Sri Lanka has established a national ad-hoc committee for the first time to identify and prioritize research and development (R&D) needs based on the country’s development goals.
Formed on July 7, the committee aims to categorize ongoing research efforts across the country by priority and align them with national requirements, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said.
This is the first time such a body has been formed to coordinate and classify ongoing research initiatives nationwide based on strategic national priorities.
The committee is co-chaired by Professor Gomika Udugamasooriya, Senior Advisor to the President on Science and Technology, and Professor Rohan Fernando, Chairman of the National Science and Technology Commission (NASTEC), under the Ministry of Science and Technology. It includes 20 experts from various disciplines.
Key responsibilities of the committee include aligning R&D policies across universities, research institutions, industries, and government agencies with national objectives. It also seeks to guide the allocation of national budget funds toward prioritized research areas to ensure more efficient use of public resources.
Sri Lanka’s R&D sector has long been characterized by fragmentation and a lack of coordinated strategy, limiting its impact on economic and social development, the PMD said. The committee aims to address this by integrating input from grassroots to national levels through stakeholder reports and surveys.
The initiative also promotes data-driven decision-making and financial accountability in the R&D sector, marking a shift toward more strategic and outcome-focused investment in science and innovation. (Newswire)
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