| OST Network & ASciNA Activities |
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bridges vol. 15, September 2007 / News from the Network The OST network of Austrian scientists & scholars abroad was established by the Office of Science & Technology (OST) at the Austrian Embassy in Washington, DC, and focuses on the outreach of government-related agencies to Austrian scientists in North America. Its main objective has been to support the scientific community with information and specific advice wherever necessary and requested. Encouraged by the OST, an independent association - ASciNA (Austrian Scientists and Scholars in North America) - was founded in 2002 with local chapters being established throughout the US and Canada. For further information about ASciNA please visit www.ascina.at OST Network 
OST Director Philipp Marxgut (right) meeting with the greater Washington DC ASciNA chapter
A dinner at a nearby Bethesda restaurant completed the interesting evening, and gave the scientists an opportunity to discuss this topic further and get to know the new science attaché one-on-one. 
Andrea Kdolsky
On September 23 and 24, a delegation accompanying the Austrian Federal Minister of Health Dr. Andrea Kdolsky visited Washington, DC. On this occasion, a dinner reception was held on the 23rd at the Austrian Ambassador's residence, where the minister also met with scientists working in the health and health management field from the Greater DC area. On the afternoon of September 24th, the minister visited the National Institutes of Health (NIH) campus in Bethesda, Maryland. The NIH is the biggest supporter and producer of biomedical research in the US. After a tour of the campus, Minister Kdolsky met with several Austrian scientists doing research at the NIH Clinical Research Center (CRC) and also visited one of their the laboratories. 
Alfred Gusenbauer surrounded by Austrian scientists
Dr. Gusenbauer pointed out that Austria remains committed to reaching the targeted 3 percent of the GDP for R&D expenditures by 2010. He also reaffirmed Austria's intention to provide students and young graduates with better career prospects at universities and research institutions. A considerable part of the discussion focused on the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), an up-and-coming elite graduate-level institute. Chancellor Gusenbauer emphasized that the development of ISTA is headed in a good direction with Mr. Haim Harari as chairman of the Executive Committee. ISTA would be financed through additional funds, and will not cause a budget reduction for Austria's universities. Martin Nowak, from Harvard University, pointed out that ISTA is a great opportunity for Austria and that to his knowledge there is currently no other example of setting up such an institution in Europe. To his question about the commitment of the Austrian government to ISTA after the initial phase of 10 years, the chancellor replied that the idea is not to close it down but to develop it further if it has proven successful. In his opinion, the focus of ISTA is not necessarily limited to natural science, but humanities may also play a role in ISTA. On the European level, Dr. Gusenbauer said he will support the creation of a network of elite universities, of which an Austrian institution could be a part. 
Austrian Federal Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer
Another proposal put forward was to alter the recruitment tradition at universities. In Austria, the recruitment for a position that becomes available normally starts when the incumbent is retiring or leaving. In the US, however, universities are constantly and actively headhunting for the best scholars and offering them competitive packages. The open discussion was followed by many bilateral talks and photo opportunities with Dr. Gusenbauer, who kindly agreed to be available for discussions of this nature with Austrian scientists in the coming years. ASciNA Activities 
Eva Schernhammer
As ASciNA continues to grow, we seek to enhance the opportunities and services we provide for our junior members. In addition to the numerous local events offered by the individual chapters, we are now gearing up to put a mentoring system in place which will link each new junior member of ASciNA with a more senior member in the US in order to facilitate their transition and help make culturally sensitive career decisions. As part of these efforts, we are also planning to introduce a new ASciNA award and hope to make the first announcement and call for applications later this fall. We encourage all scientists who have not yet done so, to sign up on our web page at www.ascina.at and link up with their local chapter chairs to learn more about our services and activities. ASciNA Pacific North Contact: Julius Halaschek-Wiener at pacific.north(at)ascina.at 
The ASciNA Chapter Pacific North met in mid-July at the British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver. Dieter Fink presented a seminar about his interesting work with transgenic and knockout mice. He is designing and cloning sophisticated vectors to enhance target specificity, multigene-insertions, and screening of genetically modified mice. As always, the evening closed with drinks in a local bar. 
Our next meeting is scheduled for October 26: a social night at the Austria-Vancouver Club, where Schnitzel and Goesser Bier are served. Doors at the club (and the kitchen) open at 6 p.m. (Austria Vancouver Club, 5851 Westminster Highway, Richmond, BC). ASciNA Chapter Boston Contact: Klaus Podar at greater.boston(at)ascina.at The ASciNA Chapter Greater Boston is continuously growing with now more than 80 members. We continue to meet the 2nd Thursday of each month for lay scientific talks presented by fellow scholars as well as by senior scientists at varying locations in Metro Boston: Most recently Dr. Wolfgang Notsch spoke on new insights in the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease. Traditionally focused on biomedical topics, our recent presenters cover such diverse fields as marine biology, media science, law, physics and sports, and stimulate lively interdisciplinary discussions. In September, Dr. Martin Nowak (Program of Evolutionary Dynamics/Harvard University) hosted a discussion evening with the Austrian Minister of Family and Health, Dr. Andrea Kdolsky. Excitingly, on September 27th we also had the opportunity to meet with the Austrian Chancellor Dr. Alfred Gusenbauer at Langdell Library/Harvard Law School (for more details, see report above). |
