Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08NEWDELHI654
2008-03-03 10:03:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy New Delhi
Cable title:
S&T ADVISOR DR. NINA FEDOROFF ENGAGES S&T MINISTER SIBAL
how-toVZCZCXRO2949 RR RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD DE RUEHNE #0654/01 0631003 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 031003Z MAR 08 FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0696 INFO RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA 1864 RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 2555 RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 1658 RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI 8528 RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE 4332 RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC RUCPDC/NOAA NMFS WASHINGTON DC RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 000654
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR OES/PCI, OES/STC, OES/SAT, OES/EGC, AND SCA/INS
STATE FOR STAS
STATE PASS TO NSF FOR INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV ENRG TSPL TRGY KSCA KGHG IN
SUBJECT: S&T ADVISOR DR. NINA FEDOROFF ENGAGES S&T MINISTER SIBAL
ON INDO-US SCIENTIFIC COLLABORATION
NEW DELHI 00000654 001.2 OF 002
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 000654
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR OES/PCI, OES/STC, OES/SAT, OES/EGC, AND SCA/INS
STATE FOR STAS
STATE PASS TO NSF FOR INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV ENRG TSPL TRGY KSCA KGHG IN
SUBJECT: S&T ADVISOR DR. NINA FEDOROFF ENGAGES S&T MINISTER SIBAL
ON INDO-US SCIENTIFIC COLLABORATION
NEW DELHI 00000654 001.2 OF 002
1. SUMMARY: Dr. Fedoroff met with Minister of Science and
Technology (MoST) Kapal Sibal on February 21 and discussed the scope
of Indo - U.S. science and technology collaboration. Both agreed
that greater collaboration would be beneficial to the relationship.
In addition, Sibal noted the difficulty the Visas Mantis program
placed on Indian scientists wanting to travel to the United States
and urged the U.S. to reconsider the program. END SUMMARY.
2. Minister Sibal thanked Dr. Fedoroff for the "wonderful
collaboration" between the GOI and the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and noted that while there are
many collaborative S&T programs between the two countries, there
were few "big ticket" projects. Sibal went on to state there should
be "huge collaboration" in S&T in order to reflect the importance of
the relationship. He noted an offer he has made to match funds up
to USD 100 million for a large-scale joint Indo-U.S. project and
stated he has made the offer to various U.S. interlocutors including
President Bush's Science Advisor Dr. John Marburger, HHS Secretary
Leavitt, and Commerce Secretary Gutierrez. Sibal lamented the fact
that current S&T collaboration did not correspond to what the U.S.
labels a strategic partnership and that future collaboration should
reflect the breadth and depth of the Indo-U.S. relationship.
3. SciCouns offered to develop and finalize a strategic plan for
Indo-U.S. S&T collaboration within a three to six month timeframe
that could be concluded on a parallel track to current negotiations.
Sibal stated the GOI was ready to proceed and suggested that each
country could have four nominees which could also include members of
the private sector. Dr. Fedoroff noted joint collaboration should
be done on a multi-agency basis and Sibal readily agreed. SciCouns
suggested the two countries begin in the field of nanotechnology.
Sibal welcomed the suggestion and stated research in nanotechnology
would benefit greatly from bilateral and even multilateral
cooperation.
4. Dr. Fedoroff noted funding for S&T programs was a difficult
issue. Sibal stated the problem is funding in the United States is
dispersed to the agencies and suggested the USG set up a central
body to oversee S&T funding (Comment: The Minister's observation was
perhaps in the context of funding for US-India projects. End
Comment). He also noted the USG budget for science and technology
has been declining and expressed hope that it could be reversed.
Dr. Fedoroff noted that certain agencies, the Department of Defense,
in particular, had strong interest in science and technology and
that perhaps they should be included in joint collaborative
projects.
5. SciCouns stated the National Science Foundation (NSF) intended
to place an NSF Fellow in the Embassy for approximately three months
at a time and that he was planning on using this opportunity to try
to increase the number of collaborative projects. SciCouns also
mentioned the need for India to send scientists to NSF and Sibal
stated he would send two or three people to NSF and could do so
within a matter of weeks. Dr. Fedoroff noted that NSF's mission was
to support U.S. science but if that role were to expand, a mechanism
to allow investigators to go through a joint review process would
help expedite matters. Sibal did not see this as a problem and
stated that while there was no equivalent to NSF in India, the
Department of Science and Technology had a peer reviewed competitive
assessment process and had the ability to fund both intramural and
extramural projects.
6. SciCouns raised the issue of the Visas Mantis process and the
resulting delays in the travel of Indian scientists. Sibal stated
this was in fact a problem and that the GOI had raised it several
times and hoped the U.S. could resolve the issue. He noted that
when Indian scientists are delayed by the visa process, they develop
a mindset that travel to the United States is not necessary and that
such an outcome was detrimental to the relationship.
7. When asked about the projected three-fold increase in the GOI's
funding for science and technology, Sibal stated the funding was not
just for infrastructure but was across the board. He also noted
that the current program allows for even greater funding based on
performance and that MoST was intending to establish centers of
excellence as well as fund both large companies and private
universities.
8. This cable has been cleared by Dr. Fedoroff.
NEW DELHI 00000654 002.2 OF 002
MULFORD
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR OES/PCI, OES/STC, OES/SAT, OES/EGC, AND SCA/INS
STATE FOR STAS
STATE PASS TO NSF FOR INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV ENRG TSPL TRGY KSCA KGHG IN
SUBJECT: S&T ADVISOR DR. NINA FEDOROFF ENGAGES S&T MINISTER SIBAL
ON INDO-US SCIENTIFIC COLLABORATION
NEW DELHI 00000654 001.2 OF 002
1. SUMMARY: Dr. Fedoroff met with Minister of Science and
Technology (MoST) Kapal Sibal on February 21 and discussed the scope
of Indo - U.S. science and technology collaboration. Both agreed
that greater collaboration would be beneficial to the relationship.
In addition, Sibal noted the difficulty the Visas Mantis program
placed on Indian scientists wanting to travel to the United States
and urged the U.S. to reconsider the program. END SUMMARY.
2. Minister Sibal thanked Dr. Fedoroff for the "wonderful
collaboration" between the GOI and the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and noted that while there are
many collaborative S&T programs between the two countries, there
were few "big ticket" projects. Sibal went on to state there should
be "huge collaboration" in S&T in order to reflect the importance of
the relationship. He noted an offer he has made to match funds up
to USD 100 million for a large-scale joint Indo-U.S. project and
stated he has made the offer to various U.S. interlocutors including
President Bush's Science Advisor Dr. John Marburger, HHS Secretary
Leavitt, and Commerce Secretary Gutierrez. Sibal lamented the fact
that current S&T collaboration did not correspond to what the U.S.
labels a strategic partnership and that future collaboration should
reflect the breadth and depth of the Indo-U.S. relationship.
3. SciCouns offered to develop and finalize a strategic plan for
Indo-U.S. S&T collaboration within a three to six month timeframe
that could be concluded on a parallel track to current negotiations.
Sibal stated the GOI was ready to proceed and suggested that each
country could have four nominees which could also include members of
the private sector. Dr. Fedoroff noted joint collaboration should
be done on a multi-agency basis and Sibal readily agreed. SciCouns
suggested the two countries begin in the field of nanotechnology.
Sibal welcomed the suggestion and stated research in nanotechnology
would benefit greatly from bilateral and even multilateral
cooperation.
4. Dr. Fedoroff noted funding for S&T programs was a difficult
issue. Sibal stated the problem is funding in the United States is
dispersed to the agencies and suggested the USG set up a central
body to oversee S&T funding (Comment: The Minister's observation was
perhaps in the context of funding for US-India projects. End
Comment). He also noted the USG budget for science and technology
has been declining and expressed hope that it could be reversed.
Dr. Fedoroff noted that certain agencies, the Department of Defense,
in particular, had strong interest in science and technology and
that perhaps they should be included in joint collaborative
projects.
5. SciCouns stated the National Science Foundation (NSF) intended
to place an NSF Fellow in the Embassy for approximately three months
at a time and that he was planning on using this opportunity to try
to increase the number of collaborative projects. SciCouns also
mentioned the need for India to send scientists to NSF and Sibal
stated he would send two or three people to NSF and could do so
within a matter of weeks. Dr. Fedoroff noted that NSF's mission was
to support U.S. science but if that role were to expand, a mechanism
to allow investigators to go through a joint review process would
help expedite matters. Sibal did not see this as a problem and
stated that while there was no equivalent to NSF in India, the
Department of Science and Technology had a peer reviewed competitive
assessment process and had the ability to fund both intramural and
extramural projects.
6. SciCouns raised the issue of the Visas Mantis process and the
resulting delays in the travel of Indian scientists. Sibal stated
this was in fact a problem and that the GOI had raised it several
times and hoped the U.S. could resolve the issue. He noted that
when Indian scientists are delayed by the visa process, they develop
a mindset that travel to the United States is not necessary and that
such an outcome was detrimental to the relationship.
7. When asked about the projected three-fold increase in the GOI's
funding for science and technology, Sibal stated the funding was not
just for infrastructure but was across the board. He also noted
that the current program allows for even greater funding based on
performance and that MoST was intending to establish centers of
excellence as well as fund both large companies and private
universities.
8. This cable has been cleared by Dr. Fedoroff.
NEW DELHI 00000654 002.2 OF 002
MULFORD