The influence of international science funding

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Ethiopia illustrates the influence of international funding on a relatively small research system, according to a report on science funding in the country. Most support for research in universities has come from outside sources, especially the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, SIDA.

A draft country report on Ethiopia was recently published as part of a 17-country study of the Science Granting Councils in Sub-Saharan Africa project undertaken by the Centre for Research on Evaluation, Science and Technology at the University of Stellenbosch. A consultative conference on the project was held in South Africa late last year.

The country report reveals that since 1975, SIDA had supported scientific research in Ethiopia with a total estimated amount of more than US$100 million.

“To date, most of the funding for research at universities in Ethiopia has come from outside sources, specifically from SIDA,” which continues to provide large block grants.

The study by Professor Frans Swanepoel, one of the co-authors of the draft country reports, estimated that Ethiopia spends around 0.2% of gross domestic product on research and development, or R&D, activities annually.

“The most recent policy document stipulates that by 2015, at least 1% of GDP should be spent on R&D, and by 2020 and 2025, 1.5% and 2% of GDP should be spent respectively.”

So it appears that after decades of neglect, the government has come to recognise the importance of research to development – but there is concern over whether structures are in place to support growth if the government delivers on its funding promises.

As Swanepoel points out, science and technology requires a clear funding commitment from government and although national policy stipulates a rise in funding “no mechanism has been developed to earmark a national budget chapter for the implementation of national science and technology programmes and projects”.

A 2013 document proposed the development of a National Science, Technology and Innovation Council, or NSTIC, with a technical advisory committee as its secretariat. This will be “a first step towards addressing this gap”, says Swanepoel.

The state of research

At the consultative conference Professor Shibru Tedla, executive director of the Ethiopian Academy of Sciences, said in a presentation on the “State of Research in Ethiopia” that organised research activities only existed in the health and agriculture sectors.

“In other sectors of the economy, research is either lacking or poorly organised. Research endeavours are often very fragmented,” he said.

In the health sector, the Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute and the Armauer Hansen Research Institute undertake organised research, and some higher education institutions are also involved in research in various health fields.

“The activities of these institutes are not properly integrated and the evolution of health research in the country into an organised national health research system is still at an early stage,” said Tedla.

Agricultural research was relatively better organised and comprised two main sets of institutions. The Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research and the Regional Agricultural Research Institutes form the first set of institutions, with higher education institutions conducting agricultural research the second set.

“Most of the research activities in the sector focus on crops followed by livestock and natural resources. Due to lack of appreciation for needs-based research, resource allocation has been biased to research projects modelled after systems in developed countries.”

Recent measures that could help to bolster research and development in Ethiopia are NSTIC and the establishment of a National Research Council – which the Ethiopian Academy of Sciences is involved in, said Tedla.

Challenges ahead

Research is needed to tackle major social and economic problems, to contribute to achieving national development objectives, and to meet technology demands, Tedla stressed.

The national research system needs to be strengthened and orientated to focus on identifying, adapting and using effective foreign technologies. Support for research institutes is needed to develop their capacity, and higher education and research institutions need to ensure their work is in line with technological and national development priorities.

There is also a need to support joint research among institutions, as well as for industries to establish research centres on technology adaptation.

In his report Frans Swanepoel highlighted challenges for Ethiopia’s science system as being lack of funding, lack of influence exerted by the science community, a “critical shortage of skilled human resources”, the poor state of intellectual property rights protection and lack of hard data on R&D spending, numbers of research establishments and staff.

Opportunities exist to strengthen R&D capabilities and development through the relationship with Sweden, he concludes, including by improving existing centres of excellence.

There are a number of “critically important” areas not adequately addressed in relation to science and technology – particularly the areas of water, energy and geosciences.

“Research and development activities in the industrial sector are largely neglected, with serious implications for the country’s future innovative capacity and economic growth.”