Deepening understanding of knowledge ecosystems in the Caribbean

 

The Caribbean consists of more than 30 countries and territories, with a diverse Indigenous, African and Northern heritage and a complex history of colonialism and marginalization. These characteristics continue to shape their development trajectory amid other key challenges, including migration and climate change. While development funders, including IDRC, have supported knowledge and innovation ecosystems in Latin America, progress has been slower in the Caribbean. The Caribbean also tends to be absent from important regional scientific and policy forums. This could be driven by many factors, including limited grant management capacities, lack of adequate incentives in the Caribbean’s research ecosystem, climate change and governance challenges. It could also be due to the brain drain of Caribbean researchers who leave to work in Northern institutions.

To equitably support the region, it is critical for organizations like IDRC to better understand its unique challenges to building strong knowledge and science ecosystems by hearing directly from key Caribbean stakeholders. It is also critical to renew networks of capable research partners, like-minded organizations and funders to support locally relevant and demand-driven knowledge exchange and collaboration.

This project, funded through IDRC’s catalytic funds initiative, will support a comprehensive scoping exercise across the Caribbean to map out knowledge gaps, priorities and opportunities, and re-strengthen links with research organizations and networks that can lead evidence generation to enhance the Caribbean’s science and innovation systems. Its results will also inform IDRC’s continuing support to research, scientific and innovation systems in the Caribbean.