National Academies Press: OpenBook

Preparing Chemists and Chemical Engineers for a Globally Oriented Workforce: A Workshop Report to the Chemical Sciences Roundtable (2004)

Chapter: Appendix C: Origin of and Information on the Chemical Sciences Roundtable

« Previous: Appendix B: Biographical Sketches of Workshop Speakers
Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Origin of and Information on the Chemical Sciences Roundtable." National Research Council. 2004. Preparing Chemists and Chemical Engineers for a Globally Oriented Workforce: A Workshop Report to the Chemical Sciences Roundtable. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11059.
×

Appendix C
Origin of and Information on the Chemical Sciences Roundtable

In April 1994, the American Chemical Society (ACS) held an Interactive Presidential Colloquium entitled “Shaping the Future: The Chemical Research Environment in the Next Century.”1 The report from this colloquium identified several objectives, including the need to ensure communication on key issues among government, industry, and university representatives. The rapidly changing environment in the United States for science and technology has created a number of stresses on the chemical enterprise. The stresses are particularly important with regard to the chemical industry, which is a major segment of U.S. industry; makes a strong, positive contribution to the U.S. balance of trade; and provides major employment opportunities for a technical workforce. A neutral and credible forum for communication among all segments of the enterprise could enhance the future well-being of chemical science and technology.

After the report was issued, a formal request for such a roundtable activity was transmitted to Dr. Bruce M. Alberts, chairman of the National Research Council (NRC), by the Federal Interagency Chemistry Representatives, an informal organization of representatives from the various federal agencies that support chemical research. As part of the NRC, the Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology (BCST) can provide an intellectual focus on issues and fundamentals of science and technology across the broad fields of chemistry and chemical engineering. In the winter of 1996, Dr. Alberts asked BCST to establish the Chemical Sciences Roundtable to provide a mechanism for initiating and maintaining the dialogue envisioned in the ACS report.

The mission of the Chemical Sciences Roundtable is to provide a science-oriented, apolitical forum to enhance understanding of the critical issues in chemical science and technology affecting the government, industrial, and academic sectors. To support this mission, the Chemical Sciences Roundtable will do the following:

  • Identify topics of importance to the chemical science and technology community by holding periodic discussions and presentations, and gathering input from the broadest possible set of constituencies involved in chemical science and technology.

  • Organize workshops and symposia and publish reports on topics important to the continuing health and advancement of chemical science and technology.

  • Disseminate information and knowledge gained in the workshops and reports to the chemical science and technology community through discussions with, presentations to, and engagement of other forums and organizations.

  • Bring topics deserving further, in-depth study to the attention of the NRC’s Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology. The roundtable itself will not attempt to resolve the issues and problems that it identifies—it will make no recommendations, nor provide any specific guidance. Rather, the goal of the roundtable is to ensure a full and meaningful discussion of the identified topics so that the participants in the workshops and the community as a whole can determine the best courses of action.

1  

Shaping the Future: The Chemical Research Environment in the Next Century, American Chemical Society Report from the Interactive Presidential Colloquium, April 7-9, 1994, Washington, D.C.

Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Origin of and Information on the Chemical Sciences Roundtable." National Research Council. 2004. Preparing Chemists and Chemical Engineers for a Globally Oriented Workforce: A Workshop Report to the Chemical Sciences Roundtable. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11059.
×
Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Origin of and Information on the Chemical Sciences Roundtable." National Research Council. 2004. Preparing Chemists and Chemical Engineers for a Globally Oriented Workforce: A Workshop Report to the Chemical Sciences Roundtable. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11059.
×
Page 77
Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Origin of and Information on the Chemical Sciences Roundtable." National Research Council. 2004. Preparing Chemists and Chemical Engineers for a Globally Oriented Workforce: A Workshop Report to the Chemical Sciences Roundtable. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11059.
×
Page 78
Preparing Chemists and Chemical Engineers for a Globally Oriented Workforce: A Workshop Report to the Chemical Sciences Roundtable Get This Book
×
Buy Paperback | $29.00 Buy Ebook | $23.99
MyNAP members save 10% online.
Login or Register to save!
Download Free PDF

Globalization—the flow of people, goods, services, capital, and technology across international borders—is significantly impacting the chemistry and chemical engineering professions. Chemical companies are seeking new ideas, a trained workforce, and new market opportunities regardless of geographic location. During an October 2003 workshop, leaders in chemistry and chemical engineering from industry, academia, government, and private funding organizations explored the implications of an increasingly global research environment for the chemistry and chemical engineering workforce. The workshop presentations described deficiencies in the current educational system and the need to create and sustain a globally aware workforce in the near future. The goal of the workshop was to inform the Chemical Sciences Roundtable, which provides a science-oriented, apolitical forum for leaders in the chemical sciences to discuss chemically related issues affecting government, industry, and universities.

  1. ×

    Welcome to OpenBook!

    You're looking at OpenBook, NAP.edu's online reading room since 1999. Based on feedback from you, our users, we've made some improvements that make it easier than ever to read thousands of publications on our website.

    Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features?

    No Thanks Take a Tour »
  2. ×

    Show this book's table of contents, where you can jump to any chapter by name.

    « Back Next »
  3. ×

    ...or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one.

    « Back Next »
  4. ×

    Jump up to the previous page or down to the next one. Also, you can type in a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page in the book.

    « Back Next »
  5. ×

    Switch between the Original Pages, where you can read the report as it appeared in print, and Text Pages for the web version, where you can highlight and search the text.

    « Back Next »
  6. ×

    To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter.

    « Back Next »
  7. ×

    Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email.

    « Back Next »
  8. ×

    View our suggested citation for this chapter.

    « Back Next »
  9. ×

    Ready to take your reading offline? Click here to buy this book in print or download it as a free PDF, if available.

    « Back Next »
Stay Connected!