The U.S. mathematical and physical sciences communities are represented by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in six international scientific unions: the International Astronomical Union (IAU), the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP), the International Commission for Optics (ICO), the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), the International Union of Crystallography (IUCr), and the International Mathematical Union (IMU). U.S. National Committees (USNCs), staffed by the NAS, coordinate U.S. preparations for meetings of the corresponding international unions and for scientific conferences, symposia, and workshops organized by these unions to identify research topics, issues, and programs of interest to their specific disciplines; identify and support U.S. scientists to participate in union activities; and arrange for payment of U.S. dues to the six unions.
The intellectual merit of this project is demonstrated through activities related to the utilization of knowledge for the achievement of social goals, establishing nomenclature and standards, participating in the governance of the six international unions, and advancing knowledge and understanding across the research community. The activities encourage cooperative research and education efforts that reach across international boundaries and are designed to further develop and enhance each discipline nationally and internationally. The broader impacts of this project manifest themselves through activities that promote teaching, training, and learning, that promote the growth of and diversity in the national and international workforce, and that help shape the international dialogue in the respective disciplinary areas.
