Capacity Building for Knowledge-Based Development

Capacity Building for Knowledge–Based Development

CRDF is a nonprofit organization authorized by the U.S. Congress and established in 1995 by the National Science Foundation to promote international scientific and technical collaboration through grants, technical resources and training.

Nations build a strong base for sustainable economic development through generating and using scientific and technological advances. Yet developing and transitioning countries often lack the know-how to develop and implement effective research programs. CRDF meets that challenge by building sustainable scientific institutions and programs that enhance crucial capabilities necessary for increased research productivity.

CRDF has successfully established or strengthened the capacity of more than 50 institutions and research centers—patterned on successful international analogs—in numerous countries with varying levels of scientific expertise. CRDF’s attention to detail and the consideration of subtle differences among countries maximize the success, impact and sustainable outcome of these programs and guard against misuse of funds.

Building National Science Foundations CRDF has successfully supported the establishment and development of national science foundations in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Moldova through a long-term commitment to institutional capacity building. CRDF’s flexible partnerships respond to the specific needs of each country by engaging with existing science agencies to strengthen the national research and development infrastructure. CRDF emphasizes the development

of international norms and best practices to ensure program quality, integrity and impact. With each of these institutional partnerships, CRDF has effectively designed grant programs that meet the specific needs of each country. These programs cover a full spectrum of support for the research and development community, from bilateral collaborative research grants and travel fellowships to international workshops and conferences.

Better Training for Scientists by Uniting Research with Education Through its higher education programs, CRDF is working with Ministries of Education and Science to integrate research and education, strengthening the research capabilities of universities and their ability to train the next generation of scientists. Twenty-six competitively-

selected, university-based Research and Education Centers in six countries grant students and faculty access to state-of-the-art research equipment, promote the development of up-to-date curricula and degree programs, and facilitate international collaborative partnerships.

1530 Wilson Blvd, 3rd Fl | Arlington, VA 22209 | www.crdf.org

January | 2010

Other Capacity-building Initiatives • Shared research equipment centers CRDF has established 21 shared equipment centers at civilian research institutes in eight countries. These centers are developed through major equipment grants from CRDF that provide instrumentation capabilities unique to the region. Researchers from local research institutes, universities and for-profit companies benefit from access to the shared equipment. The analytical services the centers offer attract investment from companies that drive their country’s economy forward.

• Intensive English training for scientists CRDF provides training to young and established researchers to improve the fluency and confidence of non-native English speakers when reading and publishing scientific papers, and when participating in international conferences and collaborations.

• Professional skills development CRDF organizes workshops and training in proposal writing, preparing papers for peer-reviewed journals, research management, research ethics and bioethics and a full range of technology commercialization topics.

• Virtual science libraries The Iraq Virtual Science Library (IVSL) provides Iraqi scientists and students with free, full-text access to thousands of scientific journals from major publishers as well as a large collection of online educational materials. The resounding success of this effort has spurred interest from a number of other countries in the region in establishing their own Virtual Sciences Libraries to improve integration with the world scientific community.

For each nation to see lasting scientific and technological progress, its government must take on an increasing responsibility for the ongoing capacity-building in the sciences. Significant administrative and financial contributions to these programs by from Ministries of Science and/or Education are a validation of the value that the host countries place on these programs.

1530 Wilson Blvd, 3rd Fl | Arlington, VA 22209 | www.crdf.org

January | 2010