746 



There have been several Governmenc studies of this (and the ne>:t) 

 category of acciviries in recen: years, with elaboration of the nanagecent 

 and policy issues they raise, and various recommendations made. The 

 details of the issues vill not be repeated here, but rather an attempt 

 r.ade to provide a framework within uhich the issues should be debated, 

 and to highlight what appears to be the key problems and choices. Much 

 of the discussion here will also apply to Category III dealing with 

 development-related R6D. 



The question is not whether , but hov to u;;e SLT in support of 

 international goals. Clearly, international activities in S6T can serve 

 a variety of objectives in addition to domestic R&D goals, including 

 c;:ntributing to political and economic interests, attracting high level 

 attention to particular issues, creating advantages for American industry 

 in foreign countries, providing k:\owlcdge of scientific and technological 

 progress in other countries, and stimulating work on common or global 

 probler^s. In any case. Presidents, Secretaries of State, and others 

 have capitalized on the nation's strength in S£.T for more than scientific 

 purposes and will continue to want to do so. That is appropriate, for 

 national goals can be served by sensible use of all resources, as long 

 .as it is done responsibly and without damage to the primary mission of 

 those resources. 



Funding 



The !:;ost difficult of all the issues, and the ones that are at the 

 heart of the problems of management of international SaT issues are 

 those associated with funding. They are central to the goal of responsib-le 

 sanagement and deployment of public funds, and central to the ability of 

 the Government to use its resources effectively for a variety of program 

 objectives. 



The major problem is that the International programs under consideration 

 cannot be fully competitive with alternative domestic programs (if they 

 were they would raise no special problems, as Category I), and even when 

 they can eventually be so, the advance planning and com.mitraent process 

 required to initiate a formal international or bilateral agreement is 

 not compatible with the normal competitive budget process. Alternative 

 budgetary processes and in some cases segregated funding are unavoidable. 



There are several alternative funding mechanisms possible, none of 

 thein fully satisfactory nor mutually-exclusive. They include funding of 

 international activities from regular appropriated RiD funds, developing 

 line items within the domestic agencies administered either by the 

 technical divisions or by an international programs office, seeking 

 dedicated funds in the Department of State to be transferred to the 

 operating agencies to fund these activities, or seeking dedicated funds 

 in aaoLher agency, such as the NSF or ISTC for transfer as appropriate. 



