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5
Programs with Regional
and Global Reaches
In this report, the topics of nonproliferation (Chapter 2), advancement of
science (Chapter 3), and applications of science in the private and public sec-
tors (Chapter 4) have encompassed a number of bilateral projects with impacts
beyond the borders of the United States and Russia. Set forth below are a few
additional examples of bilateral efforts with particularly pronounced regional or
global reaches. The activities that are described have been generally successful
in terms of achieving scientific objectives, thereby eliciting significant regional
and, at times, global attention. While some programs are likely to continue for
the next several years, the longer-term financial outlook for bilateral cooperation
that contributes directly to international science is uncertain.
As underscored in the Introduction of this report, both governments have
made substantial financial contributions to joint efforts. These activities have
often intersected with programs of international organizations, such as the World
Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and the United
Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. At times, bilateral
efforts have added momentum to more broadly based international programs
with similar goals (e.g., HIV/AIDS programs). Also, bilateral initiatives can be
important in jump-starting programs that had been developed within international
or regional organizations (e.g., interest of the Arctic Council in black carbon
effects on global warming). At other times, international organizations may be
well positioned to encourage continuation of efforts rooted in joint U.S.-Russian
initiatives.
While individual projects that are cited have been implemented bilaterally,
the coordination of these bilateral projects with multilateral activities that address
global or regional issues with closely related objectives has generally been quite
73
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74 U.S.-RUSSIAN RELATIONSHIP IN BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
good. Indeed, frequently the same national officials have responsibilities for both
bilateral and multilateral activities with similar objectives. Also, at times, the U.S.
and Russian governments have decided to highlight their bilateral activities at
international meetings. Then they usually take steps to ensure that other interested
parties are aware of their activities before they publicly announce success stories.
Set forth below are seven examples of bilateral activities with regional or
global impacts.
1. Leading the world in space biology. The global leadership of the U.S.
and Soviet-Russian manned-space programs is unquestionable. The two countries
have been pioneers in developing space biology for the past 50 years. Lessons
learned from U.S.-Russian efforts are gradually spreading to other countries
interested in exploration of space.
During the past decade, considerable attention has been focused on a future
manned mission to Mars. At the same time, the immediate challenges of operat-
ing the international space station have required the constant attention of Russian
and American doctors, researchers, and other medical professionals. Several joint
activities being planned for the near future are set forth in Box 5-1.
2. Addressing HIV/AIDS. Formal U.S.-Russian cooperation in addressing
HIV/AIDS began in 1989 with a bilateral agreement between the U.S. Institute
of Medicine and the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. Shortly thereafter,
the program was taken over by the National Institutes of Health and the Soviet
Box 5-1
Planned Joint Space Research Programs
• Isolation and confinement studies as analogs for long-duration
crewed missions. Research topics include crew behavior, group interac-
tions, crew performance, microbiological and immunological investiga-
tions, and clinical-psychological studies.
• Space radiation health studies, including risks of cancer, chronic
tissue effects, acute radiation sickness, and changes in central nervous
system functions.
• Analyses of robotic precursor missions to address toxicity issues
that could affect human health.
• Russian free-flyer mission to address partial gravity and long-
duration effects of microgravity on living systems.
SOURCE: NASA Headquarters, 2011.
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PROGRAMS WITH REGIONAL AND GLOBAL REACHES 75
Box 5-2
Reducing HIV/AIDS Problems in Russia
For more than 15 years, USAID provided financing and expertise for
selected aspects of the large Russian-led effort to help control the level
of HIV-infected patients. During the 1990s, the emphasis was on raising
awareness of the problem, particularly among the Russian youth, and on
training medical professionals to provide advisory services to vulnerable
populations. More recently, emphasis continued to be on counseling ser-
vices targeted on the most vulnerable populations, with special attention
to infected prisoners and injection drug users.
SOURCE: USAID Moscow, February 2012.
Ministry of Health (now the Russian Ministry of Health and Social Services). The
two governments have worked together in this field ever since.
In the 1990s, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) initi-
ated an important component of the overall HIV/AIDS effort focused on raising
public awareness of the problems and advocating measures for combating the
disease. (See Box 5-2.) This activity is now a component of the global effort of
USAID to address HIV/AIDS issues in selected countries worldwide.
The investment by USAID in this effort has been several million dollars per
year for more than a decade. However, this level of investment has been small in
comparison with the Russian investments in the overall effort. Also, international
programs such as UNAIDS and programs of other governments have long sup-
ported significant efforts in Russia, and coordination with activities of others has
been an essential dimension of the joint efforts of Russia and the United States.
At the request of the Russian government, USAID is terminating its overall
program based in Russia. Thus, continuation of a significant U.S.-Russia bilat-
eral effort to address HIV/AIDS in Russia is uncertain. Perhaps some aspects of
USAID’s global efforts will continue in Russia under the leadership of Russian
counterparts.
3. Responding to outbreaks of infectious diseases across international bor-
ders and containing their spread. For many years, the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) has teamed with a number of Russian institutions
in responding to outbreaks of diseases in Russia and other areas that have had
the potential for spreading across international borders. Particularly important
training programs for Russian epidemiologists have been held, usually in Atlanta,
Georgia. In 2012, CDC and the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer
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76 U.S.-RUSSIAN RELATIONSHIP IN BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
Rights Protection and Human Well-being signed a Protocol of Intent of indefinite
duration, which will continue joint efforts to address key concerns of the two gov-
ernments to the extent that funding is available. (See Appendix C.6 for additional
information on CDC collaboration with Russian partner organizations.)
An important example of collaborative efforts was the response to the out-
break of avian influenza in 2007, which is described in Box 5-3.
4. Preserving biodiversity. Both Russia and the United States have long
histories of investigating the status of biodiversity resources throughout vast geo-
graphical areas, including areas outside their borders, such as tropical regions of
South America and South Asia. Much of the interest of the two countries focuses
on medicinal and food uses of plants that have been neglected in the past. An area
of cooperation that has often been emphasized is inventorying species of concern
and implementing practical steps to help prevent the near-term loss of important
species. Activities of two key institutions in preserving biodiversity of global
interest are set forth in Boxes 5-4 and 5-5.
5. Addressing the scientific aspects of genetically modified organisms
(GMOs). This area is often plagued by arguments over health and environmental
safety issues when formulating public policy. In 2010, the Russian Academy of
Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences appointed a leading specialist
from each of the two academies to prepare a joint assessment of the scientific
basis for decision making concerning the ecological and food safety aspects of the
introduction of GMOs in agriculture. A summary of that assessment is included
Box 5-3
Response to Outbreak of Avian Influenza, 2007
Russia is crossed by two major migratory flyways. Influenza A/H5N1 and
other variants of avian influenza not previously found in Russia were iso-
lated. There were two important tasks. Measures were taken to contain
the spread of influenza A/H5N1, particularly through control of poultry.
Research was initiated that quickly determined that one variant, influenza
A/H4N6, had expanded its host range and that aquatic mammals, mainly
muskrats, were involved in maintenance of the virus in nature. Russian
specialists coordinated their efforts closely with related activities of U.S.
specialists, particularly colleagues at CDC.
SOURCE: NRC, Biological Research in Russia, 2007, cited in Appendix A.2.
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PROGRAMS WITH REGIONAL AND GLOBAL REACHES 77
Box 5-4
Preservation of Botanical Resources
The herbarium and library of the V.L. Komarov Botanical Institute in St.
Petersburg are among the world’s most significant global botanical facili-
ties, containing key specimens of plants not only from throughout the
territory of the former Soviet Union but also from many areas of China
and other Asian countries. The herbarium and library were repaired
extensively with help from American colleagues in the early 1990s. As
a result, they have maintained their status as world centers for botani-
cal investigations, and their research materials are widely used. During
the past decade, an extensive program of preparing digital images of
critical specimens in the herbarium has been supported by the Andrew
W. Mellon Foundation in New York. The institute will undoubtedly con-
tinue to provide an important site for facilitating cooperative botanical
investigations.
SOURCE: V.L. Komarov Botanical Institute, September 2011.
Box 5-5
Maintaining a Repository for Agricultural Seeds
The N.I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry in St. Petersburg is a large
repository for seeds of agricultural and scientific interest throughout the
world. It preserves extensive samples of crop plants and their wild and
weedy relatives while mounting expeditions in the former Soviet Union
and beyond. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which main-
tains a similar facility in Fort Collins, Colorado, has cooperated in many
activities. For example, 60 Russian scientists from the Vavilov Institute,
St. Petersburg State University, All-Russia Institute of Plant Protection,
and USDA prepared an AgroAtlas that documents the distribution of 100
species of crop plants, 560 species of their relatives, and 640 species
of crop pests, weeds, and diseases in Russia and neighboring states.
SOURCE: N.I. Vavilov Institute, 2011.
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78 U.S.-RUSSIAN RELATIONSHIP IN BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
in Appendix F.4. The assessment can help officials and scientists worldwide to
separate the scientific issues from the many other factors that influence decisions
of governments concerning whether and under what circumstances to permit the
use of this rapidly advancing technology. The academies have sent the scientific
assessment to the International Research Council for consideration.
6. Addressing polar interests. Even during the darkest days of the cold war,
U.S. and Soviet specialists worked together to investigate conditions in Antarctica
and occasionally coordinated investigations in the Arctic region. Both the United
States and Russia now support research programs in these polar areas, even in
times of tight budgets. The Arctic Council provides an intergovernmental frame-
work for addressing issues, such as search-and-rescue operations, responding
to oil spills, and licensing of exploration activities that target natural resources.
A variety of governmental and nongovernmental research centers in the United
States, Russia, and elsewhere help coordinate biological research activities of
various countries in the Arctic and in Antarctica.
Highlighted in Boxes 5-6 and 5-7 are two activities wherein U.S. and Russian
scientists have played prominent roles.
7. Carrying out joint efforts in third countries. Both Russia and the United
States have outreach programs to engage other countries in selected aspects of
the biological sciences. Set forth in Boxes 5-8, 5-9, and 5-10 are examples of
opportunities for the two countries to work together in supporting the develop-
ment of biology-related activities in third countries.
Organizations that provide financial support for U.S. and Russian scientific
efforts are increasingly aware of the rapid growth of global interests in biologi-
cal research and biotechnology that have the potential for increasing the standard
Box 5-6
Circumpolar Scientific Observations in the Arctic
Building on a number of international projects carried out during the
International Polar Year (2007–2009), the Arctic countries are now op-
erating the Circumpolar Coastal Observatory Network with established
reporting requirements. This network of institutions from all of the Arctic
countries provides a framework for up-to-date observations of changes
in the region due to climate shifts and more direct effects.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, 2011.
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PROGRAMS WITH REGIONAL AND GLOBAL REACHES 79
Box 5-7
Assessing Effects of Black Carbon in the Arctic
Understanding and reducing the impacts of black carbon emissions that
affect climate change and also the health of people in Arctic regions is
a growing international concern. In response to the interest of the Arctic
Council, the U.S. government has taken the initiative to engage Russian
institutions in joint assessments of the emissions, circulation, and effects
of black carbon. Inventories of sources, assessments of atmospheric
transport and changes in the chemical composition of black carbon,
and engineering approaches to mitigate emissions are among the many
topics of interest. Current interest focuses on near-term assessments of
the role of black carbon, with plans for long-term joint efforts in this field
still evolving.
SOURCE: Department of State, March 2012.
Box 5-8
Eradicating Polio in Uzbekistan
Russian and American scientists played leading roles in the extensive
efforts of the international community two decades ago to rid the world
of polio. Unfortunately, polio still remains in small pockets of the world.
The United States and Russia have committed to work together toward
eradication of polio in Uzbekistan, although to date on-the-ground activi-
ties have been limited.
SOURCE: U.S.-Russia Protocol of Intent, 2011, and discussions with senior scientists in
Russia, May 2012.
of living. Thus, in the years ahead, interest in bilateral cooperation on projects
of global or regional significance should increase. Indeed, financial resources to
support joint U.S.-Russian efforts may be more accessible if bilateral approaches
to high-visibility topics are cast within a global framework, while retaining an
emphasis on investigations of localized problems that are important components
of overall international concerns.
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80 U.S.-RUSSIAN RELATIONSHIP IN BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
Box 5-9
Enhancing Public Health Cooperation in Central Asia
The U.S. and Russian governments are interested in strengthening bio-
logical research capabilities of the countries of Central Asia, and most
of these countries are currently expanding their research activities. With
support from the international community, the countries are giving con-
comitant attention to biosafety procedures that are consistent with inter-
national standards that are evolving rapidly. U.S. and Russian biological
scientists are beginning to work together in engaging counterparts in
these countries. This is a useful step in establishing regional approaches
that are carried out in a manner consistent with related efforts throughout
the world.
SOURCE: Russian senior scientist participating in government-sponsored cooperation, May
2012.
Box 5-10
Global Fight against Malaria
In June 2012, the United States and Russia signed a Protocol of Intent
to work together to help end preventable child deaths from malaria in
Africa. Cooperation will entail training, capacity building, and operations
research. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and
the Russian Martsinovsky Institute of Medical Parasitology and Tropical
Medicine will lead the effort.
SOURCE: U.S. Embassy, Moscow, June 2012, http://moscow.usembassy.gov/pr_062712.html.
CONCLUSIONS
Russian and U.S. institutions have worked well together in recent years in
combating outbreaks of human and animal diseases, addressing the spread of
health-threatening pollution that crosses international borders, and beginning
the development of programs to adapt to climate change. Joint efforts to further
strengthen the research, surveillance, institutional, and regulatory infrastructures
in the two countries that can respond to these and other cross-border problems
are important. Three conclusions in this regard follow:
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PROGRAMS WITH REGIONAL AND GLOBAL REACHES 81
1. Coordination of research and development efforts to improve the diag-
nostic capabilities of regional and global disease surveillance systems can be
significantly improved with only modest financial investments by both sides. Of
particular interest is reducing delays and uncertainties in the international report-
ing of outbreaks within the framework of the International Health Regulations.
The Russian government proposed a major initiative in express diagnostics
in 2008 during preparations for the G-8 Summit in St. Petersburg. Unfortu-
nately, other governments, including the U.S. government, were preoccupied with
addressing issues concerning HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, and they did not give
the attention to the Russian proposal that it deserved. Nor have they given suffi-
cient attention to the broadly based declaration concerning cooperation in disease
surveillance that was adopted at the summit. Nevertheless, as both countries focus
on upgrading their own diagnostics capabilities, progress in infectious disease
surveillance that is relevant outside their borders is being recorded. Of particular
importance is the need to reduce the times required to (a) recognize outbreaks
that may cross international borders, (b) ascertain the causes of the outbreaks,
(c) increase the number of disease agents that can be simultaneously detected
and characterized, and (d) link detection and characterization determinations to
global surveillance systems. These steps in turn contribute to efforts to constantly
update assessments of global health conditions, relying on electronic networks
that produce various types of up-to-date health maps of the world.
As an important example, growing interest in improved surveillance is
reflected in the increasing investments in improving influenza test systems and
diagnostic tools in both the United States and Russia. These efforts focus on many
topics, including the following:
• Rapid influenza diagnostic tests, and particularly point-of-care
diagnostics.
• Methods and materials for respiratory specimen collection.
• Respiratory pathogen tests on existing platforms.
• Advanced sequence detection methods for novel influenza strains.
• Identification of influenza strains that resist to antiviral drugs.
• Identification of influenza immunological response.
2. The two governments are well positioned to assume broader regional
leadership roles in their areas of special competence—independently and
jointly—in addressing scientific challenges in the biological sciences. Central
Asia and the Arctic are regions where joint efforts can pay off in the near term.
The two governments have demonstrated that they can effectively work
together, in cooperation with local authorities, in addressing broad public health
and related biosafety issues throughout Central Asia. Both countries have exten-
sive contacts in the region. Specialists from both countries are respected for their
competence in the biological arena. Joint efforts can forge relationships between
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82 U.S.-RUSSIAN RELATIONSHIP IN BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
Russian and American specialists while also developing coherence of approaches
within the region.
As to the Arctic, many common concerns provide a strong basis for coop-
eration in the area near the Bering Straits. Also, as climate change increasingly
is recorded across the Arctic, the opportunities for expanding cooperation along
the northern coastline of Russia are particularly important. Of special interest are
technologies for effectively and economically converting biomass to new sources
of energy, thereby reducing reliance on coal and other heavy polluting energy
sources in snow-covered regions.
3. The two governments have made a good start in joint efforts to limit the
spread of tuberculosis and other devastating diseases in Russia and neighboring
areas.
An important framework for promoting joint research and development
efforts devoted to multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and other difficult diseases
was established in November 2011, with a forum in Moscow involving key agen-
cies from the two countries. The U.S. private sector also played an unusually
active role in promoting cooperation. The seriousness of many of the problems
in Russia—and indeed throughout the world—is widely recognized. Now there
is a considerable need for more aggressive collaborative research efforts. (See
Appendix F.5.)
