International travel grants for support of up to 30 US historians of science, technology, and mathematics will be provided under this grant so that they may participate in the XVIII International Congress of the History of Science to be held in Hamburg and Munich, West Germany. These quadrennial Congresses bring together historians, scientists and engineers from around the world to discuss the latest research results and opportunities, to debate new methodologies, and exchange of ideas with peers whose work one has only read about in the professional literature. While research in all areas of the history of science, technology and medicine will be presented, the special theme of this Congress is "Science and the Political Order." By this, the organizers mean research on all aspects of the historical relationships between science (including technology and medicine) and the manifestations of secular and nonsecular power in all of its various forms -- political, ecclesiastical and juridical. The Congress will consist of invited lectures, plenary sessions, symposia, contributed papers and poster sessions. American researchers have long set the standard for work in the history of science and technology. It is important they be given the chance to present their work for international scrutiny as well as for them to learn what is going on at the forefront of the discipline in other countries. These Congresses are uniquely suited for this kind of interchange and this one in West Germany promises to be especially valuable in this regard.
