Title: Shaping scientific excellence in agricultural research

Authors: Joanna Chataway, James Smith, David Wield

Addresses: Development Policy and Practice Group, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA; ESRC Innogen Centre, Technology Faculty, Development Policy and Practice Group, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, K7 6AA, UK. ' Centre of African Studies, The University of Edinburgh, 21 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9LD; ESRC Innogen Centre, Institute for the Study of Science, Technology and Innovation (ISSTI), The University of Edinburgh, Old Surgeons' Hall, High School Yards, Edinburgh EH1 1LZ, UK. ' Development Policy and Practice Group, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA; ESRC Innogen Centre, Technology Faculty, Development Policy and Practice Group, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK

Abstract: Science and technology – and particularly biotechnology – is increasingly central to development agendas in Africa and elsewhere. Implicit within the centrality of science and technology lie a set of policy issues regarding how best to shape contextually appropriate, innovative and sustainable science and technological products in, with and for developing countries. The work of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) is a case in point and we draw our empirical material from the evolution of two biotech bovine vaccine development programmes housed in a CG Centre. In the paper, we seek to show that broadening our understanding of scientific |excellence| can lead to more innovative, systemic research that may produce more appropriate technological solutions. We believe this has key implications for science policy, development policy and the practice of science for development itself.

Keywords: science policy; research and development; R&D; vaccines; Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research; CGIAR; scientific excellence; research for development; biotechnology; bovine vaccine development; innovation; development policy.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBT.2007.013050

International Journal of Biotechnology, 2007 Vol.9 No.2, pp.172 - 187

Published online: 06 Apr 2007 *

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