Transcript Presentation Layout - Science & Technology Management

S&T structure, statistical system
and issues related to S&T
indicator development in
Sri Lanka
by
Seetha Wickremasinghe
National Science Foundation
Sri Lanka
Presentation Layout
 Socio economic indicators
 S&T policy structure
 S&T statistical system
 Issues related to collection and
dissemination of S&T statistics
 Key outcomes of recent R&D surveys
 Specific ongoing S&T projects
 Planned S&T projects
 Constraints
Some key socio economic indicators
 GDP (2004) SL Rs. Million
- 1,797,941
(Agriculture-18 %; Industry -27 %; Services - 55 %)
 Average annual % growth rate of GDP
- 4.0
 Population (in million)
- 19.2
 Population growth (%)
- 1.3
 R&D expenditure for year 2004 (% of GDP) - 0.18
 Researchers in R&D (per million people)
- 191
 Physicians (per million people)
- 430
 Literacy rate (% age 15 & above)
- 92.1
 HDI rank (out of 173 countries)
- 96
Contd/




Expenditure on education (% of GDP)
Expenditure on health (% of GDP)
University education (pupil/teacher)
Unemployment rate (%)
Labour force (million)
-
2.09
1.69
14.5
8.6
7.9
Sources (2004):
Central Bank of Sri Lanka; Dept. of Census & Statistics;
Ministry of Health; Ministry of Education; Human
Development Report 2004
S&T Policy Framework in
Sri Lanka
The Ministry of Science &
Technology is the key Ministry of
the Government of Sri Lanka
that provides a framework for
the Science & Technology
development and growth of the
country.
Mission of the S&T Ministry:
Formulation of programmes
and projects based on
National Policy in respect of
Science and Technology and
the direction of the
implementation of such
programmes and projects
Main Institutions involved in S&T
Policy framework in Sri Lanka
Ministry of Science & Technology- Policy
Implementation
National Science & Technology Commission- Policy
Formulation
National Science Foundation- Policy Research &
Recommendations
Council for Agricultural Research Policy- Policy on
agricultural sector
Institutes under the S&T Ministry
Council for Inform.
Technology
Industrial Technology
Institute (former CISIR)
Arthur C. Clarke Centre
for Modern
Technology
National Science &
Technology
Commission
Ministry
of
S&T
Atomic Energy
Authority
National Science
Foundation
Nation. Engineering
Research
& Development Centre
Sri Lanka Institute
for Information
Technology
Other Ministries handling S&T related activities
Agriculture
Small &
Rural Industry
Education
Ministry of
S&T
Plantation
Industries
Power &
Energy
Lands &Indigenous
Medicine
Industry & Investment
promotion
Environ. & Natural
Resources
Highways
Fisheries & Aquatic
Resources
Growth of different state organizations handling
S&T Activities (since 1900s).
Name
Government Departments
Universities
Research Institutes
Boards
Bureau Agencies
Authorities
Institutions
Health
Corporations
Others
Total
No.
18
13+(2)
29
8
4
7
10
5
7
8
104
S&T Structure of the country

Local R&D Institutes
 Universities
 S&T Institutes
- 100% R&D work (e.g. TRI,
RRI, CRI)
- Teaching, Research , &
Training
- S&T services to public & other
(Dept. of Census & Statistics)
Industries
Private
International R&D Institutes
International
Agencies
 NGOs




- e.g. Sri Lanka Telecom
- e.g. Marga Institute, CENWOR
- e.g. IWMI
- e.g. UNESCO, FAO, World Bank
- e.g. IUCN
Dept. of Census
& Statistics
University
Grants
Commission
National
Science
Foundation
S&T
Statistical
System
SLAAS
Central Bank of
Sri Lanka
Ministry of
Health
Department of
Agriculture
Council For
Agricultural
Policy
Responsibilities regarding S&T Statistics

National Science Foundation is mandated for the
regular collection of R&D and S&T Statistics (S&T Policy
Act No. 11 of 1994)
 It is the responsibility of the Science and Technology
Policy Research Division (STPRD) of NSF
 R&D Survey is guided by an Advisory Board to the
STPRD
 Internal progress review meetings held every 02-04
weeks with a Statistical Consultant
S&T Data Collection Procedure
(National R&D Surveys)
1. Questionnaire Survey by mail
2. Four (04) types of questionnaires prepared
* Government Sector
* Higher education sector
* Business enterprise sector
* Private non profit sector
3. Contact persons appointed for each institute for
coordination and data collection
4. Research Assistants appointed & trained where
necessary (i.e.Universities)
Contd/5.
Follow up action (reminders by phone, mail & fax,
visits to the institutes)
6. Data entry
7. Data Analysis
8. Development of S&T indicators
9. Publication of full report
10. Publication of booklet with S&T indicators
11. Dissemination of Indicator booklet to
relevant stakeholders
Difficulties encountered
 No proper (legal) authorization to NSF to request data




from relevant stakeholders
No mechanism for regular updating of S&T data in the
institutes
Many stakeholders are not interested in R&D
surveys and have their own reservations
Only a few S&T sector institutions collect data regularly for
their particular interests but there is no network/link even
among such institutes.
Many S&T sector institutes do not have regular data
collection system
Issues of concern relevant to S&T statistics:
 Some OECD definitions are not suitable for developing
countries and hence need some amendments. i.e. S&T
fields - Social Sciences, Law.,
 Individual funds received are not recorded in financial
reports of the Institute
 Funds awarded for collaborative research may be recorded
twice or more
 Standard questionnaire may not be perfectly applicable for
Business enterprise sector
 Some institutions have definitions such as researcher/
engineer, but they do not have proper educational
qualifications
Contd/
Many institutes do not keep their previous records or do
not refer to same

Some institutes do not like to change their old
questionnaire format due to the difficulty in comparison
with the previous records
 Basic and applied research – funds received for basic
research are also used for infrastructure development and
training. Hence there is confusion as to whether the whole
amount is counted under basic research
National Expenditure for R&D- 2004
Other,
9.3%
Foreign,
22.6%
Private,
0.6%
Government,
67.5%
Science and Technology Personnel (STP) by
Category
2004
STP Category
Total
number
Percent
of STP
Per million
inhabitants
Scientists
(Research)
4,030
14.2
208
Scientists
(Administration &
Management)
5,716
20.1
294
12,302
43.3
634
6,384
22.5
329
28,432
100.0
1,465
Technicians
Other Supporting
Staff
Total
Distribution of S&T Personnel (STP)
by Sector -2004
Sector
Higher Education
State
Private
Total
1996
STP
2004
Percent
STP
Percent
3,990
14.3
4,285
15.1
18,645
67.1
12,685
44.6
5,165
18.6
11,462
40.3
27,800
100.0
28,432
100.0
Note: Total STP includes all Researchers, Technicians, Supporting Staff and
other Scientists in Service Sector Institutions
Educational Qualifications of S&T Scientists
Qualification
1996
2004
No.
%
No.
%
Ph.D.
1,473
14.0
1,001
10.3
M.Phil./ M.Sc.
2,116
20.0
1,407
14.4
410
4.2
6,377
65.4
B.Sc. + P.G.
Diploma
B.Sc. (Special)
551
66.0*
B.Sc. (General)
Total
5.7
10,555
100.0
9,746
*Include B.Sc. (Special) and B.Sc. (General) Degrees
100.0
Distribution of Scientists by Sex and Sector
1996
2004
Sector
Total
Female %
Total
Female %
Higher
Education
3290
24.76
2,920
72.5
State
5897
44.39
6,557
20.9
Private
4099
30.85
269
6.6
13,286
100.0
9,746
100.0
Total
Number of Patents registered locally, during
the period 2001-2004 by Sector
Sector
2001
2002
2003
2004
S&T Institutes
5
5
8
5
Higher Education
1
1
4
4
Private
4
7
8
13
Individual
64
49
41
75
Total
71
62
59
99
Institutions having MIS:
 National Science Foundation (STMIS)








National Science & Technology Commission
University Grants Commission
Ministry of Tertiary Education & Training
Industrial Development Board
Council for Agricultural Research Policy
Central Bank of Sri Lanka
National Chamber of Commerce
Agrarian Research & Training Institute
Current trends in S&T disciplines
ICT (Software Development )
&
Biotechnology, Molecular Biology,
Energy, Nanotechnology etc.
Specific ongoing projects:
 Brain Drain of scientific community
 S&T Graduate Tracer Study series
 Employers’ perceptions on S&T
graduates
Development of S&T databases
at NSF:
 STMIS (www.mis.nsf.ac.lk)
 Database on inventors
 Database on sophisticated scientific
equipment & services available
 Database on Sri Lankan Expatriate
Scientists
Planned projects by the S&T Policy
Research Division (STPRD) of the
NSF:
Study on Women in Science
 S&T Labour Market Survey

Constraints:
 Frequent turnover of trained staff
 High cost involved in R&D Surveys
 Low response to questionnaires
 Training opportunities for research
team
 Acute shortage of staff & vehicles
Thank you