Science Forum 2018 was organized by the CGIAR’S Independent Science and Partnership Council (ISPC)—now the Independent Science for Development Council (ISDC)—and co-hosted by the South African Agricultural Research Council.
The ISPC is a part of the CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food secure future dedicated to achieving a world free of poverty, hunger and environmental degradation. One of the main functions of the ISPC is to provide a credible challenge function to both the funders and the implementers of CGIAR research on the overall direction and composition of the research portfolio. An essential element of this function is taking a close look at the research programs’ theories of change and their underlying assumptions, for example how the research activities of the CGIAR are expected to generate impacts. One mechanism that the ISPC utilizes to realize the challenge function is the organization of a biennial Science Forum (SF) to catalyze discussion on emerging issues of strategic importance to CGIAR, bringing in external perspectives to engage in dialogue and discussion with CGIAR stakeholders.
Four SFs have been organized to date, the last three have focused on analyzing the assumptions about how agricultural research in general, and CGIAR research specifically, can deliver impacts on high-level goals, called CGIAR System-Level Outcomes (SLOs). The 2016 SF focused on reassessing the pathways for agricultural research to contribute to reducing poverty (SLO1); whereas the 2013 SF examined the pathways from agricultural research to improved nutrition (SLO2); and, in 2011, the Forum discussed issues related to the agriculture-environment nexus (SLO3).
- Jennifer Thomson: Chair, Council Member, ISPC and Emeritus Professor, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town – South Africa
- Izabella Koziell: Program Director, CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems - Sri Lanka
- Leslie Lipper: Executive Director, ISPC Secretariat
- Holger Meinke: ISDC Chair; Strategic Research Professor for Global Food Sustainability at the University of Tasmania, Australia
- Bongani Ndimba: Senior Research Manager, ARC Infruitec-Nietvoorbij – South Africa
- Virgilio Viana: General Director, Sustainable Amazon Foundation – Brazil
- Eric Witte: Senior International Affairs Specialist, USAID – USA
- Andre Zandstra: Head, Funder & External Engagement, CGIAR SMO – France
- Preet Lidder: ISPC Technical Lead and Ex-Officio Member - Agricultural Research Officer, ISPC Secretariat