Support of International Activities

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During the past decade, science and technology have come to be regarded as integral to the formulation of international political and economic policy. In the Federal Government, the National Science Foundation plays a significant role in the support of such policies by planning and implementing international cooperation in science and technology through the promotion of activities designed to achieve the highest possible scientific and engineering benefits for U.S. science and engineering. Within NSF, the Division of Inter- national Programs (INT) is the principal focal point for facilitating and supporting the agency's international science and technology initiatives. Important changes occurring in the world suggest that the development and implementation of effective international science and technology programs based on strategic information and careful policy analysis will be increasingly important in the 1990s. Examples of pertinent changes include: the movement toward economic integration in Western Europe, the opening of Eastern Europe, the increasing dynamism and economic cohesion in the Pacific Basin, and the growing aspirations and science and engineering capabilities of several major Latin American economies. Thus, NSF will face multiple challenges that will require it to design and assess the efficacy of new initiatives, as well as evaluate the impacts of on-going programs in the international area. Planning for these activities will often require special meetings and conferences with selected U.S. and foreign experts in specific science and engineering disciplines, in addition to science policy specialists. It will also require special studies on topics such as foreign capabilities in selected disciplines, or R&D expenditures and personnel estimates of foreign countries. In order to carry out its responsibilities in the international area and to develop new program and policy initiatives to respond to the challenges occasioned by the worldwide changes, INT requires external analytical and logistical support from a contractor who can draw on a range of substantive expertise about the global context for science and engineering, and who is also knowledgeable about NSF and INT's specific mission and operating constraints. The objective of this contract is to provide for that support on a continuing basis.