Assistance to Crystallographers in the Former Soviet Union (FSU)

The current average salary of a scientist in the Former Soviet Union is $200 per year. The American Crystallographic Association in cooperation with the US National Committee for Crystallography has established a program of assistance for crystallographers in the FSU. The program will include direct support of research projects being conducted in the FSU and short term scientific visits by FSU scientists to US laboratories.

The USNCCr has allocated $3,000 for support of the program. The response to a letter from J. Diesenhofer, J. Karle, and H. Hauptman appealing to the ACA membership for financial support of the program has been remarkably rapid and generous. The request accompanied the dues billing posted in Nov. By the 20th of Dec. 1992, 177 members had contributed a total of $6,256 to the fund. A special category of 3D donors has been established to identify donors who are not only three-dimensional but have given in three digits ($100 or more).

Bill Duax, Chair of the USNCCr subcommittee on FSU assistance, attended a conference convened at the American Assn. for the Advancement of Science offices in Washington, DC, USA, at which representatives of professional scientific societies, private foundations, and government agencies in the US, Europe, and FSU gathered to discuss ways and means to most effectively aid scientists in the FSU. The American Physical Society and the American Mathematical Society have substantial programs of assistance to FSU scientists with support from their membership and funds from the Soros and Sloan Foundations. Representatives from the Soros, Sloan, and Carnegie foundations were present at the meeting.

A written report which included copies of the Diesenhofer/Karle/Hauptman letter, an ACA newsletter article, and the application forms that the ACA plans to use was distributed at the AAAS meeting. Duax asked the foundations represented to consider providing matching funds to the ACA program. If substantial support for the project comes from crystallographers and industrial donors, there is a high probability that matching funds will be obtained. Support for 40 projects at $500 each would have a significant impact on 40 crystallographers and their home laboratories.

Efforts are also under way to identify a dozen crystallographic laboratories in the US that will provide three to six months of local support for a visiting crystallographer from the FSU. The USNCCr will coordinate a placement service for visiting scientists, and solicit financial support for travel expenses from private and public sources. The limitation on visits to 3-6 months will assure that the program supports science in the FSU rather than contributes to a brain drain.

A form to be submitted by FSU crystallographers applying for support has been designed to expedite the reviewing process. Applicants are requested to identify areas of expertise. Funds will be distributed over the range of specialties.

Names and addresses of crystallographers in over 75 institutes in the FSU are being drawn from the three-volume collection of abstracts of the European Crystallographic Meeting held in Moscow in 1989. An announcement of the program and the two-page application form will be sent to all of the crystallographers in this list. How many of the addresses remain current and how well the Russian postal system is working remains to be seen. An effort to obtain FAX numbers for as many institutes on the list as possible is under way.

The names, addresses, telephone, and FAX numbers of Russian crystallographers presently in the US (either permanently or temporarily) are urgently sought in an effort to obtain information on reliable addresses for and means of communication with young crystallographers in the FSU. Any US crystallographer planning to travel to the FSU in the next year who would be willing to act as courier for correspondence, newsletters, and application forms is also earnestly sought.

This is a grass roots project both in terms of the sources of support and the identification of candidates for support. I invite the advice and assistance of all crystallographers in the world in this effort. Volunteers to assist in fund raising, contacting funding agencies, reviewing applications, and coordinating visits would be most welcome. Donations can be made to the "FSU account of the ACA" and sent to M. Vair, ACA Headquarters, PO Box 96, Ellicott Station, Buffalo, NY 14205, USA. Credit card donations avoid bank transfer charges.

USNCCr Subcommittee on Assistance to FSU-Crystallographers: W. L. Duax (Chair), J. Diesenhofer, D. Eggleston, J. Flippen-Anderson, H. Hauptman, J. Karle.