An adventure in applied science - IRRI books - International Rice ...

168 History of the International Rice Research InstituteTo return to the mid-l970s, Brady, soon after he arrived at IRRI, placed theexecutive staff in Administration under the Office of the Director (later, theOffice of the Director General). Classified as Administrative Staff were themanagers of Food and Dormitory Services and Buildings and Grounds,administrative associates such as Atty. Zosimo Q. Pizzaro and Atty. Pedro G.Banzon, and several staff members in top-level assisting positions.This administrative classification is a logical one and appears to be workingout well.Senior scientific staffThe major change in senior scientific staff since 1972 has been in size. Administratorsand other resident professional senior staff numbered 33 in 1972. In1980, there were 55 permanent senior staff in residence at IRRI, plus anadditional 30 in IRRI’s outreach programs (the outreach staff in 1972 numbered18).The largest increase, on a percentage basis, since 1972 is that in visitingscientists. From IRRI's beginning until 1972, there were only two or threevisiting scientists at the Institute at any given time, most of them there for oneyear. Today, IRRI has about 50 visiting scientists and senior research fellows(no exact figure can be given, as they are continually coming and going). Theadvantage in such temporary staff additions, of course, is that they bring to theInstitute specialized talent and yet do not involve any commitment for thefuture. Thus, if a budget cut is necessary, the number of visiting scientists canbe reduced rather quickly without changing the roster of permanent staff.The expansion in scientific staff was fairly general throughout the Institute,with two or three members added to most departments. There were a fewexceptions, however: the number of permanent senior scientists has remainedthe same in Soil Chemistry, Soil Microbiology, Chemistry, and Statistics. Thestaff of most of those departments, on the other hand, have been augmentedby visiting scientists.The scientific staff increase resulted in part from the enlargement of thecropping systems program, in the course of which new staff members wereadded not only to the Multiple Cropping Department itself but to otherdepartments as well — for example, agricultural economists for croppingsystems work were added to the Agricultural Economics Department. Similarly,the entomologist logically was attached to the Entomology Department,and the weed specialist to the Agronomy Department.The increase in outreach staff from 18 in 1972 to 30 in 1980 is explained bythe addition of 7 men to the Indonesian program, by the start of a new programin Bangladesh with 7 scientists, and by new but small programs in Pakistan,Egypt, and Burma. IRRI expects that the outreach staff will remain quiteconstant during the years ahead, although the countries involved will changefrom time to time.In 1977-78, IRRI liaison scientists were named for Southeast Asia, India,South and Central America, and Africa. The liaison scientists assist in devel-