Evaluation report : applied science and technology research

Special evaluation covers the period to 5/80. Program progress is commendable. Increased Egyptian capability to develop and manage applied research programs is already observable and this program has the potential for continued and greater contributions to that goal. Ten projects have been identified and all but two are underway. The Academy for Scientific Research and Technology (ASRT) and the National Research Center (NRC) have organized, managed, and implemented applied research programs in the following areas: instrumentation, management training, phosphate ore utilization, wool scouring, corrosion in the petroleum industry, Red Sea fisheries, biogas technology, more and better foods, and new crops. The effort expended in clarifying and improving the project designs has been an educational investment important to the program purpose. Applied research is increasingly understood and is gaining acceptance as an institutional and personal goal. Project and sub-project performance, although variable, is excellent given delays both in project initiation and the provision of certain inputs. There has been active interaction with the users and potential beneficiaries of research. The technical competence and commitment of the project staff is generally high and has contributed greatly to progress. The number of experienced and highly trained scientists or engineers may, in some cases, be larger than necessary with the potential for underutilization and decreased job satisfaction. Most projects are making good use of existing equipment and facilities in the absence of newer items. Presently approved projects have often been studied by Egyptian or U.S./Egyptian researchers. Current efforts are broadly classified as industrial or food-related. A more direct approach for choosing future projects needs to be found, linkages between projects should be strengthened, and a greater effort to market project information should be made.