Egypt

Academy of Scientific Research and Technology

Chairperson
Professor Maged Al-Sherbiny, (maged123@link.net )

Organisation administrator's name or contact person
Professor Maged Al-Sherbiny, (maged123@link.net )

Telephone number: (+202) 279211282

Fax Number: (+202) 27921270

Physical address
101 Kasr Al Aini Street, Cairo, EGYPT

Postal address
101 Kasr Al Aini Street, Cairo, EGYPT

Country
Egypt

Institution website address
http://www.asrt.sci.eg/

Organisation Info.

In what sector does the institution operate
Mixed

On what basis does the institution operate
Mixed

Type of Organisation
Professional Association

What is the institutional affilliation of your Organisation
Government

Level of operation

What is the level of operation
National, International, Regional

Finances

Does your organisation have a dedicated budget for research for health?
Mixed

Are members of your organisation compensated/remunerated for their work
Yes

Facilities

Does your institution have its own
Offices, Telephone, Fax line, Computer, Internet Connection, Photocopier

Details of Members

Are members of your organisation compensated/remunerated for their work
Yes

Human resources development

Does your organisation have a dedicated budget for research for health? Yes

The Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (ASRT) was established by Presidential Decree No. 2405 of September 1971 as the national body responsible for science and technology in Egypt, and was affiliated to the Prime Minister. However, the ASRT changed its affiliation several times. The ASRT is affiliated at present, and since 1986, to the Minister of State for Scientific Research, who is the official spokesman for ASRT towards political and legislative authorities. A Second Presidential Decree No. 377 of 1998 was issued for the reorganization of ASRT, where the ASRT is considered a public authority with an independent status and affiliated to the Minister of State for Scientific Research Affairs, with headquarters in Cairo.

The functions of the Academy are the following:

• To recognize scientific excellence and its application through the development and implementation of programs of merit based grants and awards for distinguished scientists and researchers.
• To plan and promote scientific research and technological development programs and projects of a national and inter-disciplinary character, providing the financial and material resources necessary for their implementation; and to provide as well the necessary coordination and follow – up among different implementation entities. 
• To raise national awareness on the importance of scientific research and technology towards sustainable development,
• To promote a culture of science among national citizens, and to support, develop and update science museums.
• To encourage research in the basic branches of science, and to support scientific research centers which work in science at the state of the art,
• To encourage basic research oriented to applications that address national development guidelines.
• To help organize and support national scientific and professional associations and unions.
• To establish scientific agreements between the ASRT and similar Academies and equivalent entities, and to follow–up their implementation.
• To design and operate a national system for scientific and technological information, developing networks and databases of specialized information. To organize and provide information that describes activities of scientific research and technological development, characterizes institutions and scientific and research personnel, report the available scientific and research capabilities, and to develop the ways of disseminating this information and facilitate its use.
• To plan and implement a national program for recording the scientific development of Egypt, registering and recording the Egyptians scientists and researchers achievements in the different fields of science.

The Academy is directed by a Council which is Chaired by the Minister of State for Scientific Research Affairs, being the Deputy Chairman, the President of the Academy. Other members of the Council are the following:

• Three Vice-presidents of ASRT.Three University Presidents nominated by the Minister of Higher Education for two renewable years.
• Three Presidents of Research centers, institutes and organs affiliated to and nominated by the Minister of State for Scientific Research Affairs, including the President of the National Research Center. They are appointed for two renewable years.
• The Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Universities.
• The Secretary General of the Council for Research Centers, Institutes and Organs affiliated to the Minister of State for Scientific Research Affairs.
• The President of the Atomic Energy Authority.
• The President of the National Sociological and Criminological Research Center.
• The Director of the National Water Research Center.
• The President of the National Water Research Center.
• Ten members – at most – of the scientists or experts appointed for two renewable years by a decree of the Prime Minister according to a proposal from the Minister of State for Scientific Research Affairs. The chairs of thirty two National Scientific Committees related to the international scientific unions appointed and elected from different universities and research institutes.

Regarding the presence of female members in the Academy, the percentage is 11.2%, while the total percentage of women involved in research activities in Egypt reaches 25%. Presently, consideration has been given towards restructuring the Academy. The main aim is to enroll new members of the Academy by election and to increase the percentage of academy members with young scientists and women, in order to prepare the Academy to act as the main national scientific adviser to society.

The structure of ASRT is the following: There are six sectors within The Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (ASRT):                                                       

1. Scientific Services Organs, including the Egyptian National Scientific & Technical Information Networks; the Sinai Rehabilitation Research and Development Organ; the South East Egypt Rehabilitation Research and Development Organ; the General Directorate for Prizes and Incentives; the Executive Office for Environmental Information; and the General Directorate of Statistics on Science and Technology. 

2. The Technical Staff bureau.

3. The Scientific & Cultural Relations Sector.

4. The Technology Development & Scientific Services Sector.

5. The Specialized Research Council's Sector; and

6. The Centers Affiliated to the ASRT, which include the Regional Development Research Centers; the National Information & Documentation Center; the Science and Technology Information Center; the Scientific Instruments Center; and the ASRT's Training Center.

The Technical Committee of the ASRT Council is the executive office of the ASRT Council. It is headed by the president of the ASRT together with three vice- presidents of the ASRT Council appointed by a resolution issued from the President of the ASRT Council according to the nomination of its members. It is responsible for preparing subjects to be presented to the Council, the draft of the annual budget of the research projects financed by the ASRT, for investigating the subjects referred to it by the Council or its President, or the President of the ASRT, for the implementation and follow up of the resolutions and recommendations of the ASRT Council, and finally, for taking executive procedures in issues delegated to it by the ASRT Council.

The Academy publishes several magazines and many books for popularization of science and technology, such as AL-ELM (a monthly popular science magazine) and the News Bahth-Elmi (News From Scientific Research) which is a quarterly magazine that reports on everyday news of the institutes of research. Institutions within the Academy publish specialized journals of their respective scientific fields.

The ASRT annually awards State Prizes that were established by PL 37/1958 (recently amended by PL 24/1998) which are the following:

• Mubarak Prizes (L.E. 400,000 and gold medal each).
• State – Merit Prizes (L.E 200,000 and gold medal each).
• State – Excellence Prizes (L.E. 100.000 and a silver medal each).
• State – Encouragement (L.E 50.000).

Laureates of those Prizes are also awarded suitable Decorations in the fields of Agriculture, Engineering, Medical and Basic Science. The ASRT, following the same rules and regulations as the State Prizes, also awards from endowments 52 specialized Prizes in various fields, including: Environment (8 prizes), Agricultural Sciences (5 prizes), Engineering and Development (3 prizes) , and Medical Research (14 prizes) .

The Academy, as a national organ, is also entrusted with the nomination for several regional and international prizes, e.g. King Boudoin's Prize for International Development, Kuwait's Foundation Prize for the Advancement of Scientists, Calinga's Prize for the Popularization of Science, King Faisal's Prize for Science and Technology, the International Prize for Environment, the Albert Einstein's Prize, the Abdus Salam Prize, and the Sasakawa Disaster Prevention Award. 

The ASRT has established bilateral scientific agreements with institutions for scientific research and technological development equivalent to the ASRT from 34 countries, and it is a member of the main multilateral international organizations of scientists, such as the Global Network of Academies of Sciences (IAP).