Guatemala – July 2009
IANAS “Science Funding Landscape Workshop”

The Inter-American Network of Academies of Sciences (IANAS), in a partnership with the Academy of Medical, Physical and Natural Sciences of Guatemala, hosted in Guatemala City, on July 26-28 of 2009, the IANAS “Science Funding Landscape Workshop”. This workshop was organized with the support of the Guatemalan National Council for Science and Technology (CONCYT), the International Development Research Centre (IDRC); and the InterAcademy Panel on International Issues (IAP).

The major objectives of this workshop were to: (a) increase the linkages between the National Academies of Sciences in the region, National S&T Councils (or equivalent organizations) and granting agencies and programs that provide support to S&T in the Americas; and (b) provide guidance and grantsmanship support to optimize opportunities, in particular for early and mid-career scientists.

The workshop brought together representatives from 22 countries of the Americas: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil; Canada; Chile; Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico; Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, United States of America; and Venezuela. The rich mix participants included Presidents or high-level officials of 10 National S&T Councils (or equivalent organizations); 11 Rectors or official representatives from major national universities; 11 high-level officials of regional and international granting agencies and programs; and outstanding young scientists coming from different areas of knowledge.

During the discussions held in the 3 days of the workshop, the organizations providing funding opportunities in the region had the space to present their vision and programs, and the representatives from the developing countries had the opportunity to present the effective needs of their countries. Through a dynamics that stimulated the interaction between participants, the workshop proved to be an extremely successful opportunity for the developing countries to become aware of existing opportunities, and for the granting agencies to become more acquainted with the real needs of each of the participating countries.

Programme

IANAS “Science Funding Landscape Workshop”
Guatemala – July 2009

July, 26th
Bristol Pluss Room

19:00 – 19:15      Welcome 

• Maria Del Carmen Samayoa, President of the Academy of Medical, Physical and Natural Sciences of Guatemala;
• Rosa María Amaya de López, National Secretary of Science and Technology
• Oscar Cobar, Rector of University of San Carlos

Keynote Conference 

19:15 – 20:00     IANAS Today and things to come in Guatemala
Juan Pedro Laclette; IANAS Co-Chair

20:00 Dinner

July, 27th
Bristol Pluss Room

Opening Ceremony

08:00 – 09:00      Welcome Address

• Carmen Samayoa, President of the Academy of Medical, Physical and Natural Sciences of Guatemala;
• Juan Pedro Laclette, IANAS Co-Chair;
• Hernan Chaimovich, IANAS Co-Chair;
• Rosa María Amaya de López, National Secretary of Science and Technology;
• Howard Alper, IAP Co-Chair
• David O’Brien,  IDRC

Plenary session 1

09:00 – 09:45  Science, Scientists and Growth within South America and the Caribbean: 
Bottle Necks and Opportunities.
Hernan Chaimovich, IANAS Co-Chair, Vice-President of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences

Plenary session 2
                           

09:45 – 10:30  Science Funding Strategies in Latin America: their Role in Cooperation and Development of Small Scientific Communities.
Gabriel Macaya; President of the National Academy of Sciences of Costa Rica

10:30 – 11:00  Coffee break

Plenary Session 3  

11:00 – 12:30  Funding Science in the Americas

Brazilian Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (CAPES)
“Funding Sciences in the Americas: the case of Brazil”.

• Jorge Almeida Guimarães, President

International Development Research Centre (IDRC)  
” Funding Science and Supporting Innovation: An Introduction to IDRC”

• David O’Brien, Senior Program Officer – Innovation, Policy and Science / Challenge Fund

National Science Foundation (NSF)
“Funding International Science at the National Science Foundation” 

• Harold Stolberg, Regional coordinator, Office of International Science and Engineering  (OD/OISE)

12:30 – 14:30   Lunch

Plenary Session 4       

14:30 – 16:00  Funding Science in the Americas

National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT), Mexico
“Some elements for the scientific integration of the Latin-American and Caribbean area”
▪  José Antonio De La Peña Mena, Deputy Director for Science, Conacyt, Mexico

Organization of American States – OAS  
“OAS/DSTI activities and OAS/FEMCIDI project financing”
▪  Oscar Harasic, Principal Specialist, Department of Science, Technology and Innovation

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) 
“CANADA’S FUNDING OF UNIVERSITY R&D in NATURAL SCIENCES & ENGINEERING”.
▪ Margaret McCuaig-Johnston, Executive Vice-President

16:00 – 16:30   Coffee break

16:30 – 19:00    Exchange time

Dinner Lecture 

19:00 – 19:45

  STI: Opportunities for Research, Development and Societal Benefit

• Howard Alper; IAP Co-Chair

July, 28th

List of Participants

List of Participants

Presentations

IANAS “Science Funding Landscape Workshop”
Guatemala – July 2009

July, 26th
Bristol Pluss Room

Keynote Conference 

IANAS Today and things to come in Guatemala
▪  Juan Pedro Laclette; IANAS Co-Chair

July, 27th
Bristol Pluss Room

Plenary session 1

Science, Scientists and Growth within South America and the Caribbean: Bottle Necks and Opportunities.
▪  Hernan Chaimovich, IANAS Co-Chair, Vice-President of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences

Plenary session 2                           

Science Funding Strategies in Latin America: their Role in Cooperation and Development of Small Scientific Communities.
▪  Gabriel Macaya; President of the National Academy of Sciences of Costa Rica

Plenary Session 3  

Funding Science in the Americas

Brazilian Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (CAPES)“Funding Sciences in the Americas: the case of Brazil”.
▪  Jorge Almeida Guimarães, President

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) ” Funding Science and Supporting Innovation: An Introduction to IDRC”
   ▪  David O’Brien, Senior Program Officer – Innovation, Policy and Science / Challenge Fund

National Science Foundation (NSF) “Funding International Science at the National Science Foundation”
   ▪  Harold Stolberg, Regional coordinator, Office of International Science and Engineering  (OD/OISE)

Plenary Session 4       

Funding Science in the Americas

National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT), Mexico “Some elements for the scientific integration of the Latin-American and Caribbean area”
▪  José Antonio De La Peña Mena, Deputy Director for Science, Conacyt, Mexico

Organization of American States – OAS  “OAS/DSTI activities and OAS/FEMCIDI project financing”
▪  Oscar Harasic, Principal Specialist, Department of Science, Technology and Innovation

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) 
“CANADA’S FUNDING OF UNIVERSITY R&D in NATURAL SCIENCES & ENGINEERING”.
▪ Margaret McCuaig-Johnston, Executive Vice-President

STI: Opportunities for Research, Development and Societal Benefit
▪ Howard Alper, IAP Co-Chair

July, 28th

Report

IANAS “Science Funding Landscape Workshop”
Guatemala City, Guatemala
July 26-28, 2009

REPORT

           The Inter-American Network of Academies of Sciences (IANAS) and the Academy of Medical, Physical and Natural Sciences of Guatemala hosted in Guatemala City, on July 26-28 of 2009, the IANAS “Science Funding Landscape Workshop”. The workshop was supported by the Guatemalan National Council for Science and Technology (CONCYT), the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the InterAcademy Panel on International Issues (IAP).
The goals of this workshop were to: (a) increase the linkages between the National Academies of Sciences in the region, National S&T Councils (or equivalent organizations) and granting agencies and programs that provide support to S&T in the Americas; and (b) provide guidance and grantsmanship support to optimize opportunities, in particular for early and mid-career scientists.
The workshop brought together representatives from 22 countries of the Americas: Argentina; Bolivia, Brazil; Canada; Chile; Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico; Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, United States of America; and Venezuela. Participants included Presidents or high-level officials of 10 National S&T Councils (or equivalent organizations); 11 Rectors or official representatives from major national universities; 11 high-level officials of regional and international granting agencies and programs; and outstanding young scientists selected from 15 less developed countries (one each) of the Americas and the Caribbean Region.
During the discussions held in the 3 days of the workshop, the organizations providing funding opportunities in the region had the space to present their vision and programs, and the representatives from the developing countries had the opportunity to present the effective needs of their countries. Through a dynamics that stimulated the interaction between participants, the workshop proved to be an extremely successful opportunity for the developing countries to become aware of existing opportunities, and for the granting agencies to become more acquainted with the real needs of each of the participating countries.
The reccomendations from the Workshop included:

• A mandate for IANAS to organize a web information system that will include the needs of the S&T communities and the opportunities for funding;
• A mandate for IANAS to find chanells to increase mobility of young scientists from the less developed countries of the region;
• A mandate for IANAS to empower the Academies of Science from the less developed countries of the region to formulate Stretegic State Plans for S&T.

The evaluation of the workshop by the participants was collected electronically and demonstrated that the participants were convinced of the success of the initiative, and very gratefull for the experience.