Funding Briefs

The National Academy of Sciences has a program for researchers in search of colleagues in Eastern Europe or the Soviet Union. Beginning in April, the academy will sponsor two-week project development visits by U.S. scientists to the USSR, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, or Yugoslavia. This new effort is meant to pave the way for long-term cooperative research. Scientists can visit one or more institutions in Eastern Europe in any discipline supported by NSF. Visits to the Soviet Union are limited to institutions involved in work covered by recent agreements between the two countries (The Scientist, Oct. 16, 1989, page 2). U.S. officials hope the visits will lead to joint proposals submitted to NSF. The National Academy of Sciences also sponsors yearlong research visits and is particularly interested in attracting young scientists. Applicants must be U.S. citizens with a Ph.D. or equivalent degree. Travel and salary are covered, as well as some expenses for family members for scientists spending more than five months abroad. Applications must be requested by February 15 and postmarked by February 28. For more information, contact NAS, Office of International Affairs, Soviet and East European Affairs (HA-166), 2101 Constitution Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20418; (202) 334-2644. The Conservation Analytical Laboratory at the Smithsonian Institution offers graduate student and postdoctoral fellowships to investigators doing research relevant to the care, preservation, and conservation of museum collections. Applicants in materials science, chemistry, and engineering are particularly encouraged. The deadline is February 15. Also, the laboratory sponsors one-year internships for advanced students or graduates in museum conservation or summer internships for less advanced students. For more information, contact the Director, Conservation Analytical Laboratory, Smithsonian Institution (MSC), Washington, D.C. 20560; (301) 238-3700. The McDonnell-Pew Program in Cognitive Neuroscience will award $4 million in two-year grants of up to $60,000 for research and training in cognitive neuroscience. The program seeks to understand how the mind works by applying basic and clinical neuroscience to the study of computational and cognitive processes. It will fund collaborative, high-risk projects that might have trouble getting support from traditional sources. These nonrenewable research grants can be for up to $30,000 per year, but will cover a maximum of 10% for indirect costs. The postdoctoral training awards provide stipends for up to three years to train young or senior scientists in new fields. These proposals should also reflect collaborative efforts. The deadline is March 1. For more information, contact the McDonnell-Pew Program in Cognitive Neuroscience, Green Hall, Princeton University, Princeton, N.J. 98544-1010; (609) 258-5014. Although the deadlines have passed for the 1990 Fulbright awards, applications are still being accepted for more than 100 openings throughout the world. The Fulbright scholars program for researchers and for lecturers keeps positions open until "adequate pools of candidates" are found, says the Council for International Exchange of Scholars, which administers the program. Some slots, such as one last year in wood science technology in an African country, are never filled. In 1990, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Egypt, East Germany, Hungary, Japan, Niger, Jordan, Poland, Romania, Sri Lanka, and Zaire were looking for scholars in any field. Other countries have specific needs. For example, Ireland has several opportunities in biotechnology. The awards, which are for three months to one year, cover round-trip travel for recipients (and sometimes for a dependent), a stipend, living and relocation expenses, and travel in the host country. Applicants who have not lived abroad are encouraged. They must be U.S. citizens and have a Ph.D. or equivalent professional experience. Some positions require language proficiency. For more information, contact CIES, 3400 International Drive, N.W., Suite M-500, Washington, D.C. 20008-3097; (202) 686-7866.

Funding Briefs

The Scientist Staff

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