Table of Contents

Preface; Acronyms; Acknowledgements; Introduction; CHAPTER 1. Literature review and conceptual framework; A brief review of the literature on public research institutes; CHAPTER 2. Science councils in the South African national system of innovation and development imperatives; Three broad waves driving the establishment of public research institutes; Colonial origins, agricultural and mineral focus; Industrialisation and big science; Marketisation and public accountability; Public research institutes in a changing policy landscape; The baseline SETI Review in 1998; CHAPTER 3. The design and methodology; Research design; Aim and research questions guiding analysis; The institutional sample; Case studies of institutional frameworks; A survey of scientists at the core of the methodology; CHAPTER 4. A mission-orientation to the mining and minerals processing; sector: Mintek; Introduction; From Minerals Research Laboratory to Mintek; The mining value chain in South Africa; An analysis of Mintek's roles and institutional conditions; Mintek's mandate and objectives; Mintek's mandate in the national system of innovation; Organizational structure; CHAPTER 5. As a geological survey it is world class: the Council for Geoscience; Introduction; Historical overview of the CGS; CGS in a shifting policy landscape from 1998; Raising concerns to counteract the impact of contract work: the 2003 SETI Review of the CGS; Ten years later: CGS at the time of the 2009 Review; CHAPTER 6. Transforming into a "modern agricultural research organisation": The Agricultural Research Council; Introduction; Brief history of the Agricultural Research Council; The agricultural sector in South Africa; Origins in the first wave: responding to local needs; A national science council formed in the third wave; CHAPTER 7: A mission oriented public research institute facing the challenge of revitalisation:; The Medical Research Council; Introduction; Medical research to deal with local problems: a brief history of the MRC; Change and diversification of roles at MRC after 1994: evidence from SETI reviews; MRC scientists views of the revitalisation process; CHAPTER 8. A critical public research institute responding to developmental challenges: The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research; Introduction; Historical trajectory of the CSIR; Meeting the innovation and research needs of early industrialisation processes; CHAPTER 9. Conclusion: Science councils balancing multiple mandates; Introduction; The role of science councils in the national system of innovation; Balancing and prioritising roles; Patterns of interaction; Implications for policy and practice; Systemic conditions that facilitate and constrain; Incentivising engaged science; Organisational conditions that can promote and support interaction; Would it help to have an organisational strategy on innovation, engagement, and research impact on beneficiaries? What can be done to enhance internal alignment between research programmes - for example, what is the role of the new group structure in this regard? What is the potential role for the existing centralised coordinating units as structures driving interaction more systematically and in a more coherent and coordinated mannr across ARC units and scientists? Could there be a clearer set of commitments in KPAs to provide stronger incentives for individuals? How can the organisation adapt the interface mechanisms it developed to interact with firms, in order to support small scale miners and communities to promote livelihoods and inclusive development? If financial imperatives are major drivers of interaction (given that 70% of income is from contracts), how can the organisation fund development-oriented R&D? In a similar vein, at CGS we raised strategic questions about how the commercial client driven work could be better aligned and balanced with the scientific excellence and quality of life activity. We noted that individual drivers and coordination may work in a small organisation, but raised questions about the value of stronger coordination and internal alignment, perhaps through extendng the functions of existing interface structures; In conclusion; References; Primary Texts; Government documents; Organisational documentation; Interviews; Secondary Texts.