Sources of information on EU Research and Innovation

Sources of Information on EU Research and Innovation

• Two main Portals for EU research and innovation: "Europa" and "Cordis"
• 7th Research Framework Programme (2007-2013): The European Commission adopted a proposal for a new EU programme for Research. The proposal provides new impetus to increase Europe's growth and competitiveness, recognising that knowledge is Europe's greatest resource. "Europa" and "Cordis"
• EU Energy research
• Online Presentations of the 7th Research Framework Programme (FP7): A major FP7 information event was organised in Brussels in 2007. All video presentations are available.
• 6th Research Framework Programme (2002-2006): The EU's Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development is a major tool to support the creation of the European Research Area - ERA."
• Find a running Community research project: FP6 and FP7
• Investing in European Research
• International Cooperation in FP7: FP7 is open to and promotes international S&T cooperation.
• Communication "More Research and Innovation - Common Approach": Research and innovation have been confirmed as key challenges in the new Lisbon Partnership for Growth and Jobs. The 2002 Barcelona European Council set the goal of raising overall research investment in the EU from1.9% of GDP to around 3% by 2010.
• Information and Communication Technologies: Information and Communication Technologies are vital to creating growth throughout Europe’s economy and achieving its social and environmental goals. It is therefore crucial that Europe masters these technologies, rather than simply importing them.
• Key S&T Figures: The Key Figures report 2008/2009 take a detailed look at the most important aspects of EU research and innovation investment and performance.
• The European Researcher's Mobility Portal: If you are a researcher planning your next move in Europe, look here for career opportunities and to find information and assistance.
• Marie Curie Actions: Marie Curie Fellowships actions provide may opportunities to pre and post-doctoral researchers.
• The EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard: The EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard provides economic and financial data and analysis of companies from the EU and from abroad investing the most in Research and Development.
• European Innovation Scoreboard: The EIS is the instrument developed by the European Commission, under the Lisbon Strategy, to evaluate and compare the innovation performance of the Member States.
• European Technology Platforms: They provide a framework for stakeholders, led by industry, to define research and development priorities, timeframes and action plans on a number of strategically important issues where achieving Europe's future growth, competitiveness and sustainability objectives is dependent upon major research and technological advances in the medium to long term.
• Building the "European Research Area": The idea of a European Research Area grew out of the realisation that research in Europe suffers from three weaknesses: insufficient funding, lack of an environment to stimulate research and exploit results, and the fragmented nature of activities and the dispersal of resources.
• European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures: The role of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) is to support a coherent approach to policy-making on research infrastructures in Europe, and to act as an incubator for international negotiations about concrete initiatives. In particular, ESFRI has prepared a European Roadmap for new research infrastructures of pan-European interest.
• Gate2Growth: Gate2Growth is the pan-European Business Platform for (i) Entrepreneurs seeking financing (Business Matching), (ii) Investors (InvestorNet), (iii) Technology Incubator Managers (Incubator Forum), (iv) Knowledge Transfer Offices (Proton Europe), (v) Academia in entrepreneurship, innovation and finance(Academic Network), (vi) Innovative companies seeking expert service providers (Service Centre).
• European Institute of Innovation and Technology: The proposal to establish EIT ) was first put forward in 2005 as part of the mid-term review of the Lisbon strategy. In a Communication to the European Council on February 22 entitled “Implementing the renewed partnership for growth and jobs. Developing a knowledge flagship: The European Institute of Technology”, the Commission defined the key elements of EIT.
• European Research Council: The objective of the 'Ideas' programme in FP7 is to enhance the dynamism, creativity and excellence of European research at the frontier of knowledge. This is to be done by supporting "investigator-driven" research projects carried out across all fields by individual teams in competition at the European level.
• Stimulating research and innovation through public procurement: A new study confirms that there is sufficient room within the framework of EU legislation for national and regional governments to apply innovation-oriented procurement if they wish. "Innovation and Public Procurement. Review of Issues at Stake" recommends that Member States take initiatives to encourage procurement for innovation.
• SINAPSE: The main and general objective of SINAPSE (Scientific INformAtion for Policy Support in Europe) e-network is to make better use of scientific knowledge in policy making. SINAPSE is open to all scientists, scientific organisations and anyone with an interest in science.
• Competitiveness and Innovation Framework programmes (2007-2013): The proposed Framework Programme is structured around three main blocks of activities: (i) The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme, particularly focussing on SMEs, (ii) the ICT Policy Support Programme, to support the adoption of ICTs in business, administrations and public sector services and (iii) the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme.
• Towards world-class clusters in the European Union - Implementing the broad-based innovation strategy: This Commission communication calls for more efforts for facilitating the emergence of world-class clusters in the European Union. It addresses key challenges to achieve this: Deepening the internal market, improving cluster policies, fostering trans-national cooperation, promoting excellence of cluster organisations, and improving the integration of innovative SMEs into clusters.
• Cluster Mapping: The European Observatory of clusters will be built upon the results of two cluster mapping projects. The first project, completed in June 2006, covers the EU-10 countries while the second, to start in September 2006, will cover EU-15, the three Candidate Countries i.e. Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey as well as Iceland, Israel, Norway and Switzerland.

NISTADS Workshop on "Green Economy: Challenges and Responses to Changing Conditions"

Two day Workshop on "Green Economy: Challenges and Responses to Changing Conditions"

14-15 December 2009

Venue: India International Centre, New Delhi

Organized by National Institute of Science, Technology and Development Studies (NISTADS, CSIR), New Delhi

NISTADS is devoted to the study of various aspects of interaction among science, society and state. As a part of a recently undertaken project on "Prospects of Green Occupations in India with special emphasis on skilled professions". The workshop aims to focus on economic sectors with greening potential, such as water, energy etc and the skills response strategies towards current and future labour market demand for green collar workers at different levels, i.e. national, sectoral, regional, company and training provider. A discussion on the priorities of the country for mitigating and adapting to climate change in response to environmental degradation among researchers, academicians, bureaucrats and stakeholders will also be a part of the workshop. The workshop is broadly divided into the following themes:

• Day I

A. Access to clean water: Water supply, Waste water treatment, Governance

B. Energy efficiency: Green buildings, Emerging clean technologies, energy supply

• Day II

C. Environmental standards: Regulations, Management, Audit

D. Other issues on new or existing green occupations

Contact Dr. Kasturi Mandal, Scientist, NISTADS to present a paper or take part in the deliberations.

UNU-EHS Summer Academy on Social Vulnerability

Fifth Annual Summer Academy on Social Vulnerability

25-31 July 2010

Venue: The historic Hohenkammer Castle (Schloss Hohenkammer) in the countryside outside of Munich, Germany

Supported by Munich Re Foundation and United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS)

Call for Applications

UNU-EHS invites qualified Ph.D, LLM and SJD students who have an interdisciplinary focus and are working on research or dissertations related to humanitarian and human rights law, migration studies, economics and labor migration, environmental studies, natural disasters, human security, and public health to apply for the 2010 Summer Academy. Most participants are expected to be graduate or post-graduate students. PhD students would be ideally in their second or third year of research. However, a few places will be reserved for practitioners who wish to take a step back from their operational work to engage with young researchers on this strategic issue. Applications are required to be submitted online at www.ehs.unu.edu not later than January 15, 2010.

Purpose

The Summer Academy is designed to bring Ph.D, LLM and SJD students together with senior United Nations University and Munich Re Foundation scientists, international experts, and academic professors to facilitate the mutual exchange of research and scholarship on climate change and social vulnerability. The 2010 program will invite a group of outstanding students from graduate programs around the world to participate with experts in mapping a set of potential policy and institutional frameworks to help address the humanitarian and human rights impacts of forced migration related to climate change.

Learning Objectives

• Independent and problem solving orientated thinking;
• Actively engaging and communicating with other participants in an inter/multidisciplinary and intercultural team;
• Translating research into policy relevant recommendations;
• Enhancing participants’ ability to fit their own research into a broader research context and the ability of strategic planning of future research;
• Professional networking amongst young and senior professionals at the academy to link up synergy for further collaboration;
• Increasing and updating participants’ knowledge of the literature on social vulnerability, governance framework in relation to climate change and forced migration.

Financial Support

The participants are expected to cover their travel. Accommodation and meals during the week-long academy will be generously sponsored by the Munich Re Foundation. There are only limited funds available for travel support for applicants from developing countries. All applicants are encouraged to seek their own funding for travel.Summer Academy application process Complete applications must be received no later than 15 January 2010. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Notifications will be made mid-March 2010. The working language for the Summer Academy is English.

Summer Academy application process

Complete applications must be received no later than 15 January 2010. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Notifications will be made mid-March 2010. The working language for the Summer Academy is English.To apply for the 2010 Summer Academy in the online form provided at the UNU-EHS website.

Further Details

Invest in R&D to stay in the carbon capture & storage race

Invest in R&D to stay in the carbon capture & storage race

Malti Goel*

(*Former Advisor, Department of Science & Technology, and CSIR Emeritus Scientist, CSSP, JNU)

Monday, Oct 26, 2009, The Financial Express

While developing countries are expected to take adaptive actions to the pollution that has already occurred, mitigation is an inclusive process and it requires innovation. The science & technology developments have a great role to play in mitigation. The setting up of a national climate change mitigation authority would be a welcome step in this direction.

Take the example of energy sector: Fossil fuels are the backbone of economy of any nation. To address the challenge of emissions from coal-based power plants, efforts are being mounted to introduce carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology as means of effective mitigation option for stabilising CO2 concentrations, either through reduction of emissions or capture of excess CO2. The captured CO2 is converted to liquid form, making it easier to transport it to desirable location. For storage CO2 can be injected into depleted oil and gas reservoirs. The other possibilities are rocks, which react slowly to mineralisation, deep saline formations-underground or under the sea bed.

Pre-combustion appears most favourable to remove or minimise CO2 from the fuel before it is combusted. It is being routinely done for natural gas. Coal needs to be, however, gasified. It would be more appropriate to remove CO2 from the syn gas at higher temperatures of gasification so as to reduce overall energy consumption. The CO2 sequestration studies over a range of different materials; rare earths, composites and adsorbents, which can perform at higher temperatures, have been initiated in R&D laboratories.

In the area of coal combustion the pulverised fuel is the most practical technology adopted in 97% of thermal power plants worldwide. Pulverised fuel under super-critical conditions offers improved efficiency. In India plans are underway to introduce new capacity addition using super-critical boilers. Oxy coal combustion is another innovative technology being proposed in may countries to reduce air pollution and increase efficiency of power generation. Burning of coal in 100% oxygen has benefits as well as technical challenges. Rapid progress has been made in the UK, Germany, Canada and Australia in the last two years as it could facilitate low-cost CO2 capture. A 30-mw oxy coal pilot facility has been demonstrated at Vattenfall (Germany) in 2008.

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Call for Nominations - IDRC India Social Science Research Award 2009

Call for Nominations - IDRC India Social Science Research Award 2009

About the Award

The International Development Research Centre India Social Science Research Award (IDRC-SSRA) 2009 is about celebrating best research practices in social sciences in India on the occasion of 25 years of IDRC’s regional office presence in India. The Award seeks to recognize young talent and celebrate research that has demonstrated impact on policy and practice, or has enhanced public understanding of behavioral & social science principles. Nominations are invited for the Award process and open until November 20, 2009.

The Award will be given to the submission that best demonstrates the impact of research on decision-making within – and understanding of the issues relating to – the public policy and practice. The jury will be looking for case studies which show a strong connection between the research and policy or practice outcomes. A maximum of INR 40,000 per award is available.

Purpose

The Research Award recognizes young professionals who have made significant contributions to knowledge concerning significant areas of social science research to policy or enhanced public understanding and practice through meritorious research.

Award Categories

The IDRC SSRA will be given out for best research practices in the following five thematic areas:

• Enhancing Food Security: Research and studies that aim at enhancing the food and livelihood security of marginalized and vulnerable communities, through increasing practical opportunities for enhancing and diversifying food production, improving access to markets (value chains) and securing rights.
• Climate Change and Adaptation: Research and studies that develop integrated approaches to support building local resilience and adaptive capacity, particularly amongst vulnerable communities. This may involve research on enabling mechanisms underlying both planned and autonomous adaptation strategies (e.g. adaptive infrastructure or risk pooling/ transferring mechanisms or larger questions of governance and disaster risk reduction).
• Rural Innovation Systems: Research and studies on innovation processes and innovation systems of relevance to the rural economy; this may include both formal ( science and technology based) and non-formal innovations (such as tacit- knowledge based); the ways of generating knowledge, linking to and learning from other knowledge actors and using knowledge for tangible outcomes to benefit rural people; research on policy and regulatory processes that influence these innovations; rural innovation capacity in the context of national development.
• Equity in Health Systems: Research and studies that aim to ensure that all people may attain a level of health that enables them to participate actively in the social and economic life of the community in which they live. This would include applied research which is necessary to identify priority problems and to design and evaluate policies and programmes that will deliver the greatest health benefits, making optimal use of available resources.
• Social Inclusion: Research and studies that focuses on existing social cleavages; the exclusion of some groups from social and economic rights (especially in the case of women); citizenship rights & political rights (participation and capacity to mobilize/organise by all groups in society especially those marginalized); and, conflict and insecurity induced by nation building.

Up to Ten Research Awards will be given in five key thematic areas. The jury also may award 2 non-cash projects recognizing special initiatives.

Last Date for Nominations: 20th November 2009

Further Details

International Seminar on Forest Management and Sustainable Development: Economic and Environmental Issues

International Seminar on Forest Management and Sustainable Development: Economic and Environmental Issues

27-28 February (Sat-Sun), 2010

Organised by: Centre for Studies on Environment and Sustainable Development (CSESD), Rabindra Bharati University (Emerald Bower, 56A, B.T. Road, Kolkata - 700 050) in collaboration with the CHEM, RBU and IIDS

Call for Papers

CSESD invites Abstracts (within 300 words) on any aspect of the theme for consideration to be sent to csesd@rediffmail.com and rk_sen25@rediffmail.com with a hard copy within Dec 31, 2009. Selected authors will have to submit the full paper by email with a hard copy before the Seminar and selected papers will be published in the form of an edited volume in due course.

There is a token Registration fee of Rs. 300/- only for all delegates which includes Seminar kits and modest boarding and lodging (for outstation delegates only) from 26 Feb (afternoon) to 1 March (morning) (to be informed within 15.2.10). There is no TA for the delegates.

Professor Raj Kumar Sen
Director CSESD, RBU & Chairman, IIDS
Ph. 033-2555 5613(R), 09432364604 (M)
Further details: www.rabindrabharatiuniversity.net/csesd

Information and Communication for Development Report 2009: Extending Reach and Increasing Impact

Information and Communication for Development Report 2009: Extending Reach and Increasing Impact

Published by The World Bank, Washington, D.C., United States, July 2009

The World Bank Report takes an in-depth look at how ICT, and particularly broadband and mobile, are impacting economic growth in developing countries. The data section includes at-a-glance tables for 150 economies of the latest available data on ICT sector performance. Performance measures for access, affordability and applications in government and business are also introduced.

IC4D 2009: Extending Reach and Increasing Impact

Does access to the Internet promote economic growth in developing countries? How can mobile phones extend financial and health services to the poor? How do manual and e-government services compare? What opportunities does the information technology industry offer for women and youth?

The second issue of the series Information and Communication for Development "IC4D 2009: Extending Reach and Increasing Impact" takes a close look at mobile and broadband connectivity; it analyses the development impact of high-speed Internet access in developing countries and provides policy options with the opportunities and challenges of convergence. The report also presents a framework of e-government applications and discusses various country experiences with the institutional and policy arrangements for e-government and for the development of local information technology (IT) industry. The common thread running through these topics is the develompent impact of ICT.

In addition, the report presents summary tables of ICT sector indicators in 150 economies and introduces new performance measures in terms of access, affordability, and ICT adoption in government and business.

Powering Growth and Jobs through Broadband

The report Information and Communication for Development 2009: Extending Reach and Increasing Impact, finds that with 10 percent increase in high speed Internet connections, economic growth increases by 1.3 percent. New information and communications technologies (ICT) in particular are changing the way companies do business, transforming public service delivery and democratizing innnovation.

In addition, the report highlights that connectivity - whether the Internet or mobile phones- is increasingly bringing market information, financial services, health services - to remote areas, and is helping to change people's lives in unprecedented ways.

"The mobile platform is emerging as the single most powerful way to extend economic opportunities and key services to millions of people,” says Christine Zhen-Wei Qiang, World Bank economist and editor of a new Bank Group report on information technology and development.

The Report - Other Highlights are:

• Access to affordable broadband Internet and mobile phone services enables development across all levels of the economy and society;
• Governments should work with the private sector to accelerate rollout of broadband networks, and to extend access to low-income consumers;
• Information technology services industries create jobs, especially among youth;
• Modern, technology-enabled governments are more efficient, transparent and responsive.

Table of Contents

• Part I
• Chapter 1: Overview
• Chapter 2: Nothing Endures but Change: Thinking Strategically about ICT Convergence
• Chapter 3: Economic Impacts of Broadband
• Chapter 4: Advancing the Development of Backbone Networks in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Chapter 5: How Do Manual and E-Government Services Compare? Experiences from India
• Chapter 6: National E-Government Institutions: Functions,Models, and Trends
• Chapter 7: Realizing the Opportunities Presented by the Global Trade in IT-Based Services
• Part II
• Trends Analysis
• ICT Performance Measures: Methodology and Findings
• ICT Performance Measure Table
• User's Guide to ICT At-a-Glance Country Tables
• At-a-Glance Country Tables
• Key ICT Indicators for Other Economies, 2007

Further Details and Download Chapters

Information Economy Report 2009: Trends and Outlook in Turbulent Times

The Information Economy Report 2009: Trends and Outlook in Turbulent Times

Published by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

The Information Economy Report 2009: Trends and Outlook in Turbulent Times is the fourth in a series published by the UNCTAD. The report is one of the few publications to monitor global trends in information and communication technologies (ICTs) as they affect developing countries. It serves as a valuable reference for policymakers in those nations. It gives special attention to the impact of the global financial crisis on ICTs.

Contents:

• Global and regional trends in the diffusion of ICTs such as fixed and mobile telecommunications, Internet, and broadband
• Ranking of the most dynamic economies in terms of increased ICT connectivity between 2003 and 2008
• Monitoring of the "digital divide"
• Survey of national statistical offices on the use of ICT in the business sector
• A review of the changing patterns in the trade of ICT goods
• A mapping of the new geography in the offshoring of IT and ICT-enabled services
• Policy recommendations on how developing countries can reap greater benefits from ICT
• A statistical annex with global ICT data.

The Information Economy Report 2009 (IER 2009) offers a fresh assessment of the diffusion of key ICT applications between 2003 and 2008. While fixed telephone subscriptions are now in slight decline, mobile and Internet use continues to expand rapidly in most countries and regions. At the same time, there is a widening gap between high-income and low-income countries in broadband connectivity. Broadband penetration is now eight times higher in developed than in developing countries. The report explores policy options for countries seeking to improve broadband connectivity.

The IER 2009 includes a chapter on the use of ICTs in the business sector. Drawing on unique data, it examines how ICT use differs both between and within countries, highlighting the rural-urban divide as well as that between large and small companies. The report recommends that governments in developing countries give more attention to ICT uptake and use by small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as they are lagging behind larger firms. And it discusses those aspects of ICT where government intervention can make a difference.

A third chapter is devoted to the impact of the financial crisis on ICT trade. While a growing share of exports of ICT goods and services is accounted for by developing economies, especially in Asia, the crisis has affected goods and services quite differently. ICT goods are among the categories of trade most negatively affected by the recession, while IT and ICT-related services appear to be among the most resilient. A statistical annex to the report provides data on ICT infrastructure, ICT use, and ICT trade for up to 200 economies.

Download Full-text PDF

UNESCO World Report Investing in Cultural Diversity and Intercultural Dialogue

It is urgent to invest in cultural diversity and dialogue, according to a new UNESCO report

Paris, 20 October 2009

Companies which invest in cultural diversity, whether at the management, human resources or marketing level, can benefit economically from it. This is one of the conclusions in the UNESCO World Report Investing in Cultural Diversity and Intercultural Dialogue, presented at the Organization's Headquarters.

This World Report aims to become a reference tool for cultural diversity. Cultural diversity, which is too often reduced to the protection of heritage in danger, is also the development of intercultural skills, the search for an antidote to expressions of cultural isolationism, the road towards new forms of governance, the lever of the effective exercise of universally recognized human rights and a means to reduce imbalances in the world trade in creative products.

Media and cultural industries represent more than 7% of global GDP and represent approximately US$1.3 trillion, i.e. approximately twice the level of receipts from international tourism, estimated at US$680 billion. Africa's share in the global trade in creative products remains marginal - at less than 1% of worldwide exports – despite its abundance of creative talent. In order to improve this situation, it is urgent to invest in cultural diversity and dialogue, the Report insists.

"Culture was the great forgotten issue among the Millennium Development Goals', deplored Koïchiro Matsuura, UNESCO's Director-General, adding that ‘it has become urgent in our world, which is confronted to cultural changes of all sorts, to learn how to manage change and ensure that it does not becomes a source of greater vulnerability for those who are badly prepared to face it."

This is clearly the meaning of the ten recommendations drawn by the Report about ways to invest in cultural diversity. The Report especially suggests creating a 'World Observatory on Cultural Diversity, to monitor the impacts of globalization', setting up a "national mechanism for monitoring public policies as they relate to cultural diversity," and implementing "national language policies with a view to both safeguarding linguistic diversity and promoting multilingual competencies."

The Report also puts forward new strategies to facilitate intercultural dialogue, improve the relevance of educational contents, overcome stereotypes in the media and facilitate the exchange of artistic productions and the circulation of artists.

Aimed at the academic world as well as the general public, this Report develops a new vision of cultural diversity, which stresses its dynamic nature and the need to combat the development of cultural illiteracy, which is promoted by the acceleration of social transformations.

Chapters

• Chapter 1 Cultural diversity
• Chapter 2 Intercultural dialogue
• Chapter 3 Languages
• Chapter 4 Education
• Chapter 5 Communication and cultural contents
• Chapter 6 Creativity and the marketplace
• Chapter 7 Cultural diversity: A key dimension of sustainable development
• Chapter 8 Cultural diversity, human rights and democratic governance

Key figures:

• Estimates set at 6,000 to 8,000 the number of languages in the world today, which – although one language does not necessarily correspond to one culture (several cultures can speak the same language, and in one culture different languages may be spoken) – gives an idea of cultural diversity.
• There are many imbalances in the global trade of creative products: Africa’s share remains marginal (at less than 1% of exports), despite its abundance of creative talent.
• Most of the 75 million children who did not go to school in 2006 (55% of whom were girls) were from cultural 'minorities', indigenous populations or nomads.
• Half of the languages in the world are spoken by linguistic communities of less than 10,000 people.
• While in 2000 53% of Internet users were English-speaking their number fell to 29% in 2009.
• Developing countries' exports of cultural and media equipment increased rapidly between 1996 and 2005, growing from US$51 billion to US$274 billion, which showed the emergence of so-called "counter-flows", which are countering the extreme concentration of media ownership.
• Crafts and tourism are a major source of revenue for developing countries: crafts production and tourism represent more than 25% of the GDP of Morocco, for example.
• Fair trade has grown rapidly, by an average of 40% over the last five years.

Download Full-text PDF

India: Science and Technology 2008

India: Science and Technology 2008

Publisher: National Institute of Science, Technology & Development Studies (NISTADS), New Delhi, India; 2009.

The country is entering the age of knowledge when increasing returns would be ubiquitous. The democratic governance structures of this country have evolved, over the course of six decades, sets of complex institutions systems and practices that bind or otherwise relate S&T to the other spheres. With about four thousand research and development organizations, large organized systems of knowledge production, millions of knowledge-workers and an even larger number of citizens trying to engage in knowledge-based activities ranging from agriculture through semi-skilled workers to industrial workers, coupled with the fact of the country being especially gifted with immense diversity in natural resources - the opportunity set of potential outcomes are immense and invigorating.

The long twentieth century in Indian S&T based developmental experiments, in particular at grass roots, has thrown up immense volumes of data, facts and artifacts. A crucial issue emerges. The country very badly needs a strong mechanism to capture data related to S&T and innovation right from the regulatory or executive levels to source-points where S&T output or innovations get generated.

This Report presents several facets of Indian S&T. In lieu of attempting the development of a set of traditionally known indicators of S&T, the attempt here has been to capture multiple facets of Indian economy and society where S&T makes contributions. With unstated theoretical bases, contributors presented research conclusions in the form of several portrayals. Given the fact that S&T interfacing the economy and society has very large dimensions this Report could take up only a handful. Such a collage offers albeit a picture of where Indian S&T is located.

The report is the first of its kind from this country. It is targeted at a wide readership ranging from policy makers and advisors to academic readers as well as the common person. The contents of the report are:

• S&T Human Resources
• S&T Financing
• S&T Structure, Infrastructure and Public Space
• S&T and Industry
• S&T Output and Patents
• S&T for Rural India and Inclusive Growth

Read Full Report in PDF

Read Full-text Report in HTML

National Seminar on Science & Technology in Ancient Indian Texts

National Seminar on Science & Technology in Ancient Indian Texts (STAIT)

9-10 January 2010

Venue: Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India

Organized by:

Center for Indic Studies, University of Massachusetts (Dartmouth), USA & Special Center for Sanskrit Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India

The Special Center for Sanskrit Studies, JNU, in collaboration with the Center for Indic Studies, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth is organizing a two day seminar on “Science & Technology in Ancient Indian Texts (STAIT)” during January 9-10, 2010. This seminar is an activity under a project running at the Center for Indic Studies, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth under the directorship of Prof. Bal Ram Singh. This project aims to explore provable scientific and technological concepts in ancient Indian texts.

The seminar is proposed to invite experts from India and abroad working on natural sciences in Sanskrit under the following broad categories. This seminar aims at bringing together persons having academic interest in diverse areas of Sanskrit and Science. Though the area of Indic Science is broad, we are trying to focus on the following themes

1. Biological & Environmental Sciences
2. Chemical Sciences & Metallurgy
3. Physical Sciences & Astronomy
4. Medical Sciences, Ayurveda, Yoga for healing
5. Mathematical and Linguistic Sciences
6. Engineering including vaastu, vimaana shaastra, ship building, war, armament
7. Agricultural sciences & animal husbandry
8. Other novel sciences (not covered under 1-7)

Further Details

Science Meets Communication - The 9th Indian Science Communication Congress

Science Meets Communication - The 9th Indian Science Communication Congress (ISCC-2009)

15-19 December 2009

Venue: Krishna Kanta Handique State Open University, Guwahati, Assam, India

Organized by: National Council for Science & Technology Communication (NCSTC/ DST), New Delhi; Krishna Kanta Handique State Open University (KKHSOU), Guwahati; Indian Science Writers' Association (ISWA), New Delhi, India

The Concept

Each and every occurrence in the world leaves an impression in our mind. Our mind tends to analyze these impressions in order to empower ourselves to harmonize more effectively with our surroundings and to develop and adapt ourselves to the surroundings better. Science seeks to comprehend the nature and explain the natural and physical world with scientific knowledge based on scientific facts and evidences. Application of scientific knowledge in the form of technology had changed the lives of man in early days and has been continuing to change ever since. Over the years the development of science and technology has overshadowed all other developments but unfortunately, the development of the scientific spirit has not kept pace with the development of technology as far as the common man is concerned. The effort to empower masses towards taking the benefits of science for the society’s welfare comes to a naught when society mirrors a wide gap between scientific community and the common masses. This gap needs to be bridged. It may take long time and great effort to get rid of centuries old misbelieves and superstitions and create an environment where science is comprehensible to common man. Innovative science communication practices can find an answer to that and therefore the ISCC-2009 is aiming to focus on the meeting point of science and communication for the benefit of society. The approach to bridge the gap between science community and the general people, science education in the light of public understanding, various research tools and techniques for increasing scientific temperament in the common mass, various angles of science coverage by different media and the status of science communication in regional languages will be the issues for deliberations at the ISCC-2009. The Focal Theme for ISCC-2009 is "Science Meets Communication".

Objectives

1. To encourage discussion and interaction on issues and aspects concerning S&T communication.
2. To bring science communicators, scientists, technologists, journalists, academicians together.
3. To offer budding S&T communicators a wider exposure and enable them to express their views/ ideas.
4. To address various issues vital to promotion of science and technology communication.
5. To explore and share newer tools, ways, means for better target specific S&T communication.
6. To provide a forum for young and experienced researchers and practitioners of S&T communication.
7. To encourage the communicators to create and inculcate scientific temperament among the ethnic communities of the North Eastern Region, especially in the tribal areas.

Sub Themes: There will be 7 Scientific Sessions on the following sub themes:

1. Bridging the gap
2. Science in the media
3. Science and technology journalism to enlighten the society
4. Science illiteracy
5. Science communication in regional languages
6. Reaching the unreached - science and communication through distance learning
7. Resistance to scientific temper

ISCC Format

The technical sessions will have presentation of contributory research papers, review papers, survey analyses, case studies, and invited talks. Discussions in split groups would offer close exchange of thoughts and ideas. Deliberations will be in English, Hindi and Assamese. A subtheme cannot be the title of a paper/ presentation; select a narrower topic under a sub theme and design your research study around it. Papers must be prepared in standard research paper format, i.e. title of paper, name(s) and address of author(s), abstract, key words, introduction, objectives, methodology, observations, discussion, analysis, inferences, conclusions, recommendations, references, along with illustrations, graphics, photos including captions. In addition to scientific sessions and split groups, there will be two workshops and an open ended roundtable. One workshop would be for young researchers/ students; whereas the other will highlight global perspectives in S&T Communication.

Submission of Abstract/ Paper/ Poster/ Lecture/ Workshop Proposal

• Last Date for Submission of Abstract (500 Words) : November 20, 2009
• Last Date for Application for Travel Fellowship : November 20, 2009
• Last Date for Submission of Full Paper : November 30, 2009
• Last Date for Registration : November 30, 2009

Travel Fellowship

Limited number of travel fellowships are available for selected/ invited delegates from India. International delegates will make their own travel arrangements; the organizers could offer free stay and meals. Best paper/ presentation awards would be given in junior and senior categories based on independent evaluation.

Proceedings

All accepted papers will be published in the conference proceedings and should be asked for physical presentation at the conference. Selected papers may be submitted for publication in the Indian Journal of Science Communication.

Further Details

The New Invisible College: Science for Development

The New Invisible College: Science for Development by Caroline S. Wagner. The Brookings Institution, 1775, Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036, 2008. 157 pp. Price not mentioned.

Reviewed by Sujit Bhattacharya, Current Science, Vol. 97, No. 6, 25 September 2009

The central thesis/argument the book makes is that ‘Science operates at the global level as a Network – an Invisible College’. This, the author visualizes is fundamentally changing the structure of science in the 21st century. The rise of networked science makes knowledge creation more efficient and creates opportunities for developing countries to participate in global scientific activity and tap resources to solve local problems. But the author cautions that in order to take advantage of the networked structure, countries need to design new science policy framework that moves beyond national orientation. In advancing these arguments, the author uses both qualitative and quantitative perspectives.

Francis Fukuyama’s foreword provides a perfect setting for this book. He succinctly provides a glimpse of the changing landscape of science and articulates why this book is important. The book has three parts. Part 1 covers three themes: The emergence of the new invisible college (Chapter 1); The topology of science in the 21st century (Chapter 2); Network character of science (Chapter 3). Part II makes an analytical introspection of the network dynamics. Three themes cover this section. Tectonic shifts: The rise of global networks (Chapter 4); The virtual geography of knowledge (Chapter 5); Scientific capacity and infrastructure (Chapter 6). Part III dwells upon how the emerging configuration requires innovative policy framework and governance. These aspects are covered under the title ‘Governing the new invisible college’ (Chapter 7). Appendix explains the construction of the index used by the author to assess scientific capacity. For scholars, the Notes section in the end is a rich source of reference material.

To advance the different arguments, the author brings in concepts that span a wide disciplinary matrix; borrowing extensively from network theory and innovation studies. For a lay reader the concepts are introduced in a manner that can be easily assimilated. For example, the author uses the language of network theory to visualize the structure of invisible college (Chapter 3, Networked science). Using this world view, the author argues that invisible college is a complex adaptive open emergent system (p. 35). But to provide readers a deeper insight into the meaning of each of the concepts, she uses the metaphor of a forest. Later when other network concepts are introduced such as scale free network, power law that are common language in network theory but are esoteric concepts for others (p. 39); the author moves beyond the metaphor of forest to explain mathematical underpinning behind these concepts. This innovative style makes the arguments more compelling.

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The Carbon Age: How Life's Core Element Has Become Civilization's Greatest Threat

Book Review
THE CARBON AGE: How Life's Core Element Has Become Civilization's Greatest Threat, by Eric Roston.

The Carbon Age
In his book, Eric Roston reveals how intimately human life is intertwined with carbon.

"Everything in moderation" -- a favorite mantra of wise folks, from Aristotle to my mom. It’s also the basic lesson of Eric Roston’s new book, The Carbon Age: How Life’s Core Element Has Become Civilization’s Greatest Threat. In one sense, the story of carbon is a tale of supreme irony: The very thing that allows complex things to exist now threatens our complex existence. But really, it all makes perfect sense.

Existence is a balancing act. And the carbon kingdom makes up a large part of that balance. By showing how intimately human life is intertwined with carbon, The Carbon Age forces us to care about all kinds of things we might have overlooked -- none so much as the carbon in our atmosphere.

Roston's book takes us from the beginning of the universe to the present day, telling the story of carbon along the way. The stuff is absolutely everywhere. From the nuclear fusion of numberless stars, it spreads out universally (literally). It’s in the graphite we use to write to the diamonds we use to propose. And Roston's book is essentially a soap opera journey though its various iterations, with way more drama and appeal than a science book should have.

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Innovate India 2009: Conference on Leveraging Innovation for Knowledge Economy

Innovate India 2009

Conference on "Leveraging Innovation for Knowledge Economy"

19-20 November 2009

Venue:

J.N. Tata Auditorium, National Science Seminar Complex, IISc, Bengaluru, India

Organized by:

National Research Development Corporation (NRDC)

The conference on "Leveraging Innovation for Knowledge Economy" will provide a platform to forge strong interaction and linkages to entrepreneurs, research scientists and technologists, industrialists, policy makers, investors, bureaucrats, evangelists, etc. It will be an event for highlighting new and emerging technologies from both the R&D sector and the industry.The conference will address some of the existing challenges, resolve to identify problems and arrive at appropriate solutions for organizational development/human resources. This conference will also deal with vital issues such as green innovations, low income markets and social innovations, developing products and services, and above all developing relationships with the innovation systems in the country.

Objectives

• To stimulate, acquire and exploit of innovations in Manufacturing, Medical, Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology, Education, Agriculture areas.
• To Network with R&D institutions, entrepreneurs, industrialists, policy makers, investors, bureaucrats, evangelists, etc.
• To Understanding the level of Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) and research collaboration between Academia, Industry and the Government.

Thrust Areas

• Innovation in building Knowledge Park
• Medical Innovation in the light of changing Healthcare Needs
• Innovation in Literacy & People Empowerment
• Contemporary Issues in Knowledge Dissemination
• Innovation for Organizational Development Management Issues in Innovation
• Innovation & Management of Renewable Resources
• Innovation in Sustainable Development
• Business Intelligence and Strategic Planning
• Micro-financing for Rural Innovation
• Women Empowerment

Major Themes

• Building Knowledge Park, Changing Healthcare Market Place, Literacy & People Empowerment / Contemporary Issues in Knowledge Dissemination, Organizational Development / Human Resources, Management Issues in Innovation, Management of Renewal Resources / Green Innovations, Low Income Markets and Social Innovation, Innovation for Sustainable Development, Micro-financing Rural Innovation, Women Empowerment, Business Intelligence.

Invitation for Papers

Original research-based papers on the conference theme are invited. Papers will be selected for publication in the conference souvenir after review. Participants are advised to submit their papers in the prescribed format as stated under "Guidelines for papers". The authors are advised to send their paper to the organizer(s)at the following address on or before October 31, 2009.

V. Raghuram, Regional Manager, National Research Development Corporation, # 107, 8th Main, Malleswaram, Bengaluru – 560 055, India

• Mobile : +91-9845967027
• Phone : +91-80-23341255
• Fax: +91-80-23347555
• Email: innovate2009[at]nrdc.in; vraghuram[at]nrdc.in

Invitation for Poster Presentations

The Poster Sessions will provide an excellent opportunity for presentation of R&D findings and are expected to lead to direct interaction with the Delegates. Poster presented on the conference theme is welcome. Posters will be selected for display after review.

Posters should be preferably sent in the following format:

• Size: 23'' X 36'', Title of poster, flow diagram, abstract in 200 words, name(s) of author(s), affiliation(s), address, phone, fax & email.

Further Information

Online Delegate Registration

International Workshop on Livelihoods and the Environment: Debating Interdisciplinary Perspectives

International Workshop on Livelihoods and the Environment: Debating Interdisciplinary Perspectives

15–16 October 2009

Venue:

Seminar Room, Centre for the Study of Law and Governance, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India

Organised by:

Centre for Studies in Science Policy (JNU), Department of History (University of Delhi) and the Department of History (Uppsala University, Sweden)

The workshop aims at bringing together some of the new and exciting work in the field, especially from Sweden and India. The emphasis will be on enabling a dialogue across disciplines, with a special accent on reviewing ongoing work by younger scholars. The idea is to offer a platform for thought, reflection, debate and dialogue for an understanding of the linked challenges of nature, knowledge, ecology and academic enquiry.

Thematic Sessions

1. Debating Environmental Protection
2. Environmental Technologies and Sustainable Visions
3. Environmental Stress, Communities and Social Action
4. Statemaking and Ecologies of Place
5. Animals, Wildness and Tameness

Programme Schedule

Thursday 15th October

11:00–11.30 Registration

11.30-11.45 Introductory Remark

• Mahesh Rangarajan (Department of History, University of Delhi)

11:45–12:45 Welcome and Keynote

• Chair: Amita Singh [Centre for the Study of Law and Governance, JNU]
• Ghazala Shahabuddin [Ambedkar University of Delhi] with Madhu Rao [Wildlife Conservation Society, New York] Do communities care? biological perspectives on community-conserved areas.

12:45–14:00 Lunch

14:00–15:45 SESSION 1: DEBATING ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

• Chair: Deepak Kumar [Zakir Hussain Centre for Educational Studies, JNU]
• Beppe Karlsson [Dept. of Cultural Anthropology and Ethnology, Uppsala University] Nuclear energy, climate change and social critique
• Guro Aandahl [Centre for Development and the Environment, University of Oslo] Technocratic dreams and troublesome beneficiaries: the Sardar Sarovar project in Gujarat
• Kenneth Bo Nielsen [Centre for Development and the Environment, University of Oslo] The car factory that never happened – The Singur controversy and contested development

Discussants

• Manju Menon, Centre for Studies in Science Policy, JNU
• Himanshu Upadhyay, Senior Researcher, Academy for Mountain Environments
• Sagar Trivedi, Centre for Historical Studies, JNU

15:45–16:00 Tea Break

16:00–17:45 SESSION 2: ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES AND SUSTAINABLE VISIONS

• Chair: Gunnel Cederlof [Department of History, Uppsala University]
• M. Rajshekhar [Independent Scholar] The law that disagreed with its' Preamble: an enquiry into the drafting of the Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers (RECOGNITION OF FOREST RIGHTS) ACT, 2006
• Seema Arora Jonsson [Department of Rural and Urban Development, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences] Environmentalism with growth: the politics of climate change

Discussants

• Archana Prasad, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi
• Radhika Krishnen, Centre for Studies in Science Policy, JNU

19:00 Workshop Dinner

Friday 16th October

9.30-10.45 SESSION 3: ENVIRONMENTAL STRESS, COMMUNITIES AND SOCIAL ACTION

• Chair: Pamela Price [Department of History, Oslo University]
• Katrin Uba [Department. of Government, Uppsala University] Grass-root activism and renewable energy policies in India
• Jasmin Kantha [Department of History, Patna Women’s College] In the Womb of the Ganga: Gangotas and their threatened livelihoods
• Siddhartha Krishnan [Fellow, Social Sciences, ATREE, Bangalore] Identity and Income Predicaments of the Toda that Arise from Tiger Depredation of their Sacred and Secular Buffaloes: The Emergence of an Interdisciplinary Interface on the Nilgiri Pastures.

Discussants

• Anurita Saxena, Himachal Pradesh University, Himachal Pradesh
• Rohan D'Souza, Centre for Studies in Science Policy, Jawaharlal Nehru University
• Gunnel Cederlof, Department of History, Uppsala University

10:45–11:00 Tea break

11:00–12:45 SESSION 4: STATEMAKING AND ECOLOGIES OF PLACE

• Chair: Rohan D’Souza [CSSP, Jawaharlal Nehru University]
• Shashank Kela [New India Foundation Fellow] Rulers, subjects and landscapes: the agrarian structure of tribal states
• Nalini Singh [Aditi Mahavidyalaya, University of Delhi] Deforestation, agriculture and habitation: Awadh from Mughal to colonial times (c.1600-1900)
• Arupjyoti Saikia [Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati] Forestry, grazing and livelihood: agrarian practices in forested lands in colonial Assam

Discussant

• Charu Singh, Centre for Historical Studies (JNU)
• Meena Bhargava, I.P. College University of Delhi
• Nitin Sethi, Senior Correspondent, The Times of India

12:45–14:00 Lunch

14:00–15:00 Keynote

• Chair: Mahesh Rangarajan [Department of History, University of Delhi]
• E. Somanathan [Indian Statistical Institute, Delhi & R Prabhakar, ATREE, Bangalore & B. S. Mehta, Foundation for Ecological Security] Decentralization for cost-effective conservation

15:00–15:30 Tea Break

15:30–17:15 SESSION 5: ANIMALS, WILDNESS AND TAMENESS

• Chair: Sangeeta Dasgupta [Centre for Historical Studies, JNU]
• M. D. Madhusudan [Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore] Making better neighbours of endangered elephant and beleaguered farmers: A field test of interdisciplinarity
• Meena Radhakrishna [Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi] Perceptions, policies and practices : hunting communities as "Criminal Tribes"
• P. R. Nisha [Dept. of History, University of Delhi] Wild Animals and Indian Circus: Notes on Wildlife, Livelihood and the State

Discussant

• Mahesh Rangarajan, Department of History, University of Delhi
• Vikram Dayal, Institute of Economic Growth, University of Delhi
• Savyasaachi, Department of Sociology, Jamia Milia Islamia

17:15–18:00 Final Panel

• Gunnel Cederlöf [Department of History, Uppsala University]
• Rohan D'Souza [Centre for Studies in Science Policy, Jawaharlal Nehru University

19:00 Workshop Dinner

3rd IIM Ahmedabad Doctoral Colloquium 2010

3rd IIM Ahmedabad Doctoral Colloquium 2010

8-9 January 2010

Venue: IIM-Ahmedabad, India

The 3rd IIM-A Doctoral Colloquium allows doctoral students to discuss their research directions in an encouraging atmosphere with a panel of distinguished leaders and among their peers. The Colloquium offers students the valuable opportunity to receive feedback and fresh perspectives on their research and future career paths from expert researchers in their field. The colloquium promotes community-building by connecting beginning and advanced researchers.

The scope of the Doctoral Colloquium includes all major areas of management research, such as Agriculture Management, Business Policy, Computer and Information Systems, Economics, Finance and Accounting, Marketing, Organization Behaviour, Personnel and Industrial Relations, Production and Quantitative Methods, Public Policy & Public Systems.

Call for Abstracts

Participants are required to submit an abstract of paper based on their doctoral work. Details are given as under:

Advance Proposals: abstract not exceeding 1500 words (excluding title page and references), should contain the following:

• The purpose of the research and the specific problems addressed.
• An overview of the most relevant literature.
• Methodological approach and description of research including results obtained so far.
• The expected contributions of the research to the field of management.
• A description of work that remains to be completed and any potential challenges that may arise.

Research Design Proposals: abstract not exceeding 1000 words (excluding title page and references), should contain the following:

• Original idea (purpose) of the research.
• Brief literature review.
• Proposed Methodology.
• Expected contributions of the research.
• Title, category (Advanced/Research design proposal), author(s), affiliation(s), contact details.

Abstracts will be blind reviewed and only those abstracts approved by the reviewers will be selected. Soft copy of the abstract in Microsoft Word format should reach us latest by October 15, 2009. The abstracts should be mailed to iimdc[at]iimahd.ernet.in

Further Details

Seminar on Challenges of Climate Change

Seminar on Challenges of Climate Change

(A Seminar to Mark the 20th Anniversary of the Himalayan Environment Trust)

Date: 15th October 2009 at 3 p.m. onwards

Venue: IIC Auditorium, New Delhi

• Chief Guest: Shri Shyam Saran, Special Envoy to Prime Minister on Climate Change
• Chair: Shri A.K. Chauhan, Founder President, Amity Educational Trust

20th Anniversary Celebration

• Chief Guest: Shri Jairam Ramesh, Hon'ble Minister of State for Environment & Forest
• Chair: Dr. Karan Singh, M.P. and Advisor Himalayan Environment Trust

India born scientist Venkatraman Ramakrishnan receives the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2009

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2009

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2009 jointly to

Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom

Thomas A. Steitz, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA

Ada E. Yonath, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel

"for studies of the structure and function of the ribosome"

The ribosome translates the DNA code into life

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2009 awards studies of one of life's core processes: the ribosome's translation of DNA information into life. Ribosomes produce proteins, which in turn control the chemistry in all living organisms. As ribosomes are crucial to life, they are also a major target for new antibiotics.

This year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry awards Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, Thomas A. Steitz and Ada E. Yonath for having showed what the ribosome looks like and how it functions at the atomic level. All three have used a method called X-ray crystallography to map the position for each and every one of the hundreds of thousands of atoms that make up the ribosome.

Inside every cell in all organisms, there are DNA molecules. They contain the blueprints for how a human being, a plant or a bacterium, looks and functions. But the DNA molecule is passive. If there was nothing else, there would be no life.

The blueprints become transformed into living matter through the work of ribosomes. Based upon the information in DNA, ribosomes make proteins: oxygen-transporting haemoglobin, antibodies of the immune system, hormones such as insulin, the collagen of the skin, or enzymes that break down sugar. There are tens of thousands of proteins in the body and they all have different forms and functions. They build and control life at the chemical level.

An understanding of the ribosome's innermost workings is important for a scientific understanding of life. This knowledge can be put to a practical and immediate use; many of today's antibiotics cure various diseases by blocking the function of bacterial ribosomes. Without functional ribosomes, bacteria cannot survive. This is why ribosomes are such an important target for new antibiotics.

This year's three Laureates have all generated 3D models that show how different antibiotics bind to the ribosome. These models are now used by scientists in order to develop new antibiotics, directly assisting the saving of lives and decreasing humanity's suffering.

Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, US citizen. Born in 1952 in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India. Ph.D. in Physics in 1976 from Ohio University, USA. Senior Scientist and Group Leader at Structural Studies Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK. Curriculum Vitae

Further Details

International Conference on Global Warming: Agriculture, Sustainable Development and Public Leadership

International Conference on Global Warming: Agriculture, Sustainable Development and Public Leadership

Venue: Gujarat Vidyapith, Ahmedabad, India

11-13 March 2010

Organised jointly by International School for Public Leadership; Indian Society for Community Education; Manthan EducationalProgramme Society (India)

In Collaboration with Gujarat Vidyapith; Department of Environment & Forest, Government of Gujarat

Conference Theme:

• Global Warming: Agriculture, Sustainable Development and Public Leadership

Conference Sub Themes:

• Role of Agriculture and Sustainable Development in mitigating Global Warming
• Applications of Knowledge and Community Education
• Challenges ahead: Role of Public Leadership and Policy

Call for Papers

The deleberations would include presentation of research, experiments, experiences, policy analysis and new project ideas. Conference will have key note speech followed by plannery sessions on the role of agriculture in mitigating global warming, application of knowledge economy for sustainable development and mitigating global warming and role of public leadership for sustainable development and mitigating global warming with focus on public policy and implementable schemes. It will have special group discussions, which will include paper presentations, experience sharing, evolving of public policy, role of community education and youth.

• Abstract of the Papers (400 Words Maximum) on the selected subject to be submitted before: 15th December 2009
• Acceptance of the paper will be intimidated by 31st December 2009
• Submission of the full paper has to be made before: 15th February 2010
• Abstract and Full paper to be submitted on www.clichangeagro.org

Further Details

IRMA Conference on Social Science Research and Public Involvement

IRMA 30th Anniversary Conference on Social Science Research and Public Involvement

Dates: 15-16 December 2009

Organised by: Institute of Rural Management Anand, Gujarat, India

Call for Papers

The Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) announces the conference on 'Social Science Research and Public Involvement' to be held as part of 30th anniversary celebrations. Established in 1979, to address the inequality issues in rural India, IRMA has combined knowledge production and public action in a symbiotic rhythm. In more recent times, the scenario of higher education has become complex. Specialization has come at the cost of 'appropriateness'; collaborations and financing patterns have eclipsed the right questions; usability of knowledge is diluted in the struggle between truth and power; information abundance has made it difficult to distinguish wheat and chaff in the knowledge world; marketization of research has produced paradoxical effects; Apart from these concerns, public action agenda and policy making has often been ideology-driven than evidence-driven. The nature of social science research needs to be revisited for its relevance and revitalization.

We invite papers on wide-ranging topics around this conference theme (as delineated in the concept note in the conference website). The paper abstracts are to be sent to 30irma@irma.ac.in before 25 October 2009.

Important themes are:

1. Collaborations in Social Research
2. Financing of Social Research
3. Social accountability in knowledge production and dissemination
4. Social science research in vernacular languages
5. Evidence-based policy making
6. Revisiting methods
7. Learning from evaluation research
8. Politics of knowledge creation

Important Dates

• Last date to receive abstracts 25 October 2009
• Decision on abstracts 2 November 2009
• Full Papers to be sent by 30 November 2009
• Conference dates 15-16 December 2009

Please send the abstracts to: 30irma[at]irma.ac.in

Further Details

Call for Project Proposals in Telecom

Call for Project Proposals in Telecom

IIM Ahmedabad-IDEA Telecom Centre of Excellence

(A PPP between IIMA, IDEA and Department of Telecom for furthering research)

This is call for project proposals from IIM Ahmedabad-Idea Telecom Centre of Excellence (IITCOE at IIM, Ahmedabad). Proposals must focus on "telecom policy, governance, regulation and management, especially marketing and customer care". Projects should aim to provide insight into competition, regulatory and policy issues of network infrastructure and services, promise of multi-platform competition, implications for universal connectivity, pricing, sustainable competition, deployment, and innovation. Projects/papers may be theoretical, empirical, domestic, international or comparative.

Proposals may be submitted by individuals/groups of individuals working on their own or associated with institutions. The research proposals need to be e-mailed to the Executive Chair, IIMA Idea Telecom Centre of Excellence (IITCOE - iitcoe@iimahd.ernet.in). Funding on a competitive basis will be available to selected projects.
The process of the submission, selection and execution of the projects will be as follows:

1. Proposal submission - (October 31, 2009)
2. Double blind review of Proposals
3. A workshop for selected project proposals where the Project Initiator may be required to make a presentation on the project proposal possibly in early December.
4. Selection of projects based on the proposal and presentation
5. Handholding, guidance and phase wise deliverables to be determined for selected projects
6. Interim project submissions - (February 15, 2010)
7. Final project submission - (March 31, 2010)
8. Blind review of completed projects for releasing the final project amount
9. Workshop for Dissemination mid 2010.

For further details on the project proposals:

• Email: iitcoe@iimahd.ernet.in
• Call: 079- 66324885
• Visit: www.iimahd.ernet.in/iitcoe
• Further Details