Current IFIAS Programmes

Science and Technology Infrastructure (STI)

In the context of work on National Systems of Innovation, the STI programme provides an opportunity for collaboration in the analysis and comparison of institutional structures for science and technology, and evaluation of appropriate policy interventions for increasing returns on national SandT investments. The programme will address issues in both developed and developing countries, and is expected to be useful to IFIAS members and similar research institutions, science and technology policy research institutions, government agencies involved in policy-making on science and technology, corporations, and agencies that fund scientific and technological research.

Gender, Science and Development (GSD)

GSD is an international programme which studies and makes policy recommendations concerning the effects of science and technology on the lives of women. It emphasizes the role women play in the development and application of science and technology, and studies ways of increasing women’s contribution to science and development. The ultimate goal for the GSD programme is a systemic change in the ability of women to play an active role in managing the process of technical change as it affects their lives.

Coastal Resource Management (CRM)

IFIAS� programme in Coastal Resource Management began in the early 1980’s, focussing in particular on developing tools for managing coastal areas, especially those areas involving multiple jurisdictions. A variety of techniques and models were developed, including forms of alternative scenario generation, regional economic models, and the creation of water quality management plans. The programme led to the establishment in 1993 of the International Centre for Coastal Resource Research (CIIRC) in Barcelona. The programme�s continuing emphasis is increasing the ability of developed and developed countries to better manage coastal zones, given their economic, social, and environmental importance.

Eco-Management

The main theme of the Eco-management programme is the need for new institutional structures and mechanisms for regulating human activities in relation to the carrying capacity of local, regional, and global eco-systems. Programme activities will focus on analysis of specific ecosystems and related implications for decision-making and governance, ways for resolving conflicts related to the environment, and the potential of new technologies to diffuse new skills and capacities relating to eco-system management.

Implications of Human Genome Research for Developing Countries

The purpose of this proposed programme is to investigate and report on the implications – primarily ethical, social and legal – of human genome research for developing countries.