Welcome to BISO NEWS!
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The Online Newsletter of the Board on International Scientific Organizations
Issue #4, September 2002
This summer, BISO turned its attention from meetings of the U.S. National Committees to the general assemblies and congresses held by the union members of ICSU. This issue of the newsletter contains brief reports from the delegations appointed by the National Research Council to represent the United States at those congresses. In September, BISO held three large and important meetings. The first was the Symposium on the Role of Scientific and Technical Data and Information in the Public Domain; the second was the fall 2002 meeting of the Board on International Scientific Organizations; and the third was the third meeting held for the chairs of the U.S. National Committees. Reports from all three of these meetings are in this newsletter.
We have spent much of the summer dealing with the many problems our colleagues around the world are facing with obtaining U.S. visas. There has been a series of visas delays and denials that have had a serious, detrimental impact on programs sponsored by the NRC and other scientific societies. BISO has long been involved in resolving cases of visa denials having to do with ICSU-related meetings held in the United States but our office is now being asked to intervene in more and more cases. In an effort to prevent as many problems as possible and to provide accurate information, BISO has been asked to expand its international travel information webpage.
Finally, BISO members were heartened by the news that the U.S. intends to rejoin UNESCO. BISO will be watching for the details about this re-entry and working with the Americans for the Universality of UNESCO, the State Department, and others to consider the question of how the U.S. scientific community should organize itself to be represented in the U.S. National Commission to UNESCO. Koichiro Matsuura, Director General of UNESCO, made this comment about President's Bush announcement:
"I look forward to the possibility of closer collaboration with the enormous intellectual and cultural resources of the American academic and scientific communities, and fuller contact with the extraordinary cultural diversity that characterizes American life. Their energy and ideas are vital in the effort to shape policies that can improve the lives of people everywhere."
Wendy D. White
Director, BISO
Table of Contents:
BISO and USNC Highlights
Other BISO Activities
Union Meeting Reports
Membership and Staff News
BISO Highlights
BISO Holds Third Meeting - Thanks Hal Mooney for Nine Years of Service to ICSU
The Board on International Scientific Organizations (BISO) convened its third meeting on 9 September 2002. All members were present and guests included Michael Clegg, the NAS Foreign Secretary, Jane Lubchenco, Harold Mooney, Edward Murdy, and Astrid Auraldsson. Ms. Auraldsson was a guest from The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
The presentations made by Michael Clegg, Harold Mooney, and Jane Lubchenco are summarized below:
Michael Clegg took office as the NAS Foreign Secretary in July 2002. He reported that his agenda included working more closely with the foreign secretaries of the Institute of Medicine and the National Academy of Engineering. The overall goals of his office are to promulgate the idea that science has a valuable role to play in the formation of public policy. His office will continue to reach out to other academies around the world and to formulate joint studies. He hopes that a particular focus will be on building the capacity of academies in sub-Saharan Africa.
Harold Mooney has been the Secretary-General of the International Council for Science (ICSU) for the past six years. He reported that the hiring of Thomas Rosswall, Executive Director, and Carthage Smith, Deputy Executive Director, has put ICSU on stable footing. Other new hires, including an environment officer, an IT network expert, and a communications officer, have brought much needed talent to ICSU. Thanks to a grant from the Packard Foundation, ICSU was able to take a leadership role at the Word Summit on Sustainable Development. In this process, it created strategic partnerships with IAP, the Third World Academy of Sciences, the International Social Science Council, and the World Federation of Engineering Organizations. The work accomplished to date will contribute to ICSU's long-term goal of establishing a sustainability science program. Mooney reported that there is still debate among ICSU members, especially unions, about the abolishment of block grants and the disbanding of the General Committee. The upcoming General Assembly will be only the second time that unions and national members have been invited to hold special fora prior to the General Assembly.
Jane Lubchenco will become president of ICSU at the upcoming General Assembly; she has served as ICSU President-elect for the past 18 months. Her priorities for ICSU are to: - Continue the review and strategic planning process set in motion by the Schmitt report and by the Committee on Scientific Planning and Review.
- Improve communications internally and externally and to continue to improve ICSU's use of the worldwide web and of the Internet.
- Address the needs for capacity building around the world.
- Plan and execute new initiatives.
- Stabilize funding and acquire the resources needed for these new initiatives.
- Create and strengthen the partnerships needed to achieve these goals. ICSU should reach out particularly to the medical and social science communities.
Lubchenco spoke about "sustainability science" as one area in which ICSU could build new programs. There was new energy and information generated at the World Summit on Sustainable Development. The NAS has also taken a leadership role in this field with the publication of "Our Common Journey". This area is well suited to ICSU as it cuts across all fields of science, promises an exciting research agenda, and encourages new and innovative partnerships.
Lubchenco and Mooney reported that ICSU took the recommendations of the Schmitt assessment panel very seriously. The new Committee on Scientific Planning and Review (CSPR) is working very well and has developed a new strategy for the review of ICSU programs. Rather than the cyclical approach recommended in the Schmitt report, whereby every ICSU activity would be reviewed in isolation on a regular basis, the CSPR has recommended that ICSU conduct independent reviews of several activities across common themes. For example, there could be a review of ICSU's entire program related to capacity building, or scientific communication, or sustainable development.
Wendy White updated BISO members on the activities staff had undertaken in the area of scientific openness and free circulation of scientists. She explained that BISO staff had long been involved in resolving cases of visa denials having to do with ICSU-related meetings held in the United States. Her office, however, was now being asked to intervene in more and more cases reported by members of the NAS, NAE, and IOM. Largely because more security checks are now being required, BISO's usual intervention tactics are no longer working. The new policies and procedures are also catching many scientists by surprise, both in the United States and abroad. Many complaints are coming from NAS, NAE, and IOM members who are facing visa situations for the first time. The situation also seems worse because so much travel conducted by scientists is time-sensitive, that is, they have to be in the United States by a certain time in order to attend long-scheduled meetings and conferences. BISO is trying to increase its efforts to: inform the scientific community about new visa situations; prevent as many problems as possible by encouraging early application for visas; collect better data about visa delays and denials; intervene when necessary and where possible; and document and report on cases.
Roger Coate led a discussion about the U.S. re-entry into UNESCO. On 12 September 2002, three days after the BISO meeting, President Bush announced to the General Assembly of the United Nations: "As a symbol of our commitment to human dignity, the United State will return to UNESCO. This organization has been reformed and America will participate fully in its mission to advance human rights, tolerance, and learning." Even with this announcement, there remain many questions about when the re-entry will take place and how the United States will organize its national commission to UNESCO. Coate recommended that BISO form a sub-committee to report to the board on how the U.S. scientific community should organize itself to be represented in the U.S. National Commission to UNESCO. This report will be presented at the next BISO meeting.
BISO will meet next on 10 April 2003, at the Beckman Center in Irvine, California. The fall 2003 meeting will take place in Washington, D.C. on the 18th or 23rd of September.
The meeting adjourned and was followed by a reception and dinner. The chairs of the 25 USNCs under BISO's watch, who were meeting on 10 September, joined BISO members at this event. At the dinner, BISO expressed its deep appreciation to Hal Mooney for his nine years of service to ICSU. David Policansky, Bill Colglazier, Bruce Alberts, Michael Clegg, and Jane Lubchenco joined BISO in its appreciation of Dr. Mooney by speaking about his career, his research, and his leadership.
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CODATA Highlights The USNC/CODATA has had a busy summer schedule, focusing primarily on preparations for the upcoming 2002 CODATA Conference in Montreal. The highlights of the committee’s activities are described briefly below. Other information about the committee's activities may be found on its home page.
2002 CODATA Conference: Frontiers of Scientific and Technical Data
The next international CODATA Conference will be held in Montreal, Canada, from September 30 to October 3, 2002. The members and staff of the USNC/CODATA are involved in all facets of the planning and organization of this Conference, in collaboration with the Canadian National CODATA Committee and international CODATA. The detailed Conference program is now available.
Workshop on Scientific Data for Decision Making Toward Sustainable Development: Senegal River Basin Case Study
This workshop, which was a collaborative effort between the USNC/CODATA and the Senegal National CODATA Committee, was held in Dakar, Senegal on March 11-15, 2002. The main goal of this activity was to examine how various kinds of S&T data can be better used for decision making in sustainable development. It involved a multidisciplinary focus on the Senegal River basin, and on the use of various data sources in the management of that river and the surrounding environment and population. The workshop summary report is currently in review, and will likely be published online in late October.
International CODATA Working Group on Archiving Scientific Data
The USNC/CODATA is supporting a U.S. subgroup of this international CODATA working group. The chair of both the CODATA working group and of the U.S. subgroup is Dr. William Anderson, software architect and consultant. Currently, the primary focus of this activity is the proposed CODATA Task Group on “Preservation and Archiving of Scientific and Technical Data in Developing Countries.” This proposal will be considered for approval at the 2002 CODATA General Assembly in October. The USNC/CODATA expects to vigorously support the activities of the Task Group in 2003-2004. The USNC/CODATA is also proposing to work with the international CODATA, the International Council for Scientific and Technical Information (ICSTI), ICSU, and other interested organizations to develop and maintain an Internet portal for archiving S&T data and information. This portal would build upon and help integrate the work of these ICSU bodies, especially that of the proposed CODATA Task Group, with the work being done in this area by all other relevant groups and organizations.
International Workshop on Open Access and the Public Domain in Digital Data and Information for Science
The committee will collaborate with the international CODATA and the International Council for Scientific and Technical Information (ICSTI), both of the International Council of Science (ICSU), and with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to organize and convene a major international workshop and related activities on promoting open access and the public domain in digital data and information for science. The meeting will be held in Paris from 10-12 March 2003. The USNC will serve as the oversight body for this activity.
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Earth Sciences Highlights
USNC for Geological Sciences Organizes Pardee Symposium
On the afternoon of October 28, the U.S. National Committee (USNC) for the Geological Sciences will organize a Pardee Symposium at the Geological Society of America (GSA) meeting in Denver. The theme of the symposium is "The Role of the Earth Sciences in Fostering Global Equity and Stability." The symposium is one of a series of events organized by the USNCs in the geosciences to show the importance of their disciplines in sustainable development (see below for other events). For more information about this Pardee Symposium, please see its entry on the GSA program.
Session on Nuclear Energy Organized for Fall AGU Meeting
In May, the USNCs for the International Union for Geodesy and Geophysics and for Geological Sciences organized a session at the spring American Geophysical Union (AGU) meeting dealing with sustainability issues in energy and fresh water resources. They have also organized a session to be held on December 9 at the fall AGU meeting in San Francisco. The session will deal with the need for future scientific studies resulting from increased reliance on nuclear energy, addressing the following topics from both domestic and international perspectives: - the status and potential future trends in the use of nuclear energy;
- challenges associated with powerplant security;
- the storage, disposal and transportation of nuclear waste;
- the promise of new technologies;
- a review of international strategies for nuclear energy management;
- climate impacts associated with energy mix changes; and
- the role and responsibility of the geoscientist in influencing public opinion and debate about highly charged societal issues.
US-Japan Seminar
From July 2-6, 2002 the US National Committee for Mathematics Instruction (USNC/MI) cosponsored a seminar with Japanese educators to identify common research priorities related to “Lesson Study”, a teaching technique, and determine areas for future research cooperation. The seminar took place in Park City, Utah, in conjunction with the Park City Mathematics Institute (PCMI) Summer Session and was a continuation of a joint US-Japan Workshop that took place in July of 2000. Further information on the US-Japan Seminar can be found here.
USNC/TAM Meets at National Congress
Over 900 scientists and engineers registered to attend the 14th National Congress of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (TAM), held at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, June 23-28. The U.S. National Committee for TAM met on June 23 in Blacksburg. Among the items discussed by the committee was the future of the research directions in mechanics series, outreach to the mechanics community, the U.S. symposia submissions to the International Union of TAM, and a travel grants program for the 2004 international congress in Warsaw, Poland. Special guest, Dr. Vasundara Varadan, Director of NSF’s Division of Electrical & Communications Systems, spoke to the committee about her involvement with IUTAM activities and mechanics research at NSF.
USNC/IUPAC Young Observer Program
Applications are now being accepted for the Young Observer Program enabling scientists to attend the next IUPAC General Assembly and Congress, August 9-17, 2003 in Ottawa, Canada. The Young Observer Program offers partial financial support for young U.S. scientists and engineers in the field of chemistry to participate in the IUPAC General Assembly and Congress. This program provides an excellent opportunity for scientists to establish international collaborations, gain knowledge of global research activities, and participate in IUPAC activities as U.S. representatives. The application and further information may be obtained here.
Reception for IUPAC Company Associates at ACS National Meeting
Approximately 35 people attended a reception competing head to head with a plenary talk on a Tuesday evening during the national meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in Boston last August. Nonetheless, the reception generated much interest and enthusiasm from academia and industry alike. Each year, the U.S. National Committee (USNC) for the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) hosts such a reception to thank those who support the Company Associates program and to introduce people to IUPAC. Newly appointed USNC chair, Mike Jaffe, who is succeeding Ed Przybylowicz on the committee, hosted the short program during the reception. He reinforced the fact that support from the Company Associates is the life-blood of the program and he encouraged continued commitment to IUPAC. However, as industry is restructuring in the global environment, it is becoming increasingly difficult to solicit funding to support such infrastructure programs as IUPAC.
Ted Becker, Secretary General of IUPAC, followed Dr. Jaffe with an informative overview of the history and current activities of IUPAC. He spoke about vital services that IUPAC provides to the chemical community from developing nomenclature and validating methods, to supporting projects for Chemical Research Applied to World Need (CHEMRAWN). CHEMRAWN is an IUPAC initiative to provide leaders in governments, industries, universities and other concerned organizations with the information needed for effective government policy and private sector response. Green chemistry is one major focus area for current CHEMRAWN initiatives.
USNC member Jeanne Pemberton discussed the Young Observer (YO) program, which is a very successful program that brings “younger” but established scientists into the activities of IUPAC. Three former young observers spoke highly of their experiences during the past two general assemblies. Cynthia Larive, 2001 YO, Frank McDonald, 2001 YO, and Jeff Roberts, 1999 YO, emphasized the satisfaction they felt being a part of a larger group of scientists working on policy issues that affect the international chemistry community. Frank McDonald decided to join one of the IUPAC committees after his experience as a young observer. Jeff Roberts concluded his remarks with a challenge for IUPAC – to spread the word about IUPAC, especially to many more younger scientists, and help to get them involved early in their career since IUPAC is an important, yet under-recognized program.
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Social and Behavioral Sciences Highlights
USNC to Host Panel on Data Archiving in the Social Sciences
The U.S. National Committee for the International Union of Psychological Sciences has organized a session for the International CODATA Conference to be held in Montreal in September 2002. The session deals with Data Archiving in the Social Sciences and will be chaired by committee member Merry Bullock. Below is the abstract for the session. To find out more about the CODATA Conference please visit their website at http://www.codata.org.
Data sharing is not the norm in behavioral science, although there are pockets of change and innovation. At the same time, a debate is underway to determine what data from experiments are worth placing in databases to be available for others. As it becomes possible to store huge quantities of data, it is becoming more necessary to assure that databases grow into useful tools rather than clogged informational arteries. This session’s panel has two objectives: to inform attendees of innovations and to discuss the possible criteria for determining what should be included in databases.
Panelists will discuss several innovative databases that are proving transformational for the fields they touch. For example, a database of functional magnetic resonance images of the brain created at Dartmouth College is making it possible to test hypotheses about brain-behavior relations on data pooled across many individual studies; a database of geographic information based at the University of California, Santa Barbara is allowing those in a variety of disciplines to look at the influence of location on such things as health behaviors, social development, and wealth accumulation. A database of aptitude test scores at the University of Virginia is a test bed for statistical innovations that are making it possible to legitimately compare data and not just outcomes from disparate studies.
The Panel will describe several of these innovations in behavioral and other sciences, and will address important emerging issues. For example, the fMRI database (originally envisioned as capturing all the images from most of the major neuroscience journals) is constrained because of file size-images from a single journal consume terabytes of storage space and raise important questions of accessibility. As the behavioral sciences evolve toward more common acceptance of data sharing, those in the behavioral sciences must evolve toward a more common understanding of what should be contained in a database and what sorts of data are appropriate for archiving. Examples and issues from other disciplines will help inform the discussion.
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Other BISO Activities
BISO Convenes Third Meeting of the USNC Chairs
The Board on International Scientific Organizations (BISO) convened its third meeting of the chairs of the U.S. National Committees on 10 September 2002. As at past meetings, there was considerable discussion about funding, the quality of the proposals to NSF, the kinds of activities that the USNCs can and cannot undertake, and relationships among the USNCs, their unions and ICSU. USNCs are sometimes difficult to fund at NSF because they are basically ongoing, infrastructure type projects that do not compete well against proposals for basic research.
Phil Smith and Michael McGeary provided their report about the assessment they had undertaken of the U.S. National Committees in the math and physical sciences. USNC chairs were generally positive about the report, pointing out that it addressed recommendation to the USNCs, BISO, NSF, and the National Academies. Smith and McGeary will finalize their report, taking into account the comments made by BISO members and the USNC chairs. Their final report will be transmitted to BISO and staff will then provide copies to the UNSC chairs.
In reaction to Wendy White's report on BISO activities related to visa delays and denials, the USNC chairs described resolutions that their unions have adopted. For example, Donald Saari reported that the International Mathematics Union adopted this resolution:
"Notwithstanding these times of heightened tension and security concerns, we urge a continuation of scientific exchange and publication.
The IMU opposes efforts either by governments, organizations, or individuals to restrict contacts and interactions in the world mathematical community. Specifically we oppose holding individual mathematicians liable for the actions of their governments. The IMU endorses the principles expressed in the International Council for Science (ICSU) ARTICLE 5 of STATUTES."
The USNC chairs were reminded that BISO has information about visas on its "International Travel Information" website.
The next USNC Chairs meeting will be in spring 2004. In the interim 18 months, staff and committee members will seek ways to respond to the need to review the committees, to improve communication with NSF, and to improve the information provided to USNC members about union and ICSU activities in which they can become engaged.
ICSECA FY01 Grants Made
Since fiscal year 1986, Congress has appropriated funds to the Department of State known as the International Contributions for Scientific, Educational, and Cultural Activities (ICSECA). The purpose of this appropriation has been to maintain U.S. interest in UNESCO activities while the United States was not a member. Through this, the Department of State has provided funds to the National Academy of Sciences, through BISO and its predecessor offices, to provide grants to non-governmental organizations that play an important role in many aspects of UNESCO's scientific programs. It is not yet known whether the ICSECA funds will continue when the United States rejoins UNESCO.
During the summer of 2002, grants totaling $545,000 were made to 20 nongovernmental organizations for projects relating to UNESCO. These grants, while small, help these organizations to raise other funds for their projects, which include such things as the participation of scientists in advanced training projects, the management of global observing systems, and collaboration on major global initiatives in earth system research and natural hazards reduction and mitigation.
For more on the ICSECA grants, including a list of FY 01 grantees, click here.
International Scientific and Technical Information Programs
This summer, the Office of International Scientific and Technical Information Programs (ISTIP) has focused on preparations for the Symposium on the Role of Scientific and Technical Data and Information in the Public Domain and on activities of the USNC/CODATA, such as the upcoming 2002 CODATA Conference in Montreal and the International Workshop on Open Access and the Public Domain in Digital Data and Information for Science.
The Symposium on the Role of Scientific and Technical Data and Information in the Public Domain, which was held on September 5-6, 2002, brought together over 200 leading experts and managers from the public and private sectors who are involved in the creation, dissemination, and use of scientific and technical data and information (STI) to discuss: the role, value, and limits of public-domain STI in the research and education context; the various legal, economic, and technological pressures on producers of public domain STI, and their potential effects on research and education; the existing and proposed approaches for preserving the public domain or providing "open access" to STI in the United States; and other important issues in this area that may benefit from further analysis. The Proceedings from the symposium will be published in hard copy and online this winter.
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Union Meeting Reports, Summer 2002
This summer several international unions held their general assemblies or congresses. Reports of the following meetings are available below. IUPsyS General Assembly meets in Singapore
The International Congress of Applied Psychology was held in Singapore from July 7 through July 12. The General Assembly of the International Union of Psychological Sciences (IUPsyS) met briefly during the Congress to hear reports from officers. For more information, please follow this link.
The U.S. National Committee (USNC) for IUPsyS was represented at the General Assembly by delegates Milton Hakel (Bowling Green State University) and Barbara Tversky (Stanford University). USNC ex-officio member Merry Bullock, Assistant Secretary General of IUPsyS, was also present.
The next General Assembly of IUPsyS will take place in Beijing, China in 2004.
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World Congress of Microbiology held in Paris
The International Union of Microbiological Societies (IUMS) convened in Paris, France from July 27-August 1, 2002 to hold a joint congress among the three major research divisions in microbiology: bacteriology, mycology, and virology. The IUMS represents more than 90 societies in 60 countries worldwide. For the first time in 35 years, all three divisions in microbiology came together during the same week to hold the 10th International Congress of Bacteriology & Applied Microbiology, the 10th International Congress of Mycology, and the 12th International Congress of Virology. Organized as a mixture of plenary sessions, invited symposia, paper discussions, and poster sessions, it is estimated that the Congresses attracted almost 4,000 scientists.
Dr. Brian Mahy of the Centers for Disease Control and outgoing president of the IUMS, conducted introductory and closing remarks before handing of the presidency to Dr. Julian Davies of the University of British Columbia. Dr. Davis was nominated the USNC/IUMS. Dr. Gail Cassell from Eli Lilly was also nominated by the USNC and elected to the position of vice-president.
General Assembly
The United States had six voting delegates who participated in both the divisional meetings and the General Assembly. The delegates consisted of USNC Chair Carol Shearer, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Ken Berns, Mount Sinai Medical Center; Arnold Demain, Drew University; Anne Morris Hooke, Miami University; Keith Klugman, Emory University; and Steve Lerner, Wayne State University School of Medicine.
Dr. Klugman gave a presentation on the Pneumococcal Molecular Epidemiology Network (PMEN), which was established in 1997 under the auspices of the International Union of Microbiological Societies (IUMS). Dr. Klugman runs the PMEN program, which conducts global surveillance of antibiotic resistant S.pneumoniae and helps to standardize the nomenclature and classification of resistant clones.
Two minor resolutions were passed during the congress. The first resolution called for an increase from $20 to $30 of an earmark in the IUMS congress registration fee, which is given to each of the three divisions within IUMS. The second resolution was simply to delete a bylaw that was outdated. It stated that the IUMS Executive Board in 1994 be elected for a five-year period in order to achieve synchrony in the timing of the three IUMS congresses.
Travel Grant Program for Young Scientists
To support the participation of young U.S. scientists in the Congresses, several travel grants were competitively provided to young scientists by the American Society for Virology, the Mycology Society of America, and the Society for Industrial Microbiology. The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) and the U.S. National Committee for the IUMS organized a competitive travel grant program for non-U.S. scientists from developing countries. Four young scientists from Thailand, Zimbabwe, Senegal, and India, were selected to receive $2,000 travel grants. Four other teams of established and apprentice investigators received a combined $3,000 award. These teams came from Argentina, Cameroon, Uruguay, and Brazil.
2005 Congress in United States
Nancy Elder and Lori Feinman of the American Society of Microbiology (ASM) set up an exhibit booth to advertise the next IUMS congresses that will be held in San Francisco. The three IUMS divisions will meet jointly again in 2005. Nancy Elder, Director of Meetings and Expositions at the ASM, presented the logistics of the next congress during the divisional meetings. Carol Shearer gave a beautiful presentation at the closing ceremony with enticing pictures of the San Francisco bay area, to officially invite people to attend the 2005 congresses in California. The ASM is generously providing the financial backing to support the congresses.
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19th Congress and General Assembly of the IUCr Convenes in Geneva
The 19th Congress and General Assembly of the International Union for Crystallography (IUCr) was held in Geneva, Switzerland August 6-15, 2002. Marvin Hackert (University of Texas, Austin) led the U.S. delegation, accompanied by Jon Clardy, Robert Sweet, William Stallings and Judith Flippen-Anderson. Two alternates, Howard Einspahr and James Kaduk, were in attendance as well. The Congress attracted nearly 2,000 crystallographers and boasted over 1,700 abstract submissions, 312 from the United States alone.
Among the highlights of the meeting was the election of William Duax as president of the Union. He will serve a term from 2002-2005. In addition, many Americans were elected to posts in a number of IUCr Commissions. A full list can be found in the General Assembly report.
One of the General Assembly business agenda items was a move to expel Argentina and the Ukraine from the Union for their past delinquency in dues payments. Several delegates from the U.S. National Committee and other national committees highlighted pending international aid packages and assistance, especially to Latin America, and urged a delay in action until these financial matters could be sorted out. They argued that, given more time, these member countries would live up to their financial obligations. In the end, it was decided that a final decision would be postponed until the next General Assembly in 2005.
The next Congress will be held in Florence, Italy August 23-31, 2005. Some key positions filled in preparation for this event were Carlo Mealli, to serve as chair of the Scientific Program Committee, and Paolo Dapporto, as head of the Local Organizing Committee. For more information, visit their website at http://www.iucr2005.it/.
A full report of the General Assembly can be viewed here.
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Thailand hosts 17th World Congress of Soil Science
Over 2,000 soil scientists attended the 17th World Congress of Soil Science in Bangkok, Thailand, August 14-21. The congress was divided into 65 symposia with the overall theme of “Soil Science: Confronting New Realities in the 21st Century.” At the congress, participants voted on new commission and division officers. The newly elected officers include many Americans, who will work with the new IUSS President Donald L. Sparks (University of Delaware) and Vice President Gary W. Petersen (Pennsylvania State University), both of whom officially took office at the end of the congress.
The International Union of Soil Sciences Council met several times throughout the congress and was represented by U.S. delegate Donald R. Nielsen (University of California-Davis). Highlights of the council meetings included the election of Stephen Nortcliff (University of Reading, UK) and Alfred Hartemink (International Soil Reference and Information Centre, Netherlands) as Secretary-General and Deputy Secretary-General of IUSS, respectively. The council also elected Richard W. Arnold (USDA-NRCS) and Wilford R. Gardner (University of California-Berkeley, emeritus), to honorary membership in the IUSS. Australia was selected as the site for the 19th World Congress in 2010.
The council also passed four resolutions, two of which were presented to IUSS by Nielsen: global enhancement of soil organic matter (drafted by the SSSA and endorsed by the USNC), the need for soil inventories to help combat food insecurity (presented by the USNC and modified by Council), a world agenda for soils, and a call for an international day of soils.
The 18th World Congress will take place in Philadelphia in 2006. During the Bangkok congress a display announcing this congress was in the exhibit hall. 18th Congress co-chairs, Lee Sommers (Colorado State University) and Larry Wilding (Texas A&M University), and others who staffed the booth encouraged participants to attend in 2006. At the closing ceremonies, Petersen and Sommers teamed up for an audio-visual invitation to come to Philadelphia.
For a full report on the Congress, click here.
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IUTAM General Assembly Meets in Cambridge, UK
Four U.S. delegates attended the General Assembly of the International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (IUTAM), August 16-18, in Cambridge, United Kingdom. Ron Adrian (University of Illinois) chaired the delegation, accompanied by Hassan Aref (University of Illinois), Carl Herakovich (University of Virginia), and L. Gary Leal (University of California, Santa Barbara). The fifth delegate, Ted Belytschko (Northwestern University), was unable to attend. Other USNC/TAM members who attended in various capacities included Jan Achenbach, Chair of the IUTAM Solids Symposia Panel, and Philip Hodge, IUTAM General Assembly Member-at-Large.
Among other things, the General Assembly voted to accept a proposal for an IUTAM Symposium in 2004 on "Recent Advances in Dispersed Multiphase Flows Simulation" to be held in Urbana, Illinois, and to be chaired by S. Balachandar (University of Illinois) and A. Prosperetti (Johns Hopkins University).
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27th URSI General Assembly Held in the Netherlands
The 27th General Assembly of the International Union of Radio Science (URSI) took place in Maastricht, the Netherlands from August 17-24, 2002. The technical sessions engaged over 1,300 scientists and engineers worldwide and the URSI business meetings represented many of its 47 member countries. Umran Inan (Stanford University) chaired the U.S. Delegation. The United States was also represented through the U.S. National Committee (USNC), URSI Commission Chairs from the U.S., and many scientists and engineers who gave technical presentations. The USNC awarded over 90 travel grants to U.S. radio scientists, engineers, and young researchers to attend the General Assembly.
The URSI Young Scientist Program awards scientists (under the age of 35) whose papers or posters have been accepted for presentation at the General Assembly and those who are interested in promoting contacts between developing and developed countries. Six U.S. researchers were selected: Jeffrey A. Jargon (National Institute of Standards and Technology), Dana Porrat (Stanford University), Stefania Romisch (University of Colorado), Christian T. Steigies (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center), Feranando L. Teixeira (Ohio State University), and J. Scott Tyo (University of New Mexico).
URSI presents five prestigious awards at each General Assembly, two of which were presented to American scientists. Prof. Donald L. Carpenter was awarded the John Howard Dellinger Gold Medal for his valuable contribution in the field of radio science. The Appleton Prize was given to Dr. Raymond A. Greenwald for his achievements in the field of the Ionospheric Physics.
More information regarding the URSI General Assembly can be found at http://www.ursi-ga2002.nl/. A chairs report will be available shortly on the USNC/URSI website.
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24th International Congress of Mathematicians Meets in Beijing
Beijing, China was the site of the 24th International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) from August 20-28; the 14th General Assembly of the International Mathematical Union took place in Shanghai from August 17-18. Donald Saari chaired the U.S. delegation accompanied by delegates M. Salah Baouendi, Jennifer Chayes, David Eisenbud and Yum-Tong Siu; C. Herbert Clemens acted in an ex-officio capacity.
The U.S. National Committee of Mathematics (USNC/M) proposed three resolutions at the General Assembly. They were adopted as follows:
- Continuation of the tradition of the Emmy Noether lectures series, a series honoring one of the great female mathematicians, at the next two ICMs;
- Maintenance of open scientific exchange and publication during these times of heightened tension and security concerns; and
- Endorsement of the "Best Practices" document of the Committee on Electronic Information and Communication---a document designed to ensure access by mathematicians of the developing world to current mathematical literature.
At the Beijing ICM, two U.S. mathematicians received the prestigious Fields Medal and Rolf Nevanlinna Prize. Vladimir Voevodsky of Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton and Madhu Sudan of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, respectively, were awarded the distinguished prizes in the mathematical sciences. For further information, please visit http://www.nsf.gov/. A full report on the ICM Congress and General Assembly is now available.
India, Italy and Spain all bid to hold the next International Congress of Mathematicians to be held in 2006. Spain was selected to host the 25th ICM. Information regarding the next ICM Congress will be available on http://elib.zib.de/IMU/.
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ICO Congress Held in Florence
The 19th Congress of the International Commission for Optics (ICO) was held in Florence, Italy from August 25-30. The theme of the Congress was “Optics for Quality of Life”. The six-day technical program involved optical scientists, engineers, and optical industrialists from 48 territories who presented and discussed the latest scientific and technical developments in the field of optics.
Bahaa E.A. Saleh (Boston University) represented the U.S. Advisory Committee to the International Commission for Optics (USAC/ICO) at the Congress. USAC/ICO committee members Arthur Guenther (ICO Past President) and Glenn Sincerbox (ICO Treasurer) were also present. The United States was also represented by members of the Optical Society of America, the International Society for Optical Engineering, and Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering/Lasers and Electro-Optics Society. The organizing committee involved many U.S. researchers. Further information on the program is available at http://ico19.fi.cnr.it/.
During the business meetings several important agenda items were discussed. ICO remains determined to continue to pursue status in ICSU as an International Scientific Associate. In addition, a new standing committee on education was established with aims to distribute optics education kits and establish free information on education in optics on their website.
Elections took place for the Executive Committee and eight Vice Presidential positions. The U.S. delegation endorsed Rene Dändliker (Switzerland), who was elected as President. Although the U.S. candidate was not elected to one of the eight Vice Presidential positions, the delegation believes that the outcome of the election achieved a desirable geographic balance.
The next ICO Congress will be held in Changchun, China August 21-26, 2005. For more information, please refer to the ICO website at http://www.ico-optics.org/.
A full report of the General Assembly can be viewed here.
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Membership News
We like to welcome the following members to the USNC system:
Judith Benham, 3M Corporation, USNC/IUPAC
William Carroll, Occidental Chemical Corp., USNC/IUPAC
Mark Cesa, BP Chemicals, USNC/IUPAC
Linda Magid, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USNC/IUPAC
David L. Brautigan, University of Virginia, USNC/IUBMB
Michael Cox, University of Wisconsin, USNC/IUBMB
Carol Anne Fierke, University of Michigan, USNC/IUBMB
Michael Waterman, Vanderbilt University, USNC/IUBMB
Louis Burnett, Jr., College of Charleston, USNC/IUPS
Andrew Greene, Medical College of Wisconsin, USNC/IUPS
Lynn Landmesser, Case Western Reserve University, USNC/IUPS
John Williams, University of Michigan, USNC/IUPS
Kamaljit Bawa, University of Massachusetts-Boston, USNC/IUBS
James Hanken, Harvard University, USNC/IUBS
We would also like to thank those members who have recently completed their service:
Cynthia Friend, Harvard University, USNC/IUPAC
Parry Norling, E.I. DuPont de Nemours, Inc., UNSC/IUPAC
Edwin Przbylowicz, Eastman Kodak Company (retired), USNC/IUPAC
Joann Sullivan, Medical University of South Carolina, USNC/IUPAC
Donald Carson, University of California, Davis, USNC/IUBMB
Richard Hanson, Case Western Reserve University, USNC/IUBMB
Rowena Matthews, University of Michigan, USNC/IUBMB
Robert Wells, Texas A&M University, USNC/IUBMB
Gerald DiBona, University of Iowa, USNC/IUPS
Artin Shoukas, Johns Hopkins University, USNC/IUPS
Nicholas Spitzer, University of California, San Diego, USNC/IUPS
Nora Terwilliger, Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, USNC/IUPS
We would like to announce the following change in committee leadership:
Michael Jaffe, Chair, USNC/IUPAC
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Staff News
BISO is pleased to welcome George York as a new Senior Program Assistant, assisting Tamae Wong and Lois Peterson with their respective committees. George comes to BISO from the National Academies’ Institute of Medicine where he assisted the Food and Nutrition Board on a variety of studies. Previous to that, he worked as a legislative correspondent in the office of U.S. Representative Grace Napolitano (D-CA).
George, originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, earned his B.S. in Journalism from Oklahoma State University in 1998 and his Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) from the University of Oklahoma in 2001.
We also welcome back Amy Franklin. A senior in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, Amy worked with us during the summer of 2001 before spending her junior year abroad in Seville, Spain. She returned in July to work full-time during the summer months and will continue to work one day a week during the school year.
Congratulations to Mark Keenan, our newsletter editor, on his marriage on August 3 to Lin de Gracia. Mark is continuing to work part time with BISO as he pursues his Masters in Public Policy from Georgetown University.
Don’t forget our new address, as of June 14! Our email, phone, and fax numbers remain unchanged.
Board on International Scientific Organizations
Policy and Global Affairs
The National Academies, W541
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20001
Phone: 202-334-2807
Fax: 202-334-2231
E-mail: biso@nas.edu
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Milestones
Gardner elected IUSS Honorary Member
Wilford Gardner, University of California-Berkeley emeritus and chair emeritus of the USNC for Soil Science, was elected to honorary membership of the International Union of Soil Sciences, reflecting his lifetime achievements and contributions to soil science.
Mooney receives 2002 Blue Planet Prize
Harold A. Mooney, Secretary-General of ICSU and a professor of biological sciences, has been named co-recipient of the 2002 Blue Planet Prize - an annual award presented by the Tokyo-based Asahi Glass Foundation in recognition of noteworthy scientific contributions to global environmental conservation.
Mooney shares this year's prize with Professor James Gustave Speth, dean of Yale University`s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. Each man will receive a certificate of merit, a commemorative trophy and a supplementary award of $400,000 (50 million yen) at a ceremony in Tokyo on November 14 - to be followed by a commemorative lecture delivered by both winners at United Nations University in Tokyo on November 15th.
Established in 1992, the Blue Planet Prize is given annually to two individuals or organizations for major contributions to solving environmental problems on a global scale. Past recipients include Stanford biologist Paul Ehrlich (1999) and the Washington, D.C.-based group, Conservation International (1997). For more information, visit the Asahi Glass Foundation's website.
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