NCST Secretariat
The Secretariat facilitates the work of the Council and its committees. It is headed by Secretary to the Council supported by a hierarchy of Science Secretary Cadres and officers in administration and financial accounting service units.
a) The Science Schedules
The Science and Technology Act indicates the group of scheduled sciences. Needs of each scheduled science areais catered for through the science schedulesat the Secretariat level and the specialist committees and the overall developments in a science area are reported to and discussed by the Council.
Each Science Schedule has the responsibility of generating advice on all aspects of research, science and technology policy for consideration by the respective specialist committee and eventually, the Council. Currently, there are eight (8) Science schedules each manned by various cadres of science secretaries. They are: Agricultural and Allied Sciences Schedule; Biological Sciences Schedule; Environmental and Earth Science Schedule; Health Sciences Schedule; Industrial Sciences Schedule; Information and Communication Sciences Schedule; Physical and Nuclear Sciences Schedule; and Social Sciences Schedule.
TheResearch Coordination Division handles matters of research including applications for Research Permit and the administration of the Science, Technology and Innovation Fund.
b) Technical Services
Technical services are provided by the staff of the scheduled science units of the Council. Each unit is headed by a Chief Science Secretary who works with various cadres of science secretaries that are specialists in the various sciences. The science secretaries generate, prepare and submit for Committee and Council discussion, policy papers containing advice relevant to the development of all aspects of national research, science and technology policy in specific science areas. The Schedules routinely undertake the following:
Data collection and preparation of policy papers for discussion by the relevant committee
Preparation of research proposal on issues relevant to the sciences
Assessing the value of research results to national development
Monitoring research activities in the science area to ensure that they are consistent with the national development policy,
Acquiring and maintaining information emanating from activities in science area.
Identifying and assessing the developmental needs or the science area.
c) Support Services
NCST Administration and Accounts Divisions provide administrative and financial support services to the technical arm of the secretariat. For scientific information documentation and dissemination services to the scientific community, the Council relies on the Kenya Scientific Information and Documentation Centre KENSIDOC, a largely a referral information resource centre. KENSIDOC exists to document scientific and technological literature and to enable the scientific research and policy- and decision-making communities identify and access relevant literature on science and technology available in the country.
