Launch of projects that strengthen STI from an inclusive and open science approach in the SICA region

City of Knowledge, Panama, May 26, 2023

With the purpose of supporting collaborative research in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), in coordination with the National Science Councils of the countries of the region and supporting capacity building activities that allow the Councils and regional bodies of coordination of science, effectively fulfill their mandates and improve national and regional systems of science, technology and research (CTI), with a particular emphasis on gender mainstreaming and inclusion, project launch meeting is held:

Stream 1: Strengthening inclusive science and innovation systems in Latin America through a collaborative research network, led by the Central American Higher University Council (CSUCA).

Current 2: Central American Policy for open STI and the mechanisms to measure its impact on society, led by the National Secretariat of Science, Technology and Innovation (SENACYT) of Panama and the City of Knowledge Foundation of Panama (CDS).

Both projects selected and sponsored by the International Development Research Center (IDRC) of Canada, for its acronym in English, with an execution period of 5 years for the first and 3 for the second.

Taking into account the importance of strengthening STI, as well as the research-innovation-inclusion nexus, and open science policies, both projects are closely related, a launch meeting has been organized, in person, with the participation of each of the institutions and strategic allies that promote science, innovation and technology from an inclusive approach and open science in the member countries of the Central American Integration System (SICA).

Within the development of the activity, the strategic vision of the project ?Strengthening inclusive systems of science and innovation in Latin America through a collaborative research network? by Carlos Aguirre, General Coordinator of the CSUCA-IDRC Project, as well as the presentation of the project ?Central American Policy for open CTI and the mechanisms to measure its impact on society? by Carlos Salinas, Project Coordinator for SENACYT-CDS-IDRC.

Likewise, the meeting gives rise to the development of the workshop on inclusive innovation and gender; access of women and other vulnerable groups to scientific research, collaboration and exchange in SICA member countries by Lucía Mesa, Gender Consultant, Ladysmith Collective/ IDRC.

While Kemly Camacho, gender consultant for the CSUCA-IDRC project, makes a presentation of the main results of the gender analysis in Central America.

For her part, Andrea Mora, President of LA Referencia, makes a presentation on open science in the Central American region and Jessica Bran from the National Secretariat of Science and Technology of Guatemala, CTCAP Technical Secretary, presents the CTCAP regulations and action plan. .

It should be noted that this is a linking space between specialized institutions that lead the issues of research, technology and innovation, as well as specialists in inclusion and open science in SICA member countries, which allows the generation of communication and monitoring mechanisms, aimed at guaranteeing the implementation and impact of inclusive STI projects and a Central American Policy for open STI.