TDY JEFFERSON FELLOWS: KEEP THEM COMING

UNCLAS MOSCOW 005189 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR STAS-Fedoroff and ISN/CTR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TSPL APER RS SUBJECT: TDY JEFFERSON FELLOWS: KEEP THEM COMING ¶1. (U) Summary: Embassy Moscow supports amending the Jefferson Science Fellow program to include an 8-10 week TDY at the end of the Fellowship year. Our first TDY Fellow, Dr. Katherine Radtke, contributed significantly to the advancement of U.S. science and technology goals in key areas like nanotechnology and nonproliferation. Her expertise and previous work with Russian scientists allowed her to expand our contacts in the scientific community and engage them on technical issues. We would welcome future Jefferson Fellows. End summary. ¶2. (U) Dr. Katherine Radtke, Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) just completed a nine-week TDY with Embassy Moscow. The TDY was an extension of her Jefferson Science Fellowship (JSF),where she spent a year working in the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation in the Office of Cooperative Threat Reduction. (The JSF program is designed to bring senior science and engineering faculty to State for one year to work on policy issues.) Dr. Radtke's areas of expertise include drug design and development, organic chemistry, and the nonproliferation of chemical and biological weapons. For the past six years she has served as a consultant on the DoD/HHS Cooperative Threat Reduction program in Russia on smallpox projects. ¶3. (U) Dr. Radtke expanded our science and technology engagement and reporting. For example, she ably represented the U.S. at expert-level meetings on bioterrorism and nonproliferation, chemical and biological weapons, problems with USG access to Russian scientific institutes, and negotiations to move forward with joint smallpox projects. Dr. Radtke's experience gave her instant credibility with her interlocutors from the Russian scientific community and Ministry of Health. Her technical expertise allowed her to take discussions much further than expected. ¶4. (U) While in Moscow, Dr. Radtke completed a report on Russia's evolving nanotechnology policy - a major host government initiative. Her understanding of the science behind the topic helped her explain Russia's goals and structure being put in place to achieve them. Dr. Radtke also undertook several public diplomacy outreach initiatives, including addressing students at Moscow State University and the American Center who are interested in the U.S. scientific establishment. ¶5. (U) Dr. Radtke's accomplishments in nine short weeks have made us enthusiastic supporters of the Jefferson Science Fellows program. We strongly encourage TDY assignments of Jefferson Science Fellows to an embassy at the end of their Fellowship year. Not only does the USG benefit directly, but the Fellows gain a fuller perspective of U.S diplomacy abroad that they can take back to their universities and to students who might consider State Department careers. Burns