961 



National and international research programs are frequently in- 

 ternational in both scope and character. Some, such as the Antarctic 

 Research Program and the International Year of the Quiet Sun, are 

 undertaken in accordance with international agreements formalized 

 in treaty obligations. Usually the programs are initiated when several 

 governments and their scientists recognize the need for a concerted 

 multinational effort. Typically the programs, if not formalized under 

 bilateral or multilateral treaties, are sanctioned, coordinated, partially 

 supported, and sometimes governed by intergovernmental science 

 bodies or their affiliates. Programs under this category include the 

 International Biological Program (IBP), the Global Atmospheric 

 Research Program (GARP), the International Decade of Ocean 

 Exploration (IDOE), and the now terminated International Indian 

 Ocean Expedition and International Years of the Quiet Sun. 



NSF responsibilities for these programs take a number of forms. 

 In some, the Foundation plays the role of lead U.S. agency to co- 

 ordinate the funding, research, management, and information dis- 

 semination activities of other Federal agencies, industry, universities, 

 and non-profit research organizations. The programs are administered 

 under complex arrangements. NSF supports the participation of the 

 American nongovernmental community through grants and contracts 

 awarded to academic scientists. 



U.S. nongovernmental scientific travel abroad under the programs 

 consists of: 



— meetings to plan research projects; 



— attendance at international scientific conferences which treat 

 ongoing or completed research; and 



— overseas research jointly with foreign scientists. 



Often these programs involve collaborative research among scientists 

 of several different nations. For example, the shipboard activities 

 conducted on board the Foundation-supported Glomar Challenger 

 in connection with the Ocean Sediment Coring Prograrn have involved 

 research scientists from more than 12 nations. Similarly, NSF- 

 sponsored activities in the Antarctic encompass collaborative research 

 between American and foreign scientists at both foreign stations and 

 on board foreign vessels. The Global Atmospheric Research Program 

 will involve internationall}'^ conducted experiments in the Altantic in 

 1974; the International Biological Program has involved parallel 

 research studies by scientists from many different nations. 



Like other NSF basic research programs which involve international 

 or foreign science activities, participants are not required to meet 

 any special criteria. With the exception of some polar program 

 research, the Foundation apparently does not require grantees to 

 meet language qualifications nor to be briefed on the special conditions 

 they might encounter in conducting research in a foreign location. 

 The Foimdation does not require or maintain detailed reporting on 

 the foreign activities undertaken in support of these programs; thus, 

 there is little or no comprehensive information available to evaluate 

 the scope and qualit}^ of participation in them by the American 

 nongovernmental scientific community. 



