Dear Colleagues: The Challenge Program on Water and Food , an international agricultural research initiative, (www.waterandfood.org ) will be holding a International Forum in Vientiane, Lao PDR, November 12 - 17, 2006 (see call for Abstracts below). One of the sessions (#15) will specifically cover issues related to Capacity Building for Water and Food Research in Africa, Asia, and Latin America . You have been identified as an expert on issues related to science and technology development, education, training, and/or the role of capacity building in economic development. We are interested in your contributions to these topics as they relate to agriculture, water, and the environment and therefore, the CPWF encourages you to participate in this call for Abstracts. The CPWF is particularly interested in hearing your views on the following topics: 1. Tertiary education policies and their alignment with global and regional economic, agriculture and water sector goals 2. Capacity building along the research for development spectrum 3. Appropriate indicators for measuring capacity building impact, success and or progress in the water and food research realm. 4 Performance/Effectiveness of regional capacity building networks 5. Performance / Effectiveness of North-South partnerships (research and or education programs) 6. Brain drain and job markets for water and food professions 7. Capacity building in post - conflict settings 8. Any other topic of critical relevance to capacity building for water and food research Please forward this email to other colleagues you feel would be good contributors to this topic. If you have any comments or questions about this call for abstracts, would like more complete descriptions of the topics, or are concerned with the tight deadline for submissions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you for you consideration and we hope to hear from you. Best regards, Marcia F. Macomber Capacity Building Officer Challenge Program on Water and Food c/o IWMI P.O. Box 2075, Colombo, Sri Lanka Tel: +94 - 11 - 278 -7404, ext 2302 Fax: +94 - 11 - 278 - 4083 Email: m.macomber@cgiar.org Website: http://www.waterforfood.org/ Here are key dates for the submission. 31 July Abstract deadline 31 August Latest date for conveners to notify authors of whether or not their abstracts have been accepted. 15 October Latest date for which authors can submit draft papers, posters and briefing notes to conveners 12 – 17 November Forum 31 December Final papers submitted to conveners. *Call for abstracts and posters* The CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF) calls for abstracts to contribute to a highly innovative, interactive International Forum on Water and Food, to be hosted by the MekongRiver Commission The CPWF is an international research program focussing on the need to produce more food with less water in the fields of crop-water productivity improvement; water and people in catchments; aquatic ecosystems and fisheries; integrated basin water management systems and the global and national food and water system. Abstracts should be restricted to 500 words and submitted on-line at http://www.waterandfood.org/index.php?id=413 Authors should focus on innovative, plausible solutions to the problems of water productivity with policy and development relevance. All abstracts presented will be reviewed, and will contribute to discussions and poster presented presentations at the Forum. Selected abstracts will be asked to prepare full papers for special issues of international, peer reviewed journals. The International Forum on Water and Food will address a wide range of topics and issues. For more details of these and the submission process go to _http://www.waterandfood.org/index.php?id=408_