This award will enable the winner of the Second National Student Projects Competition in Science, Technology and Society to travel to the international meeting of the Society for Social Studies of Science (4S) in order to receive the award and present the research project for which it was given. The meeting will be held November 16-19, 1988, in Amsterdam. The first competition was held in association with the 4S meeting in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1987. From 47 student entries, a top prize and three second prizes were awarded. The event was successful and the project sponsors, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and the 4S, decided to continue this effort to introduce promising young talent to the review process and provide a forum for development of both written and oral communication of research findings. The ultimate goal is to institutionalize an international, biennial competition for the best undergraduate paper in science, technology and society studies. The scope and organization of this activity are meritorious; it has the potential to evolve into an important element in undergraduate STS education. The principal investigator was responsible for the successful first year's effort, and he has made appropriate contacts for the second year to be successful as well. The project is a very cost-effective mechanism by which to encourage the development of this research field. Therefore, support in the amount of $539 is awarded.
