The Foundation's international programs support research and related activities of U.S. scientists and engineers and their organizations, including support of U.S. institutions for research visits and workshops abroad.

Legislative Mandate

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an agency of the Federal Government established by the NSF Act of 1950 to promote and advance scientific progress in the United States. NSF fulfills this responsibility primarily by sponsoring scientific and engineering research, encouraging and supporting improvements in science education, and fostering scientific information exchange. NSF is authorized and directed to foster the exchange of scientific information among scientists in the United States and foreign countries.

Program Descriptions

The main purpose of NSF's programs is to support the scientific research and related activities of U.S. scientists and organizations. The organizations are usually colleges and universities. The activities often require and involve intellectual exchange with scientists of other countries. Some activities can be called "training" because they contribute to the professional development of U.S. and foreign participants. A U.S. institution may receive a research grant from NSF that includes support by one of its staff members. Or, as a result of an NSF grant, a U.S. university may employ graduate research assistants on a research project who are foreign nationals studying in the United States.

NSF also has programs of primarily international character. It is authorized to initiate and support scientific activities in connection with matters related to international cooperation and provides support to U.S. institutions for research that is to be conducted abroad. Although authorized to support basic research conducted by foreign

institutions, it rarely does so except with awards of special foreign currency.

NSF programs of a primarily international character include cooperative science programs with countries in Africa, East Asia and the Pacific, Europe, and Latin America.

The Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Initiative began in FY 1983 following a meeting of then President Reagan and Prime Minister Indira Ghandi. The program, coordinated by the Office of Science and Technology Policy through NSF, involves a number of U.S. agencies and focuses on cooperative projects in areas of science and technology of particular interest to both countries. Each participating agency supports its own involvement.

In an effort to increase the number of U.S. investigators conducting research in Japan, NSF implemented a "Japan Initiative" beginning in FY 1988. The goals of the initiative are to increase the number of scientists and engineers in the United States who can operate with ease in Japan's research community and follow developments in Japanese science and engineering literature to increase American recognition of the potential benefits of cooperative research with Japanese research communities.

These goals will be accomplished by providing funds for scientists and engineers to undertake long-term research stays (6 months or more) in Japan; by providing fellowships for scientists and engineers at the graduate, postgraduate, and senior levels to study the Japanese language; by identifying and securing opportunities for American researchers at Japanese research institutes; and by funding survey teams to visit Japan to report on the state of the art in specific disciplines.

The Japanese Government has also made available considerable resources to enable Americans to do research in Japan. Most of those are available by application through NSF. In all, perhaps 80 or more longterm visits can be funded each year.

Other Categories

2,929

Africa (8), Antarctica (92), Arctic Ocean Area (30), Ashmore & Cartier Islands (1), Asia (7), Atlantic Ocean Area (3), British Virgin Isands (1), Cayman Islands (1), Central America (5), Cook Island (1), East Africa (3), Eastern Europe (8), Europe (91), Far East (1), French Guiana (2), French Polynesia (6), Greenland (54), Indian Ocean region (1), Latin America (6), Martinique (1), Middle East (3), New Caledonia (2), Niue (1), North Africa (2), Northern Mariana Islands (1), Pacific Ocean Area (41), Puerto Rico (4), Reunion (S. Atlantic) (1), South America (7), South Asia (1), Southeast Asia (1), Svalbard (1), Vanuatu (2), Western Europe (20).

The Program

Established in 1961, the Peace Corps of the United States of America continues to rely on the dedication and commitment of Americans of all ages who volunteer to spend 2 years helping the people of developing countries to meet basic needs for health care, food, shelter, and education. The goals of the Peace Corps, as originally set by Congress, remain unchanged: to help promote world peace and friendship, to help developing countries meet their needs for skilled men and women, and to promote mutual understanding between the people of the United States and those of developing nations.

The Volunteers

There are now more than 7,000 volunteers and trainees in 90 nations in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, the Pacific, and Central and Eastern Europe. They offer skills in a wide variety of people-to-people programs. These programs include such fields as health care, family nutrition, agriculture extension, freshwater fisheries, natural resource development, natural resource conservation, forestry, vocational training, small business development, urban development, language training, engineering, and education.

Training

All volunteers receive language and cultural training, usually in the nations where they will be serving. Strong emphasis is placed on learning the host country language. Cultural studies include the history, customs, and the social and political systems of the host country. Intensive short-term technical training enables volunteers with general education backgrounds to serve in projects overseas, such as health education, vegetable gardening, and well construction.

Service

The standard Peace Corps tour of service is 24 months following 3 months of training.

Benefits

Transportation is provided to training sites and to and from the overseas assignment, as well as for home leave in the event of a family emergency. While in training and during service, the volunteer receives a monthly allowance for rent, food, travel, and all medical needs. A readjustment allowance of $200 a month is set aside while the volunteer serves in the host country, payable on completion of service. A $15,000 life insurance policy is optional, but all volunteers are covered by the Federal Employees Compensation Act in case of disabilities incurred during training or service.

Countries receiving the largest number of volunteers in FY 1991 were Honduras (270), Botswana (234), Thailand (218), Guatemala (192), Zaire (165), and Paraguay (164).

*All figures based on volunteer/year. One volunteer/year is equivalent to 12 months of service by a single volunteer. For example, a volunteer for 6 months would be equivalent to 0.5 volunteer/years. Volunteer/year calculations are based on the total number serving at the end of each calendar month.

Initiatives Abroad

Historic Expansion-The Peace Corps is on the leading edge of dramatic changes taking place in the world today. The triumph of democracy and the rise of free market economies in many developing nations have seen rapid and startling changes in recent years. With our recent entries into the newly free countries of Central and Eastern Europe, the Peace Corps presently serves in 90 nations-including half of all developing nations. From 1989 to 1991, the Peace Corps has entered more new countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe than in the previous two decades combined.*

President Bush announced that the Peace Corps was prepared to assist the Baltic regions upon request, and formal invitations from Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia were received by agency officials. The Peace Corps responded by sending a team of experts to the Baltics to assess specific needs and to discuss types of programs and potential work assignments for volunteers. This is the first time in history that Peace Corps volunteers will serve in the former Soviet republics.

* The war in the Persian Gulf affected Peace Corps operations in the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia. Since the beginning of Operation Desert Shield in August 1990, more than 350 Peace Corps volunteers were withdrawn from Yemen, Morocco, Tunisia, Mauritania, Pakistan, and Tanzania.

Peace Corps Programming Sectors

Small Business Development-The increasing interdependence among national economies and the rise of free market systems in developing countries make the development of small business an essential part of economic development programs. The rapid population growth and urbanization now occurring in developing nations has led to a critical need for job formulation. Through a collaborative agreement with the U.S. Agency for International Development (AID), a new program will promote small business development. Volunteers will provide assistance in the training of small entrepreneurs, marketing, and improving business techniques for enterprises from farming to banking.

Environment-Destruction of the environment is a serious threat to life on this planet. With expanding populations and the need to grow more food, developing nations face mounting pressures on their natural resources. Preventing destruction of the environment is a major objective of our efforts worldwide. The Peace Corps has entered into a collaborative agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under which the EPA will train Peace Corps volunteers in solidwaste management, water pollution prevention, pesticide management, reforestation, and environmental education. The Peace Corps currently has more people working as natural resource professionals in other nations than any other environmental or conservation organization in the world. A pilot program has been implemented to ensure that every Peace Corps volunteer is engaged in some form of environmental activity during his or her service.

Education-Historically, education has been the Peace Corps' largest programming area. Since 1961, Peace Corps volunteers have taught more than 5 million students in the developing world to speak English, the international language of commerce. The nations of Central and Eastern Europe, as well as other nations throughout the world, continue to look to the Peace Corps to teach their people better ways to communicate with the rest of the world.

Agriculture-Thirty-five thousand people around the world die each day as the result of starvation. Traditional agriculture systems in the developing world face even greater pressures in the years ahead to produce more food for expanding populations. Due to the desperate need for more food and the importance of agricultural enterprises as a source of employment and income (37 percent of gross national product) within Peace Corps countries, agriculture remains a significant program area for Peace Corps volunteers. New programs have been implemented in the fields of pesticide safety, grain storage, and small farmer training.

Health—Health care programs from immunization against disease to eradication of the Guinea worm remain important to the Peace Corps.