Biennial Report 2010–2011 Contents 2 Letter from Board Co-Chairs and President 4 Fostering Local Talent through Global Connections 6 Opening Access to the World 8 Building English Skills for Collaboration 10 Rebuilding a Culture of Science 12 Fostering Linkages Worldwide 14 The Value of Science Diplomacy 18 Opening Doors through Nuclear Education 19 Honoring the Legacy of George Brown 20 Financial Statement 22 New Websites Convey Global Mission 23 Executive Staff and Office Locations 24 Board of Directors 25 Advisory Council 26 Funders and Clients Letter from Board Co-Chairs and President isolated or emerging countries. CRDF Global’s initial work On behalf of all of us at CRDF Global, we thank you for in the 1990s with the former Soviet Union laid important your continued support and look forward to working with groundwork for our current efforts with North Korea and a you in the years to come. number of Middle Eastern and African countries. CRDF Global continues to work to broaden American Sincerely, Ms. Dona Crawford Dr. William Wulf Ms. Cathleen A. Campbell understanding of science diplomacy. In 2010, we joined the Co-Chair, Board of Directors Co-Chair, Board of Directors President and Chief Executive Officer Partnership for a Secure America (PSA) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) to issue a bipartisan statement, signed by 26 prominent mem- Ms. Dona Crawford bers of the political and scientific communities, supporting Co-Chair, Board of Directors “Global Science, Local Impact,” the theme of this biennial training, networking and financial support for increased science diplomacy in U.S. foreign policy. Over report, captures how CRDF Global advances peace and aspiring entrepreneurs in over 40 countries. the past two years, we have also held a number of forums prosperity in communities around the world. • Supporting the development of African laboratory for government officials, journalists and the public to learn CRDF Global is renowned for equipping scientists and health and safety programs through support of the more about the unlimited potential of science diplomacy. entrepreneurs with funding, technical resources and train- new African Biological Safety Association (AfBSA), CRDF Global is more than a name. Above all, CRDF Dr. William Wulf ing. But more importantly, we foster ties between countries a nonprofit organization for practitioners of bio- Global is its people. Our staff members are our greatest Co-Chair, Board of Directors and regions, and between academia, government, and the logical safety. asset, and they, along with our Board of Directors and private sector. We link budding science innovators with • Engaging nearly 300 Russian scientists, engineers Advisory Council, are devoted to our mission of science mentors and investors, and strengthen their networking and students in 17 training events supporting cre- cooperation. Our international offices—in Jordan, Kazakh- and collaboration skills. In turn, our participants use these ation and growth of technology companies through stan, Russia and Ukraine—are composed of dedicated and newly-honed assets to address local challenges and share our Technology Entrepreneurship Development talented people working seamlessly across time zones and Ms. Cathleen A. Campbell their knowledge with peers back home. Program (TEDP). cultures. Their contributions are helping to support the President and Chief Executive Officer To emphasize our truly global approach, we marked Our global focus also has a real impact at home in the changing needs of the growing and interconnected global our 15th anniversary in 2010 with the unveiling of CRDF U.S. Scientific cooperation is often a key ingredient for scientific community. Global as our new name. In the two years since, our proven problem-solving and generating new ideas. Further, by reputation as an on-the-ground implementer allowed us to working with innovative companies abroad, such exchanges expand our work in the Middle East, North and Sub-Saha- can open foreign markets for U.S. exports and invest- ran Africa, and South Asia. Our recent activities include: ments. Collaboration also deepens political relationships • Launching the Global Innovation through Science and offers important avenues for communication when and Technology (GIST) initiative, which offers formal diplomacy channels are stifled, particularly with 6 CRDF Global Biennial Report 2010–2011 7 Innovation and Entrepreneurship • GIST Network, a web-based platform that provides mentorship, resources and tools for young entrepre- neurs to collaborate, connect with investors and FOSTERING LOCAL TALENT accelerate technology commercialization. • GIST-MIT EF Business Plan Competition focusing on THROUGH GLOBAL accelerating high-potential startups through mentor- CONNECTIONS ship, connections and seed funding. This competition was implemented in conjunction with the MIT Enter- prise Forum (EF). • University-industry linkage activities to institutional- In his June 2009 speech in Cairo, President Obama called for ize connections between universities and businesses the United States to reengage Muslim-majority countries by through outreach partnerships and developing innova- CRDF Global President and CEO Cathy Campbell congratulates Najwa Sah- focusing on scientific, academic and technological collabo- marani and Zyad Sankari, winners of the GIST Tech-I Competition. tion leaders through training experiences. ration. In response to this call, CRDF Global launched the GIST Tech-I semi-finalists receive training and one-on-one mentoring One highlight of the past two years was the GIST Tech-I EF Pan Arab Region, MIT EF Pakistan, Technology Devel- Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) from seasoned entrepreneurs around the world, including CRDF Global Competition finale—themed “The Battle of Ideas”—held initiative, with initial funding from the U.S. Department Board Director Dr. Jaleh Daie (left). opment Foundation of Turkey (TTGV), MIT EF Turkey, in December 2011 at the Entrepreneurship Summit in Inovent, Startup Malaysia, Malaysian Technology Devel- of State. The initiative builds sustainable entrepreneurial ment unique solutions while taking into account the local Istanbul, Turkey. Hosted by Turkish Prime Minister Recep opment Corporation (MTDC), CTIC Dakar, Bangladesh ecosystems in the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast and needs and cultures of participants. Tayyip Erdoğan, the summit drew prominent international Youth Leadership Center (BYLC), and Business Innovation Central Asia by: Three early meetings—in Alexandria, Egypt; Kuala leaders, including U.S. Vice President Joe Biden. Through- Center (BIC). GIST’s success would not be possible without • Providing funding for competitions. Lumpur, Malaysia; and Rabat, Morocco—prompted experts out the four-day event, 25 GIST Tech-I semi-finalists the support and involvement of many government min- • Connecting entrepreneurial stakeholders. and stakeholders throughout GIST regions to outline a path received training and one-on-one mentoring from sea- istries, agencies and organizations, as well as individual for building a culture of excellence in science and technol- • Providing skills development and training. soned entrepreneurs from around the globe. experts and entrepreneurs. All the stakeholders involved ogy, helping promising innovators and achieving economic Eleven winners were subsequently selected, with two have shown passion and enthusiasm in producing practi- • Building partnerships with organizations development. entrepreneurs from Lebanon—Najwa Sahmarani and Zyad cal steps toward accelerating innovation and turning these and institutes. Based on conclusions from the meetings, CRDF Global Sankari—winning first place. They received $20,000 for plans into action. The regions served by GIST are filled with entrepreneur- and partner organizations launched a suite of projects: ial talent, much of it untapped. The right mix of mentorship creating a health device which enables long-term moni- and opportunities can make a crucial difference in nurtur- • Skill development programs including startup toring of patients with heart conditions. The device alerts ing this talent, thereby forming the foundation upon which boot camps and webinars. healthcare providers of cardiac irregularities and even knowledge economies are built. By bringing together local • GIST Tech-I Competition—a first-ever multinational provides a patient’s location in the event of heart failure. partners and holding regional programs, the GIST initiative contest highlighting innovative technology ideas CRDF Global implements GIST activities in collabora- also provides opportunities to share experience and imple- through a YouTube-based idea pitch. tion with a number of partners. Partners include the MIT 8 CRDF Global Biennial Report 2010–2011 9 Virtual Science Libraries internationally by Iraqi authors in 2009 cited resources available to them through the IVSL. In January 2010, the Afghanistan VSL program began OPENING ACCESS with a pilot project at Kabul University. The project, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, developed a web TO THE WORLD portal linking more than three million articles from over 8,000 journals. In 2012, the Afghanistan VSL will expand access to institutions outside of Kabul University and, even under challenging conditions in the country, usage continues to grow. CRDF Global’s Virtual Science Library (VSL) program CRDF Global initiated VSL programs in North Africa in CRDF Global