9415426 Vary This Americas Program award will fund travel and related expenses for a group of U.S., Central American, and Caribbean scientists to participate in an international conference on the development of science research in Central America, to be held in San Salvador, El Salvador, in October, 1994. Organizers are Dr. James Vary, Iowa State University, Ames, and Dr. Galileo Violini, Universidad de El Salvador. The objective is to analyze the current status of science in the region with the purpose of developing a program to build research and education collaborations with the U.S. and other developed nations. The U.S. participants include noted scientists with strong interests in promoting science education and research in developing countries. There is a widely recognized need to improve the level of science teaching and research in most Central American and Caribbean countries. Due mostly to the low number of scientists at the masters and doctorate levels in these countries, there is an inadequate pool of properly prepared college level science educators. Consequently, few significant programs of science research are established . To address these issues over the long term, topics of discussion during the conference will include, among others, advanced studies programs, modalities of realization, use of new technologies for teaching and communication, and establishment of international links between research groups. ***
