Overview of the INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION FORSCIENCE

The Beginning

Venice 1965

Influential independent scientistsare meeting

• They talk about atomic weapons• They talk about war in Vietnam• They talk about international scientific cooperation

It’s April

Origin:

14th Conference: International Cooperation for Science & DisarmamentVenice, Italy

14th Conference: International Cooperation for Science & DisarmamentVenice, Italy

Principal recommendation Pugwash Conference

(Venice, 1965)

Establish the International Foundation for Science

‘in order to address the stultifying conditions under

which younger faculty members in the universities of

developing countries are attempting to do research’

Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences

Swedish Academy of Sciences

American Academy of Arts and Sciences

UNESCO

A conference in Stockholm on the ‘Need for an international organization to support and encourage scientific research in developing countries’

Sven Brohult, president of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences became an enthusiastic convert to the idea and a persuasive strong-willed soul of the enterprise. Backed by 16 national academies of science, the International Foundation for Science was established in Stockholm in 1972

Roger Revelle (Professor of Science and Public Policy at the University of California), an oceanographer described as one of the world's most articulate spokesmen for science and an early predictor of global warming

The follow up:

Sponsors:

Champions:

IFS

1973 1980

500th grant given

1988

2,000th grant given

1996

10,000th application

IFS receives King BaudouinInternational Development Prize

IFS is awarded the first Princess Chulabhom of Thailand Gold Medal

Individual Research Grants

Capability Enhancing Support

IFS Secretariat established in Stockholm.24 Member Orgs from 21 countries

Making progress

2010

IFS develops a 10 year strategy

The 10-year strategy 2011-20

IFS Envisioning Process

• A time bound ‘global conversation’ 4 months.

• Facilitated face-to-face Regional Consultations involving BOT members, secretariat staff, alumni and others, each involving debate in break out groups and plenary sessions.

• A range of ad hoc meetings added to, or associated with, on-going meetings, workshops and conferences involving IFS, which fell within this period.

• A digital survey using Survey Monkey software.

Latin American Regional Consultation Meeting - Merida, Mexico, on Feb 7 and 8, 2011

Asia Pacific Regional Consultation meeting - 18-19 March 2011 Grand Tower Inn Hotel Rama VI Bangkok, Thailand.

Africa Regional Consultation Meeting – Silver Springs Hotel, Kampala, Uganda 16-17 March 2011

Nairobi/Carnegie meeting Developing and Retaining the next generation of African Academics, Nov 2010.

Side-meeting to Ministerial Conference on Higher Education in Agriculture, Kampala, Uganda.

Side-meeting IFS/VLIR scientific writing course, Can Tho, Viet Nam Dec 2010

Side meeting IFS/WIOMSA meeting, Zanzibar, Tanzania, Dec 2010

‘Scientific methodology and proposal writing workshop’, Njala, Sierra Leone

International Pesticide Conference, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Dec 2010

AWARD Mombasa,Kenya, Jan 2011

Side meeting Ghana, Dec 2010

A digital questionnaire survey sent out to 20,000

The Envisioning Process – towards a 10 year strategy

IFS Envisioning Process

274 people attended the consultations from 43 countries

(Africa 56%, Asia Pacific 20% , Latin America 10% Europe14%)

4,100 people responded to the survey from 142 countries.

(Africa 50%, Asia and the Pacific 30% in and Latin America 20%)

Of the respondents, approximately 70% male and 30% female.

30 % were active or former IFS grantees, 20% IFS advisers. The remainder comprised representatives of donors, partner organizations and others.

....the best of times, the worst of times, the age of wisdom, the age of foolishness.....Charles Dickens

Global consensus to eradicateextreme poverty and hunger.

We need to draw on the transformational power of science, technology and communications to safely and fairly ensure the stewardship of our natural resources.

Planetary boundaries within which humanity can operate sustainablyincreasing understood

These are huge global challenges.Climate is changing!

Biodiversity is reducing!

Environmental degradationis increasing!

The Outcome

The niche of IFS remains to support young researchers in a science career...

We still aim to support the immediate post-Masters and post-PhD years which are vital in science careers.

Young people today constitute the largest youth cohort in human history, with the vast majority in developing countries.

..it is during this time that the expertise, skills and passion for research develop and through postgraduate study are cemented, additional skills and greater confidence developed, first publications achieved, and new research conceived and initiated.

IFS does not fund big science, or science in the developed world

IFS plays an almost unique duel role

Early

-career d

eveloping c

ountry re

search

ers -

Are an importa

nt and otherw

ise in

sufficie

ntly

serve

d targe

t group.

Research Council

Capability nurturing

Skills development, equipment purchasing support, travel grants, lab visits, mentoring, mechanisms to facilitate networking.

Provision of competitive small research grants

IFS – what people tell us

Nurturing young

developing country

researchers

Increase self-confidence to develop and

manage research

Increasing the chance of leveraging additional

funds

IFS grants increase

credibilityGrantees conduct excellent science

Grantees develop new

applied technologies and products

Supportive and Unbureaucratic

Research Council

Enabling young researchers to pursue their

own interests

The new strategy

Scientists in the developing world are well placed to identify the challenges they face,

and able to propose transformational research, to build their resilience to global volatility, to engage in global negotiations,

and to innovate for sustainable futures.

The scientists of tomorrow must contribute to securing affordable food, water and energy to a rising population, where their scope for action is constrained by the urgent challenge

of environmental sustainability.

The missionIFS shall contribute towards strengthening the capability of young men and women scientists in developing countries to conduct relevant and high quality research and their individual agency to put it into use.

The strategyIFS shall identify through a careful selection process, promising young scientists from developing countries to become future lead scientists and science leaders. They will receive support early in their careers to produce new research findings, relevant to developing countries and of assured quality according to current academic principles.

IFS

2010

Envisioning and developing 10-year strategy

2014

7,859 grants in 86 countries

Individual Research Grants

Capability Enhancing Support

Collaborative Research Grants

Contributing Innovation

The 10-year strategy: 2011-20

2012 2013

Approach 2

Approach 3

Approach 1

2011

31%

28%

6%

35%

7,859 Research Grants to young scientists in 86 countries

Asia and PacificLatin America and the CaribbeanMiddle East and North AfricaSub-Saharan Africa

Global distribution of IFS Research Grants1974-2013

Approach 1

Individual Research

• The ‘Individual Research Approach’ in the 10-year strategy is similar to the former IFS granting programme

– More poverty focussed eligibility criteria.– Time-bound calls for proposals with 2 month window. – Major changes in the modality of work within the Secretariat

from eight research areas into three cluster areas: • Biological Resources in Terrestrial Systems• Water and Aquatic Resources• Food Security, Dietary Diversity and Healthy Livelihoods

– Using Quantitative and Qualitative Assessment.

Individual Research

The 1st call for applications was open 1.12.13 - 31.1.14:3 clusters:– Sustainable Natural Resources Management,– Water and Aquatic Resources,– Food Production, Food Security and Nutrition.

IFS received:1,170 first grant applications41 renewal grant applications16 revisions to previously submitted proposals.

Approach 2

Collaborative Research

We: • Characterized challenges and requirements• Built on our understanding of science research funding• Visited and sought learning from experienced organisations • Reviewed the academic literature and articulated our new ideas • Investigated, designed, built and tested ICT tools• We selected PODIO and negotiated free user licences as a donation to IFS• Invited eligible scientists, who expressed interest into an onlineenvironment where they are able to interact with other applicants • Provided relevant tools enabled searching, interaction andCollaboration, and facilitated their use• Provided mentors to support the process

OVERVIEW OF PODIO SETUPfor the Collaborative Research Grants Pilot

IFS Organisation

Any number of Workspaces

A Workspace...

has MembersandApps (small programmes)

IFS request

EoIs

Scientists express interest

APPLICATIONSTO IFS

IFScall for

Applications

Collaborative research: Building Capability Capability Building:• Eighteen teams which passed pre-

screening, invited to a 3-day workshop 16-18th July in Ghana associated with the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) Science week in July and run in conjunction with the Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship (SSES) Collaborative Research Specialists.

• All but two of the 64 scientists accepted the invitation and joined the workshop, entitled ‘When Scientists and Poets were Friends; A Workshop On Interdisciplinary and Creative Problem Solving Methods’

Collaborative Research: Result 2013

Collaborative research: 1st & 2nd Pilot Summary • 1st call 2012-13: Neglected and

Underutilised Species Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda financed by the Carnegie cooperation

• 40 teams built in social networking platform, 25 submitted proposals, 17 passed pre-screening, collaborative research SAC - 10 teams funded

• 2nd call 2013-14 Biodiversity Benin, Burkina Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda financed by Carnegie and BELSPO

• 45 teams built (many combining Francophone and Anglophone scientists), 26 submitted proposals, 13 passed pre-screening, SAC in December

recommended

evaluated

submit

create application

Find others

Podio

interest

38

64

104

160

354

477

800

Collaborative Researchers: 2012-13

recommended

evaluated

submit

create application

Find others

Podio

interest

440

730

Collaborative Researchers: 2013-14

?

180

104

Approach 3

Approach 3: Contributing Innovation

Accessing Resources:• E-learning

– Static web pages– Moodles (online course software)– MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses)

• Database of IFS research outputs/outcomes

– ResearchFish database– Training– Help desk– Cleaning of standard data– Useful outputs for grantees (CV)

• Alumni Associations– West Africa– East Africa– South Asia– SE Asia– Latin America

Accessing Resources:• E-learning• Database of IFS research outputs/outcomes• Alumni Associations

Information Dissemination:• Open access publishing• Sharing IFS Research• Science Communications

Capability Building:• The innovation process• Policy domains• Market chains

Facilitated Advocacy:• Equipment Policy change/alumni

Building Networks:• Alumni Associations• End Users

Approach 3: Contributing Innovation

Information Dissemination:• Open access publishing

– Science Europe/GRC meeting

• Sharing IFS Research– Research Fish database/web-based public access– On-line seminars

• Science Communications– Capability Enhancing Support

Accessing Resources:• E-learning• Database of IFS research outputs/outcomes• Alumni Associations

Information Dissemination:• Open access publishing• Sharing IFS Research• Science Communications

Capability Building:• The innovation process• Policy domains• Market chains

Facilitated Advocacy:• Equipment Policy change/alumni

Building Networks:• Alumni Associations• End Users

Approach 3: Contributing Innovation

Capability Building:• The innovation process• Policy domains• Market chains

– Courses– E-learning

Accessing Resources:• E-learning• Database of IFS research outputs/outcomes• Alumni Associations

Information Dissemination:• Open access publishing• Sharing IFS Research• Science Communications

Capability Building:• The innovation process• Policy domains• Market chains

Facilitated Advocacy:• Equipment Policy change/alumni

Building Networks:• Alumni Associations• End Users

Approach 3: Contributing Innovation

Facilitated Advocacy:• Equipment Policy

change/alumni– On-going facilitated advocacy project around equipment– Alumni and others involved

Accessing Resources:• E-learning• Database of IFS research outputs/outcomes• Alumni Associations

Information Dissemination:• Open access publishing• Sharing IFS Research• Science Communications

Capability Building:• The innovation process• Policy domains• Market chains

Facilitated Advocacy:• Equipment Policy change/alumni

Building Networks:• Alumni Associations• End Users

Approach 3: Contributing Innovation

Building Networks:• Alumni Associations

– Encouraging and supporting the formation of Alumni Association underway

– Defining roles

• End Users

Accessing Resources:• E-learning• Database of IFS research outputs/outcomes• Alumni Associations

Information Dissemination:• Open access publishing• Sharing IFS Research• Science Communications

Capability Building:• The innovation process• Policy domains• Market chains

Facilitated Advocacy:• Equipment Policy change/alumni

Building Networks:• Alumni Associations• End Users

Involves orientating early-career scientists in the context in which research is shared and used and to work with like-minded partners in building capability and encouraging

networking

Contributing Innovation

IFS Today

Sven Brohult

IFS - Empowering and delivering diverse science from the developing world