Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BUDAPEST151
2009-02-27 15:03:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Budapest
Cable title:  

EMBASSY SCIENCE FELLOWS PROGRAM 2009 (HUNGARY)

Tags:  SENV TSPL TBIO EAGR ENRG ECON AMGT APER EPA 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO5061
PP RUEHAST RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHTM RUEHTRO
DE RUEHUP #0151/01 0581503
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 271503Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3931
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BUDAPEST 000151 

SIPDIS

OES/STC FOR EILEEN KANE;
OES/PCI FOR NINA FITE AND PATRICK HUDAK;
EUR/PGI FOR NICK MANRING AND DAVID TESSLER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV TSPL TBIO EAGR ENRG ECON AMGT APER EPA
ASEC, XH, ZJ, HU
SUBJECT: EMBASSY SCIENCE FELLOWS PROGRAM 2009 (HUNGARY)

REF: STATE 10843

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BUDAPEST 000151

SIPDIS

OES/STC FOR EILEEN KANE;
OES/PCI FOR NINA FITE AND PATRICK HUDAK;
EUR/PGI FOR NICK MANRING AND DAVID TESSLER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV TSPL TBIO EAGR ENRG ECON AMGT APER EPA
ASEC, XH, ZJ, HU
SUBJECT: EMBASSY SCIENCE FELLOWS PROGRAM 2009 (HUNGARY)

REF: STATE 10843


1. In response to reftel, Embassy Budapest would like to
submit the following requests for Embassy Science Fellows.
Current point of contact for these proposals is outgoing ESTH
Hub Officer Camille Hill, HillCD2@state.gov, 36-1-475-4956.
Ms. Hill will depart post May 19 and her successor, Sam
Kotis, KotisS@state.gov, 36-1-475-4956, will serve as POC
after his arrival in mid-May.

Regional Renewable Energy Outreach and Promotion to Central
and Eastern Europe
-------------- --------------


2. Background: One of the Hub,s Goals and Objectives on
Environment is support of USG climate policy and promotion of
clean energy. Key elements of this support have included
following up on pledges made at the Washington International
Renewable Energy conference in March 2008, seeking ways and
resources to bring in U.S. expert speakers, and working with
Commercial officers at posts to attract U.S. clean energy
companies to the region. Hub officer has found in the course
of her regional travels that USG achievements in the field of
renewable energy are not well known in Central and Eastern
Europe. While there is great excitement in the region about
the Obama Administration,s new direction on climate change,
and governments and stakeholders are eager to hear more from
the new Administration about renewable energy, the perception
persists that the U.S. is behind the curve on this issue.
The recent natural gas crisis has heightened interest in
alternatives to dependence on Russian gas. The Hub believes
that a sustained outreach campaign by an energy expert
publicizing the good news story about the many USG
achievements on renewable energy and encouraging the uptake

of renewable energy by countries of the Central and Eastern
European Region would be helpful in nurturing productive
interactions with these governments at the UNFCC COP-15 in
December 2009 in Copenhagen. The energy expert could also
assist Posts in identifying market opportunities for U.S.
clean energy firms in the region.


3. Proposed work program: The Science Fellow will be
charged with one principal task: developing and implementing
a regional outreach plan in coordination with the Department,
ESTH, FCS, FAS, PAS and Posts. The outreach plan should
include: publicizing USG achievements and initiatives on
renewable energy, promoting the uptake of renewable energy,
and identifying market opportunities for U.S. clean energy
firms. The fellow should draft one or more reporting cables
on these activities. The vision is that the outreach plan
would be developed prior to the fellow's arrival in Budapest.
Budapest would serve as a European base of operations for
the fellow during the month of November, with the fellow
spending the majority of that month traveling in the region.



4. Area of expertise: Knowledge of USG and U.S. private
sector renewable energy technologies, policies and
priorities. Experience in public speaking and outreach.


5. Timeframe: One month in November 2009. Other timeframes
might be considered pending availability of TDY housing.


6. Housing and office space: The Embassy will provide
housing in Budapest, likely a furnished one-bedroom
apartment, office space at the Embassy, and in-country travel
and logistical support, as needed. In-country travel and
logistical support will be funded from the Hub budget.


7. Medical and security clearance requirements: Per reftel,
a medical clearance is required for TDYs exceeding 30 days.
A security clearance is not required as we plan to provide
office space outside the CAA, but an employee with a security
clearance level of secret or above would have access to the
CAA.


8. Travel funds outside Hungary: The Hub,s travel budget
is not sufficient to support the proposed regional outreach
activities, and Post does not have other funds available for
this activity. Post requests that the fellow come with
blanket travel orders for the Hub's 20-country region to be
funded by the fellow,s home agency. The 20 country region
includes: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Georgia,
Hungary, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland,
Romania, Slovakia, Serbia, and Ukraine. We recommend a
funding level of 10,000 USD or more to facilitate a robust
outreach plan.

BUDAPEST 00000151 002 OF 003




9. Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Impact:
Although Hungary is not a member of the OIC, two countries in
the Hub,s region are: Albania and Azerbaijan. Bosnia and
Herzegovina, also in the Hub,s region, is an observer.
Budapest is a convenient point of departure for travel to
another OIC member, Turkey, which is the seat of the Black
Sea Economic Cooperation Organization, another possible
avenue of outreach on renewable energy to many of the
countries of the Hub,s region. The coordination of the
outreach plan prior to the fellow's arrival will allow
focusing the proposed month of outreach on target countries
consistent with the priorities of the Department and other
concerned agencies.

Healthy Lifestyles Promotion Outreach and Advice
-------------- ---


10. Background: One of the Hub,s Goals and Objectives on
Health is supporting Ambassadorial outreach activities in
Hungary underlining the importance of healthy lifestyles and
early screening in addressing preventable/treatable health
problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity,
alcoholism, and breast cancer. Hungarians have the lowest
life expectancy in the OECD (72.4 years on average; 68.39
years for men and 76.84 years for women) and its rate of
increase over the last 20 years has been much slower than in
the rest of the region. In 2000, Hungary had 160
alcohol-related deaths per 100,000, more than double the
EU-15 average. Annually 28-30,000 Hungarians die as a result
of smoking, and smoking-related health care costs reached 1.4
billion USD in 2004. Thirty-five percent of the population
smoke, and forty percent of the population under 20 smoke
regularly. Ambassador Foley has made promoting healthy
lifestyles one of her central themes when visiting various
parts of Hungary, and local communities have frequently
expressed an interest in assistance in reducing smoking and
drinking among their populations. The proposed Science
Fellow,s activities would respond to these requests and
complement Hungary,s National Program for the Decade of
Health, launched in 2003, which currently focuses more on
encouraging participation in government-funded free health
screenings than on changing lifestyles. The proposed
outreach would also amplify the message of a new campaign
launched in February 2009 by an association of media and
advertising agencies, supported by Pfizer, to stress that
individuals have the power to make choices that will improve
their own health and that of their loved ones.


11. Proposed work program: The Science Fellow will be
charged with three principal tasks. First, the fellow must
develop a plan for outreach to local communities in
coordination with PAS, ESTH, and the Front Office. Second,
the fellow should liaise with Hungarian Government officials
from the Ministry of Health and other relevant agencies, as
needed, to coordinate the outreach program with the GOH,s
healthy lifestyles campaign and offer technical advice as
appropriate. Third, the fellow should conduct outreach to
the staff of private medical facilities to encourage
complementary healthy lifestyles' promotion activities. The
fellow should draft one or more reporting cables evaluating
the effectiveness of GOH and private sector efforts to
promote healthy lifestyles.


12. Area of expertise: Medical credentials, preferably an
MD. Experience treating patients with conditions arising
from abuse of alcohol and/or cigarettes or in treatment
programs to combat addiction to alcohol and/or cigarettes.
Experience in public speaking and outreach. Experience in
developing and implementing outreach campaigns on the dangers
of smoking and drinking. Hungarian language skills are
desirable but not required.


13. Timeframe: One month in January or March 2010
(following the major holiday celebration periods of the New
Year and Carnival). Other timeframes might be considered
pending availability of TDY housing.


14. Housing and office space: The Embassy will provide
housing in Budapest, likely a furnished one bedroom
apartment, office space at the Embassy, and in-country travel
and logistical support, as needed. In-country travel and
logistical support will be funded from the Hub budget.


15. Medical and security clearance requirements: Per
reftel, a medical clearance is required for TDYs exceeding 30
days. A security clearance is not required as we plan to
provide office space outside the CAA, but an employee with a

BUDAPEST 00000151 003 OF 003


security clearance level of secret or above would have access
to the CAA.
Foley