C&EN: ACS NEWS - OFFICIAL REPORTS FROM THE DECEMBER ACS BOARD MEETING

The major actions taken by the ACS Board of Directors at its Dec. 5–8, 2002, meeting in Arlington, Va., were reported in the Dec. 16, 2002, issue of C&EN (page 12).

At its meeting on Dec. 7, 2002, the Society Committee on Budget & Finance (B&F) reviewed the 2002 probable fiscal results compared to budget, took action on the 2003 proposed operating and capital budgets, and recommended that the board of directors approve an advance member registration fee of $275 for national meetings held in 2003. In actions relating to the 2003 proposed budget, the committee reviewed and approved for recommendation to the board of directors funding for one year each for the Matching Gift Fund and the program request entitled Minorities in Academe. The committee received presentations from the Task Force on Issues Relating to the Division & Local Section Funding Petition and the Task Force on National Meeting Finances, and it concluded with reports from the B&F Subcommittees on Communications and on Program Funding Requests.--JAMES D. BURKE, CHAIR

The Board Committee on Grants & Awards (G&A) voted to approve an ACS Petroleum Research Fund (ACS-PRF) grants budget of $22.7 million for 2003, to fund grants of over $7.2 million contingent upon the determination that the distribution from ACS-PRF is sufficient to allow for such funding, to fund four grants for ACS-PRF Summer Schools totaling $412,000, and to fund two grants totaling $77,000 from the GCI/ACS-PRF Programming Initiative allocation.

G&A voted to recommend to the board of directors acceptance of Battelle Memorial Institute's offer to sponsor the ACS Award in Analytical Chemistry for the period 2004–08, Eastman Chemical Co.'s offer to sponsor the ACS Award in Applied Polymer Science for the period 2004–08, and the Division of Nuclear Chemistry & Technology's offer to sponsor the Glenn T. Seaborg Award in Nuclear Chemistry for 2004.

G&A voted to recommend to the board of directors that ACS and Phi Lambda Upsilon jointly present the National Fresenius Award and that the ACS Award for Creative Research in Homogenous or Heterogeneous Catalysis be converted to an endowed award called the Gabor A. Somorjai Award for Creative Research in Catalysis.

Contact Lawrence Funke at l_funke@acs.org for more information about the ACS-PRF Program or Michael Shea at m_shea@acs.org for more information concerning the ACS National Awards Program.--GLENN A. CROSBY, CHAIR

The Committee on Professional & Member Relations (P&MR) considered the concept of branding and name recognition for the American Chemical Society. It is clear that many ACS products and services have a well-recognized brand. The committee reviewed an inventory of nearly 40 different products and services. Programs in the Education, Membership, and Publications Divisions, as well as chemistry.org and Chemical Abstract Service, were reviewed. The committee is interested in a strategy that preserves the integrity of existing brands while strengthening the identity of ACS. A team of staff members will continue to address this issue and report to the committee at its next meeting.

?=The committee reviewed a status report on current operations in the Office of Regional Meetings. Currently, staff provides logistical and technological support to the regional meeting planners. During 2002, more than 4,500 members attended regional meetings. Student attendees exceeded the percentage of member attendees at six of the eight meetings. P&MR agreed to encourage the Committee on Meetings & Expositions to examine the current status of regional meetings, including strategic focus, organization, and financial support.

The committee reviewed a request from the Joint Board-Council Committee on Environmental Improvement for cooperative cosponsorship of the annual Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference for three additional years. The committee voted to recommend that the ACS Board of Directors approve cooperative cosponsorship, contingent upon funding from the Environmental Protection Agency. In a separate action, the committee reviewed a request for nominal cosponsorship from the chair of the Scientific Organizing Committee representing MicroCal LLC. The committee voted to recommend that the ACS Board of Directors approve nominal cosponsorship of the Current Trends in Microcalorimetry Conference, to be held July 24–26 in Boston.

The committee examined the most recent ACS membership statistics. As of Nov. 30, 2002, the total membership was 160,435 and is more than 2,000 less than the Nov. 30, 2001, total. Economic conditions and other factors are negatively impacting membership numbers. Staff reported that the 2002 total membership number will be less than the 2001 number. As of Nov. 30, 2002, more than 1,200 members received the unemployed dues waiver. This represents a 28% increase over last year.--E. ANN NALLEY, CHAIR

The Board Committee on Public Affairs & Public Relations (PA&PR) voted to recommend board approval of two new National Historic Chemical Landmarks, which were forwarded by the landmarks committee. The designations included sites at GrafTech International in Ohio for the discovery and development of high-performance carbon fibers and the Research Triangle Institute in Research Triangle Park, N.C., for the discovery of two chemotherapeutic agents--camptothecin and Taxol.

On the recommendation of the Committee on Economic & Professional Affairs, PA&PR approved a revised statement on pension policy. The new statement makes minor revisions to the existing statement, which is due to expire on Dec. 31, to reflect recent law changes and pending congressional action on retirement income issues. The committee also approved an extension of the current ACS statement on the research and development tax credit, which is also due to expire at the end of the year.

The committee approved a new Public Policies & Priorities document for 2003–04, which sets a framework to inform policymakers, ACS members, and other stakeholders of the society's main public policy concerns. The document, which is traditionally developed at the beginning of each new Congress, makes minor revisions to the current document and reflects the input of over a dozen ACS committees.

The committee discussed a tentative schedule of board of directors and other governance involvement in legislative affairs in the early months of 2003, including the ACS Legislative Summit and Public Service Award planned for April 8–9. Staff also presented year-end highlights of communications and government affairs action for 2002.--MAUREEN G. CHAN, CHAIR