Keeping Russian Defense Scientists Off The Dole

FOR RELEASE: Mon., April 7 ACS News Service
Contacts:
Print media: Sophie Wilkinson, 202/872-4443, [email protected]
Broadcast media: Theresa Laranang-Mutlu, 202/872-4371, [email protected]
For a copy of the full article: Sally Pecor, 202/872-4451, [email protected]

KEEPING RUSSIAN DEFENSE SCIENTISTS OFF THE DOLE AND OUT OF TROUBLE

Should the U.S. continue to support scientists from the former Soviet Union to keep them from selling their expertise to forces hostile to the U.S.? The cost and utility of this support is explored in an article in the April 7 issue of Chemical & Engineering News, the weekly news magazine of the American Chemical Society. The agency that channels funds to the scientists hasn't found a comfortable berth or a champion within the U.S. government and is now running out of money. The agency -- the Civilian Research & Development Foundation (CRDF) -- figures an infusion of as little as $16 million would give it new life. If it doesn't get the money it could be out of business by early next year.

After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Congress "appropriated several billion dollars to establish programs to help teach the independent republics the basics of business, banking, economics, human rights and democratic politics," the article notes. "Matters concerning science and technology were well down on the list of immediate needs -- until it was realized that thousands of Soviet nuclear and chemical warfare scientists faced sudden unemployment." To prevent these specialists from selling their expertise to powers unfriendly to the U.S., American legislators set up programs to help the scientists continue constructive work. CRDF was formed to link the scientists with their counterparts in the U.S. for joint research, providing up to $80,000 per research team. Through the end of last year, its outlays totaled $8.7 million in 230 grants. The former Soviet republics contributed $2.3 million more.

The article explores a number of options for continuing CRDF, including a potential home in the State Department, which already supports two research centers in Ukraine and Russia. CRDF's ultimate intent is to become self-supporting through foundation and industrial contributions, and licensing fees from patented technologies.

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