarded that national Prix de Recherche 2000 in recognition of his work on medicinal plants for the treatment of chloroquine-resistant malaria.

Luu Doc Huy, Viet Nam, was included in the publication, Marquis' "Who's Who in the World 2000."

JosŽ Bravo, Bolivia, obtained the First Prize on Chemistry 1999, from the Third World Academy of Science (TWAS) and the Academy of Sciences of Bolivia.

Luis Pe–a Rodr’guez has been invited to become a referee for "Phytochemistry."

CONGRATULATIONS TO IFS SCIENTIFIC ADVISER

Bram Huisman was throughout the 1980s a key Scientific Adviser in the IFS Aquatic Resources Research Area. He played a key role in organizing IFS workshops in Kenya, Peru, and Indonesia and arranging for the proceedings to be published by Pudoc, Wageningen. He is retiring this year from his position of Professor of Fish Culture and Fisheries at Wageningen, and Richard Fuchs was at the ceremony. He thanked Bram Huisman on behalf of IFS and its grantees for all the help he has given IFS in the past.

IFS TRUSTEE HONOURED

IFS Trustee Eva Selin-Lindgren, Professor of Environmental Physics at Sweden's Chalmers University, was awarded this year's Chalmers Medal for her contributions to environmental issues at both the national and international levels. The medal will be presented at a ceremony at the University 18 May.

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