Implementing a research data policy in South Africa Michael Kahn Centre for Research Evaluation of Science and Technology, University of Stellenbosch,

Implementing a research data policy

in South Africa

Michael KahnCentre for Research Evaluation of Science and Technology,

University of Stellenbosch, South AfricaBISO-BRDI-CFRS Symposium

The National Academies, Washington D.C. 18-19 April 2011

[email protected]

Outline

1. South Africa – Gateway for the BRICs?

2. National innovation system & policy

3. Prospects for research data policy

1885 – Berlin Conference; colonization; “Scramble for Africa’

1945 – 1989 Period of decolonization; consolidation of states; elite formation

1989 – The fall of the Berlin Wall (or was it pushed?)

FDI into Africa = 2% of world total; SA #3 after EU, China?

Africa 2050 = 2 billion people; SSA > 1 billion – new trade blocs; new power relations

1. South Africa – Gateway for the BRICs?

CHINA & INDIA

BRAZIL

RUSSIA(USA)

SOUTH AFRICA

HR

(EU)

A New Scramble for Africa?

CO2/cap

Gini Lit% %<$2

Life M yr

Life F yr

PhD/m GERD/GDP %

BR 1.8 .57 89 21 67 75 44 0.83

RU 9.8 .41 99 12 59 72 209 1.08

IN 1.2 .37 61 80 63 64 13 0.80

CN 2.7 .47 91 47 70 73 18 1.33

ZA 7.6 .58 82 34 44 45 24 0.95

World Bank World Development Report 2007; Economist 31.10.09; ISSC WSSR 2010

Political economy

From three decades of siege economy and racial exclusion Post 1994 - ‘constructed crisis’ – developmental state modulated by “inclusion”. Class tensions. Agriculture 3%; Manufacturing 32%; Services 65% Minerals-energy complex Employment: 9%; 26%; 65% Business the main actor in R&D. Evidence of Triple Helix at work:

ARC-Uni-agribusiness CSIR-Uni-Miners

World class financial system with large carry trade. Domestic TNCs across Africa, Middle and Near East Open economy with symptoms of Dutch Disease

South Africa is the leading African sourceof FDI, accounting for over 70% of the region’stotal outward FDI stock. As early as the 1970s ithad already become a major source of FDI fromdeveloping countries. Flows have beenconcentrated in developed countries: three quartersof the country’s outward FDI stock is in Europeand about one tenth in North America. Althoughonly 9% of its outward FDI goes to Africa, thecountry is among the leading foreign investors inmany African countries.

UNCTAD World Investment Report 2006

Into Africa

Roaring Lions: small innovation systems – but poorly measured

Sources: UNESCO World Science Report, 2011; Web of Science; UIS; http://info.worldbank.org/etools/kam2

Country GERD GERD/ Graduates KEI

rankISI

(articles) Main

PPP USD m 

(2007) GDP Sciences; Engineers  (2009)  2006-10 Field

Angola - - 17; 7 127 104 HealthChad - - - - 81 Health

Congo (D.R.) 75 0.48 - - 378 Health

Ethiopia 106 0.17 2440; 2613 141 2 035Agric/Health

Mozambique 83 0.53 277; 105 136 401 Health

South Africa 4 000 0.92 30k; 10k 46 30 000Env/ecoHealth

Zambia 3.8 0.036 - 123 689 Health

ZA and NO: Activity and Impact factors of two‘Western/bio-environmental systems (2004-2008)

Knowledge, networks and nations (Royal Society, 2011)

UNIVERSITIES

RESEARCH

COUNCILS

BUSINESS

NGOs

GOVT. DEPTS INSTITUTES &

MUSEUMS

S&T SERVICES

UTILITIES

INFORMAL

SECTOR

Regulatory framework

Legal framework including IP Standards

Cultural-

Political norms

Financial system

Associations

EDUCATION

TRAINING

SKILLS DEV

2. National innovation system & policy

Informationpolicy

• R&D Strategy (2002)• Reorganization with some refocusing• HRD - SA Research Chairs; Centres of Excellence• Framework conditions: IP law; Tax Incentive

• Innovation Plan (2008) • Space Science – remote monitoring & telemetry• Energy, hydrogen economy & new materials -

catalysis• Farmer to Pharma-biotech, plant & animal science• Global dynamics – climate change – remote sensing• Human and Social Dynamics – social sciences

• Technology Innovation Agency (2010)• Employment Equity & Immigration Law• New Growth Path & Industrial Policy• Support for African Union-NEPAD• Promotion of international networking• Infrastructure – Center for High-speed Computing

Innovation Policy – context & instruments

• Data rich at system level Input, process and output data and indicators

R&D & Innovation Survey; Education Statistics; Privately held bibliographic data: SA Knowledgebase Higher Education Management Information System Research Information Management System - pending

Regulatory frameworks and regulators Clinical trials register Gene banks – fauna, insecta and flora Plant Breeders rights Biodiversity and indigenous knowledge compliance Ethical clearance built into funding awards process Promotion of Access to Information Act Patent Amendment Act

3. Prospects for research data policy

• Data rich at sector level – Southern skies, fauna & flora, people, earth and oceans• SA Earth Observation Network• Optical astronomy – SAAO & SALT• Radio astronomy – HART, MeerKAT & SKA• Hermanus Magnetic & Seismographic Observatory• Oceanographic and Antarctic data (MCM, SAAS)• Geological (Council for Geosciences)• Meteorological data – SA Weather Service• Social science (HSRC; SADA) • SA National Institute for Biodiversity• SA Institute for Aquatic Diversity• Statistics SA: Census; Labour Force Survey;

Household Expenditure • Health: Medical Research Council; clinical trials

• Information poor at system and sector levels• Two ‘natural’ problems:

• Bounded rationality• Silos

• Fragmentation by default• Statistics SA - coordination mandate for national surveys • Department of Science and Technology has mandate to

coordinate S&T budgets, but not too coordinate information

• National Advisory Council on Innovation – lacks authority (compare with National Council on Higher Education)

• The normal problem of MIS designed for one task being used to address other purposes

• Resource limitations – inadequate meta data and training

• Prospects for coordination – reasonable• Commitment to monitoring and evaluation at

highest level• Minister for M&E in the Presidency• Indicator-based performance agreements for

Ministers• Commitment to Big Science – Square Kilometre

Array• Support to AMCOST CPA S&T ASTI & flagships

• Implies high-speed wide area networking• Data sharing regionally and internationally• Supportive infrastructure and legislation

• Commitment to OECD Guidelines for Access to Publicly Funded Research 2007

• Review of Science System under way – an opportunity to accelerate progress on data sharing

• Toward a data access policy• Data sharing as the (qualified) norm• Issues of sovereignty, resource protection, indigenous

knowledge• Ethical clearance to involve data sharing protocol?• North-South relationships:

• Academic hunters exploiting data gatherers?• African datasets hosted abroad

• Abuse of research permit mechanisms to restrict inquiry – security laws may be a barrier

• Digitization of paper MIS a priority• Legislation for publication archiving in place• Promotion of open access publishing• Knowledge Divides (UNESCO/ISSC, 2010), but the

Invisible College of Science functions – witness co-publication