AID has conducted an interregional research 

 program since 1962, involving approximately $190 

 million for more than 270 research projects in a 

 variety of fields, including agriculture, health, in- 

 dustry, economics, education, nutrition, popula- 

 tion, and social development. The main purposes 

 of the AID research program are: (1) To find solu- 

 tions to technical and social problems that signifi- 

 cantly impede progress in developing countries; (2) 

 to add systematically to our knowledge of the 

 forces and processes at work in the econornic 

 growth and social modernization of developing 

 countries; (3) to explore and create improved tech- 

 nical materials for use in developing countries in 

 collaboration with other assistance agencies; and 

 (4) to increase the capabilities of recipient coun- 

 tries to solve their own problems. 



Examples of Research 



To achieve these applied objectives, it may oc- 

 casionally be necessary to use highly sophisticated 

 approaches which are considered by many to be 

 research investigations into basic mechanisms, 

 processes, and concepts. Some examples of such 

 research investigations, both past and current in- 

 clude: 



• Nitrogen fixation by bacterial action to reduce 

 dependence on scarce nitrogen fertilizer re- 

 sources 



• Photosynthesis to increase the yield of agri- 

 cultural crops 



• Plant tissue culture under stress conditions to 

 identify modified plant varieties for increased 

 food production 



• Agricultural and industrial waste utilization 

 for food and energy and in waste control 



• Agricultural economic base data, relation- 

 ships, and mechanisms for policy guidance in 

 controlling income distribution, family deci- 

 sionmaking, rural development, and export 

 development 



• Immunological mechanisms underlying the 

 development of malaria vaccine 



• Physiological and medical side-eflfects of pros- 

 taglandin in fertility control 



• Determinants of human fertility in terms of 

 physiological, economic, and cultural factors 



• Determinants of behavioral and attitudinal 

 modification in nutritional, health, family 

 planning, and cultural practices 



• Nonformal educational mechanisms and eval- 

 uation capabilities in the development of self- 



help practices among illiterate adults and oth- 

 ers beyond the formal school systems 

 • Economic investigation of theoretical, meth- 

 odological, and empirical variables in contrast- 

 ing cross-country conditions, relating both 

 economic and social factors. 



A number of specific activities bear on the sig- 

 nificant role of research for developing country 

 problem solving as follows: 



Internationa] agricultural research centers. AID 



contributes to the support of nine international 

 centers under the policy guidance of the Consulta- 

 tive Group on International Agricultural Research 

 (CGIAR), a multidonor group for which the World 

 Bank acts as secretariat. 



Section 211(d) institutional grants program. This 

 program provides support to selected academic 

 and research institutions through five-year grants 

 for the development of capabilities needed by the 

 Agency in research, teaching, and consulting on 

 problems of international development. 



International training. Since 1941, approximately 

 177,000 foreign nationals have received training 

 under the foreign assistance program in critical 

 development fields. 



African- \merican Scholars Council (AASC). The 

 purpose of this project is to identify problems and 

 conduct research related to African development 

 needs through the individual and collaborative 

 efforts of African and American scholars, thereby 

 enchancing the research capabilities of the African 

 higher education community. 



Title XII famine prevention and freedom from 

 hunger. This program provides for support to 

 strengthen the capacities of the United States land 

 grant and other eligible universities in program-re- 

 lated agricultural institutional development and 

 research in developing countries. 



AID sees a number of problem areas in which 

 more attention to basic research would undoubted- 

 ly provide more critical knowledge, namely: 



• Understanding of social, behavioral, and cul- 

 tural dynamics involved in efforts to imple- 

 ment policy and program applications 



• Approaches to facilitate greater participation 

 by affected people in the identification, devel- 

 opment, and institutionalization of problem- 

 solving techniques for self-help 



• Greater utilization of research findings 

 through continuing, adaptive follow-through 

 from the research stage to acceptable usage in 

 local environments. 



154 



