NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AND ARMS CONTROL 2101 Constitution Avenue Washington, D.C. 20418 December 13, 1996 Defense Special Weapons Agency 6801 Telegraph Road Alexandria, VA 22310-3398 RE: Contract DSWA01-96-C-0163 Dear Sir/Madam: This letter reports on the activities of the National Academies of Science/Institute of Medicine under the contract, NAS/Russian Institutes Collaborative Research Project (DSWA01-96-C-0163), for the period November | - November 30, 1996. Plans for the entire time period of the project are described in the Project Implementation Plan submitted separately. As specified in the contract, a comprehensive plan for the conversion of former Soviet biological warfare research personnel and facilities to work on public health is being developed. As part of that effort, initial grants will be provided to a few Russian institutes. Progress on the development of the plan and on the initial grants during the past month, and anticipated steps during the next reporting period are described separately below. 1. INITIAL ORGANIZING ACTIVITIES Activities Duri R A new panel of the Committee on International Security and Arms Control (CISAC), composed the members of the BW Working Group, the two co-chairs of the Board on International Health of the Institute of Medicine, and 6 additional experts has been formally appointed to manage the project. One to two additional members may be added. The roster of the committee members to date is attached. Anticipated Next Steps The date for the first committee meeting is currently being set. -2. 2. DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN Activities During the Reporting Period A small delegation of committee members and staff visited Moscow from November 25-29th to discuss the development of the comprehensive plan with relevant Russian government agencies, key individuals, and interested organizations. A copy of the trip report from that visit is attached. The delegation was able to make direct contact with all the relevant actors except the Ministry of Defense, but believes it has MOD’s acquiescence in approaching individual scientists. Further efforts to engage MOD directly will continue. Anticipated Next Steps In February, the committee will hold a workshop in Moscow to discuss a draft of the research portion of the comprehensive plan with relevant Russian officials and researchers. NPO Vector will assist with the arrangements for the workshop, in which it is hoped that scientists from MOD institutes will participate. Further details about the workshop will be available in next month’s report (see below). 3. INITIAL GRANTS TO SELECTED BW FACILITIES Activities During the Reporting Period While in Moscow, committee members and staff held a number of meetings and made contact with the primary Russian government agencies and institutes to identify potential projects and partners for the initial grants. In particular, the delegation met with the director of NPO Vector and two of his senior scientists and spent a day visiting the Institute for Applied Microbiology in Obolensk. At Obolensk they discussed a number of potential projects. (See attached trip report.) Contacts continue with the International Science and Technology Center to make arrangements to channel funds for the initial grants through the Center. | Next § Formal application has been made for ISTC partnership status. A small group of staff and committee members will visit Novosibirsk in mid-December to meet with scientists from NPO Vector in Koltsovo. This visit will pursue further possible initial projects and discuss plans for the workshop in: ’ February (see above). -3- Following the visit to Koltsovo, the committee will identify an initial set of projects, which will then be developed as proposals for the ISTC. 4. PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD Nothing specific to report. Sincerely, | Mh Mebane _ Jo L. Husbands “ Project Co-Director ra Attachments: Cost Performance Report Report of Moscow visit cc: Doug Denning, OCG John Boright, OIA