Chapter 4 - BILATERAL S&T PROGRAMS

The U.S. has bilateral science and technology (S&T) agreements with 86 nations around the world. More than 20 Federal agencies participate in these programs. On the active end of the scale, 13 Federal agencies have entered into S&T protocols with the People's Republic of China, (PRC), 12 agencies cooperate with Mexico, and 11 agencies conduct bilateral programs with Egypt, France, India and Japan. The Department of State coordinates the various agreements to ensure that they are consistent with U.S. foreign policy objectives.

Cooperative bilateral S&T programs are implemented through government-to-government "umbrella agreements", memoranda of understanding (MOUS) between counterpart agencies and research facilities, and project agreements between research institutions and laboratories. The programs may involve the exchange of scientific and technological information and data, visits and training of scientists and technical experts, sponsorship of workshops and seminars, and cooperative investigative efforts on research projects of mutual interest and benefit.

In managing bilateral S&T programs, the Department of State has direct responsibility for allocating funds in government-to-government programs with India, Israel, Spain, and Yugoslavia. additional funded program has been proposed with Brazil.

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Noteworthy in U.S. bilateral S&T programs during 1986 were the following: The U.S. and Japan celebrated the 25th anniversary in October of the oldest bilateral agreement for basic sciences, and began discussions on a new policy framework for future cooperation. A January survey revealed that the U.S. and India have more than 250 projects underway with funding from a $100 million capital fund. Successful collaboration with Israel also continued under a wide spectrum of agency-to-agency agreements, and through the work of three binational research foundations. Renewed activity took place under seven bilateral S&T agreements with the USSR, and a number of high-level joint committee meetings were held in FY 1986. The U.S.-PRC program of official S&T cooperation, the largest of its kind in the world, continued to expand. Finally, the potential for U.S.-Czechoslovak S&T cooperation was advanced by the signing of an

exchange agreement.

This chapter highlights activities with 25 of the countries with which the U.S. has active bilateral S&T programs. Further information on these and other programs may be found in

Chapters 5 through 15.

Canada and Western Europe

Canada

Science and technology cooperation with Canada plays an important role in overall relations. Strong links have been established between the Canadian and U.S. S&T communities through professional meetings, exchanges of university researchers, and cross-border associations. Although no formal "umbrella" S&T agreement exists with Canada, these numerous ties contribute strongly to the U.S.-Canada relationship. As an inevitable effect of the proximity of the two neighbors, events in one country have a direct bearing on the well-being of the other.

Substantial progress was achieved during FY 1986 in establishing new cooperative programs to deal with environmental problems common to both countries. President Reagan and Prime Minister Mulroney endorsed the recommendations of their Special Envoys on acid rain during their March meeting at Washington. Former Secretary of Transportation Drew Lewis and former Premier of Ontario William S. Davis recommended a five-year technology demonstration program to deal with the problem of acid rain. The Niagara River Toxic Management Plan will coordinate monitoring and clean-up efforts of both federal governments as well as the state of New York and the province of Ontario. An agreement governing the transborder transport of hazardous wastes also has been signed and will control large-scale movement of such wastes.

Bilateral environmental consultative mechanisms also have been strengthened. EPA Administrator Thomas and Canadian Environment Minister McMillan are meeting on a semi-annual basis to review common concerns. A bilateral advisory and consultative group on transboundary air pollution has been set up to coordinate the actions being taken to implement the Special Envoys' recommendations on acid rain, and closer coordination of the acid rain research programs of both countries has been established.

A large number of U.S. agencies are benefiting from cooperative S&T programs. As their research budgets tighten, many U.S. agencies have sought to conserve funds by sharing research tasks with Canadian counterparts. USGS and other agencies have shown increased interest in cooperative research programs involving regions of Canada, particularly the Arctic. Other USGS cooperative research programs concern the current joint seismic survey of the Great Lakes and joint study of marine sulfide deposits of the Gorda Ridge. USGS and Canada also cooperated in the International Strategic Minerals Inventory, deep crustal studies, remote sensing, lake eutrophication, and sea-ice studies.

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Canada has worked closely with the U.S. in addressing problems such as atmospheric warming, depletion of the ozone layer, and protection of endangered species. Canada has competed with the U.S. in the nuclear field by promoting its unique Candu heavy water technology, but at the same time both Canadian and U.S. policies have supported an effective international safeguards regime based on adherence to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. In the aftermath of the Chernobyl accident, Canada gave close support to the efforts to negotiate international conventions on early notification of nuclear accidents, and on provision of assistance to nations that suffer an accident. Canada was among the first signatories to these conventions.

Federal Republic of Germany

The considerable bilateral S&T cooperation between the U.S. and the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) is testimony to the strong ties between the two nations. The U.S. and FRG work closely in a number of important areas including nuclear non-proliferation, nuclear safety, global ecologic problems, and space. The U.S. and FRG coordinate concerning nuclear supplies and their export to various countries. Increased attention was directed toward nuclear safety and accidents after the Chernobyl disaster. Cooperative global ecologic efforts address ozone depletion and climate modification. Space Station cooperation, now under discussion, would strengthen the U.S.-FRG security relationship, and involve other nations of the Western Alliance in the largest cooperative

technological project in history.

In addition, there is a considerable exchange of information between the two nations on AIDS research.

Ten U.S. Government agencies conduct active bilateral programs with the FRG. NASA cooperates on space research. USDA conducts research with its German counterpart on the role of air pollution and acid rain in forest damage. NSF conducts joint research on robotics, manufacturing services, and polymer sciences. USGS participated with the FRG in compilation of the International Strategic Minerals Inventory, marine seismic studies, radioactive waste disposal, Antarctic research, and sea-ice studies. cooperates closely with the FRG on rail and highway transportation and socio-economic studies. Other agencies with joint programs include DOC, DOE, DHHS, Department of the Interior, NRC and EPA.

Finland

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The U.S. and Finland have concluded eight bilateral S&T agreements in the last five years.

They have covered nuclear power and non-proliferation, communications, energy, environmental issues, hazardous wastes, agriculture, health, oceans and fisheries, and space research. These bilateral agreements have expanded contacts with key elements of the Finnish S&T community, and with government and educational leaders.

There also is an umbrella agreement with Finland for S&T cooperation. The NSF sponsors joint workshops and seminars, cooperative research projects, and the exchange of scientists, staff, and information under the umbrella agreement.

Finnish and American scientists have been increasingly exposed to each other's cultures, scientific methods, and shared democratic values. The USIA International Visitor Program has facilitated these beneficial contacts. Reciprocal access to research facilities and sites also has increased, and a new science center modeled after several U.S. science research facilities will soon to be completed near Helsinki.

France

Both the government of France and French industry view S&T issues as central to the nation's economic and security concerns. The French budget reflects the paramount importance of modernization of industry, job creation, and defense.

The U.S. regards S&T cooperation as integral to economic, political, and security relations with France. Some of the more important cooperative interests include the Space Station, breeder reactors, and fusion energy. Discussions about the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) and the European EUREKA Project are of continuing common interest.

A large number of U.S. agencies participate directly and indirectly in U.S.-France cooperation. The NSF conducts joint research projects, staff exchanges, and seminars. NOAA carries out cooperative oceanographic projects. NASA works with its French counterparts on the Tiros-N Satellite data collection system.

There is an acute awareness in France that the economic (and thus social, political and security) future depends in part on being technologically competitive. There is an increased emphasis on the

role of industry, private innovation, and universities as vehicles of technological progress, and a concomitant decline in dependence on governmental programs. There is a particularly active French interest in the American experience, whether it is university research or industrial research and innovation. An agreement was signed by the Secretary of Commerce and the French Minister of Research and Technology in February, 1986 to establish Franco-American Cooperation in Entrepreneurship and Technology (FACET). Similar to the Israeli Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation model, but supported by non-government funds, FACET will promote technology and joint ventures between small and medium-sized U.S. and French enterprises.

The Chernobyl accident was an event with major impact on many U.S. interests and efforts in the field of nuclear reactor safety. In France, it rapidly became an issue in which communications in a highly technical area had major political impact. A long-standing and carefully nurtured professional and technical relationship among reactor safety authorities is now the critical element in avoiding political disputes over the safety of nuclear facilities.

Space programs have a substantial degree of identification with national aspirations. The U.S., and to a lesser degree France and other European nations, have this year been stunned by space launcher accidents. The accidents have set back related programs, and introduced new uncertainties in planning for the Space Station and other cooperation. The U.S. has been reasonably successful in maintaining constructive and cooperative relationships in a difficult period.

Italy

The U.S. and Italy have maintained a close relationship in scientific research and technological development since the end of World War II. The U.S. initially provided the major support for cooperative S&T programs by providing scientific equipment, financing, and use of U.S. laboratories by Italian scientists. Italy reciprocated this hospitality by contributing trained manpower, scientific expertise, and inventiveness. Today, the U.S. and Italy cooperate in a more generally balanced partnership reflecting the increase in Italian resources. Support allotted for S&T in Italy has doubled since 1980.

Italy is one of only three countries in Western Europe that have a government-to-government umbrella S&T agreement with the U.S., and 1987 marks the 25th anniversary of the initial formal arrangement. The current agreement was extended for one year during FY 1986 while a new bilateral S&T cooperation agreement, expected to be signed by mid-FY 1987, was negotiated. Nearly all the U.S. Federal technical agencies enjoy mutually beneficial cooperation with Italian counterparts under the umbrella agreement. The biennial review of S&T cooperation was held at Rome in October, 1985. Scientists from the two countries find it easy to identify mutual interests and problems in S&T research and development, and the Italians are as likely as the Americans to take the lead in resolving problems. The Italian Embassy in Washington utilized private sector capital to sponsor a highly-successful meeting on S&T and international relations, cooperation, and competiveness in November, 1986. The invitee list included Italian, U.S., and Italian-American scientists from every scientific discipline and was distinguished by the participation of 14 Nobel laureates.

Spain

A broad program of S&T cooperation between the U.S. and Spain was implemented under the 1976 Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation that provides U.S. Navy and Air Force access to Spanish military facilities. An integral part of this treaty and its 1982 successor agreement was a S&T annex. The annex emphasizes the importance of scientific and technological cooperation between the two countries, and provides for funding of cooperative scientific research in areas relevant to the economic modernization and social well-being of the peoples of the U.S. and Spain.

Congress has appropriated, through FY 1986, $12 million in economic support funds annually to foster scientific, technological, cultural, and educational cooperation under the current agreement. Of these funds, $7 million was transferred each year to the Joint Committee for Scientific and Technological Cooperation, Reduction of this appropriation by 4.3 percent in FY 1986 has limited the prospects for new projects under the agreement that expires in 1988.

Previously-approved cooperative research projects continue to be funded with the major portion of money being devoted to health, agriculture, and marine sciences. No new projects are likely to be funded. As information about this program became more widely disseminated, interest from both American and Spanish researchers increased and large numbers of applications were received, while available funds decreased. The funding rate for the latest set of applications was less than 35 percent. The greater competition, however, does ensure high standards of scientific excellence in the successful proposals.

The available funds for this program provide continuity to long-standing joint Spanish and American cooperative research which in some instances pre-dates the original agreement. For example, cooperation between the Bureau of Reclamation and the Spanish Director General of Hydraulic Works began in 1973 and will continue at least until 1989. These projects are selected on the basis of benefits to U.S. and Spanish natural resources development, and aim to improve application of irrigation water to croplands in order to achieve higher levels of irrigation efficiency for various plants. Long-term continuity has led to sustained success in the agricultural field and in areas such as animal science, animal health, and citrus production. USGS has been able to obtain one of the most complete earthquake catalogs in the world--the Spanish Seismicity Catalog from 880 B.C. to the present. This data base will improve understanding of the earthquake cycle in an area with direct application to the eastern U.S.

One of the most important policy objectives of the U.S. vis-a-vis Spain is to increase the web of ties between the two countries, ties that for historical reasons have not been as strong as with other NATO countries. Each successive round of joint projects strengthens these ties by fostering contacts between the American and Spanish scientific communities. This in turn gives added depth and breadth to the overall political and economic relationship.