Washington, DC - The U.S. Civilian Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) announced today a fast track research competition to help in the fight against terrorism. The Competition for Research on Minimizing the Effects of Terrorist Acts on Civilian Populations will offer support to U.S. industry, scientists, and engineers teamed with researchers from the former Soviet Union (FSU) to contribute to the effort to minimize the effects of terrorist acts on civilian populations.
In launching this Competition, the CRDF will capitalize on its experience in working with scientists from the FSU - many of whom were involved in the development of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.
Dr. Gerson Sher, President of the CRDF, says,” this Competition represents a major opportunity for the U.S. and FSU scientific communities to work together on addressing an urgent global issue.”
Dr. Gloria Duffy, Chair of the CRDF Board of Directors and former Pentagon official, adds, “this team approach, combined with the other initiatives forming in the private and government sectors, should contribute to the U.S. Government’s efforts to ensure the readiness of the United States against the threat of weapons of mass destruction.”
The Competition will consist of joint U.S.-FSU workshops intended to identify specific research priorities, followed by research and development grants. Under the Competition, U.S. and FSU researchers will be asked to combine their understanding of science and technology and experience on topics associated with weapons of mass destruction to
- identify specific research areas relevant to minimizing terrorism threats;
- elicit proposals for innovative solutions to help neutralize such threats; and
- fund the most promising research.
The CRDF is soliciting proposals for participation in the Competition and expects workshops to take place in March 2002, with funding for research to be announced in July 2002. A complete program nnouncement on the Competition for Research on Minimizing the Effects of Terrorist Acts on Civilian Populations is available on the CRDF’s web site at http://www.crdf.org/ApplicationForms/apps.html. The Competition is funded by the U.S. Government and is part of a coordinated response to reduce the threat associated with terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
The CRDF is a private, non-profit organization created by the United States Government as an American response to the declining state of science and engineering in the Former Soviet Union. The Foundation supports joint scientific research between the U.S. and former Soviet countries, and also promotes the transition of weapons scientists to civilian work to help reduce the global spread of weapons of mass destruction, including biological weapons. Based in Arlington, Virginia, with offices in Moscow and Kyiv, the CRDF has also fostered scientific cooperation in fields such as vaccine research and energy technology development, and has funded over 600 joint research projects.
Dr. Gerson Sher and Dr. Gloria Duffy are available to discuss the Competition for Research on Minimizing the Effects of Terrorist Acts on Civilian Populations and its mission more generally.
Dr. Gerson Sher, President and Executive Director of the CRDF since its establishment in 1995, has worked for over 25 years to promote science and technology cooperation with the Soviet Union and more recently, Russia and the NIS. He served for 20 years on the staff of the U.S. National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Division of International Programs, managing cooperative scientific programs with the USSR and Eastern Europe. Dr. Sher has also held temporary assignments in the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy and as Visiting Professor of Political Science at Duke University.
Dr. Gloria Duffy is an expert in the fields of international relations, defense policy, and nuclear arms control. She served under the Clinton Administration as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, negotiating nuclear and chemical arms pacts with the countries of the former Soviet Union. Among her accomplishments, she negotiated 50 agreements with the governments of Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan, through which they agreed to give up the several thousand nuclear weapons on their territories and become non-nuclear weapons states, signing the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Recognized nationally and locally as a leader in public sector issues, Dr. Duffy also heads the San Francisco-based Commonwealth Club of California, the nation's largest and oldest public affairs forum. In this role, Dr. Duffy guides the Club's programming, focusing on timely and newsworthy topics and speakers.
CRDF Headquarters
Chantal Guess
Tel: 703-526-6746
Email: cguess@crdf.org
Commonwealth Club of California
Riki Rafner
Tel: 415-597-6712
Email: rrafner@commonwealthclub.org