🚀 go-pugleaf

WHAT'S NEW, Friday, 30 October 1992                Washington, DC

1. WALTER MASSEY WAS QUOTED OUT OF CONTEXT IN WHAT'S NEW. In a
description of the 16 Oct meeting of the Commission on the Future
of NSF, Massey was described as agreeing with Executive Secretary
Charles Brownstein's assessment of the letters received by the
Commission (WN 16 Oct 92).  Massey's remark actually came later
in the meeting in the context of concern expressed by one of the
commissioners that the letters not be turned into "some kind of a
vote."  Massey agreed: "I hope you don't think of yourself as
simply a filter for the letters, you know.  You were chosen
because of your judgement....Ultimately it's your report."  The
written comments were the only real opportunity the scientific
community had to communicate its views to the Commission.  It is
clear that the commissioners are taking the letters seriously.

2. THE NSF PHYSICS ADVISORY COMMITTEE DID HOLD A "TOWN MEETING"
two days later to hear Walter Massey and other members of the
physics community express their views on increased links between
NSF and industry.  The APS was represented by former president
Eugen Merzbacher, who reaffirmed the views in the letter from
Ernest Henley to the Commission (WN 16 Oct 92).  Massey said the
Commission will only outline new directions; before any major
changes are made the NSB will hold "field hearings" around the
country.  Massey's strategy is to enlarge the NSF portfolio in
the hope that somehow it will benefit basic science.  He admits
there is risk along this path, but he sees no alternative.  The
Physics Advisory Committee has now drafted its own letter to the
Commission, which could be released later this afternoon.

3. MEANWHILE, NSF PROGRAM DIRECTORS ARE FACING A CUT OF ABOUT 10%
under the new budget, due in large part to new initiatives.
Moreover, Walter Massey told Division Directors that individual
grants are already too small.  Some divisions want to make their
grants smaller yet to accommodate the cuts, but the Materials
Research Division expects to increase grant size by 5% and make
it up by a 30% cut in the number of renewals and new awards.

4. PHYSICISTS CALL ON THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT TO RELEASE LIU GANG
and other persecuted pro-democracy activists. More than 350 U.S.-
based physicists signed the statement, which was issued jointly
by the Committee on International Freedom of Scientists of the
American Physical Society and the Committee to End the Chinese
Gulag.  Liu Gang, a former physics graduate student, endures
torture at the infamous Lingyuan prison.  "We cannot accept the
persecution of individuals like Liu Gang," the statement reads,
"who remain imprisoned for non-violent expression of their belief
in democratic reform."  In the past, physicists were active on
behalf of Soviet dissidents such as Sakharov and Orlov.  Today,
Yuri Orlov is at Cornell; he signed the statement, along with
Fang Lizhi, "the Sakharov of China," who is at the University of
Arizona.  China continues to enjoy most-favored-nation status.

Robert L. Park  (202) 662-8700      The American Physical Society

To:  WHATSNEW(Personal Dist. List)