Building scientific capacity in developing countries

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Abstract
The phrases ‘technology transfer’ and ‘scientific capacity building’ are two of the many used to describe scientific partnerships between developed and developing countries. This is an extremely rich and fascinating process that is very complex and often oversimplified. It is undoubtedly an essential interaction. The Global Forum for Health Research report (Global Forum for Health Research, 1999, p126) emphasized the importance of scientific research, stating that ‘Strengthening research capacity in developing countries is one of the most effective and sustainable ways of advancing health and development in these countries and of helping correct the 10/90 Gap in health research.’ The 10/90 Gap refers to the fact that only 5–10% of all global health research funding is directed to research on health problems that affect 90% of the world's population, and only a small proportion of this funding actually goes to researchers in developing countries. > In most low‐income countries, research is a luxury owing to economic constraints, and many scientists hold several other jobs This essay, written from the perspective of 15 years of collaborative work on infectious disease diagnostics and research with colleagues in Central and South America (Harris et al , 1993; Harris, 1996, 1998; Harris & Tanner, 2000), explores the problems, complexity and excitement of international scientific collaborations to help developing countries establish their own research base. The work described here was done through various frameworks in conjunction with like‐minded colleagues in the United States, Europe and Latin America. Initially, it was performed through a volunteer programme that I organized—the Applied Molecular Biology/ Appropriate Technology Transfer (AMB/ATT) Program, then through academic institutions, such as the University of California at San Francisco and Berkeley (California, USA), and finally through a non‐profit organization that we founded: the Sustainable Sciences Institute (SSI; www.ssilink.org). Our overarching goal is to …