U.S.-Sri Lanka International Workshop on the Responsible Conduct of Research, Kandy, Sri Lanka, December 15th-18th, 2010.

Michigan State University, East Lansing MI

Investigators

Abstract

OISE- 1066171 Shobha Ramanand This award supports the U.S.-Sri Lanka International Workshop on the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) that will be held in conjunction with the 5th Asian Regional Conference on Biotechnology and Development, Kandy, Sri Lanka, December 15-18th 2010. The first conference was initiated by the Government of India with support from India's Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and UNESCO to encourage Asian countries to help each other advance biotechnology by sharing experience, resources, and working together. The conference has evolved over time into a series and a continuous dialogue among academicians and policy makers from the region. It has also launched various initiatives to promote Asian Biotechnology, Innovation and Development. Conference hosts are the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka's National Science Foundation, Council for Agricultural Research Policy, and the Plant Genetic Resource Center. US PIs Drs. Shobha Ramanand and Karim Maredia, Michigan State University will lead the RCR workshop that will cover topics related to RCR in an international context. Attendees and co-sponsors include representatives from India's DBT, The Energy Research Institute (TERI), and the Indian Institute of Sciences. Other participants are scientists, researchers, students from local universities, and government representatives from various countries in Southern Asia and Africa, and from international organizations such as UNESCO, the Gates Foundation, and the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization. The RCR workshop is very timely due to there being a shared common interest in developing robust research practices and policies in the respective countries. It is possibly the first of its kind held in South Asia; and as Asian and African countries seek to develop research and human resource capacities, it is expected to contribute substantially to knowledge and training in the ethical and responsible conduct of research in the emerging field of biotechnology. The workshop will help to disseminate knowledge on RCR so that robust scientific practices can be incorporated and developed that drive both the S&T activities in these countries and educate and train the next generation of students and researchers as they create knowledge. Additionally, the workshop should improve the quality of future collaborative research proposals that will be submitted to NSF and will bring research ethics awareness into consideration when conducting international research.