This award will provide partial core support for the continuing activities of the Board of Chemical Sciences and Technology (BCST) of the Commission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Resources. It is supported jointly by the Office of Special Projects in the Division of Chemistry and by the Division of Chemical and Thermal Systems in the Directorate for Engineering. The BCST serves as the focal point within the National Research Council (NRC) for concerns and issues affecting chemistry in its broadest sense, including biochemistry and chemical engineering. Board activities require extensive planning for ongoing studies, potential studies, private sector fund raising, and broadly directed efforts to communicate Board activities to the chemistry community. All of these are core activities. The capacity to develop a new project while paying costs partially or fully from core funds enhances the freedom and ability of the Board to react responsively to important issues in the field of chemistry and chemical technology. %%% Effective communication with the public, with other scientists and with scientific organizations representing chemical sciences and technology is important for maximizing the effectiveness of research in the chemical sciences and chemical engineering. Partial support for the Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology ensures that the National Research Council will be able to take maximum advantage of the scientific talent available to it and be appropriately aggressive in undertaking new tasks of importance to the community. This support is highly leveraged with support from other Federal agencies and the private sector.
