U.S. Eases Scientific Access To Cuba

U.S. scientists now have greater opportunities for research and exchange with their counterparts in Cuba, as part of recent U.S. policy changes that eased the economic embargo on the Caribbean nation. The new regulations were described by U.S. officials in a panel held at the annual meeting in Baltimore this month.

The United States has had an economic embargo on Cuba since the early 1960s. U.S. scientists could work there with restrictions, but access was tightened in 1994 after the Cuban raft migration. Last October, as part of bilateral negotiations, President Clinton issued a new policy on Cuba that eased the economic embargo. It opens access to Cuba for U.S. scientists and permits more extensive scientific cooperation between the two countries.

In line with the changes, AAAS is exploring ways of strengthening U.S.-Cuban scientific interaction, according to Jeff Stann, head of the Association's Western Hemisphere Program. He met with scientists and government officials in Cuba last month during a trip organized by the Center for Marine Conservation (CMC), a U.S. nongovernmental organization.

CMC, the Smithsonian Institution, and a handful of other groups have been doing limited research in Cuba, mainly in biodiversity and environmental issues. The new U.S. policy should expand such work and open up other areas of mutual scientific interest, Stann said.

AAAS can help boost U.S.-Cuban cooperation, he said, by promoting exchange between scientific societies in the two countries, improving access to scientific information in Cuba, and aiding the distribution of much-needed scientific equipment. "Cuba has a strong tradition of learning and leadership of knowledge in Latin America," Stann said, "but it's crippled without access to what's going on in the rest of the world."

For information, call Stann at 202-326-6657 or send a message by Internet to: jstann@aaas.org.

Prospects for science and technology in an era of downsizing is the focus of the 21st AAAS Colloquium on Science and Technology Policy, scheduled for 17-19 April at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C.

The colloquium, which comes after the release of the President's budget but before final congressional action, will provide an overview of the federal funding picture and examine consequences for science and technology (S&T). John H. Gibbons, assistant to the President for science and technology, is the keynote speaker.

Presentations will include a look at new models of S&T's role in the economy, conservatives' views of S&T issues, criteria for federal support, and U.S. S&T policies in a global context.

Registration information is available at AAAS's World Wide Web site: http://www.aaas.org; by e-mail at: snelson@aaas.org or syoung@aaas.org; or by phone at 202-326-6600.

Association Honors Major Contributors To Science

Recipients of AAAS awards for 1995-96 were honored 10 February at the annual meeting in Baltimore. The winners, who represent a cross-section of the scientific and engineering communities, were selected for excellence and achievement in their chosen fields.

AAAS Award for Public Understanding of Science and Technology
Cornell University professor and astronomer Carl Sagan received the award for devoting much of his nearly 30-year career to conveying the excitement and importance of scientific findings to a broad public.

AAAS Philip Hauge Abelson Prize
The recipient was William O. Baker, retired board chairman of AT&T Bell Laboratories, Inc., for his exceptional career in advancing science and technology, as well as efforts in applying science and technology to meet national needs, in reforming education, and in promoting government-industry-university cooperation.

AAAS Scientific Freedom and Responsibility Award
Hastings Center co-founder Daniel Callahan was honored for fostering an understanding of ethical challenges posed by progress in biomedical science, initiating dialogue between humanists and scientists, and establishing a forum for continuation of that dialogue.

AAAS Award for International Scientific Cooperation
The recipient was Joseph H. Hamilton, a distinguished professor of physics at Vanderbilt University, for his work in uniting international scientists and promoting the dev-elopment of facilities and programs that have enabled them to further their research in atomic and nuclear physics.

AAAS Hilliard Roderick Prize
The chairman of the Russian Duma's Subcommittee on International Security and Arms Control, Alexei Arbatov, received the prize for his leadership, analysis, and public advocacy in controversial arms control issues, which has helped to advance important international arms control agreements.

AAAS Mentor Award
For outstanding accomplishment in guiding young women into science during her eight years at Pennsylvania State University, the award was given to Diana Cox-Foster, an assistant professor of entomology.

AAAS Mentor Award for Lifetime Achievement
University of North Carolina biology professor Lawrence Irwin Gilbert was honored for his 35-year commitment to mentoring and his dedication to fostering diversity at his institution.

AAAS Newcomb Cleveland Prize
This prize recognizing excellence of a paper published in Science went to co-authors Georg Halder, Patrick Callaerts, and Walter J. Gehring of the University of Basel for their research article "Induction of Ectopic Eyes by Targeted Expression of the eyeless Gene in Drosophila" in the 24 March 1995 issue.

AAAS Science Journalism Awards
Established to recognize outstanding writing and reporting on the sciences, engineering, and mathematics, these awards are sponsored by the Whitaker Foundation.

• Newspapers with a circulation over 100,000: The winner was Terry McDermott of the Seattle Times for a special report 18 December 1994, "The Rarest Thing on Earth," which examined the gap between science, policy, and business by focusing on the biotechnology industry.
  A special citation went to Newsday's Laurie Garrett for two series: "AIDS in India," 19-20 December 1994, and "Ebola," 30-31 May and 6 June 1995.
• Newspapers with a circulation under 100,000: Anchorage Daily News reporter Doug O'Hara won for three articles"In Search of the First North American," 31 July 1994; "The Rat Zone," 9 April 1995; and "In Search of Spectacled Eiders," 21 May 1995 that explored obstacles scientists may face.
• Magazines: The winner was Alan Burdick for "Invasion of the Nature Snatchers," in the 13 November 1994 New York Times Magazine, on the effects of alien species in certain environments.
• Television: Nebraska ETV Network's Gary Hochman was honored for producing "Buried in Ash," aired 29 November 1994 on public television's "NOVA," which traced the painstaking process of archaeological discovery.An honorable mention went to Cheryl Pellerin, Jon Ward, Susan Winslow, and the Cronkite Ward & Co. Production Team for "Understanding Sex," broadcast on The Learning Channel in 1994.
• Radio: National Public Radio's Richard Harris won for his report "Hormones in the Environment," which aired 1 February 1995.