INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE (3-YEAR TERMS)

Date Committee Formed: 1999

Committee News:

Need-based Policy for Journal Subscriptions and the Textbook
Policy for Support of Meetings, Workshops & Courses in Developing Countries

The International Affairs Committee was formed in 1999 as an ad-hoc committee under the direction of the Executive Committee to ensure that the Society is serving its foreign constituency adequately. This has become increasingly important as the overseas membership has continued to increase. The committee is charged with making recommendations to the executive committee on international matters such as how to approve and monitor free or reduced journal subscriptions, sponsorship of international meetings or workshops, joint meetings, and other issues concerning our international members. The importance and success of the committee has been recognized and by a vote of the membership it was incorporated into the constitution as an official standing committee in 2002.

1. The activity must benefit a significant group of researchers and students, not just a single individual or laboratory.

2. The planned activity should be for institutions and or countries/regions with documented inability to produce an activity of this level without outside funding or sponsorship. Proposals will be considered for funding events in each calendar year, and are to be submitted electronically to ASPB at least six months prior to the planned event. The request must include the following information:

• Dates, Location and Organizer(s) of the event
• Expected attendance - include total number of expected participants, their home institutions, and their level of plant biology expertise
• Brief outline of program and goals
• Level of support requested and specifics of how funds would be used
• What will happen if ASPB funding is not secured

3. Special consideration will be given to proposals where ASPB funding is to be matched by another organization or agency. Each request is to be sponsored by two ASPB members, preferably both resident in the country in which the request originated.

4. Each request will be presented to the full membership of the International Affairs Committee for discussion and vote by email quarterly. The deadline for requests is to be widely circulated in ASPB News and on the Society web site. A database is to be created for all requests. The recommendation of the International Affairs Committee will be final.

5. The International Affairs Committee is authorized to commit to up to $5,000 annually.

6. Organizers of meetings that receive ASPB support should provide a short report to the International Affairs Committee on how the funds were spent and an article on the goals and achievements of the meeting suitable for publication in the ASPB News or on the Society's web page.

The International Affairs Committee welcomes the submittal of valid requests for institutions in countries that are truly in need of such assistance. The requests and supporting information should be sent to Crispin Taylor (ctaylor@aspb.org) at ASPB headquarters.

- The International Committee's founding chair and champion, Bob Buchanan, ended his tenure on the committee on September 30, 2002, and passed the reins onto new chair Debby Delmer.

- Due to the extremely severe economic conditions in Argentina and other South American countries, the International Affairs Committee was able to lobby the Executive Committee to commit an additional $2,000 in funding towards the Latin American Congress of Plant Physiology which took place in Uruguay in October 2002.

Leon V. Kochian Chair (08 - 11)
USDA-ARS Cornell University

Thomas W. Okita (09 - 12)
Washington State University

Eduardo Blumwald (08 - 10)
University Of California

Patricia Meija Leon (08 - 10)
Departmento de Biologia Molecular de Plantas Instituto de Biotecnologia

Matthew E. Hudson (08 - 11)
University Of Illinois

Samuel Gudu (08 - 11)
Moi University

Jurandir Magalhaes (08 - 10)
Embrapa Maize and Sorghum

Crispin Taylor Staff Liaison
American Society of Plant Biologists