969 



Early Foundation programs recruited U.S. scientific and technicaV 

 experts for assignments in the countries of the Far East and Europe. 

 These arrangements began in 1957 under terms of a participatmg 

 agency service agreement (PASA) with funds transferred from the 

 ICA. During the 1960s the Foundation administered two similar 

 programs with funds transferred from AID. The NSF program for 

 Kegional Development of the Universities of Central America was 

 operative from 1963 to 1969; American participants numbered 23.^*' 

 The Latin American Science Education Project involved seminars of 

 Americans an:d Latin Americans to improve the curricula of science 

 education. A total of 127 Americans were sent to Latin America 

 under this program from 1966 to 1968, when the program 

 was terminated. ^^* 



Cooperative Program for the Improvement of Science Education in 

 India. — Of the three AID-funded activities, the only one which is 

 still functioning is the Cooperative Program for the Improvement of 

 Science Education in India.^^^ This program will he summarized. 



Under an agreement with the Government of India, AID began a 

 program jointly funded with India in 1963 to improve Indian scientific 

 and technical education. AID had let contracts to four American 

 universities to design and administer a program to provide American 

 consultant teachers for a program of Summer Institutes for Indian 

 secondary school and college teachers. Dissatisfied with the results of 

 these contracts, AID asked NSF in 1966 to assume administrative 

 responsibihty for the program. Transfer of responsibility was designed 

 to provide a more effective program, to broaden the availability of 

 consultants, to provide consultants year round, and to develop 

 follow-up programs.^^** 



In 1966 a series of high-level conferences of In.dian and U.S. 

 scientists, educators, arid administrators, with NSF representation, 

 was held to revamp the program.^^^ Under the terms of the resulting 

 PASA Agreement, which is renewed annually, the Foundation agreed 

 to provide U.S. scientists and engineers to staff an NSF liaison office 

 in New Delhi, to participate in teacher training programs, or to 

 serve as advisors for equipment, institutional, and curriculum devel- 

 opment phases of the agreement. From 1967 to 1970, 591 American 

 consultants participated in the program.^^^ According to Gordon 

 Hiebert, NSF program director, the program has attracted a large 

 number of highly quahfied individuals. Americans in the program 

 included elementary school teachers, school administrators, high 

 school science teachers, college professors, government and industrial 

 scientists, and Nobel laureates. 



^ Data supplied by Office of International Programs, National Science Foundation. 



5*8 Data from Inventory of Federal Programs . . ., op. cit., p. 333, and interview with Dr. Duncan 

 Clements, Office of International Programs, NSF, February 1971. 



289 The NSF initiated another AID-funded program in April 1973: Scientists and Engineers in Economio 

 Development (SEED), administered by DIP. Under NSF grants totaling $184,895, 29 American scientists 

 and engineers will teach and conduct research in 17 countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and Latla 

 America. See: NSF, "Grants To Aid Developing Countries Awarded U.S. Scientists and Engineers." 

 NSF Press Release, April 20, 1973 (NSF 73-141). 



"0 U.S., National Science Foundation, "India Program." In-house memo, non-dated, p. 2. Legislative 

 authority: P.L. 87-195, Foreign Assistance Act of September 4, 1961, as amended; additional data from 

 Interview with Gordon Hiebert, in charge of U.S. -Indian Cooperative Program for the Improvement of 

 Science Education in India, Office of International Programs, February 26, 1971; and "NSF Program ia 

 India," Science Education News (May 1968). 



"1 Present among the American representatives were Dr. Donald Hornig, Science Advisor to the Pres- 

 dent, and Dr. Arthur Roe, head of the Office of International Science Activities, NSF. ("U.S.-Indian Co- 

 operation to be Expanded in Science Education," NSF News Release, May 3, 1966, NSF-€6-120.) 



2« U.S., National Science Foundation, "NSF/AID India Program— Preliminary Fact Sheet," August 17, 

 1970, and "Cooperative Program for the Improvement of Science Education in India; Information for 

 Consultations," Prepared by Office of International Programs, NSF, Januai-y 1970, 16 pp. 



