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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
STATUS REPORT OF SRI LANKA - 2016
National Science and Technology Commission
Ministry of Science, Technology & Research
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
STATUS REPORT OF
SRI LANKA -2016
(Prepared based on data collected from
37 Public S&T Institutions)
National Science & Technology Commission
Ministry of Science, Technology and Research
II
FOREWORD
The National Science and Technology Commission (NASTEC), established by the Science and
Technology Development Act No. 11 of 1994, functions under the purview of the Ministry of
Science and Technology. One of the key functions of the Commission is to submit an annual review
report to the government on the Science and Technology (S&T) activities. The present report
provides information gathered in 2017, based on the performance of 37 national S&T institutions;
effectiveness of public spending on S&T, use of S&T developments, services provided by national
S&T institutions and development of human resources during the year 2016 were analyzed.
The data revealed that overall researcher: non-researcher ratio was 1:6. Further, the research staff
with a research degree such as PhD or MPhil was only 21% of the total number of research staff.
This survey has also revealed that the number of newly recruited research staff (n = 99) members
was less than the number left the institutions in the reference year. It was reported that nearly 1,065
research work had been published by these institutions. Of them, 51% were in the mode of abstracts,
which were presented in national and international research symposia. One hundred and fifty six
(15%) research papers were published in reputed indexed journals (indexed in Science Citation
Index/Science citation index expand). Thirteen national patents had been obtained in the year 2016.
Nearly 617,000 members of the public were provided with many services including testing,
calibration, training, consultancies etc.; and about LKR 1,158 Million had been generated by these
services, which was 47% higher than the previous year.
It gives me great pleasure to express my sincere thanks to the Chairpersons / Director Generals /
Directors of the institutions who responded to our survey to enable us to prepare this national S&T
report. I am also grateful to, and appreciate the Director and staff of NASTEC for the valuable
service rendered towards preparing this document.
Professor W. L Sumathipala,
Chairman, NASTEC
31st October 2018
III
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................................. III
LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................................... VI
ACRONYMS.... .............................................................................................................................VII
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ….……………………………………………………..………............9
BACKGROUND….…………………………………………………………………………………3
1. General Information .....................................................................................................................4
2. Human Resources .......................................................................................................................17
2.1 Categories of staff employed in S&T institutions ..........................................................17
2.2 Gender Composition of Research Staff ..........................................................................21
2.3 Sector wise gender distribution of Research Staff ........................................................21
2.4 Area of expertise of research staff ..................................................................................22
2.5 Age distribution of research staff ...................................................................................22
2.6 Highest educational qualifications of the research staff ..............................................23
2.7 Human Resource Development (HRD) ..........................................................................24
2.7.1 Workshops, seminars & conferences (local & international) ...............................24
2.7.2 Staff turnover of scientific Staff...............................................................................26
2.7.3 Recruitment of scientific Staff .................................................................................26
2.7.4 Leaving of scientific staff ........................................................................................26
2.7.5 Funding for higher studies .......................................................................................27
2.7.6 Incentives for scientific staff ....................................................................................28
IV
3. Physical Resources ......................................................................................................................29
3.1 Infrastructure facilities ......................................................................................................29
3.2 IT related facilities and databases ....................................................................................29
3.3 ICT facilities.........................................................................................................................30
4. Research Planning .....................................................................................................................32
5. Research Funding ......................................................................................................................33
5.1 The funding source for research activities. ....................................................................33
5.2 Funds allocated to upgrade the infrastructure and other facilities in the
institutions ................................................................................................................................35
6. Research Outputs .......................................................................................................................36
6.1 Research projects .............................................................................................................36
6.2 New products / processes / technologies developed through research.........................37
6.3 Number of publications ...................................................................................................37
6.4 Patents registered by S&T institutions...........................................................................38
6.5 The awards received by scientists ...................................................................................38
6.6 Products & process commercialized by the institution ................................................39
6.7 Technologies transferred & recommendations adopted ...............................................40
6.8 Barriers faced in technology transfer / extension ..........................................................41
7. Services provided by S&T institutions ...................................................................................42
Recommendations ...........................................................................................................................44
ANNEXURE…………………………………………………………………………………...….42
V
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1.1: Sector-wise distribution of statutory functions of S&T stitutions…….…..…….16
Figure 2.1: Composition of scientific and nonscientific staff by sector……………...………18
Figure 2.2: Distribution of research staff among S&T institutions .........................................19
Figure 2.3: Composition of research staff per institute ............................................................20
Figure 2.4: Gender distribution of research staff ......................................................................21
Figure 2.5: Sector – wise gender distribution of research staff ................................................21
Figure 2.6: Age distribution of research staff ............................................................................23
Figure 2.7: Distribution of highest educational qualification of research staff ......................23
Figure 2.8: Distribution of gender-wise highest educational qualification of research staff .24
Figure 2.9: Composition of staff training programmes (Local & Foreign) ...........................24
Figure 2.10: Sector wise distribution of staff trainings ...............................................................25
Figure 2.11: Training opportunities received by different staff categories ...............................25
Figure 6.1: Research projects conducted by S & T institutions ...............................................29
Figure 6.2: Number of technologies transferred & recommendations adopted by sector - wise
S&T institutions ........................................................................................................41
VI
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1.1: Sector- wise distributions of S&T Institutions ........................................................................ 12
Table 1.2: Sector-wise categorization of S&T Institutions in Sri Lanka ................................................ 13
Table 1.3: The Ministries to which the S&T Institutions used in this survey are attached ................... 14
Table 1.4: Major Statutory Functions conducted by S & T institutions ................................................. 15
Table 2.1: Staff Strength – Distribution of staff employed in S&T institutions ..................................... 18
Table 2.2: S&T Institutions according to the number of research staff present .................................... 20
Table 2.3: Distribution of research staff in S&T institutions based on areas of expertise (academic
disciplines) and gender ........................................................................................................ 22
Table 2.4: Sector wise recruitment of scientific staff ................................................................................ 26
Table 2.5: Breakdown of sector wise scientific staff who left the institutions......................................... 26
Table 3.1: Basic infrastructure facilities found in S & T institutions...................................................... 29
Table 3.2: Breakdown of S&T institutions with research database ........................................................ 30
Table 3.4: Sector – wise availability of computers among the staff ......................................................... 31
Table 5.1: Funds received for research activities by different funding sources ..................................... 33
Table 5.2: Sector – wise utilization of funds received for research work ................................................ 34
Table 5.3: Allocation of funds for research work by relevant Ministries ............................................... 34
Table 5.4: Funds utilization by S&T institutions for upgrading ............................................................. 35
Table 6.1: S&T institutions which developed new products, processes and technologies ..................... 37
Table 6.2: Various scientific publications produced by S& T institutions in the year 2016 .................. 37
Table 6.3: Patents received by scientists / institutions .............................................................................. 38
Table 6.4: Awards received by scientists ................................................................................................... 39
Table 6.5 : S&T institutions which commercialized processes ................................................................ 39
Table 6.6: S&T institutions which commercialized products .................................................................. 40
Table 7.3: Revenue generated by S&T institutes ...................................................................................... 43
VII
ACRONYMS
ACIMT - Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies
AEA - Atomic Energy Authority
BARMI - Bandaranaike Memorial Ayurvedic Research Institute
CEA - Central Environment Authority
CRI - Coconut Research Institute
DEA - Department of Export Agriculture
DM - Department of Meteorology
FD - Forest Department
FMRC - Farm Mechanization Research Centre
FRDI - Fruit Crop Research & Development Institute
GJRTI - Gem & Jewelry Research & Training Institute
GSMB - Geological surveys & Mines Bureau
HARTI - Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research & Training Institute
HCRDI - Horticultural Crop Research & Development Institute
IPHT - Institute of Post-Harvest Technology
ITI - Industrial Technology Institute
MRI - Medical Research Institute
NARA - National Aquatic Resources Research & Development Agency
NBRO - National Building Research Organization
NERD - National Engineering Research & Development Centre
NIFS - National Institute of Fundamental Studies
VIII
NPQS - National Plant Quarantine Services
NRDF - National Research & Development Framework
NRMC - Natural Resources Management Centre
NSF - National Science Foundation
ORP - Office of Registrar of Pesticides
PGRC - Plant Genetic Resources Centre
PPC - Plant Protection Service
R&D - Research & Development
RRDI - Rice Research & Development Institute
S&T - Science & Technology
SCPPS - Seed Certification & Plant Protection Service
SCS - Seed Certification Service
SLAB - Sri Lanka Accreditation Board for Conformity Assessment
SLCARP - Sri Lanka Council for Agricultural Research Policy
SLINTEC - Sri Lanka Institute of Nano Technology
SLSI - Sri Lanka Standard Institute
SRI - Sugarcane Research Institute
TRI - Tea Research Institute
VRI - Veterinary Research Institute
9
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Science & Technology Status Report 2016 contains data collected from 37 state sector Science
and Technology Institutions. The results are presented under four major areas; human resources,
physical resources, finances and productivity.
These institutions are categorized into five sectors, Agriculture, Plantation, Engineering, Medical,
and ‘Other’. There are 13, 3, 4, 3 and 14 institutions under each category respectively. These
S&T Institutions are distributed among 10 ministries out of which 14 are under the Ministry of
Agriculture and eight are under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Research.
In the focused year, there were 7,591 staff members working in these institutions. Out of them
1,138 (15%) were researchers (528 males and 610 females), 2,956 (38.9%) were scientific
supportive (technical) staff and 3,498 were admin & account staff. The highest number of
researchers were in the ‘Other’ sector (n = 559), followed by Agriculture (n = 255), Engineering
(n = 120), Plantation (n = 112), and Medical (n = 92) respectively. The average number of
research staff per institution was 31 (Range from 3 to 133). There were 11 institutions with less
than 10 scientists. Around 42% of the researchers were competent in the fields of natural-applied
sciences followed by agriculture (33%), engineering (14%), medicine (5.2%) and veterinary
sciences (2.5%) respectively. Researchers with PhD, MPhil and MSc degrees were 181, 68, and
457 respectively. Total number of degrees supported by S&T institutions were 47 (PhD = 16,
MPhil = 5, MSc = 21, BSc = 2, Postgraduate Diploma = 3).
Age group 41-50 years had highest number of research staff (n = 401) followed by 31-40 years (n
= 381), >51 years (n = 249) and ≤30 years (n = 107) respectively. In this year, there were 99
newly recruited scientific staff and 123 employees left S&T institutions. Total 2,619 staff
members participated in 544 workshops, seminars, conferences and training programs (258 local,
286 international programs).
*‘Other’- Sectors in the areas of geology, technology, industries, nanotechnology, natural resources, meteorology,
environment, aquatic resources, standardization & accreditation
10
In 2016, only 33 institutions of the surveyed group received funds for their research-based
activities. The total amount received for research-based activities was approximately LKR
2,455.02 Million. Total expenditure was LKR 2,104.55 Million (85.6% of allocated budget). The
Treasury was the main funding source for research-based activities. The ‘Other’ sector received
the highest amount of funds for research-based activities (LKR 937.9 Million). During this period,
total received for infrastructure development was LKR 1,571.8 Million.
Generation from client-based services was LKR 1,158.43 Million. Testing and calibration services
generated highest revenue (41.7%), followed by consultation services (22.8%). Nearly 617,000
clients were served through these services. Three S&T institutions, namely SLSI, NBRO, and ITI
contributed for 88% of the total revenue. In 2016, S&T institutions in five sectors developed 39
new products, 26 new processes and 35 technologies. Registered number of patents by three
institutions was 13 (NERD: n = 5, SLINTEC: n = 4 and ITI: n = 4), one was sold and seven were
implemented.
Total of 50 products and 30 processes were commercialized (27 by Engineering and 15 by
Agriculture). In the year, 29 technologies were transferred and 48 recommendations were adopted.
Highest number of technologies were transferred from Plantation sector (n = 14) while the highest
number of recommendations were adopted from Engineering sector (n = 24).
Total number of publications by S&T institutions was 1,065. Main mode of publication was
abstracts (n = 541, 51%). Sum of 156 (15%) research papers were published in indexed journals
(Science Citation Index (SCI) /SCI-Expanded).
11
BACKGROUND
The National Science & Technology Commission (NASTEC) was established with the provision
of Science & Technology Development Act No. 11 in 1994 and came into operations in August
1998. NASTEC was designated to be the apex policy formulating and advisory body on Science
& Technology (S&T) matters to the government of Sri Lanka. Reviewing public S&T institutions
and submitting a report to the government every year is a mandate of NASTEC.
There is no denying to the fact that S&T institutions are critical inputs for economic development
and poverty alleviation. Evaluation of public S&T institution funded by the General Treasury has
become a main concern of the government for many reasons. Prominently, there is a growing
demand for evidence-based policies and for evaluation of the outputs of public investments. The
government needs to determine the total amount to invest on S&T research, developments and
innovations. Knowing the return of investment is also important. Therefore, evaluation of public
funded S&T institutions helps to monitor the economic gain of investment in science, technology
and innovation fields and to assess their social impacts. Such evaluations will also increase the
accountability and effectiveness of S&T institutions. Hence, this evaluation assists prioritization
of government decisions in resource allocation and design of development plans.
NASTEC provided a self-administered questionnaire to 39 public sector S&T institutions and
requested them to fill up information based on 2016 facts and statistics. This status report consists
of data received from 37 public S&T institutions under Human Resources, Physical Resources,
Research Planning, Research Funding and Research Output. Field Crops Research &
Development Institute and Rubber Research Institute did not submit their questionnaire. NASTEC
collected this data through a liaison officer appointed for this particular purpose by each
institution. Data collection period was 1st of August 2017 to 31st of November 2017. This report is
an overview of the public sector contribution to the S&T institutes of Sri Lanka in the year 2016.
The findings of this survey would be useful for future planning and investing in S&T in Sri
Lanka.
12
1. General Information
The fundamental importance of S&T in both socio-economic and cultural development is now
recognized and accepted without a doubt all over the world. Measuring the science, technology
and innovation are fundamental for the formulation of national strategies for R&D. It is a
responsibility of all stakeholders, in particular, the scientists and technologists to develop and
maintain systems that would ensure sustainable development and high-quality life of our future
generations.
For the purpose of analysis, these S&T institutions were categorized into five sectors based on the
area of activities (Table 1.1). The institutions which could not be directly included under the four
major sectors were categorized under the fifth ‘Other’ sector.
The institutions categorized under the ‘Other’ sector carry out activities and services in the areas
of geology, technology, industries, nanotechnology, natural resources, meteorology, natural
science, environment, aquatic resources, standardization & accreditation. The number of
institutions under each sector is as per the Table 1.1.
Table 1.1: Sector- wise distributions of S&T Institutions
Sector
Number of Institute
%
Agriculture
13
35
Plantation
3
8
Engineering
4
11
Medical
3
8
Other
14
38
Total
37
100
Of the 37 S&T institutions, the highest number of responses was from ‘Other’ sector (n=14)
followed by Agriculture (n = 13).
Table 1.2 shows the categorization of S&T institutions under each sector.
13
Table 1.2: Sector-wise categorization of S&T Institutions in Sri Lanka
Agriculture
Plantation
Engineering
Medical
Other
Fruit Crop Research &
Development Institute (FRDI)
Coconut
Research
Institute (CRI)
Arthur C. Clarke Institute
for Modern Technologies
(ACIMT)
Medical Research
Institute (MRI)
Atomic Energy Authority
(AEA)
Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian
Research & Training Institute
(HARTI)
Sugarcane
Research
Institute (SRI
Farm Mechanization
Research Centre (FMRC)
Veterinary Research
Institute (VRI)
Gem & Jewelry Research &
Training Institute (GJRTI)
Horticultural Crop Research &
Development Institute (HCRDI)
Tea Research
Institute (TRI)
National Building
Research Organization
(NBRO)
Bandaranaike
Memorial Ayurvedic
Research Institute
(BARMI)
Industrial Technology
Institute (ITI)
Institute of Post-Harvest
Technology (IPHT)
National Engineering
Research & Development
Centre (NERD)
National Institute of
Fundamental Studies
(NIFS)
Plant Genetic Resources Centre
(PGRC)
National Aquatic Resources
Research & Development
Agency (NARA)
Rice Research & Development
Institute (RRDI)
National Science
Foundation (NSF)
Sri Lanka Council for
Agricultural Research Policy
(SLCARP)
Natural Resources
Management Centre
(NRMC)
Seed Certification Service (SCS)
Sri Lanka Accreditation
Board for Conformity
Assessment (SLAB)
Office of Registrar of Pesticides
(ORP)
Sri Lanka Institute of
Nanotechnology
(SLINTEC)
Seed Certification & Plant
Protection Service (SCPPS)
Central Environment
Authority (CEA)
National Plant Quarantine
Services (NPQS)
Department of Meteorology
(DM)
Plant Protection Service (PPC)
Forest Department (FD)
Department of Export
Agriculture
(DEA)
Geological surveys & Mines
Bureau (GSMB)
14
The S&T institutions included in this study function under 10 different Ministries. The majority
(n=14) of them are attached to the Ministry of Agriculture (n =14, 38%) and only eight (n = 8,
22%) are under the Ministry of Science, Technology & Research (Table 1.3).
Table 1.3: The Ministries to which the S&T Institutions used in this survey are attached
Statutory functions of S&T institutions are as follows.
1. Research & Development (R&D)
2. Research Funding
3. S&T services
4. S&T policy formulation
5. Technology transfer
6. Science popularization
MINISTRY
Agriculture
Science
Technology
&
Research
Health,
Nutrition
&
Indigenous
Medicine
Fisheries
and Aquatic
Resources &
Development
Primary
Industries
Mahaweli
Development
&
Environment
Power &
Renewable
Energy
Plantation
Industries
Disaster
Management
Rural
Economic
Affaires
CARP
SLAB
BARMI
NARA
DEA
CEA
AEA
SRI
DM
VRI
FRMC
ITI
MRI
FD
TRI
NBRO
FRDI
NERD
GJRTI
CRI
HARTI
NIFS
GSMB
HORDI
NSF
IPHT
SLINTEC
NPQC
ACIMT
NRMC
SLSI
PGRC
PPC
ORP
RRDI
SCS
SCPP
15
Table 1.4 shows the number of S & T institutions carrying out each of above functions
Table 1.4: Major Statutory Functions conducted by S & T institutions
Statutory Function
Number of Institutions
%
R&D
33
89.2
Research Funding
3
8.1
S&T Services
25
67.6
S&T Policy Formulation
7
18.9
Technology Transfer
22
59.5
Science Popularization
13
35.1
Research and Development (R&D) is one of the key functions of S&T institutions and it refers to
innovative activities undertaken by corporations or governments in developing either new
services/ products or improving existing services/ products. The R & D either may pave the path
for direct development of a new product or facilitates future product development. The survey
revealed that R&D is one of the statutory functions of 33 (89.2%) institutions, but not so in four
institutions namely SLAB, DM and SCPPS, PPS & SLSI.
Research funding is a term generally covers any funding for scientific research, in the areas of
science, technology and social sciences. The study found that research funding is one of the core
statutory functions of three institutions, CARP, NSF and MRI.
In this survey, any service under analytical testing, quality assurance, laboratory accreditation,
instrument calibration and any other specialized service goes under Science and Technology
services (S&T services). Out of all, 25 S&T institutions (68%) provided such services.
Science and technology policy (S&T policy) is one of the public policies that promotes
appropriate funding to advance scientific and technological research and education. This policy
studies the impact on citizenry by science and technology and prescribes regulation if necessary. It
covers a wide range of knowledge producing activities, including research. The findings of the
survey reveals that seven institutions (19%) involved in S&T policy formulation activities.
16
Technology transfer is the process by which basic research and fundamental discoveries are
developed in to practical and commercially relevant applications or products. According to the
survey, 22 institutions (60%) involved in those specific activities.
The term “science popularization” refers to a set of activities, disciplines and approaches that
communicate science to a wider audience. Nearly one-third of institutions (n=13) involved in
science popularization activities.
Some institutes involved in functions such as consultation, advisory, development of patient care
etcetera. Sector - wise distribution of statutory functions is given in Figure 1.1.
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Agriculture Plantation Engineering Medical Other
No. of Institutions
R & D
Research Funding
S & T Services
S & T Policy Formulation
Technology Transfer
Science Popularization
Figure 1.1: Sector-wise distribution of statutory functions of S&T institutions
Institutions under Agriculture & ‘Other’ sectors covered all six statutory functions identified in
this study. Institutions under Plantation sector covered only R&D and Technology Transfer
activities. Further, the survey revealed that Research funding and Policy formulation were not
statutory functions of Engineering and Medical sectors respectively.
17
2 Human Resources
Human resource is used as one of the indicators of the development of knowledge-based
economy. The global demand for Human Resources in S&T (HRST) is increasing as countries
worldwide move towards knowledge-based economies. For this purpose, countries need to build a
critical mass of well-trained scientists, engineers, professionals, technicians, graduates and
domain experts with broadened scientific training and skills.
Comprehensive analysis of HRST data helps to understand the challenges in S&T education,
training, institutional restructuring, providing incentives and rewards, mobility of scientists, new
career paths available for science students, the role of industry, future career opportunities and
policy intervention.
When analyzing HRST; number of scientific and non-scientific staff, areas of expertise, highest
level of education, age and gender were the main attributes.
2.1 Categories of staff employed in S&T institutions
Scientific, Administrative, Accounting and Other were the staff categories of human resources
employed in S&T institutions. Scientific staff was further grouped into Research Staff, Research
Support Staff, and Librarians / Research Information Officers.
Definitions:
Research Staff: A group of personnel who holds the relevant academic qualifications and
expected to generate new knowledge / methods / techniques by research / design / development
and or responsible for leading / managing the projects
Research Supportive Staff: The staff with appropriate vocational / technical qualifications who
assists their superior on S&T activities through assigned tasks.
Librarians / Research Information Officers: Librarians are an integral part of R&D activities
done by the institutions, who serve the researchers through various means of scientific informative
activities. With the advancement of technology, their role has been re-defined as “informative
scientist”.
Administrative Staff: All the staff members who handle the administrative tasks and not directly
involved with any science or research-related activities.
Accounting Staff: Directly involved in the financial activities.
18
Other Supporting staff: Involved in supporting / assisting cross-functional nonrelated research
activities, i.e. secretaries, craftsmen, gardeners, animal housekeeper, clerks, computer application
assistants, laborers and other minor staff.
The total number of employees attached to S&T institutions (n=37) in this survey was 7,591
(Median= 145_ [IQR: 63-222]). SLAB reported to have the lowest number of staff members
(n=18) while DEA reported the highest figure of 1,055 staff.
Out of the total, 4,093 were scientific staff (53.9%) and 3,498 were non-scientific staff. Figure 2.1
shows sector - wise comparative distribution of this.
Figure 2.1: Composition of scientific and nonscientific staff by sector
(Note: The number of staff is shown in the bar)
Table 2.1: Staff Strength – Distribution of staff employed in S&T institutions
Sector
Scientific staff
Accounting Staff
Administrative Staff
Other
staff
Total
Research
Staff
Research
Support
Staff
Librarian /
Information
Officers
Accountant
s
Acc.
Support
Staff
Executives
Exclu..
Support
Staff
Agriculture
255
1,111
9
6
67
43
452
1,186
3,129
Plantation
112
193
1
6
47
22
199
141
721
Engineering
120
184
3
7
37
8
85
108
552
Medical
92
267
1
0
24
9
33
127
553
“Other”
559
1,167
20
22
122
65
496
186
2,637
Subtotal
1,138
2,922
34
41
297
147
1,265
1,748
7,592
Total
4,094
338
1,412
The distribution of staff employed in each sector is given in Table 2.1. Agriculture sector had the
highest number (n = 3, 129, 41%) while Engineering had the lowest (n = 552, 7.2%).
Out of the entire group, 4,094 members (54%) were scientific staff with a composition of 71%
research support staff and 28% research staff.
19
The highest number of research staff (n = 559) was employed in ‘Other’ sector, followed by
Agriculture, Engineering, Plantation and Medical respectively. The records showed that the ratio
between research: research support staff was 2:5. Agriculture sector showed the highest (1:4)
while Engineering the lowest (1:1).
Figure 2.2: Distribution of research staff among S&T institutions
The distribution of research staff among S&T institutions is as per the Figure 2.2. Seed
Certification & Plant Protection Services reported the lowest number of research staff (n = 3) and
SLSI the highest (n = 133).
The availability of the adequate number of research staff has a direct impact on the functions of
S&T institutions. In this survey, sector - wise comparison of research staff was not done due to
high variance of number of institutions per sector.
The majority of S&T institutions (n = 11, 30%) had less than 10 research staff (Figure 2.3).
20
<10 11--20 21-30 31-40 41-50 >50
11
5 5
6
3
7
Figure: 2.3: Composition of research staff per institute
There were seven institutes (19%) with more than 50 research staff. Table 2.2 provides the list of
S&T institutions according to the number of research staff present. Table 2.2: S&T Institutions
according to the number of research staff present
Count of Research Staff
<10
11--20
21-30
31-40
41-50
>51
BARMI
SLAB
ACIMT
CRI
AEA
GSMB
CARP
IPHT
DEA
NBRO
DM
HODI
CEA
NRMC
FRDI
NSF
TRI
ITI
FMRC
NIFS
HARTI
RRDI
MRI
FD
SCS
SRI
SLINTEC
NARA
GJRTI
VRI
NERD
NPQS
SLSI
PGRC
PPC
RPO
SCPPS
Research Staff per institute
Number of institutes
21
2.2 Gender Composition of Research Staff
All five sectors considered, the percentage of male research staff (46%) was lower than the female
staff (54%) (Figure 2.4).
Figure 2.4: Gender distribution of research staff
2.3 Sector wise gender distribution of research staff
Number of female research staff was leading in almost all the sectors except in Engineering sector
where the male percentage was higher than the female (n = 74, 62%). Medical Sector reported the
highest percentage of female research staff (n = 71, 77%) (Figure 2.5).
Figure 2.5 Sector – wise gender distribution of research staff
22
2.4 Area of expertise of research staff
In current survey, the areas of expertise of research staff were categorized under Natural / Applied
Sciences, Engineering, Medicine, Agriculture, Veterinary Sciences and ‘Other’.
The highest number of research staff was working in natural / applied sciences (n = 472, 41.5%)
and the lowest was in veterinary science (n = 20, 2.5%). (Table 2.3)
Table 2.3: Distribution of research staff in S&T institutions based on areas of expertise
(academic disciplines) and gender
2.5 Age distribution of research staff
The age distribution of research staff in S&T institutions is a useful indicator as it accentuates the
experience of R&D workforce, which has a direct positive link to employee productivity and
performance. This distribution is given in Figure 2.6.
Field of Expertise
Male (n, %)
Female (n, %)
Total (n, %)
Natural / Applied Sciences
213 (45)
259 (55)
472 (42)
Engineering
106 (68)
49 (32)
155 (14)
Medicine
11 (19)
48 (81)
59 (5)
Agriculture
166 (44)
212 (56)
378 (33)
Veterinary Science
9 (31)
20 (69)
29 (3)
Other
23 (51)
22 (49)
45 (4)
Total
528 (46)
610 (54)
1138 (100)
23
> 51 years 41-50
years
31-40
years ≤30
Male 143 191 144 50
Female 106 210 237 57
0
50
100
150
200
250
Figure 2.6 Age distribution of research staff
The highest number of researchers (n = 401, 35.2%) was in the age group of 41-50 years and the
lowest n=107 (9.4%) was in the age group of ≤30 years. The data reaffirmed the existence of
gender inequality across the defined sectors.
2.6 Highest educational qualification of the research staff
Level of education attainment is one of the key indicators, which can be used to identify the
quality and the strength of researchers’ work. In this study, educational qualifications considered
were PhD, M.Phil. MSc, BSc and Postgraduate Diploma. The distribution of highest educational
qualification of research staff is given in Figure 2.7.
Figure: 2.7: Distribution of highest educational qualification of research staff
24
Out of the total research staff, there was 36% with a basic degree in Sciences (BSc), 46% with a
Masters [MPhils (6%) & MScs (40%)] and 16% with a Doctorate. The data further revealed that
60% of the researchers had postgraduate qualifications.
The number of male research staff with a research based higher degree (i.e. PhD, MPhil) was
higher than that of female (Figure 2.8).
Figure 2.8: Distribution of gender-wise highest educational qualification of research staff
2.7 Human Resource Development (HRD)
2.7.1 Workshops, seminars & conferences (local & international)
A Continuous program in Professional Development (CPD) is a training beyond formal
undergraduate and postgraduate education, which enables individual researchers to maintain and
improve standards of their practices through development of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and
behavior. CPD also supports specific changes in practice. All the 37 surveyed institutions
provided the HRD-CPD data except MRI.
Figure 2.9: Composition of staff training programmes (Local & Foreign)
In 2016, a total number of 2,619 staff members (35.5%) participated in 544 training programs,
which comprised of 258 local and 286 foreign trainings (Figure 2.9).
25
The sector - wise distribution of staff training is shown in Figure 2.10. Of the total participation,
2,224 (85%) went through the local training and rest 395 (15%) went through the foreign training.
Figure 2.10: Sector wise distribution of staff trainings
Agriculture sector showed the highest number of participation (n = 1,126, 50.6%) while the least
number of participations was reported by Plantation sector (n = 48, 2.1%) (Figure 2.10).
The training opportunities received by different staff categories are shown in Figure 2.11.
Figure 2.11: Training opportunities received by different staff categories
The figure above shows that the highest number of training opportunities (n = 353, 53%) was
given to research staff in 2016.
26
2.7.2 Staff turnover of scientific staff
Scientific staff is one of the primary key assets of S&T institutions as they directly engage with
the core business functions of the institutions. Employee turnover refers to the number of workers
or the percentage of workers who leave an organization and the replacement of new employees.
The assignments carried out by the research staff have a direct impact on the institutional success.
Therefore, ascertaining the staff turnover in detail is important.
2.7.3 Recruitment of scientific staff
Table: 2.4 Sector wise recruitment of scientific staff
Scientific Staff
Category
Sector
Total
Agriculture
Plantation
Engineering
Medical
Other
Research Staff
1
3
22
0
61
87
Research Support Staff
0
0
0
0
12
12
Total
1
3
22
0
73
99
In the year 2016, the total recruitment of scientific staff was 99. The ‘Other’ sector made the
highest recruitment (n = 73) followed by Engineering sector (n = 22).
2.7.4 Leaving of scientific staff
Table 2.5 Breakdown of sector wise scientific staff who left the institutions
Scientific Staff Category
Sector
Agriculture
Plantation
Engineering
Medical
Other
Total
Research Staff
10
1
12
8
41
72
Research Support Staff
2
0
0
0
49
51
Total
12
1
12
8
90
123
In 2016, a total of 123 members of scientific staff had left S&T intuitions while 99 new members
were recruited to fill up the vacancies (Table 2.4 & Table 2.5). The data shows that the highest
number of staff had left from ‘Other’ sector.
Main reasons for leaving the institutions were linked to expectations in career growth and
migration.
27
2.7.5 Funding for higher studies
The number of scientific staff who received offers for higher study opportunities by their
institutions through foster employee development is given in Table 2.6.
Table 2.6: Number of scientific staff who was supported for higher sturdies by S&T
institutions
Degree funded by the
institution
Agriculture
Plantation
Engineering
Medical
‘Other’
Total
PhD
4
4
0
0
8
16
MPhil
3
0
0
0
2
5
MSc
0
0
4
0
17
21
BSc
0
0
0
0
2
2
Postgraduate Diploma
0
0
2
0
1
3
TOTAL
7
4
6
0
30
47
A total of 47 scientific staff was funded by their respective institutions to pursue higher studies.
There were five undergraduate degree sponsorships, 21 for MSc, 5 for MPhil and 16 for PhD. The
‘Other’ sector has funded the highest number of postgraduate degrees. However, Medical sector
had not provided funding for any higher study program (Table2.6).
28
2.7.6 Incentives for scientific staff
In any working environment, providing incentives is considered as an excellent way of valuing
employees to entice talented individuals and to retain qualified staff. According to this study, it is
clear that there is no uniformity in the benefits given to the scientific staff. Table 2.7 shows the
incentives given in 2016 to scientific staff in S&T institutions. Out of 37 S&T institutes, only 10
institutions (28%) had provided a research allowance and only nine institutions had provided a
medical allowance to the scientific staff.
Table 2.7: Perks given to the scientific staff of S&T institutions
Perk
No. of institutions
Research allowance
10
Medical allowance
9
Performance base incentives
3
Transport allowance
4
Communication allowance
5
Professional allowance
2
29
3 Physical Resources
3.1 Infrastructure Facilities
The term ‘infrastructure’ refers to facilities, resources and related services used by scientific
community to conduct research & development activities in their respective fields. This covers
scientific equipment or set of instruments, knowledge-based resources such as collections /
archives / structured scientific information, information and communication technology-based
infrastructure such as grid / computing / software / communication, or any other entity of unique
nature essential to conduct R & D.
Other than the general infrastructure facilities, there were some unique facilities, which were
limited to few institutions with respect to their nature of specific functions. Such as animal
houses, museums, specialized and equipped training centers, information centers and residential
training facilities.
Table 3.1 provides the common infrastructure facilities available in S&T institutions. Every sector
was equipped with in-house laboratories totaling to 274. The ‘Other’ sector reported to be having
the highest number of laboratories (n =135) while Plantation sector with the lowest (n = 9).
Table 3.1: Basic infrastructure facilities found in S & T institutions
Sector
Laboratories
Workshops/Plants
Auditoriums
Libraries
Agriculture
71
4
26
11
Plantation
9
2
2
3
Engineering
15
6
6
4
Medical
44
0
7
2
Other
135
6
27
14
Total
274
18
68
34
3.2 IT Related Facilities and Databases
All the participated institutions hold a dedicated corporate web site. Marking a step ahead, all the
institutions attached to the Department of Agriculture were connected through Intranet (a central
main website) which eases the information sharing among the institutes of that sector.
30
Out of the 37 S&T institutions, 21 (57%) had a research database. Agriculture sector reported the
highest number (n = 9), while the lowest was reported by Medical sector (n = 1) (Table 3.2).
Table 3.2: Breakdown of S&T institutions with research database
3.3 ICT facilities
Distribution of basic ICT facilities among the sector – wise staff categories is given in Table 3.3.
The total number of personal computers used by scientific staff and non-scientific staff was 1,863
and 1,320 respectively.
Table 3.3: ICT facilities available in S & T institutions in 2016
Sector
Computers
for Scientific
Staff
Computers for
nonscientific
staff
Printers for
scientific
Staff
Printers for
nonscientific
staff
Scanners for
scientific staff
Scanners for
nonscientific
staff
Agriculture
327
179
156
90
16
13
Plantation
87
88
31
34
6
6
Engineering
409
208
111
42
9
9
Medical
78
38
36
26
2
2
Other
962
807
413
523
37
38
Total
1,863
1,320
747
715
70
68
Sector (N))
Institutions with a
research database (n)
% of institutions with a
research database -(n/N)
Agriculture (13)
9
69
Plantation (3)
2
67
Engineering (4)
2
50
Medicine (3)
1
33
Other (14)
7
50
Total (37)
21
57
31
The proportion of personal computer facilities for scientific staff was higher in Engineering sector
followed by ‘Other’ sector (Table 3.4).
Table 3.4 Sector – wise availability of computers among the staff
Sector
No. Personal
computers/
no. of
scientific
staff
No personal
computers/no. of
non-scientific
staff
Proportions
Computers vs Staff
Scientific
staff
Non-
scientific
staff
Agriculture
327/1375
179/568
0.23
0.31
Plantation
87/306
88/274
0.28
0.32
Engineering
409/307
208/137
1.33
1.51
Medical
78/360
38/66
0.21
0.57
Other
962/1745
807/705
0.55
1.14
Total
1863/4093
1320/1750
0.45
0.75
32
4. Research Planning
Under this section, the information on source document to formulate the respective institutional
annual action plan was sought from the 37 S&T institutions. While preparing their annual action
plan, 13 institutions (36%) referred to the S&T policy as a source document, another 13 (36%)
referred to the National Research & Development Framework (NRDF) as one of their source
documents and nine (25%) other institutions referred to both documents. In addition, there were
some other documents cited as source documents by few institutions namely Agriculture Research
Policy, Research priorities identified by the CARP, NBRO cooperation plan, national priorities,
Act number 47 of 1987, reviews of the annual research activities and priorities requested by the
respective ministries.
33
5. Research Funding
5.1 The funding source for research activities
Seven Institutions namely SLAB, CEA, SCS, SCPPS, RPO, SLSI and GSMB did not provide this
financial detail, as R&D is not a mandate functional activity in those institutions. Most of them
carry out their research using secondary data received by conducting their routine activities.
In the year 2016, a sum of LKR 2,469.5 Million was allocated for R&D based activities and out of
it, a total of LKR 2,104.5 Million (85.2%) was spent.
The details of the source of funding for research activities are given in Table 5.1.
The Treasury was the major direct source of funding for research activities conducted by S&T
institutions. Other than the Treasury, there were some contributions from foreign funds, NSF and
NRC grants. For reporting purpose, sources of funding which were not defined through the above
given sources is categorized as ‘Other’.
Table 5.1: Funds received for research activities by different funding sources
Funding Source
Amount Received /
LKR Million
Amount Spent /
LKR Million
% Utilization
Treasury
2,110.52
1,855.74
87.93
Foreign
96.73
77.91
80.54
NSF
89.94
12.49
13.88
NRC
3.00
0.30
10.00
Other
169.29
158.11
93.40
Total
2,469.5
2,104.5
85.2
Table 5.2 provides the sector - wise distribution of funds received for research work. The ‘Other’
sector received the highest amount of funds for research and the lowest was received by
Engineering sector. The highest percentage of funds was utilized by Engineering sector, while the
lowest utilization was in Agriculture sector.
34
Table 5.2: Sector – wise utilization of funds received for research work
Name of the Sector
(number of
institutions=n)
Funds Received/ LKR
Million
Funds Spent /LKR
Million
% Utilization
Agriculture (11)
629
424.1
67.4
Plantation (3)
607.2
575.4
94.8
Engineering (4)
60.5.8
58.7
97.0
Medical (3)
232.2
218.5
94.1
“Other” (9)
940.6
827.9
87.2
Total (30)
2,469.5
2,104.6
85.22
As these S&T institutions are distributed among 10 ministries, finding out the contribution of each
ministry for research work is also important. Table 5.3 illustrates funds allocated for research-
based activities by different ministries.
Table 5.3: Allocation of funds for research work by relevant Ministries
Name of the Ministry (n)
Funds given for
research
LKR/Million
Agriculture (12)
709.22
Science, Technology & Research (6)
667.97
Health, Nutrition & Indigenous Medicine (2)
106.25
Fisheries and Aquatic Resources & Development (1)
180.00
Primary Industries (1)
25.40
Mahaweli Development & Environment (2)
20.28
Power & Renewable Energy (1)
5.97
Plantation Industries (3)
607.20
Disaster Management (1)
125.9
Rural Economic Affairs (1)
21.28
Total (n=33)
2,469.5
*Only the Institutes with R&D activities as a statutory function are included (n = 30)
35
Following issues were highlighted as reasons for non-optimized utilization of funds;
• Lack of research staff
• Lack of research equipment
• Issues associated with administration-procurement (i.e. delays in purchasing equipment
and lab-chemicals)
• Delays in replacements
• Poor planning
• Delay in receiving tranche
5.2 Funds allocated to upgrade infrastructure and other facilities in the institutions
The General Treasury is the major funding source for upgrading S&T institutions. These
institutions received a total of LKR 1,571.8 Million for upgrades (Table 5.4). Major portion of
these funds was utilized to purchase new equipment (68%) followed by construction works
(23%). Among the institutions, GSMB received the highest amount of funds (LKR 588 Million)
to procure equipment followed by SLINTEC (LKR 213.4 Million).
Table 5.4 Funds utilization by S&T institutions for upgrading
Event
Amount LKR Million
Percentage
Renovation
30.6
2%
Construction
358.8
23%
Purchasing equipment
1,064.6
68%
Other upgrading
117.8
7%
Total
1,571.8
100%
36
6. Research Outputs
6.1 Research Projects
In 2016, a total amount of 435 research projects were carried out by 34 S&T institutions. SLAB,
CEA & SLSI did not conduct any research project, as it was not a mandate function of them.
Of the 435 research projects, 112 (25%) were collaboratively done with other institutions. Out of
them, 25 projects with foreign institutions, 30 with local universities and 57 with other local
institutions. Figure 6.1gives graphical detail of research projects conducted by S & T institutions.
Figure 6.1: Research projects conducted by S&T institutions
The highest number of research projects was carried out by ‘Other’ sector. In Medical sector, only
VRI could provide full data regarding the number of projects; BMARI and MRI failed to provide
the requested data on this area.
Among all the institutions, the highest number of research projects was completed by TRI (n =
103, 24%) while 316 (73%) were ongoing.
0
100
200
300
400
500
77 123
39 23
173
435
ongoing
completed
Total
37
6.2 New products / processes / technologies developed through research
In the focused year, 39 new products, 26 new processes and 35 new technologies were developed.
These details are given in Table 6.1.
Table 6.1: S&T institutions which developed new products, processes and technologies
New products developed
(n = 39)
New processes developed
(n = 26)
New technologies
developed (n=35)
ACIMT
AEA
FRDI
IPHT
ITI
NBRO
RRDI
SLINTEC
SRI
CRI
FMRC
FRDI
IPHT
ITI
NBRO
NERD
RRDI
SLINTEC
SRI
VRI
6.3 Number of Publications
Table 6.2: Various scientific publications produced by S& T institutions in the year 2016
Sector
In SCI &/
SCI
Expanded
journals
published
In other
Refereed
journals
published
Abstracts
of papers
presented
Monographs
Books
Chapters
in books
Other
Total
Agriculture
3
46
85
0
1
0
40
175
Plantation
8
22
69
1
0
5
23
128
Engineering
2
3
55
2
1
0
5
68
Medical
31
8
44
0
0
0
0
83
Other
102
70
288
8
38
22
83
611
Total
146
149
541
11
40
27
151
1,065
A sum of 1,065 publications produced by S&T institutions across the sectors within the stipulated
period. Main form of publication was Abstracts (n=541, 50.8 %) (Table 6.2). A total number of
ITI
NPQS
NBRO
NERD
SLINTEC
SRI
38
146 (13.7%) research papers were published in the journals, which are indexed in the Science
Citation Index (SCI) and/or SCI Expanded. Based on collected data, ‘Other’ sector had a major
contribution to the scientific publications, which represented the research disciplines in Natural /
Applied / Basic Sciences. Medical sector showed the lowest contribution during the year.
6.4 Patents registered by S & T institutions
There were 13 patents registered in 2016. Only three institutes were involved in getting patents for
their inventions: NERD = 5, SLINTEC = 4 and ITI = 4 (Table 6.3). One of the patents was sold
out and seven were implemented.
Table 6.3: Patents received by scientists / institutions
Sector
Number
of items
patented
National
patents
International
patents
Patent
implemented
Patent
sold
Agriculture
0
0
0
0
0
Plantation
0
0
0
0
0
Engineering
5
5
0
5
0
Medical
0
0
0
0
0
Other
8
8
0
2
1
Total
13
13
0
7
1
6.5 The awards received by scientists
A total of 58 awards received by scientists during the said year (national awards = 47,
international awards = 11) (Table 6.4). Scientists in ‘Other’ sector received the highest number of
awards, which was followed by those in Plantation sector.
39
Table 6.4: Awards received by scientists
Sector
National awards
International awards
Total awards received
Agriculture
5
1
6
Plantation
10
2
12
Engineering
0
2
2
Medical
0
1
1
Other
32
5
37
Total
47
11
58
6.6 Products & processes commercialized by the institutions
This survey revealed that there were 30 processes and 50 products commercialized by S&T
institutions during the reported period, and the highest number of processes (n = 13) was
commercialized by Agriculture sector. The details are as per the Table 6.5 below.
Table 6.5: S&T institutions which commercialized processes
Sector
Institute
Number of processes
commercialized
Agriculture
DEA
13
FRDI
IPHT
Plantation
SRI
3
Engineering
NERD
8
NBRO
Medical
None
0
Other
FD
6
GJRTI
SLINTEC
TOTAL
30
40
According to the gathered data, only 10 institutions contributed towards commercialization of
products. The list of details is provided in Table 6.6. The highest number of products (n = 27) was
commercialized by Engineering sector and second highest by Agriculture sector (n = 15).
Table 6.6: S&T institutions which commercialized products
Sector
Institute
Products
commercialized
Agriculture
DEA
15
FRDI
IPHT
RRDI
Plantation
SRI
3
Engineering
ACIMT
27
NERD
NBRO
Medical
None
0
Other
FD
5
SLINTEC
TOTAL
50
6.7 Technologies transferred & recommendations adopted
Technology often needs to migrate from its place and culture of origin to other destinations.
Technology transfer, which is also called Transfer Of Technology (TOT), is the process of
transferring (disseminating) technology from places / groups of origin to a wider audience. It
occurs along various axes: among the universities, from universities towards businesses, from
large businesses to smaller ones, from governments to businesses, across border lines both
formally and informally, and both openly and surreptitiously.
It occurs by concerted efforts to share skills, knowledge, technologies, methods of manufacturing,
samples of manufacturing, and facilities among governments, universities and/or other
institutions. Intention behind dissemination is to ensure that scientific and technological
developments are accessible to a wider range of users who can further develop the technology into
new products, processes, applications, materials, or services. The process of technology
41
alleviation takes place through transfer / valorization / commercialization, innovation, adoption /
diffusion, and integration.
According to this study, there were 29 technologies transferred and 48 recommendations adopted
in the year 2016 (Figure 6.2). The highest number of technologies was transferred by Plantation
sector (n = 14), while the highest number of recommendations was adopted by Engineering sector
(n = 24).
1
14 10
04
29
16
5
24
03
48
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Number of technologies
transferred
number of
reccomendations
adopted
Figure 6.2: Number of technologies transferred & recommendations adopted by sector - wise S&T
institutions
6.8 Barriers faced in technology transfer / extension
This survey identified the following reasons as barriers to transfer technologies by S&T
institutions,
• Poor linkage between R&D sections and the industry
• Lack of human resources for technology transfer / extension and ineffective services
• Delay in financial procedures and the high cost of expenditure
• Lack of cooperation and priority of the relevant authority
• Unable to retain quality research staff / high turnover of research staff
• Long drawn out processes and poor profitability due to high costs of inputs and labor
• Unwillingness of investors due to poor interest in perceiving innovative technologies
• Unavailability of a properly developed national level mechanism (National policy for
technology transfer)
• Unnecessary bureaucracy in recruitment of staff and in filing vacancies.
42
7. Services provided by S&T institutions
The services provided by S&T institutions were measured by considering client base approaches
in testing, calibrations, trainings, product and process certifications, accreditation of labs, and
consultancies. The number of clients served by S&T institutions is given in Table 7.1. Testing
facility was the widely used service while the least used was accreditation services. Out of 37
S&T Institutions, five institutions namely, NIFS, SLCARP, PPS, Forest Department and SCPPS
did not provide S&T services that were identified in this study. NARA could not provide the
details of number of clients served, although it generated revenue from conducting tests,
calibrations and consultancies.
Medical sector provided the highest number of testing services, Agriculture sector offered the
highest number of trainings and Engineering sector conducted the highest number of
consultancies. Details of types of services offered by each sector are given in Table 7.1.
Table 7.1: Breakdown of types of services by S&T institutions
It is important to note that the income generated by the state funded institutions had improved in
comparison to the income generated in the previous years. In 2016, LKR 1,158.43 Million
generated compared to LKR 789 Million in 2015.
Testing services was the highest revenue generator (41.7%), followed by consultancy services
(22.8%).
Sector
Testing
Calibration
Training
Product and
Process
Certification
Accreditation
Services
Consultancies
Agriculture
34,172
17
162,584
758
9
1,330
Plantation
21,504
79
2,992
0
0
1,975
Engineering
4,149
126
572
28
0
2,657
Medical
299,297
0
350
0
0
0
Other
29,346
9,559
43,332
1,461
73
542
Total
388,468
9,781
209,830
2,247
82
6,504
43
Table 7.2: Revenue generated by rendering different services by S&T institutions
Services provided
Revenue generated/LKR Million
%
Testing
482.8
41.7
Calibration
57.32
4.9
Training
74.35
6.4
Product/Process certification
225.98
19.5
Accreditation
28.99
2.5
Consultation
264.32
22.8
Other
24.67
2.1
Total
1,158.43
100.0
The highest amount of revenue was generated by SLSI (LKR 447 Million), which contributed to
the total revenue generation by 38.6%. SLSI, NBRO and ITI contributed for 88% of the total
revenue. The revenue generated by S&T institutes are given in Table7.3.
Table 7.3: Revenue generated by S&T institutes
Revenue generated
0-9 LKR/Million
10-20 LKR/Million
21-100 LKR/Million
>100 LKR/Million
FMRC
CEA
SLAB
ITI
HORDI
DM
NBRO
FRDI
ACIMT
SLSI
GSMB
TRI
IPHT
NARA
SLINTEC
NERD
SCPPS
GJRTI
44
Recommendations
Recommendations are categorized under the following identified areas.
Leadership S&T
➢ Science and Technology (S&T) has always played a crucial role in development of
societies through the provision of new / improved products and services, as well as
enhanced economic activities. In Sri Lanka, state sector S&T institutions are distributed
among 10 line ministries. S&T institutions focus on achieving separate action plans, which
are established as per the goals of their respective ministry.
The National S&T Policy and National Research & Development Framework (NDRF) are
formulated with the participation of experts with the intention to drive R&D activities
towards the national development processes. However, the survey revealed that the
intended documents are not taken up by most of S&T institutions. Therefore, it is essential
to establish a more powerful independent apex governing body to implement the national
policy and monitor the institutional activities.
➢ Establishment of Presidential Task Force for S&T would be one of the suggestive ways to
align, prioritize and expedite economically important R&D activities. This presidential
task force can undertake goal oriented research to cover all aspects of development,
particularly in the socially relevant sectors such as agriculture, education, healthcare, food,
energy, water, minerals etc. In addition, it can serve as an instrument for rapid economic
development with enhanced competitiveness by providing innovative technological inputs
to the industrial sectors. Key Performance Indicators (KPI) can be used to define these
goals to link to the deliverables associated with the schemes of ministries / departments.
The task force needs to be empowered to ensure the on-time delivery through periodical
reviewing. Further, the task force should be empowered to recommend the respective
authorities to provide necessary resources in a timely manner, which eases the obstacles
faced by institutions, not only in terms of R&D activities but also with the national goal
alignment; i.e. human resources, finance, enabling ministerial linkages, availability of
experts, national and international linkages, etc.
45
Human Resources & organizing structure in S&T institutions
➢ This survey accentuated the fact that funds allocated to R&D in Agriculture and Plantation
sectors are comparatively higher than in ‘Other’ sector. As a country going towards market
driven economy from agriculturally based economy, it is mandatory to invest in more
economically identified R&D areas such as power & energy, telecommunication, IT
construction and health care etc.
➢ Number of qualified researchers in Engineering and Medical Sciences should be increased.
Proper analysis should be carried out to identify the areas where local researchers are
lacking, and universities should be encouraged to produce more researchers in those
demand driven areas.
➢ Recruitment criteria for scientific staff should be made less complicated. The existing
government recruitment criteria for scientific staff is complex and the process continues
for a prolonged period. To address the staff turnover, it is necessary to establish new
recruitment criteria to absorb productive and efficient scientific staff within a short period.
➢ S&T institutions should create a conducive environment for researchers by producing ideal
workplace facilities.
➢ The government should establish an administrative and financial support system to
facilitate ongoing research. This system should ensure adherence to the rules and
procedures while facilitating the implementation in accordance with the technical
decisions of experts as well.
➢ A mechanism should be established to gain the support from Sri Lankan experts who serve
in developed countries by arranging staff trainings and establishing useful links.
➢ New mechanisms and a framework are required to trigger R&D outputs for
commercialization and development of marketable products and services.
➢ Establishment of a government protocol to encourage private industries to invest in public
R&D activities.
S&T database
➢ Establishment of a national database on all public funded R&D activities is an essential
factor. This would be important for decision-making, avoid of replication / duplication of
research projects and programs. It will also enhance the research complementary.
46
Performance reviews and standardization
➢ Establishment of an efficient mechanism to conduct routine performance reviews of S&T
institutions is needed. All the S&T institutions should essentially undergo a proper routine
performance review within a stipulated time frame (i.e. every 3 years). An independent expert
panel with high level of competence should do this review. It should be streamlined by an
apex body with the support of respective attached ministries. Conducting timely performance
reviews must be a responsibility of the respective S&T institution. Every ministry with S&T
institutions should strictly follow up the progress of institutional performance reviews, so that
the output of these reviews can be taken for the relevant recommendations when S&T
institutions request government funds for R&D.
➢ Every laboratory under taking R&D activities, product testing services and instrument
calibration should be accredited by accreditation authority and each institution should be able
to come up with their own standardization framework within a reasonable period.
47
ANNEXURE 01
National Review of the Status of S and T in Sri Lanka – Year 2016
Questionnaire Survey
Objective of the Survey:
The National Science and Technology Commission (NASTEC) is mandated to submit an annual
report to the Government of Sri Lanka on the status of S&T in the country. The information
provided by you will be used only in the preparation of this report.
Please read the instructions and definitions attached to this questionnaire before you fill the
questionnaire. All the questions are relevant to activities carried out during year 2016.
(I) GENERAL INFORMATION
1. Name of the Institution:
2. Postal Address:
3. Telephone:
4. E-Mail
5. Fax:
6. Ministry/ Department :
7. Statutory functions: (Please select relevant cage/s by a “x”)
R & D
S&T policy formulation
Research funding
Technology transfer
S&T services
Science popularization
8. Please list any other major functions of your institution.
(II) HUMAN RESOURCES
(Please provide information on the permanent staff)
A) Staff Strength
i) Scientific, accounting & administrative staff (head count)
Scientific
Accounting
Administration
Other
Research
Staff
Support
Staff
Librarians
Information
Officers
Accountants
Support
Staff
Executives
Support
Staff
48
ii) Research staff based on areas of expertise & gender (head count)
iii) Highest level of qualification of research staff based on gender (head count)
Doctoral
Degree
MPhil
Degree
MSc/MA
Degree
Bachelor’s
Degree
Diploma
M
F
F
M
M
F
M
F
M
F
iv) Research staff by age group & gender (head count)
>50 Years
40-50 Years
30-40 Years
30 Years
M
F
M
F
M
F
M
F
v) Staff remunerations
Categories of scientific staff
Salary scale
Minimum qualification sought
at recruitment
B) HR Development
i) Staff trained at workshops, seminars and conferences (local and international)
(head count)
Titles of training programmes
Duration
For whom
(ROs/ SOs/TOs etc.)
Number
participated
Science
Engineerin
g
Medical &
Health Science
Agriculture
Veterinary
Science
Other
M
F
M
F
M
F
M
F
M
F
M
F
49
ii) Postgraduate degrees funded by institution for staff members
Name and Designation
Degree programme
Duration
-
iii) Scientific staff recruited by the institution within the year
Category
Highest qualification
Number
-
iv) Scientific staff that left the institution within the year
Category
Reasons for leaving
Number
v) Perks given to scientific staff
Perks
For whom
Amount (Rs)
(III) PHYSICAL RESOURCES
i) Infrastructure Facilities
Infrastructure facility
Number
ii) Other facilities
Facility
Availability
(Yes/No)
iii) Major equipment available
Name of Equipment
Number
Year of
purchase
50
iv) IT facilities
Facility
Number
Scientific
staff
Administration
staff
(IV) RESEARCH PLANNING
I. Source documents referred in the preparation of Annual action plan of the institute
YES
NO
YES
NO
II. NRDF based activities identified/ implemented
Activity
Level of Implementation
(V) RESEARCH INPUTS
i) Funds received for research work during the year
Source of funding
(Treasury/NSF/NRC
/foreign funds etc.)
Amount requested (Rs.)
Amount received (Rs)
Amount spent (Rs.)
iv) If the funds received are not spent (there is a balance) what are the reasons?
v) Funds allocated to upgrade the institution
Source of funding
For what
Amount received (Rs)
Whether the task is
completed
National Research and
Development
Framework (NRDF)
National Science and
Technology Policy
Other Documents
(Please List)
51
(VI) RESEARCH OUTPUTS
i) Research Projects
Broad area of the
research projects
Collaboration
(International, other
organizations,
universities
Main Issues addressed by
the research project)
Ongoing/comp
leted
ii) New products/ processes/ technologies developed through research
(Please list)
Processes
Technologies
Products
iii) No. of publications
Publications
Number of
publications
iv) Patents received by scientists/ institution
(Please list)
Item patented
Whether
National/International
Whether implemented
or sold
v) Awards received by scientists/ institution
Award received
For what
Whether
National/International
-
vi) What are the products/ processes commercialized by the institution?
(Please list)
Processes
Products
vii) How did the commercialization happen?
52
viii) If the institution was unable to commercialize the product/process what are the reasons/
barriers?
ix) What are the technologies transferred or recommendations (especially agriculture)
adopted by industry/ farmers?
(Please list)
Technologies transferred
Recommendations adopted
x) What are the barriers faced in technology transfer?
(VII) SERVICES (FOR INDUSTRIES, S&T INSTITUTIONS, GENERAL
PUBLIC )
Types & Area of services
(please list)
Number of clients served
Revenue earned
(Rs)