Nobel Prize 145;incubator146; NSF comes to India

Here's some heartening news for Indian science. The world8217;s largest basic science funding agency the US 8212; National Science Foundation...

Here8217;s some heartening news for Indian science. The world8217;s largest basic science funding agency the US 8212; National Science Foundation NSF, which has an annual budget of 5.5 billion 8212; is increasing its role in India. It will soon place its own personnel in the US Embassy, a first step to opening a full-fledged office here.

NSF director Arden L Bement, who is in the country on a four-day visit, said the Foundation is looking for ways at 8220;increasing presence8221; in India and get personnel to ensure 8220;direct contact8221; with Indian scientists. In the 54 years of its existence, over 160 NSF-supported researchers have won the Nobel Prize.

Interestingly, the areas NSF is looking for direct intervention in India include engineering and mathematics, two disciplines identified by President George W Bush in which the US is likely to lose its edge to India and China.

Earlier this year, Bush had announced an 8220;American Competitiveness Initiative8221;, to encourage innovation and to give US children a 8220;firm grounding in math and science.8221;

In addressing this challenge, Bement hopes to tap the vast Indian knowledge pool and admits NSF8217;s approach will be of 8220;competing through collaboration.8221; ACI is big, since over the next 10 years US hopes to invest 136 billion in R038;D. The areas where collaboration will be increased with India include geo-sciences, life sciences and computers.

To better steer its international collaborative programs, NSF already has offices in Tokyo, Paris and Beijing. Bement said India has had only 330 collaborative programmes with NSF while China has over 800. The 8220;dramatic increase in numbers in China8221; happened after the NSF established full presence there.

Yesterday, Bement met Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal. M K Bhan, secretary, Biotechnology said: 8220;We welcome increased opportunities for Indian scientists.8221; He added what was imperative for this collaborative process was to ensure 8220;intellectual property rights are shared equally.8221;