ACS DIVISIONS THINKING INTERNATIONALLY A White Paper produced by DAC/IAC Task Force, 8/23/15
Executive Summary As the chemistry enterprise changes worldwide, the ACS needs to change in order to thrive. Many sectors of chemistry in the U.S. exhibit signs of maturity. Many synthetic and analytical skills and techniques are well known and can be practiced anywhere. Many chemical products have become commoditized. Many companies have shied away from investing in basic R&D. These trends have a large impact on the growth and the practice of chemistry in the U.S. One way for the ACS technical divisions to grow is to expand internationally. Fortunately some technical divisions have the foresight of initiating international collaborations and organizing transnational activities. The DAC/IAC Task Force have documented some of the best and effective practices and provided two recommendations: 1) ACS Technical Divisions incorporate international activities in their plans and goals, and 2) ACS international partners consider Divisions as potential collaborators in their future programming and publishing plans.
1. Introduction International activities are part of the Society’s vision, and as written in Article II, Section 3 of the ACS Constitution, “The SOCIETY shall cooperate with scientists internationally and shall be concerned with the worldwide application of chemistry to the needs of humanity.” The chemical enterprise is rapidly growing and evolving worldwide, and presents opportunities for growth not only for the Technical Divisions but for the entire ACS community. Since the beginning of the 21st century, global spending on research and development has nearly doubled, publications have grown by a third, and the number of researchers continues to rise. North America, Japan, Europe, Australia and Asia have all witnessed growth, each increasing spending by around one-third between 2002 and 2007. In the same period, ‘developing countries’, including the emerging economies of China, India and Brazil, more than doubled their expenditure on R&D, increasing their contribution to world R&D spending by 7%, from 17% to 24% (UNESCO Science report 2010). The ACS Technical Divisions are major forces and channels to foster the objectives specified in ACS’ global vision. They are the key drivers for ACS national meetings, and the division leaders and members are the major contributors, reviewers, and customers for ACS journals and CAS services. In the meantime, the world is changing. Perhaps 20-30 years ago only about a dozen countries in the world conducted the major part of R&D in science and produced the bulk of chemical products. Today, two or three times that many countries are carrying out these activities, and competition has become rather keen. With globalization, many U.S. companies are setting up research centers overseas, and we are observing increasing movement of money, people, technology, and information across national boundaries. In order for ACS Technical Divisions to maintain their leadership in technology and their divisional membership, it is important to look at the international arena. We can increase our engagements in international collaborations, such as joint meetings, joint projects, use of international facilities and resources, and recruitment of international talent. In this way, we can enrich the science that underlies
divisional activities and stimulate the interest of international scientists in ACS divisions. We can also facilitate recruitment of international scientists to be divisional members. Furthermore, we can engage ACS International Chapters and encourage the Chapter members and their colleagues to become active in ACS divisions. In view of the opportunities posed by ongoing international developments, IAC and DAC have decided to form a task force in March 2015 to work on a white paper. The goals are: 1) to list the benefits for a division to be internationally engaged and for international members and potential members to join one or more divisions, 2) to consolidate and summarize the best and effective practices from our past experiences, and 3) to suggest ways to get the message out. 2.
Benefits of Divisions Going International
In order to reach out to international chemical and allied sciences communities, it is useful to have a good understanding of the associated benefits for the Technical Divisions and the international partners. Listed below are some of the benefits that may accrue to the Divisions from international engagements. a) Benefits for a division to be internationally engaged - Divisions can have increased interactions and collaboration with foreign scientists with diverse background and disciplines - International engagements may provide more opportunities for the promotion of Division’s activities, meetings, and publications - Divisions can expand their membership base - Access to international technical speakers for ACS national meetings can be broadened, thereby helping to enhance Division technical programming - Divisions can promote their specific objectives and products to similar international technical and local niche groups - They may also increase their influence on and the direction of global agenda in their particular technical field - Divisions can leverage foreign government programs that seek to fund scientific engagements in specific niche areas - There is potential for new sources of revenue from international conferences and symposia - Divisions have the opportunity to tap into Division-related international (local) resources - Division members can avail of international sponsorship to participate/present at international meetings b) Benefits for international scientists to join ACS divisions -
Access to Division-specific “perks” (e.g., travel grants, webinars, and awards) Opportunity to be invited speakers of ACS events that increase the scientists’ visibility Opportunity to be recognized for their scientific achievements or organizational efforts Increased networking opportunity and access to a larger pool of ACS scientists Access to ACS Presentations on Demand (POD) Opportunity for seed money/sponsorships that offer assistance to international groups to be able to organize and raise funds for conferences or events - They may be invited to be part of an expert group for international programming that can act as trainers/advisors to divisions wishing to expand internationally
c) Benefits for international partners to interact with divisions - Visibility of the international partners (e.g., ACS International Chapters) will be increased - Members of international partner can enjoy Division-associated privileges - International partner will have greater opportunity to network with ACS members in their region or worldwide and participate in technical programs or joint activities - International partner can more easily organize joint conferences with technical division under the ACS banner - International partner can have greater opportunity to access ACS seed money, grants, and sponsorship programs - Partnering with ACS Technical Division can be used by the international partner to attract new local members and increase their membership base 3. Best and Effective Practices from Past Experiences of Technical Divisions The American Chemical Society has a membership of more than 158,000 chemists and chemical engineers including more than 25,000 members living outside the U.S. At least 4,500 international attendees come to ACS national meetings yearly. A number of Technical Divisions carry out activities of international nature or hold symposia with international members and/or specific international organizations. Several Divisions engage in specific programs and activities that promote and advance Division objectives, and/or increase membership. Many of these activities are documented in the website that was specially set up for this task force: https://communities.acs.org/groups/iacdac-collaboration-working-group
Given below are some of the more interesting practices: a) Establishment of an international committee within the divisions. Examples are POLY and CHED. b) Creating a Speaker Bureau of division (and international) experts and make the list available to all divisions. c) Building relationship with international students in the U.S. and maintaining the relationship after students return home, and recruit them as Division members and, where appropriate, International Chapter members. d) Forging a formal alliance with appropriate international organization (designated as an “Affiliated Technical Organization”) through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreement. The RUBBER Division has three MOU’s with three Affiliated Technical Organizations in India, Brazil, and Canada. e) Divisions co-program with major international societies. AGRO co-programmed the 13th IUPAC Congress on Pesticide Chemistry at the 248th ACS National Meeting & Exposition on August 10 – 14, 2014 in San Francisco, CA. MEDI and IUPAC co-sponsored the Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Discovery and Development India 2015 on February 8-12, 2015 in Chennai, India. PMSE regularly holds collaborative symposia with the Polymer Division of the Chinese Chemical Society.
f)
Division establishes International Student Chapters. AGFD has chartered two international student chapters, one with Technical University of Munich in Germany and another with University of Modena & Reggio Emilia in Italy.
g) Divisions partner with ACS International Chapters to organize joint conferences or symposia. For example, AGFD and the International Chemical Sciences in Thailand jointly held the First International Symposium on Agricultural and Food Chemistry in Bangkok on March 4-5, 2014. ORG organized a conference with the International Chemical Sciences in South Africa (through the South African Chemical Institute) in Stellenbosch, South Africa in December 2014. h) Divisions participate in short courses and seminars organized by a host organization in a foreign country. For example, MEDI contributed speakers to the Short Course in Medicinal Chemistry at the University in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, January 26-30, 2015. Another example is a seminar series in at a University in Brazil where AGRO members are invited as speakers/lecturers. i)
Having a Division International Activities Committee, exemplified by the Division of Chemical Education, and Polymer Chemistry Division.
j)
Establishing awards geared towards international members.
k) Utilizing ACS resources to identify potential partners for joint activities, sponsorship, and award mechanisms. l)
Making special efforts to recruit international members. Currently, a couple of Divisions have a high percentage of international members.
4. Recommended Actions to Get the Message Out a) Create a web-based forum for sharing information and best practices b) Produce a “how-to-guide” (or toolkit) for divisions that wish to explore or expand international outreach. The guide should include the experiences of Technical Divisions that have had successful international activities. c) Provide a presentation at the Summit of International Chapter in December 2015 and at the Leadership Institute in January 2016. d) Organize a symposium at San Diego or Philadelphia national meeting (2016) to highlight the DAC/IAC white paper and publicize the event. 5. ACS Resources ACS has several resources that Divisions can avail of to help with planning, starting, or expanding their international activities. Some are listed below: a) The ACS Office of International Activities (OIA). OIA is a team of professionals with the global network and skills set to provide insights, resources and opportunities to advance the international interests and priorities of the Society. OIA serves the ACS Committee on International Activities by working
with ACS governance and other ACS units to build global networks for our members that enable the broader chemistry community to engage in international research and education, targeting areas where chemistry provides solutions to global challenges. OIA can provide information and contacts for the relevant International Chapters and information on international opportunities via the International Center. The OIA also manages the ACS relationships with sister societies alliances and partners around the world, and can provide the link for exploring collaboration. For more information, contact the OIA at
[email protected]. b) The ACS Directory of Graduate Research. DGRweb 2014, the searchable online version of the ACS Directory of Graduate Research (DGRweb), is the most comprehensive source of information on chemical research and researchers at universities in North America. DGRweb 2014 also includes access to the complete 2013, 2011, 2009, 2007, 2005, 2003, 2001, and 1999 databases. Visit: http://dgr.rints.com/ c) ACS database on in-country ACS member communities. Requests may be made from the OIA. d) ACS database on international scientists who publish in ACS journals. Requests may made as needed from the Office of International Activities e) ACS information on market trends and marketing channels, and branding guidelines. See Appendix 1 for an ACS report on market trends. ACS branding guidelines can found at http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/about/branding.html f) Divisions may advertise their activities through the available ACS social media marketing channels: Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, newsletters, ACS network. Contact Member Communities or the OIA for more information. g) ACS Divisional Activities Committee (DAC). The DAC funds new Division projects through the Technical Division Innovative Project Grants (IPGs). This program encourages Technical Divisions to conceive of and implement innovative projects to strengthen the functioning of the Division. Proposed innovative projects must 1) be new to the applying Division (intended to “seed” new ideas), 2) stimulate Division member involvement, and 3) be pilot projects for a continuing Division activity, or else take advantage of a unique upcoming opportunity for the Division. For more information visit: http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/funding-and-wards/grants/acscommunity/tdinnovativegrant.html h) ACS International Activities Committee (IAC). In 2012, IAC approved a plan to award competitive Global Innovation Grants of up to US$5,000 to ACS Local Sections, Technical Divisions, International Chemical Sciences Chapters, and Governance Committees in order to further Article II, Section 3 of the ACS Constitution. For more information visit: http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/global/international/regional/eventsglobal/global-innovationgrant.html
Appendix 1.
ACS Market Research and Recommendations for IAC/DAC Working Group Provided by Elizabeth McGaha, Assistant Director, Research and Product Development, Global Strategy and Market Development (June 2015) Research Summary ACS conducted research to assess the global chemistry market. The drivers and restraints of the chemical industry, competitive trends with other organizations or institutions, and trends by industry segment were looked at. Companies, and later individuals, in these chemical industries in Brazil, India, and China were approached and probed for the potential for interest in our products and services, including conferences and technical trainings. Market Trends Brazil has a large and dynamic chemical market with diverse manufacturing base. There is a need for improved R&D investment, as well as established infrastructure. The lack of infrastructure will constrain future growth, which is seen the most in the areas of basic chemicals, specialty chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and consumer products. India has very diversified chemical market. Their markets are filled with high purchasing power, but are constrained by low R&D support, except in the area of pharmaceuticals. The infrastructure currently in place is outdated and is not meeting the needs of industry. At the same time India is increasingly expanding their alliances and networks with neighboring economies. China has a large but fragmented chemical market. They are currently experiencing heavy growth in specialty chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and consumer products. Basic chemicals and agricultural products have seen a decline by comparison due to new regulatory constraints. Company Views Companies in Brazil have indicated that they are interested in educational development for their workforce, and that there is a shortage of skilled production jobs. This shortage is another constraint on innovation and productivity. Sharing of best practices and knowledge from the US are welcomed by Brazilian companies and membership, with the ACS is seen as having value. Companies in India value up-to-date information from abroad. They also have concerns about worker safety as well as environmental impact. They are also seeking opportunities to correct their shortage of skilled labor. Like in Brazil, Indian companies are interested in the thought leadership of the US and finds value in membership with the Society. Companies in China value a focus on specialization. They are less willing to invest in employee education and training, and employees do not feel that this is something they should have to pay for out-of-pocket. With a more advanced chemical labor market in China, compared Brazil and India, engagements need to be either locally accessible or relevant to the specific field of the chemist,
preferably both. Chinese companies saw less benefit of information coming out of the US and had little interest in membership with the ACS. Individual Views ACS next explored the needs of individuals within chemical companies in Brazil and India markets. Topics focused on the training programs that currently exist in each market, areas for improvement in current offerings, reactions to bundled membership and products, influence of offerings from a US-based organization/institution. ACS carries a significant influence with chemists in Brazil and India and is well respected with regard to its publications, conferences, and networking opportunities; the ACS name and brand add credibility to the enterprise membership concept. The United States is considered a leader in technical advances and knowledge sharing; chemists in Brazil and India expect high quality conferences and symposia from US and European organizations. While there is high interest in ACS conferences and events, there currently is a lack of participation from chemists in Brazil and India. Several factors are contributing to the current lack of engagement including high conferences costs, travel time, time away from work, and little perceived return on investment. Since many chemists in Brazil and India may only get to attend 1-2 conferences or symposia per year, they would like in-person events to be interactive, dynamic, and include hands-on training. Chemists in Brazil and India note that training needs to be high quality, specialized, and applicable in their day-to-day job. Topic areas of interest for training and education include business and marketing training, team building, technical skills, managing research, real world solutions, regulatory topics, and multidisciplinary networking/collaboration. An online format for training and education is appealing for flexibility and affordability. The chemists interviewed had positive reactions to the enterprise membership package; some were familiar with enterprise benefits through ACS Publications and other organizations. The concept was even more appealing to individuals when the package was presented with a professional or technical training component. Some said that the professional or technical training could convince those ‘on the fence’ to take advantage of the enterprise membership. Chemists were also confident that their employers would be interested in the enterprise membership package if value and return on investment could be shown. Recommendations There are opportunities for a number of ACS Technical Divisions in these target markets in regard to incountry meetings and symposia. ACS can propose ways to provide more direct support to the Divisions in the form of meeting logistics and marketing/promotions. As we work together to identify resources and establish best practices for collaboration, starting with a few smaller symposia delivered by 2-3 of the most relevant Divisions for the regions is recommended to be delivered in 2016-17. Agricultural and Food Chemicals (India) Energy and Fuels (Brazil) Medicinal Chemistry (India or China) Polymer Chemistry (Brazil or India) Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering (Brazil or India)
Rubber (China)
Meetings should be smaller in size and include an ACS membership component (e.g., discounted registration, bundled membership). Themes and symposia topics should be focused toward an industry audience, with greater opportunity in Brazil and India for knowledge sharing and best practices. Presenters should be a mix of local and international, with the idea of ACS divisions convening meetings that bring together scientists from around the world. Through a cross-functional team from ACS Publications, Chemical Abstracts Service, and the Division of Membership & Scientific Advancement (M&SA), opportunities are being identified with companies in these regions for sponsorships. M&SA has also identified the strongest prospects among our suite of technical training courses that can be offered easily in Brazil and India. The inclusion of such technical trainings delivered at these proposed conferences would create a stronger purchase driver for meeting attendance. Next Steps
By August 31, 2015, identify the 2-3 divisions interested in partnering with ACS on these endeavors and begin designing specific conference models and gaining local assistance and sponsorships. (Date selected to align with Fall National Meeting) By September 30, 2015, ascertain necessary resources and develop a sustainable model that can be replicated for other divisions. (Date selected to align with 2016 budget call)
