ABSTRACT
The basic sciences encompass biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics. The core requirements for a national research capability in the basic sciences include a critical mass of trained manpower, adequate infrastructure, and sufficient financial resources. Some developing countries appear to have a critical mass of trained scientific manpower, a solid infrastructure for research, and adequate financial resources to support that research, and yet they do not produce scientific research of the quantity or quality that one would expect under these conditions. In order for developing countries to build endogenous scientific capacity, they must depend primarily on their own internal efforts. Individually, most developing countries lack sufficient economic and human resources to build and sustain diversified national research systems capable of satisfying their science and technology needs. Assistance in human resources development involves supporting the improvement of education in the basic sciences at all levels.
