Knowledge for Development

Relevant publications


Drivers of international collaboration in research

Authors:          European Commission   Publication:     Report, European Commission, Brussels, Belgium   Date:                2009http://ec.europa.eu/research/iscp/pdf/drivers_sti.pdf   International research collaboration (IRC) is getting more policy attention in all countries. There is a ‘narrow paradigm’ (stemming from the dynamics of science and research) and a ‘broader paradigm’ (stemming from additional policy objectives that use science, technology and innovation (STI) collaboration to achieve wider economic and social goals). IRC policies and programmes that combine various policy drivers usually have indistinct goals that are hard to measure. While policy makers and research funders apply many assumptions about how IRC affects policy goals, these are rarely specified. In the ‘broad paradigm’, the causal relationships between goals and programmes cannot be established. Given the variety of actors, drivers, and national starting position relating to STI IRC and the parallel use of bottom-up and more top-down strategies, a coherent evaluation and indicator framework will be difficult. However, such a ‘bottom-line’ framework and ‘narrow’ paradigm key indicators would be a necessary first step.   

30/04/2014


Examining core elements of international research collaboration

Authors:          National Research Council   Publication:     Examining Core Elements of International Research Collaboration: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press   Date:                2011   http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13192   US-based organisations are finding that international research collaborations (IRCs) and partnerships enhance research and training. However, there are significant obstacles and enhancing IRC requires recognition of differences in culture, legitimate national security needs, and critical needs in education and training. The Government-University-Industry Research Roundtable launched a Working Group on IRCs in 2008, who arranged this workshop. Other issues include: (1) cultural differences and nuances; (2) legal issues and agreements; (3) differences in ethical standards; (4) research integrity and the responsible conduct of research; (5) intellectual property; (6) risk management; (7) export controls; and (8) strategies for developing meaningful international collaborations. It concludes that better understanding of the risks involved in IRC for organisations and individual participants, and management options are central. Risk management is complex and many US rules can complicate collaborative arrangements.   

30/04/2014


What is research collaboration?

Authors:          Katz, J.S. and Martin, B.R.   Publication:     Research Policy 26, 1-18  Date:                1997  http://www.sussex.ac.uk/Users/sylvank/pubs/Res_col9.pdf   Although there have been many previous studies of research collaboration, comparatively little attention has been given to the concept of 'collaboration' or to the adequacy of attempting to measure it through co-authorship. In this paper, the authors distinguish between collaboration at different levels and show that inter-institutional and international collaboration need not necessarily involve inter-individual collaboration. They also show that co-authorship is no more than a partial indicator of collaboration. Lastly, they argue for a more symmetrical approach in comparing the costs of collaboration with the undoubted benefits when considering policies towards research collaboration.   

30/04/2014


The changing approach towards developing countries in international STI cooperation

Authors:          Steinz, H.   Publication:     Master Thesis, University of Utrecht, Netherlands   Date:                2012   http://www.technopolis-group.com/resources/downloads/nl/2012_Master_Thesis_Henk_Steinz.pdf   Science technology and innovation (STI) international research cooperation (IRC) used to be regarded as a knowledge flow from North to South. This study examined the change in the Dutch researcher and policy approach to STI cooperation with developing countries. A literature review and case studies indicated a changing approach. At the Dutch policy level there is a clear tendency towards Top Sector policy, with a focus on the Dutch benefits of the cooperation and private party participation. At the researcher level the changes in approach are more dependent on the development of the partner country. Over the years 2000-2012, Indonesia and China have gone through significant economical and scientific developments, making capacity building less relevant and flows of funding more even, and that cooperation is more equal as perceived by Dutch researchers. As Africa remains less developed, cooperation with African partners is still characterised by inequalities in capacities, resources and funding.  

30/04/2014


European Research Area Guidelines on Intellectual Property (IP) Management in International Research Collaboration Agreements between European and Non-European Partners

Authors:          Knowledge Transfer Working Group of the European Research Area Committee   Publication:     European Union, Brussels, Belgium   Date:                2012   http://ec.europa.eu/research/innovation-union/pdf/international_cooperation_guidelines_erac_kt_group.pdf#view=fit&pagemode=none  Partners will naturally seek to benefit from their own inputs to a collaborative venture but also from the synergies of working with others both in and outside of Europe. Guidelines presented here outline the significant issues for the management of intellectual property (IP) by universities and other public research organisations (PROs) within Europe and outside. Considerations about IP and knowledge transfer management systems must allow for an organisation's long-term strategy. Key factors should be considered before entering a collaboration: a strategic risk-benefit analysis and the determination of the scope and proposed objectives of the collaboration; provisions to ensure confidentiality is maintained; due diligence of the partner's activities and IP position; an assessment of the contractual and IP legal framework in the country of potential partners; key to national funding awards in both the participant’s and partner's countries.   

30/04/2014


Opportunities, challenges and good practices in international research cooperation between developed and developing countries

Authors:          OECD   Publication:     OECD Global Science Forum, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris, France.  Date:                2011  http://www.oecd.org/sti/sci-tech/47737209.pdf   This report describes key issues and options for those designing, initiating and managing collaborative research programmes and projects that include both scientific and development goals. The report identifies good practices and new ideas, and presents options for concrete actions. Official Development Assistance (ODA) increasingly supports scientific collaboration for developmental goals, and strengthening research capacity, especially in the developing countries. Recently, several countries and private organisations have assigned a higher priority to global issues, collaborative research, and moving beyond traditional technology transfer. In the industrialised countries, scientists and policy makers increasingly turn to countries in the developing world as desirable and even crucial partners who can provide a wide range of expertise, resources, and other benefits, from natural research sites to future commercial markets for high-technology products. Developing countries increasingly are building and enhancing research capacity to support economic growth, and dealing with the local effects of global-scale problems.   

30/04/2014


What avenues for enhanced Africa-EU collaboration on research and innovation?

Authors:          JAES Support Mechanism for the Africa EU Partnership    Publication:     JAES Support Mechanism for the Africa EU Partnership   Date:                2013      An Africa-EU partnership suggested the following:   Technology and Innovation should be factored into other Africa-EU initiatives such as higher education and mobility (Pan-African University), infrastructure (i.e. Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa), internet access (AfricaConnect) and agriculture (CAADP);   Encourage governments to invest in R&D and in STI: the inter-continental partnership enables governments, private sector and research institutions to identify specific interventions of mutual interest for national-level action;   Enhance the role of the private sector: essential for transforming STI investments into concrete gains;   Apply the principles of win-win: the Africa-EU partnership involves common interests and mutual obligations.;   Act in areas of comparative advantage: African and European actors have complementary assets that can optimise joint STI initiatives.    Visit source.

30/04/2014


S&T collaboration in developing countries: Lessons from Brazilian collaboration activities with South Korea

Authors:          Fink, D., Hameed, T., Minho So, M.H., Kwon, Y.S. and Rho, J.J.   Publication:     Science Technology and Innovation Policy Review 3(2), 92-110.   Date:                2012   http://www.researchgate.net/publication/236021171_S__T_Collaboration_in_Developing_Countries_Lessons_from_Brazilian_Collaboration_Activities_with_South_Korea  This paper shows how science and technology (S&T) collaborations between Brazil and Korea have developed over the past two decades, stressing differences between initiation and the actual establishment of collaborative research at national and individual levels, in the focus areas of research, in resources and project planning, and the nature of collaborations. Collaborative research activities and research foci were initiated nationally before individual efforts and individual collaborations focused on different areas. Project types remained different at each level (i.e. top-down and bottom-up) or with a slightly changing mix. This study suggests appropriate policy measures (such as the timely and effective information collection of activities at different levels and proactive coordination) that could reduce the gaps in the timing and alignment of research areas.   

30/04/2014


North-South research partnerships: challenges, responses and trends. a literature review and annotated bibliography

Authors:          Bradley, M.   Publication:     Canadian Partnerships Working Paper No. 1 Canadian Partnerships Program, IDRC, Ottawa, Canada.  Date:                2007  http://web.idrc.ca/uploads/user-S/11788973691CP_Working_Paper_1-FINAL.pdf  Many professionals involved in North-South development research projects lament the lack of studies on these partnerships to support critical reflection and the refining of approaches to collaboration. This review suggests that studies and evaluations of collaborative research endeavours are more plentiful, and their findings more instructive, than is often assumed. Still, significant issues remain to be explored. This paper provides an overview of the major issues and themes in the English literature on North-South development research partnerships, and identifies avenues for future research on the issue.  

30/04/2014


Where there is no lawyer: Guidance for fairer contract negotiation in collaborative research partnerships

Authors:          Marais, D., Toohey, J., Edwards. D. and IJsselmuiden, C.   Publication:     Council on Health Research for Development, Geneva, Switzerland.   Date:                2013   http://www.cohred.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Fair-Research-Contracting-Guidance-Booklet-e-version.pdf   Surveys of research institutions in the African and Asian regions have revealed some significant gaps in the contracting and contract management capacity of low- and middle-income country (LMIC) institutions. Many institutions had not previously considered research contracting to be a legal issue and had no specialist legal expertise, meaning contractual terms and conditions were often poorly understood. Better contract negotiation expertise in LMIC institutions will better distribute benefits of collaborative research, such as overhead costs, data ownership, institutional capacity in research management, technology transfer, and intellectual property rights. The guidance proposes optimising research institution building through better contracts and contracting between institutions, and is relevant for north-south and south-south collaborative research.   

30/04/2014