Introduction

The International Foundation for Science (IFS) is an international research council supporting young scientists in developing countries in research areas related to the sustainable use of biological and water resources.

The International Network for Capacity Building in Integrated Water Resources Management (Cap-Net) is a UNDP project and associated programme of the Global Water Partnership. Its role is to strengthen regional capacity building networks.

The Regional Networks included in the discussions about collaboration are the Central American Educational Institutions Network (REDICA) and the Arab Integrated Water Resources Management Network (AWARENET). Additional regional networks may join in due course.

Cap-Net, the Regional Networks and IFS wish to collaborate for the purpose of mobilizing more young researchers into the scientific profession so that they can contribute to scientific knowledge production in the context of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). 

The parties are confident that the mandates of their respective organizations will benefit from collaboration. For IFS, the collaboration will expand its institutional contact area and reach out to more young researchers. More expertise will also be added to the IFS pool of Scientific Advisors. It will furthermore provide an opportunity for IFS to develop its collaborative approach to research support (team grants). Lastly, the administrative workload related to mobilisation of applications will be reduced as the partners will assume responsibility for certain tasks (see below).

The primary interest of the Regional Networks is to increase the understanding and application of IWRM in policy and project development. For them, the collaboration will increase their contacts with the scientific community and solicit scientists’ commitment to IWRM. The Networks will be stimulated to establish Regional Scientific Panels and identify research priorities for their respective regions. Research projects will be conducted and relevant new knowledge will be generated.

For Cap-Net, the collaboration will be a tool to scale up and improve the quality of capacity building in IWRM in response to the reforms of the water sector taking place worldwide.

The collaboration will start on small scale utilising the core resources of the partners. As we accumulate experience from the collaboration, a more comprehensive programme will be considered, and a document will be prepared and submitted to donors for funding. In the following an outline of a collaborative initiative is presented. It will involve Cap-Net, IFS and one or several of the Regional Networks associated with Cap-Net. The outline is based upon discussion held between Cap-Net, IFS as well as REDICA and AWARENET.

IFS, the Regional Networks and Cap-Net will evaluate the results of the first batch of applications in January 2005, when we know how many grants that have been approved. If we think that the interest among young researchers is sustained, then a new round will be initiated in February 2005 (call for concept notes, a course, full-scale applications, assessment, funding etc.). If we at that time find that the interest in IWRM related research is growing and that the research is demand driven, then IFS, Cap-Net and the Regional Network(s) start preparing for an expanded and more comprehensive collaboration programme which would be externally funded. In any case the Regional Network is welcome to forward application to IFS at any one time.

The scenario sketched above assumes that there is an “untapped” reserve of researchers who on an individual basis would get involved in IWRM inspired research. If the number is limited and that a steady supply of new applicants cannot be mobilized every year, then the programme would proceed at a slower pace.

Grants to research teams will be developed as a parallel path to collaboration. The purpose will be to identify at least one multidisciplinary research team in the mandate area of each Regional Network. Cap-Net and the Regional Network would identify the components of an integrated research project. They will coach this research team so that they can launch a high quality research project relevant for IWRM. The organisations would then pro-actively follow the progress of the team to ensure that they deliver new knowledge and that stakeholders transform the research findings into products, processes and policy for IWRM. IFS will also accept a team application encompassing researchers from only one discipline, if the proposal is relevant. 

A prerequisite for team formation is that the Regional Network establishes a scientific panel, which defines the research priorities and advertises the opportunity for team grant application to IFS.

Team applications will be assessed by IFS on the merits of individual components. When sending the applications to Advisors, IFS will include the team’s umbrella proposal and inform the Advisor that the application is part of a team proposal. At the SAC meeting an overall assessment will be made. If one constituent component of the application is considered not to be up to standard, but still has a potential, then the SAC gives a conditional approval to the team proposal. The weak component is sent back for improvement according to SAC comments. After improvement IFS approves it and provides funding for the whole team. If one or two components fail to improve, IFS may anyway decide to provide funding to the others as individual grants. 

The role of CaP-Net: spread the initiative to the other regional networks
Create on-line discussion group among and between the research teams

The Scientific Panel of a Regional Network would have the following characteristics:

The IFS criteria for assessment will be followed. Additional criteria that the Regional Network may want to include relate to how important the application is to IWRM including the possibility to replicate the research in other fields/locations. 

IFS will report on the number of applications received, the success rate, the amount of funds allocated, scientific equipment purchased etc. The Regional Network will report on the implementation of the research projects, the links to IWRM, the communication with stakeholders etc. Cap-Net will provide annual overall reporting including achievements from all the participating research projects (individual and teams). IFS and the Regional Networks will provide inputs to Cap-Net. 

The collaborative programme will be implemented in accordance with funds available with the parties or through external funding. Core funds will be used according to budget priorities. A more comprehensive collaboration on a large scale will require fundraising from the international donor community.