Editorial. Federal Instrumentation Programs - Analytical Chemistry

Editorial. Federal Instrumentation Programs. G H. Morrison. Anal. Chem. , 1985, 57 (6), pp 961–961. DOI: 10.1021/ac00283a607. Publication Date: May ...
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cric.11f.B,c,c! i chemistry EDITOR: GEORGE H. MORRISON EDITORIAL HEADQUARTERS 1155 Sixteenth St., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036 Phone: 202-872-4570 Teletype: 710-8220 151 Executive Editor: Josephine M. Petruzzi Associate Editors: Stuart A. Borman, Rani A. George, Marcia S. Vogel Assistant Editors: Louise Voress, Mary D. Warner Production Manager: Leroy L. Corcoran Art Director: Alan Kahan Designer: Sharon Harris Wolfgang Production Editor: Gail M. Mortenson Circulation: Cynthia G. Smith Editorial Assistant, LabGuide: Joanne Muilican

Journals Dept., Columbus, Ohio Associate Head: Marianne Brogan Associate Editor: Rodney L. Temos Advisory Board Shier S. Berrnan, Brian S. Bidlingmeyer, Henry N. Blount, Gary D. Christian, Dennis H. Evans, Jack W. Frazer, Gary M. HieftJe, William R. Heineman, Harry S. Hertz, Roland F. Hirsch, Atsushi Mizuike, Melvin W. Redmond, Jr., Herbert L. Retcofsky, Martin A. Rudat, Wilhelm Simon, Charles L. Wilkins. Ex Officio: Donald 0. Bly lnstrumentatlon Advlsory Panel: Richard S . Danchik, Thomas C. Farrar, Larry R. Fauikner. John F. Holland, F. James Holler, Peter N. Keiiher, Curt Reimann D. Warren Vidrine, Andrew T. Zander Contributing Editor, A/C nterface: Raymond E. Dessy The Analytlcal Approach Advisory Panel: Edward C. Dunlop, Robert A. Hofstader, Wilbur D. Shults Published by the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 1155 16th Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036 Books and Journals Division Director: 0. H. Michael Bowen Journals: Charles R. Bertsch Production: Elmer Pusey, Jr. Research and Development: Lorrin R. Garson

Federal Instrumentation Programs The dramatic increase in the sophistication and cost of chemical instrumentation poses serious problems for the research community. These problems have been recognized by the federal government, and it has initiated a number of new grant programs to fund the purchase of instrumentation. To assist in identifying these diverse programs, the Office of Science Policy Analysis of the American Chemical Society has recently compiled fact sheets on them, which should be of considerable interest to analytical chemists. Also included is a bibliography of pertinent federal publications that describe the research grant programs currently available to scientists. Among the agencies included are the National Science Foundation (NSF),the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Department of Energy (DOE), and the Department of Defense (DOD). The fact sheets on the various instrumentation programs available describe the objectives, requirements, budget, and the person to contact. As would be anticipated, the various programs have different objectives, ranging from the purchase of equipment to improve basic research capabilities via state-of-the-art instrumentation to instruments for undergraduate science and engineering institutions. Some programs provide funding for instruments to be used by an individual research group. Others provide instruments for multiple or shared-use situations. Still others are for funding regional or national facilities. Finally, each of these programs is meant to assist a specific scientific constituency. Thus the DOD and DOE instrumentation programs provide support for scientists engaged in research aimed at the specific goals of these agencies. The NIH programs are in support of biomedically oriented research groups. The NSF has a number of individual instrumentation programs aimed at chemists, biologists, engineers, materials researchers, and earth scientists, It is important to note that the first such instrumentation program, started by the Chemistry Division of NSF approximately 25 years ago, has been of tremendous value to academic research. The total budget for these instrumentation programs for fiscal year 1985 is under $150 million. The NIH Biomedical Research Technology Program, which provides funding for regional facilities, is the largest, with a budget of $43 million. The average program budget is $5 million. Although it is gratifying to note that the federal government is interested in supporting the instrumentation needs of the U S . research community, the amount allocated to support such a wide base of disciplines is unrealistic. Demand, or need, greatly exceeds supply.

Manuscript requirements are published in the January 1985 issue, page 395. Manuscripts for publication (4 copies) should be submitted to ANALYTICALCHEMISTRYat the ACS Washington address. The American Chemical Society and its editors assume no responsibility for the statements and opinions advanced by contributors. Views expressed in the editorials are those of the editors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the American Chemical Society. ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, VOL. 57,

NO. 6,

MAY 1985

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