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An Electronic Newsletter
for the International S&T Community

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ITRInews March 2002, No. 41
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Free newsletter on international S&T from WTEC, Inc.

To subscribe or unsubscribe, visit http://www.wtec.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/itrinews

Click on this link to see the present and past newsletters in color http://itri2.org/ITRInews/

R. D. Shelton, Editor:  rds@itri2.org
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In This Issue of ITRInews
OMB Performance Criteria for Basic Research
PCAST Organized
European Framework Program Six (FP6) Plans
Applications Invited for an International Short Course on QIS
Tissue Engineering and Molecular Modeling WTEC Reports Available

Featured Organizations in International S&T:
Clearinghouse on S&T Evaluation
NOVA Science on Public TV
Canadian S&T Library Online
International Center for Technology Assessment (CTA)
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OMB Performance Criteria for Basic Research The draft of Preliminary Investment Criteria for Basic Research from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) includes three main guidelines: quality, relevance, and performance.   While OSTP continues to list "maintaining world leadership" as its top goal for research agencies ( http://www.ostp.gov/html/OSTP_insideostp.html ), OMB has downplayed the leadership aspect in basic research.  International leadership and bench marking are included to some extent under the quality item.  OMB details for this issue say:

On February 27 the COSEPUP committee of the National Academy of Sciences hosted a workshop to gather feedback on the draft OMB plan.  Speakers included the OMB director, Mitch Daniels, and the OSTP director, Jack Marburger. http://www7.nationalacademies.org/gpra/

At OMB, Marcus Peacock has become a key player in setting the Bush Administration's S&T Policy.  He is Associate Director for Natural Resource Programs, responsible for policy and budget decisions on resources, energy and science programs at NSF, NASA, EPA, and the Departments of Agriculture, Energy, and Interior.  Before January 2001, he was a staff member on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and  worked at OMB earlier.  He has a B.S. in industrial engineering from USC and a Master of Public Policy degree from Harvard. The OMB org chart with contact information is at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/omb_org_chart.pdf

PCAST Organized The President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology held their first meeting on March 5 and organized into four subcommittees. Wayne Clough of Georgia Tech is chairing a subcommittee on federal S&T investments. During the meeting Clough highlighted the need for better balance in federal funding for the physical and health sciences. Ralph Gomory of the Sloan Foundation chairs a subcommittee on the S&T role in combatting terrorism. An energy efficiency subcommittee chaired by Steven Papermaster of Powershift Group will explore more effective deployment of energy efficient technology and implications for global warming. Marye Anne Fox of North Carolina State University will head a subcommittee on broadband technology. PCAST's next meeting is scheduled in June.  For more information on PCAST, including a list of members, see: http://www.ostp.gov/PCAST/pcast.html From Chris Brantley's IEEE Eye on Washington e-letter.

Framework Program Six (FP6) Plans The British Office of Science and Technology hosted a major conference on 22 January 2002 to help the UK research community prepare for FP6.  Some of the larger program themes include:

http://www.dti.gov.uk/ost/whatsnew/index.htm

Applications Invited for an International Short Course on QIS.  WTEC is organizing a short course on Quantum Information Systems to be held May 29-31, 2002.  A distinguished faculty cochaired by David Awschalom of UCSB and Daniel Loss of the University of Basel will provide lectures on the current research themes. DARPA has determined that the shortage of qualified researchers is impeding progress in QIS, so the main purpose of the short course is to recruit post docs to work in American labs.  Applications from current post-docs and advanced graduate students in related fields are invited for an all-expense-paid registration at the short course, to be held in Innsbruck, Austria.  Information and an application form are at http://www.wtec.org/qis/

Tissue Engineering and Molecular Modeling WTEC Reports Available  Final reports for two worldwide studies have been posted by WTEC and are available in hardcopy for ITRInews readers upon request to the editor.  Chair Larry McIntire and his team have produced the definitive work on the international aspects of tissue engineering. http://www.wtec.org/loyola/te/final/te_final.pdf Chair Phillip Westmoreland and his team have provided encyclopedic coverage (452 pages) of the research groups working in the molecular modeling field, which might be called the mathematical basis of nanotechnology. http://www.wtec.org/loyola/molmodel/mm_final.pdf

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FEATURED ORGANIZATIONS THIS MONTH

Clearinghouse on S&T Evaluation Ron Kostoff's site at ONR that has previously been listed has been updated. http://www.onr.navy.mil/sci_tech/special/technowatch/linkd.htm

NOVA Seen in more than 100 countries, NOVA is the most watched science TV series in the world and the most watched documentary series on PBS. It is also one of television's most acclaimed series, having won every major television award, most of them many times over. Schedules and some Web videos are posted at:  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ All programs are available on VHS tapes for $19.95 each.

Canadian S&T Library On-Line  CISTI, the Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information, is one of the world's major sources for information in all areas of science, technology, engineering and medicine. Whether you need an article from a journal, an in-depth literature search, or a referral to an expert, CISTI can provide the information you need. Easy-to-use electronic information tools that enable clients to stay on top of new developments in their field are also available. http://www.nrc.ca/cisti/search_e.shtml
 
International Center for Technology Assessment (CTA) is a non-profit, bi-partisan organization provides assessments of technological impacts on society. They say that recent history is filled with profound technological changes and scientific advances -- telecommunications, nuclear power, computers, pesticides, car and air travel, modern medicine, genetic engineering -- that have permanently altered our ecosystems. These innovations demonstrate that technology is among the most powerful, and often destructive, agent of social change. http://www.icta.org/

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Copyright © 2002 ITRI, Inc. Comments to rds@itri2.org please.
 
DATE FEATURE ARTICLE URL
Aug 98 Left Hand/Right Hand: NSF and NAS Both Assess US Math Research http://itri.loyola.edu/NEWS/ITRInews1.htm 
Sep 98 The Y1.998K Problem: Y2K Arrives 0.002K Early. Markets Crash, PMs Fired, Orioles 31 Games Behind http://itri.loyola.edu/NEWS/ITRInews2.htm 
Oct 98 Is S&T to Blame for the Asian Financial Crisis? http://itri.loyola.edu/NEWS/ITRInews3.htm
Nov 98 NRC to State: 
Ignoring S&T is Ignorant
http://itri.loyola.edu/NEWS/ITRInews4.htm
Dec 98 / Jan 99 The Bottom Line: 
US Trade Deficit Skyrockets
http://itri.loyola.edu/NEWS/ITRInews5.htm
Feb 99 Who's the Bear, and Who's the Bull? Japan Doubles R&D; The US Cuts It http://justice.loyola.edu/~rds/ITRInews6.html
Mar 99 Who's On First? 
(US, But Not for Long)
http://justice.loyola.edu/~rds/ITRInews7.html
Apr 99 GPRA Metastasizes Abroad http://justice.loyola.edu/~rds/ITRInews8.html
May / 
Jun 99
Teraflops Computers Meet Gates' Law http://justice.loyola.edu/~rds/ITRInews9.html
July 99 More Good News / Bad News 
from the Academy
http://justice.loyola.edu/~rds/ITRInews10.html
Aug 99 Rep. George Brown Adjourns http://justice.loyola.edu/~rds/ITRInews11.html
Sep 99 200GB Disk: 40 Films on One CD http://justice.loyola.edu/~rds/ITRInews12.html
Oct 99 Is International S&T Assessment Needed? http://justice.loyola.edu/~rds/ITRInews13.html
Nov 99 Output in Papers: We're Number One? http://justice.loyola.edu/~rds/ITRInews14.html
Dec 99 / Jan 00 New Technology Czar(ina) http://justice.loyola.edu/~rds/ITRInews15.html
Feb 00 S&T: Ready for Prime Time? http://justice.loyola.edu/~rds/ITRInews16.htm l
Mar 00 Bottom Line II: Trade Deficit Skyrocket Explodes http://justice.loyola.edu/~rds/ITRInews17.html
Apr 00 Who's Getting U.S. Patents? http://justice.loyola.edu/~rds/ITRInews18.html
May 00 Think That Government is Investing More in Research? Think Again. http://justice.loyola.edu/~rds/ITRInews19.html
Jun 00 American Leadership of S&T: Reality or Myth? http://justice.loyola.edu/~rds/ITRInews20.html
Jul 00 Science and Engineering Indicators 2000 Released by NSF http://justice.loyola.edu/~rds/ITRInews21.html
Aug 00 Pale Green Manufacturing: 
US is 3rd out of 3
http://justice.loyola.edu/~rds/ITRInews22.html
Aug 00 (Extra) Americans Like Being No. 1 
and Want to Keep It That Way
http://itri2.org/ITRInews/ITRInews23.html
Sept 00 Industry Leads U.S. R&D http://itri2.org/ITRInews/ITRInews24.html
Oct 00 Gingrich Praises Clinton http://itri2.org/ITRInews/ITRInews25.html
Nov 00 Research Feasts: FY2001 Budgets http://itri2.org/ITRInews/ITRInews26.html
Dec 00  S&T Policy of the Bush Administration  http://itri2.org/ITRInews/ITRInews27.html
Jan 01 Andreessen's Law for the Internet http://itri2.org/ITRInews/ITRInews28.html
Feb 01 Sherwood Boehlert: 
New Science Committee Chair
http://itri2.org/ITRInews/ITRInews29.html
Mar 01 Research Famines: FY2002 Budgets  http://itri2.org/ITRInews/ITRInews30.html
Apr 01 As DotComs Wilt, Internet Sprouts http://itri2.org/ITRInews/N31.html
May 01 R&D Budget Crash http://itri2.org/ITRInews/N32.html
Jun 01 Nano is Huge, and Getting Bigger http://itri2.org/ITRInews/N33.html
Jul 01 Marburger to be OSTP Director http://itri2.org/ITRInews/N34.html
Aug 01 Doctors of Economic Warfare http://itri2.org/ITRInews/N35.html
Sep 01 US Technologies Lead; 
US Technologists Lag
http://itri2.org/ITRInews/N36.html
Oct 01 Impact of Terrorism on R&D http://itri2.org/ITRInews/N37.html
Nov 01 Marburger Shakes Up OSTP http://itri2.org/ITRInews/N38.html
Dec 01 / Jan 02 Japan Ups S&T Paper Quality and Quantity as U. S. Declines http://itri2.org/ITRInews/N39.html
Feb 02 Internet Growth Slows http://itri2.org/ITRInews/N40.html
Mar 02 Criteria for Basic Research Performance http://itri2.org/ITRInews/N41.html