USDA offers programs that support or facilitate agricultural training of foreign scientists, farmers, and students. Scientific Exchange Program The Scientific Exchange Program promotes international cooperation in agriculture and forestry to attain mutual benefit through shortterm (1- to 4-week) exchange visits of U.S. and foreign scientists. In FY 1991, 117 exchanges took place with 23 countries on a wide range of agricultural subjects. Foreign scientists who visited the United States shared information with their counterparts and learned new scientific techniques and procedures. Spain Professional Development The Research and Scientific Exchanges Division (RSED) administers a professional development program for Spanish graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. RSED secures placement and admission for the students and postdoctoral fellows in U.S. universities and provides administrative and program support for them while they are in the United States. Currently the Professional Development Program supports 80 Spanish graduate students and postdoctoral fellows at 28 U.S. universities. Foreign Research Associate Program RSED facilitates assignments of professional scientists from Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America in U.S. laboratories and universities for practical hands-on training in agricultural and biological sciences. RSED assists by securing the visiting scientists visas and health insurance and by arranging for maintenance allowances. Currently there are 140 foreign scientists in the United States under this program, mainly in laboratories of USDA'S Agricultural Research Service. International Dairy Farm Training Program This program is sponsored by the Holstein Association USA, the largest nonprofit dairy breed organization in the world. It offers opportunities for young foreign nationals to work, live, and learn on selected American dairy farms for 1 year. RSED has recently agreed to facilitate this program by securing exchange visitors' visas and health insurance coverage for the trainees and providing other required. administrative services the Holstein Association is unable to arrange on its own. RSED is just beginning this program; a level of approximately 100 trainees per year is anticipated. U.S./Eastern European Agricultural Library Roundtable OICD/RSED collaborated with the National Agricultural Library to conduct a program from November 12 through 20, 1991, on the topic "Information Transfer in a Global Economy: Forging New Connections." The roundtable brought together invited participants from Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Yugoslavia. These representatives of the national agricultural libraries in Eastern Europe met with their U.S. counterparts and representatives of other U.S. agricultural information organizations to explore better ways to provide agricultural information to researchers, policymakers, educators, students, farmers, and other specialists by strengthening existing avenues and expanding the use of technologies. India Plant Germplasm Training and RSED is responsible for the implementation of training, technical assistance, collaborative research, and joint exploration in a Plant Genetics Resources Project in India supported by the Agency for International Development. The professional development and training component of the project provides short-term, on-the-job training and research at the bench in U.S. laboratories for Indian scientists. Training assignments are hands on, with the Indian scientists or technicians assisting the U.S. experts in carrying out activities or procedures that will be their responsibility at India's National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources. In the past 3 years, 29 Indian scientists participated in professional development programs in USDA Agricultural Research Service laboratories. Thirty-seven Indian scientists have been selected for a total of 307 weeks of professional development in USDA and U.S. university laboratories during 1992, specializing in evaluation, characterization, and documentation of tuber crops, sugarcane, wheat, and legumes. Professional development also will be provided in plant quarantine, seed storage, seed physiology, and germplasm conservation. Department of 14th and Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20230 The mission of the Department of Commerce is to foster, promote, and develop the foreign as well as the domestic commerce of the United States. Over the years, this mission has developed into a broad responsibility to serve and promote international economic development and technological advancement through cooperative research, training, and exchange of international visitors. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Office of International Relations Dr. George A. Sinnott Total Funding: FY 1990-$2,808,291 FY 1991-$2,784,758 FY 1992-$3,799,640 (est.) Source of Funding: U.S. Government, foreign governments, international organizations, private sector U.S. Government: NIST $1,526,463 Average Length of Grant: 7.7 person/years The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), with funding from international organizations and other countries or as part of agreements or protocol for cooperation, brings members of the staff of institutions of many countries to NIST. This training and research is usually at the Ph.D. level in the areas of physical science and engineering. For FY 1991, 432 foreign research scientists from 50 countries participated in the various programs sponsored by NIST. NIST also provides opportunities for research abroad for NIST scientists in fields relevant to the work of NIST. For FY 1991, 28 NIST scientists visited eight different countries as part of long-term collaborative research projects. The National Institute of Standards and Technology has established an exchange visitor program to provide opportunities for observation and consultation at NIST and at other related scientific research institutions; programs of study, research, practical training, or a combination thereof in the physical sciences and engineering in the technical divisions of NIST for foreign scientists, engineers, graduate students, and other qualified persons to enable them to gain knowledge and pursue |