Rann program, potential benefits to developing countries

THE PURPOSE OF THIS NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION PROGRAM IS TO FOCUS SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL CAPABILITIES ON SELECTED U.S. SOCIETAL PROBLEMS OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE TO FACILITATE THEIR PRACTICAL SOLUTION. RANN PLACES SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON PROBLEMS OF IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY AND ECONOMIC GROWTH, AS WELL AS THE QUALITY OF THE ENVIRONMENT. THE DISCUSSION OF THE RANN PROJECTS CLARIFIES THEIR TECHNICAL SIGNIFICANCE FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AND ILLUSTRATES POSSIBLE TYPES OF SPIN-OFF BENEFITS. THE TOPICS DISCUSSED INCLUDE ENERGY RESEARCH, DISASTER AND NATURAL HAZARDS, URBAN TECHNOLOGY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS AND RESOURCES. WAYS IN WHICH DEVELOPING COUNTRIES MIGHT BENEFIT FROM RANN RESEARCH INCLUDE ADAPTING U.S. ENERGY MODELS TO LOCAL NEEDS; COUPLING RANN STUDIES TO LOCAL NEEDS; COUPLING RANN STUDIES TO LOCAL SOLAR ENERGY PROGRAMS; ESTABLISHING LOCAL AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRIES; CONDUCTING COLLABORATIVE FIELD WORK ON TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEMS; AND COLLABORATING ON THE SEARCH IN TROPICAL WATERS FOR POWER GENERATION SITES UTILIZING OCEAN THERMAL GRADIENTS.