IFS eNews No. 4, October 2001
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
WORLD BANK-IFS-TWAS-OECD
IFS, the Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS; http://www.twas.org), and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD; www.oecd.org) co-sponsored a World Bank workshop "Promoting Science and Technology Capacity for Development: Assessing the Past, Preparing for the Future," which was held in Paris, 11-12 June. The workshop focussed on bilateral and multilateral donor efforts in supporting science and technology (S&T) capacity in the developing world.
Strong consensus now exists within the development community that knowledge, especially scientific and technological, is critical for development. Countries that lack adequate S&T capacity are falling further behind the world's scientifically and technologically advanced countries, which derive increasing benefits from S&T. Donors must find effective ways to help developing countries reverse this trend. As a complement to support to strengthen institutions and the funding of large programmes, IFS stressed during the meeting the importance of strengthening human capacity. Programmes for individual support, such as the one administered by IFS, form an important component in efforts to address the widening scientific divide.
SIDA-SAREC'S SUPPORT TO BASIC SCIENCES
In June, Sweden's Sida-SAREC (www.sida.se) invited a number of organisations to discuss collaboration and possible new initiatives in support of basic sciences in developing countries. Sida is the largest single donor supporting basic sciences, according to a recent OECD review. The participants in the workshop organised in Trieste, Italy, included, apart from IFS, the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP; www.ictp.trieste.it), TWAS; the Third World Organisation for Women in Science (TWOWS; www.twows.org), and the International Science Programme (ISP; www.isp.uu.se), University of Uppsala, Sweden. All these organisations receive considerable financial support from Sida-SAREC. There is already substantial collaboration among the organisations present, but it was still very useful to meet jointly for brainstorming new avenues for collaboration. IFS and TWAS have already signed a Memorandum of Understanding and are collaborating with regard to their respective small grants programmes as well as in the area of global change (see below).
There is no applied science if there is no science to apply. Thus, support to basic sciences is an essential component of capacity building for developing countries. The participants agreed to try to provide input to the preparatory phase for the Earth Summit to be held in Johannesburg in September 2002. It was also agreed to develop a joint proposal for possible approaches to donors outlining the ways in which the organisations complement each other. This was further discussed during a meeting between representatives of TWAS, ISP, and IFS in July.
CORAF ANNUAL MEETING
As part of the workplan for 2001 approved by the IFS Board of Trustees in May, priority is given to support of the poorer countries. This will initially focus on Sub-Saharan Africa. Discussions are ongoing to develop a limited number of sub-regional programmes in partnership with various sub-regional organisations (see eNews No. 3). In order to discuss a joint CORAF-IFS initiative, Thomas Rosswall attended the CORAF (Conseil Ouest et Centre Africain pour la Recherche et le Développement Agricoles; www.coraf.org) Annual Meeting in Libreville, Gabon, in July.
In his presentation at the meeting, he suggested that the two organisations sign a Memorandum of Understanding that could provide the basis for close collaboration in the promotion of capacity building in the region. He also suggested that CORAF become an IFS Member Organisation. It is important that IFS increase its cadre of Scientific Advisers in Africa, and CORAF membership could help identify suitable candidates. Also, information regarding the possibility of IFS support to young researchers should be disseminated through CORAF members. IFS could also consider supporting the participation of its grantees in CORAF workshops. However, the most important action would be to develop a joint sub-regional programme and to seek additional funding for such an initiative.
Richard Hall, IFS Scientific Secretary, visited the CORAF Secretariat in Dakar, Senegal, later the same month to further discuss possible collaboration. From IFS, Jacques Gaillard, Deputy Director, will be responsible for future developments.
UNU/INRA-IFS COLLABORATION
Thomas Rosswall visited the United Nations University's Institute for Natural Resources in Africa (UNU/INRA; www.unu.edu/inra) in Accra, Ghana, in July for discussions with its Director, Professor Uzo Mokwunye, and his staff. The two organisations have agreed to promote the continuation of a joint programme, which has provided funding during the years 1999-2001 for capacity building in sciences relevant to soil fertility and biodiversity management. During this first, three-year phase, small research grants were awarded to 14-16 scientists per year and joint workshops organised. It was also agreed to collaborate on initiatives to make scientific literature available to African scientists in collaboration with other key organisations, such as the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP; www.inasp.org.uk; see below). IFS will also consider recruiting some members of the INRA College of Research Associates as Scientific Advisers. INRA and IFS will collaborate in the establishment of a natural products network for West Africa, which is being promoted by Professor Marian Addy, University of Ghana, Legon. A planning meeting is tentatively scheduled to take place in Accra in February 2002.
START-TWAS-IFS PROGRAMME ON GLOBAL CHANGE
As mentioned in eNews No. 3, the IFS Board of Trustees approved in principle a programme for capacity building in the general area of global change. A project proposal has been developed jointly by the International START Secretariat (the Global Change System for Analysis, Research and Training of IGBP, IHDP, and WCRP; www.start.org), TWAS, and IFS. The project is a joint undertaking, and each of the proponents will bring to the partnership substantial assets and experience. Representatives of START, TWAS, and IFS met in July to agree on a prospectus for this new initiative. This is anticipated as a 10-year programme, and funds will be sought for PhD fellowships, small research grants, visiting scientist awards, post-doctoral scholarships, workshops for writing scientific papers, grant proposals, etc, and intensive training institutes around key global change issues.
AAU-IFS
During a visit to Ghana, Thomas Rosswall met with the new Secretary-General of the Association of African Universities (AAU; www.aau.org) Professor François Rajasoon. AAU (IFS Member Organisation) is the leading organisation for co-ordination and co-operation between African universities. AAU can play an important role in spreading the word about IFS in the region. IFS supports many scientists in Africa and many-past and present-have important functions in African universities. They, too, are well placed to help disseminate information on IFS.
CGIAR MID-TERM MEETING IN DURBAN
Thomas Rosswall participated in the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR; www.cgiar.org) Mid-Term Meeting in Durban, South Africa, in May 2001. IFS wishes to strengthen its collaboration with CGIAR Centres. At present, eight of these-CIAT, CIFOR, ICARDA, ICLARM, ICRAF, IPGRI, ISNAR, IWMI-plus the CGIAR Secretariat are IFS Member Organisations. Currently, 74 scientific staff at the centres serve as IFS Scientific Advisers. Attempts will be made to increase this number for some of the centres. We also wish to link our grantees to the programmes conducted by the centres. There are also possibilities for joint initiatives; current discussions are taking place between IFS and IITA for a service and maintenance for scientific equipment programme for Western and Central Africa.
IFS PUBLICATIONS
The IFS Annual Report 2000; the External Evaluation 2000-2001 (the Team was headed by Erik Thulstrup and included Ana María Cetto, Thierry A. Freyvogel, and Moctar Touré); MESIA Report No. 2, Questionnaire Survey of African Scientists (Jacques Gaillard and Anna Furó Tullberg); and its French version, Les chercheurs africain: une enquête questionnaire, have been published. They are all available; info@ifs.se.
Errata in the IFS Annual Report 2000
Two errata appeared in the IFS Annual Report 2000: Inside front cover: "In 2000, IFS was supported by:" the following Donor should be included, Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Danida). Page 23: Second paragraph, Core funders should include Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Netherlands.
SVEN BROHULT AWARDEE TO LECTURE IN WASHINGTON, DC
The recipient of the IFS Sven Brohult Award for 2001, Philippe Rasoanaivo, will present a lecture on his research at a reception being held at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, DC, on 2 November in conjunction with the IFS Board of Trustees Meeting.
10 JANUARY 2002 LAST DATE FOR APPLICATIONS FROM ARGENTINA AND URUGUAY
IFS grantees in Argentina and Uruguay wishing to apply for a second, or third, renewal of their IFS grant must do so before 10 January 2002. Applications for first grants from scientists in these two countries are no longer accepted.
GLOBAL CHANGE OPEN SCIENCE CONFERENCE
This conference, attended by over 1,700 scientists from all over the world and representing varied fields of research, was organised by IGBP, WCRD, and IHDP in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 10-13 July. It focused on the accelerating human transformation of the earth's environment, which may respond in unpredictable, rapid, and even catastrophic ways. Many scientists at the conference signed the Amsterdam Declaration (http://www.sciconf.igbp.kva.se/Amsterdam_Declaration.html), which states "Global change is real and is happening now." The Declaration emphasises that the common goal must be to develop the essential knowledge base needed to respond effectively and quickly to the great challenge of global change.
Thomas Rosswall chaired an evening session Capacity Building for Global Change Science, which was attended by about 300 participants. Discussions focused on how the participation of developing country scientists in global change research could be strengthened and which capacity-building measures should receive top priority. IFS sponsored the participation of seven grantees-all of whom are working (in Africa and Latin America) on projects relevant to global change, including studies on the impact of fire as a tool in agriculture, different pasture grasses as carbon sinks, and the effects of UV radiation on plankton.
IFS encourages developing country scientists who qualify for support to submit proposals on research relevant to global change. (Contact info@ifs.se for application forms in English or French; forms can be downloaded at the IFS web: www.ifs.se).
IFS MEETINGS
Training Courses in Africa on How to Write a Scientific Research Proposal
IFS Scientific Secretary Richard Hall and Scientific Adviser Alexander de Kochko of the Institut de Recherche pour le Dévéloppement conducted a course on how to write a scientific research proposal in Dakar, Senegal, as the final component of a soil microbiology course (organised by IRD) for scientists from francophone countries in West Africa. The two-day course was much appreciated by the participants and demonstrated the need for this kind of training in Africa. Richard Hall also presented IFS and met personnel at various research institutes and organisations based in Dakar. A similar course is being supported by IFS and will take place in Yaoundé, Cameroon, 24-28 September. The workshop is being organised by FORAFRI (a joint CIRAD-Forêt and CIFOR project based in Gabon and financed by the French Ministry of Co-operation).
In co-operation with the Special Programme for Developing Countries of the International Union of Forest Research Organisations (IUFRU-SPDC http://iufro.boku.ac.at/iufro/spdc/index.htm) and INERA (Institut de l'Environnement et des Recherches Agricoles), IFS will organise a workshop on writing research proposals in Burkina Faso, provisionally 4-8 February, 2002. The IUFRO handbook on preparing and writing research proposals, which has been used at several similar workshops, has been translated and will be tested at the Burkina Faso workshop. Some 25 researchers, mainly from the Sahel, will be invited. Please note that participation is by invitation only.
SCIENTIFIC NETWORKS
Network for Natural Products Researchers in Africa
IFS continues to support the Natural Product Research Network for Eastern and Central Africa (NAPRECA; www.chem.udsm.ac.tz/UDSM/napreca/), a scientific network devoted to the study, promotion, and development of natural products, ie substances that are derived from plants, animals, micro-organisms, and marine organisms. NAPRECA held a symposium in Nairobi, Kenya, 27-31 August, on the socio-economic potential of African biodiversity through natural products research. IFS Scientific Secretary Cecilia Öman presented IFS and met a number if grantees and potential applicants. Another network, the African Network for Chemical Analysis of Pesticides, was established in connection with the symposium.
SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE OF SCIENTIFIC EQUIPMENT
Service and maintenance in developing countries is a serious problem for developing-country scientists. IFS has previously co-arranged the initiation of several networks for service and maintenance including the Network of Users of Scientific Equipment in Southern and Eastern Africa (NUSESA), the Network of Instrument Technical Personnel and User Scientists of Bangladesh (NITUB), and also the Network of Instrument Technical Personnel and User Scientists of Nepal (NITUN). IFS is currently reviewing the possibility of launching a new programme of service and maintenance with focus on Central and West Africa. The programme will be initiated by setting up a meeting in Ghana in February 2002 with the objective of formulating a proposal to donors. Invited to the meeting will be organisations with similar activities, technicians and researchers from the region, local and international suppliers and potential donors.
The meeting will take place in connection to the West African Network of Natural Products Research Scientists (WANPRESS) meeting in Ghana, which starts the 18 of February 2002. This network seeks to bring together scientific researchers, interested and active in the field of natural products.
Moreover, purchasing manager Ingela Taxell from IFS will participate in the 1st NUSESA Equipment Maintenance Conference in Africa in Kampala, Uganda 3- 4 December 2001.
ONLINE JOURNALS AND DATABASES IN AFRICA
The International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP; www.inasp.org.uk) has completed the first phase of the Programme for the Enhancement of Research Information (PERI), which aims at access and dissemination of scientific and scholarly information and knowledge with and between developing and transitional countries. Through PERI, researchers, academics, scholars, and librarians in Ghana, Tanzania, and Uganda may access databases, full-text online journals, and document delivery at no cost to themselves. This offer will be extended to Malawi and Mozambique in the next month, and to a wider range of countries in Africa, Asia, and Central America by the end of 2001.
The Programme provides access to over 5,000 full-text journals in science, technology, medicine, social science and the humanities from Academic Press, Blackwell Science, Blackwell Publishers, EBSCO Publishing, Mary Ann Liebert and Munksgaard; databases from SilverPlatter and document delivery through the British Library.
DONORS
The Organisation of the Islamic Conference Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH; www.comstech.org.pk) has approved co-funding of six research grant projects that were approved by IFS for the spring 2001 session. The total value of these projects is USD 66,700.
IFS and the International Cooperation and Assistance Division of the Secretariat of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW; www.opcw.org) signed a renewed Memorandum of Understanding. OPCW has provided funding, in the amount of USD 43,982, for specific components of eleven research grant projects from the spring 2001 session.
The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG; www.dfg.de) one of IFS's first Donors in 1975, has also confirmed its core contribution for the year 2001 at the same level since 1990, DFG 500,000.
The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF; www.snf.ch) has confirmed its support to IFS for the years 2001-2003 in the amount of CHF 250,000 per year. SNSF became a Core Donor in 1977 and has consistently funded IFS since 1983.
The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR; www.aciar.gov.au) has confirmed and paid their 2002 core contribution in the amount of AUD 70,000. ACIAR has contributed AUD 100,000 for the past four years and has been a Core Donor to IFS since 1994.
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