Former Nepali Minister Dipak Gyawali says development NGOs need to stop acting like sub-contractors and start asking challenging questions.

Conservative traditions, rather than religious belief, seem to be the main barrier to modern science in Muslim countries, says David Dickson.

Africa's next big science investment should target its oceans, but funding and political support need to be sustained, writes Linda Nordling.

Disaster warnings can be fast, but how can we also ensure their accuracy and credibility, ask Rohan Samarajiva and Nalaka Gunawardene.

An ambitious strategy to create fuel cell products for export will need incentives and cross-government backing to bear fruit, says Radhika Perrot.

The murder of health workers in Pakistan means the last leg of efforts to eradicate the disease can't be business as usual, says Heidi Larson.

Entrepreneurial initiatives to provide vital jobs must adjust to the tough enterprise environment or risk underperforming, says Athar Osama.

Donors must work with African countries to provide crucial science infrastructure, argues S&T policy scholar Nicholas Michael Bashour.

As the Obama administration begins a second term, USAID's Alex Dehgan describes how the agency will build on its science-for-development agenda.

A six-country assessment shows how women's inclusion in science should be supported, write gender experts Sophia Huyer and Nancy Hafkin.

Developing countries deserve more support for their efforts to prioritise climate change in development, writes climate expert Simon Anderson.

To engage people in early action we must understand their experience, behaviour and constraints, says disaster policy expert Andrew Collins.

Scientific research in India needs to integrate better with rural development issues, say Rajeswari S. Raina and Kasturi Mandal.

Despite some success in science, Pakistan underachieves because it lacks structures for commercial innovation, says Athar Osama.

Aid agencies and international research funders have a role in supporting Africa's nascent national science funds, writes Linda Nordling.

The world's food security depends on the quality of the forward-looking agricultural studies we are carrying out today, says Mark Holderness.

The renaming of TWAS reflects changes in global science. But its original priorities must be maintained, says David Dickson.

Pakistan's 'open access instrumentation' initiative can be replicated in other developing countries, opines Atta-ur-Rahman.

Earthquake science was not on trial in Italy — it was about inadequate information and participation in decision-making, says Carina Fearnley.