[afro-nets] US urged to boost role of science in overseas aid

[Claudio Schuftan <claudio@hcmc.netnam.vn>]

US urged to boost role of science in overseas aid
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http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2662&language=1

USAID is being urged to put science back at the heart of its aid
programmes
by David Dickson - 16 February 2006
Source: SciDev.Net

Leading US science policy experts are urging the United States
to return science and technology to the heart of its overseas
aid programmes.

The proposals are made in a report published today (16 February)
by a committee of the National Research Council, the branch of
the US National Academies of Science that carries out independ-
ent studies of government agencies.

In particular, the group wants the US Agency for International
Development (USAID) to reverse steep declines in the number of
scientists and engineers it employs, and in its support for stu-
dents from developing countries studying technical subjects at
US universities.

Members of the group accept that given the current political and
economic demands on USAID, their proposals could take years to
be adopted, even though other countries such as the United King-
dom are pursuing them (see 'Rockefeller boss to put science into
UK development aid').

The committee, chaired by Thomas Pickering, a former US ambassa-
dor to the United Nations, and Kenneth Shine, vice-chancellor
for health affairs at the University of Texas System, makes
three broad recommendations.

First, that USAID should reverse the decline in its support for
building science and technology capacity in developing countries
­ including more support for graduate education and broadband
Internet access.

Second, they say the agency should recruit senior officials with
strong scientific and management credentials.

Third, the committee urges USAID to coordinate the science and
technology-related activities that other US government depart-
ments and agencies undertake in developing countries.

The committee also says USAID needs a chief scientific advisor,
and should support the creation of a Non-governmental Innovation
Center, staffed primarily by scientists and engineers applying
innovative technologies to specific development problems.

John Daly, a former USAID science official who is now an advisor
to the World Bank, describes the recommendations as "well con-
sidered, relevant and reasonable".

But he adds that "unfortunately, the recommendations seem likely
to fall on deaf ears" since the Bush administration "is at war
with the domestic and international scientific community over a
variety of environmental, bioethics and science education is-
sues".

Daly also points out that current US budget deficits will make
it difficult to finance new initiatives. This, plus other pres-
sures on USAID ­ including the fact that half of its overseas
aid staff now qualify for retirement ­ "is not a situation in
which even good advice by serious people is likely to be used
well," he says.

But Glenn Schweitzer, the director of the study, says that be-
cause USAID has a new administrator and will be working more
closely with the US State Department, there will be more oppor-
tunities for new initiatives (see 'Window of opportunity for
USAID').

He says that while members of the panel accept that persuading
the Bush administration to follow the recommendations will be
difficult, he is optimistic the recommendations will eventually
be implemented.

"They will be relevant today, and next year, and for many years
to come," he says. "The importance of the topic cannot be ig-
nored."