956 



awards.^" The reporting situation was improved considerably in the 

 1971 report of grants and awards when an attempt was made to include 

 all international and foreign science activities, separately categorized, 

 under the heading of "National, International, Specialized Research, 

 and Sea Grant" programs to correspond more closely with the cate- 

 gories used in AnnimL Reports and in Congressional budget presenta- 

 tions. The old category of "International Scientific Information 

 Exchanges (Travel)" was dispensed with, reflecting the Foundation's 

 enlarged mandaL3 to support international activities on their own 

 merits. However, some inconsistency still prevails, since data pre- 

 sented at authorizations hearings still include a heading for "Inter- 

 national Information Activities" under "Science Information 

 Ejcchange." 



Data presented below reflect the limitations of evaluating travel 

 programs with scarce and inconsistent information on funding and 

 activities. However, they do indicate, on the one hand, that the Foun- 

 dation has taken several steps to cope with the increasing proliferation 

 of international scientific meetings. The Foundation has established 

 policies to select a small number of meetings which would be most 

 beneficial to the American scientific community and to sponsor the 

 travel to these meetings of younger, more culturally adaptable at- 

 tendees rather than older, more established "scientific ehtes." On the 

 other, available information about these programs, comments, and 

 evaluation of mternational scientific exchange activities in general, 

 seems to indicate that the Foundation's support of travel to inter- 

 national scientific meetings might serve a wider range of scientific 

 and diplomatic objectives and more continuity in planning if grantees 

 were given predeparture briefings, if some awardees were required 

 to be competent in foreign languages, and if more analysis were made 

 of the travel reports grantees submit to the Foundation. 



The International Travel Grants Program. — The international travel 

 grants program, funded by NSF divisions and offices other than 

 OIP, was established in 1952. It involves two tjrpes of awards: 

 (1) awards to individual scientists and (2) block awards to non-profit 

 professional associations, who select grantees and disseminate travel 

 funds to them. 



A standard selection and award procedure is used; each year, the 

 individual divisions of the Foundation select certain meetiugs, in 

 areas of particular interest to the Foundation for which participation 

 support may be granted. Individual scientists or professional associa- 

 tions submit application forms to each division. If funds are awarded 

 to a professional association, the association publishes notification of 

 the award, soliciting appUcations, in appropriate professional journals. 

 In order to efiminate duplicate competitions the Foundation does 

 not make awards for individual travel grants to meetings for which it 

 has already awarded block travel funds to a professional association, 



2'" For instance, in FY 1964 grants to individuals to attend scientific meetings were included under the 

 category, "International Scientific Information Exchange (Travel)," which fell under the broad category 

 of "Science Information Service." However, the Soviet and Eastern European exchanges program, which 

 was handled together with travel grants in the budget presentation, was not reported under "International 

 Scientific Information Exchange (Travel)," but under "International Science Research Activities." In 

 FY 1966, the International Organizations and Programs Project was reported under the "International 

 Sfiience Research Activities" category, like the Soviet and Eastern European Exchange program. In 1967, 

 however, the Soviet and Eastern European Exchanges program was reported under "Science Information 

 Service support." A separate category was established for "International Scientific Information Exchanges 

 (Travel)," but support of the International Organizations and Project program was placed under a new 

 category, "International Science Research Activities." 



