Abstract: National research institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are under increasing governmental pressure to make direct and visible contributions to national research and development strategies (ISNAR, 1995). Although Sudan is a predominately agricultural economy, crop productivity is extremely low and does not exceed thirty percent of the level attained in research farms. The aim of this paper is to develop a framework for analyzing problems and identifying opportunities to strengthen African research institutions’ role in development-oriented research. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to critically evaluate the implementation capacity constraints, which exist in formal agricultural research, and the impact this has on the development of the agricultural sector of the Sudanese economy. Finally, a number of findings emerge which outlines the key issues relating to effectively manage the technological transformation in the Sudan as well as helping policy makers to take appropriate and immediate measures to improve the agricultural technology development in the Sudan. 

Keywords: R&D; Research institutions; universities; policies; technology transfer; linkages; Sudan and development