Chapter 2: Science, technology, and societyNational S&T strategies identify priorities for addressing critical needs. Each nation requires a coherent national framework for actions that directly affect the promotion of science and technology. Such a national S&T strategy should be developed by the government in consultation with scientific, engineering, and medical academies of the country. The strategy should benefit from the experiences of other countries, and it should spell out the government's commitments to funding, standards of excellence, openness to innovation, dissemination of knowledge, regional consortia and networks, private-public interactions, and entry into partnerships with others - locally, regionally, and globally. [more]
Chapter 3: Expanding human resourcesBecause so many of the urgent problems facing humanity today have potential solutions derived from science and technology, it is vital that science and technology become part of the mainstream of the education system. Courses providing the basis of S&T literacy and reasonable familiarity with scientific and technological culture should be required at all levels and for all students, including the many who do not intend to specialize in science or engineering. This can only occur if S&T literacy and culture are imparted in ways that capture the interest and imagination of young learners. But education will not achieve that quality unless the number of teachers knowledgeable in science and technology, and the quality of their education, are increased first. [more]
Chapter 4: Creating world-class research institutionsAutonomous centers of excellence address local challenges. Science and engineering advance largely at 'centers of excellence' - physical locations where research and advanced training are carried out, often in collaboration with other centers, institutions, and individuals. Centers of excellence are the key to innovation, and their impor-tance cannot be overestimated. For the S&T capacities of developing nations to grow, therefore, they too should have centers of excellence - whether of local, national, regional, or international status. These centers of excellence do not necessarily have to be created de novo. The bolstering or reform of a country's most promising existing research and development programs can achieve the desired outcome. A key to promoting excellence is a merit-based allocation of resources based on rigorous review, in both deciding on new research projects and evaluating current programs. Given the relatively mod-est scientific capacity of most developing nations, such reviews should ideally include appropriate experts from other nations. [more]
Chapter 5: Engaging the public and private sectoresIt is essential to recognize that for the private sector to best contribute to the development of S&T capacity, the public sector should maintain an enabling environment - local, national, international. Governments should provide regulatory frameworks to protect the public interest and safety, and fund research and development efforts for public goods. Because these roles interact in complex ways, and can sometimes clash, it is important to define a framework for the public-private interface so that each party is sufficiently aware of its domain's boundaries and where it may overlap with that of the other. [more]
Chapter 6: Targeted funding of research and training effortsThe Study Panel believes that the overall levels of all official development assistance should be increased, and that the place of S&T capacity building should be secured among the priorities. Many existing programs for fellowships, training, and education can be expanded, as can programs of support for universities in developing nations. In addition, there are many innovative approaches being explored in the domain of international funding for development. Debt-swaps, involving either foreign loan principal or interest, already used in terms of debt for nature swaps, could also be explored for S&T capacity building, as could some of the debt relief programs for the heavily indebted poorest countries - helping them to address the special recommendations for these S&T-lagging countries. Out of many other possibilities, the Study Panel has selected the following suggestions for further elaboration. [more]
Chapter 7: From ideas to impacts: coalitions for effective action.Urgent national and international actions can facilitate the strengthening of national science and technology. The four actions listed below are the initiating measures from which all else would follow; the other recommen-dations in this report - and the coalitions in different parts of the world that would implement them - will largely depend on the success of these urgent actions. As such, they should be undertaken immediately. [more]
Agendas for major actors in building science and technology capacityTo build worldwide S&T capacities, all major institutions should actively work together to:
Each type of institutional actor will have different roles and responsibilities in this effort. The Study Panel has identified twelve major actors and the action agenda required of each them to implement the needed reforms and new programs for increasing worldwide scientific capacity. [more]