The ways in which the research programmes of ECOL INC and PEEG have developed up till now, remind us of one of the 'paradoxes' mentioned by Leopold.
Altogether, $38m of Fifth Framework money is being spent on composite applications, plus an equal amount from the 35 companies participating in the research programme.If that sounds like a backdoor subsidy, it is.
"No-one has yet been able to produce insects on an industrial scale," said Jean-Gabriel Levon, who runs Ynsect - a small business involved in the research programme.
A comparatively small group of medical students and tutors participated in the research programme; thus, the findings might not be generalisable to other research fields.
A drawback was noticed in the research programme, which however was not analysed in details: coatings with such high F contents were considerably more brittle.
There are two further constituent studies planned in the research programme: a pilot to test the intervention for feasibility and acceptability; preliminary testing of the intervention in a cluster, randomised controlled feasibility study.
The existence of a laboratory in Niger with an international reputation in this field (LASDEL, http://www.lasdel.net), which acted as the pivotal institution in the research programme and had already entered into collaborative ventures with both Mali and Burkina Faso as well as with the University of Montreal, was also an important asset.
A significant challenge in managing the research programme was how to engage the participants in purposeful inquiry, which would serve not only the primary aims of the Network, but would also yield new and interesting insights for the people involved.
