Updated
February
2001
U.S.-Egypt Science and Technology
Activities and Joint Fund
Request
for Applications Federal Register Notice
Program
Announcement for 2000
The U.S.-Egyptian
Partnership for Economic Growth and Development, announced
by former Presidents Clinton and Mubarak in 1994, is a public and
private sector effort to promote economic growth and build
ties between the two countries for mutual benefit. Under the
partnership, a Science
and Technology Agreement was signed in 1995. Its purpose is to exchange
ideas, information, skills, and techniques and to collaborate
on areas of mutual interest. These areas--chosen by a Joint
Board--include biotechnology, standards, and environmental
and manufacturing technology. The first Workshop on U.S.-Egypt
Cooperation in Biotechnology was coordinated by the FIC and
held on the NIH campus, on June 17-18, 1996. This was
followed by a second workshop in Egypt, focusing on
commercialization of biotechnology products. Subsequent
workshops included a mini-series on "grantsmanship"
held in various locations.
Upcoming
Workshops
A workshop titled "The Sustainable use of Biodiversity of
Egypt" is being planned for April 2001. This
workshop will bring together experts from the United States,
Egypt, and possibly other countries in the Middle East to
share information and ideas regarding drug discovery from
natural products, and to develop new collaborations in areas
of mutual interest.
For more
information, contact Dr. Sudha Srinivasan (srinivas@mail.nih.gov),
FIC Program Officer for Africa and the Middle East. 
Middle East Cancer Consortium
(MECC)
The National
Cancer Institute (NCI) has played a catalytic role in
the creation of the Middle East Cancer Consortium (MECC),
both through direct assistance in the formation of a regional
scientific society--the Middle East Cancer Society--and through
subsequent discussions with the Israeli Minister of Health.
NCI has provided partial support to the MECC during its first
five years. The MECC was launched in Geneva on May 20, 1996,
through an agreement signed by the Ministers of Health of
Cyprus, Jordan, Israel and Egypt, and by a representative
of the Palestinian Authority. The goal of this new
intergovernmental organization is to increase knowledge and
decrease the burden of cancer in the Middle East. The MECC links cancer research and treatment facilities to share
expertise and reduce duplication, and promotes the free movement
of cancer experts and patients among member countries to maximize
local and regional resources.
U.S.-Israel Science and Technology Commission
(USISTC)
The Director
of the FIC, Dr. Gerald Keusch, is a Technical Advisor to the
USISTC. The USISTC was established in 1994 to promote cooperative
science and technology activities between the United States
and Israel that could benefit the high technology commercial
sectors of both countries. It has the following objectives:
(1) to encourage high technology industries in the United
States and Israel to undertake joint projects that will benefit
both countries; (2) to encourage scientific exchanges between
universities and research institutions in the United States
and Israel that could lead to cooperative commercial activities;
(3) to promote the development of technologies, including
medical/biotechnologies, agricultural, environmental, energy,
information processing, microelectronics, and telecommunication
technologies; and (4) to assist, where appropriate, in the
adaptation of military technology for civilian uses.
U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation
(BSF)
The BSF
is a grant-awarding institution that promotes research cooperation
between scientists from the United States and Israel. It was
established by the two governments in 1972 and began awarding
grants in 1974. Its purpose is to promote and support cooperation
between the United States and Israel in scientific and technological
research. Basic and applied research projects are considered
in the Health Sciences, Natural Sciences, Energy, and Social
and Behavioral Sciences. Proposals must involve active cooperation
between scientists of both countries. Cooperation may take
the form of: (1) provision of research facilities, materials,
equipment and/or services to cooperating scientists; (2) joint
planning of research and evaluation of results; and (3) exchange
of personnel.
|
