SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION TRANSFER

NTIS WILL STRENGTHEN 3 LOCAL INFORMATION DISSEMINATION ORGANIZATIONS IN PAKISTAN, PHILIPPINES, AND THAILAND WHICH CURRENTLY MARKET NTIS INFORMATION PRODUCTS AND SERVICES THROUGH COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS WITH NTIS. THIS EXISTING INFORMATION-TRANSFER NETWORK WILL BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE SELECTED AGENCIES IN 8 ADDITIONAL COUNTRIES: INDONESIA, SRI LANKA, BANGLADESH, ETHIOPIA, TUNISIA, LIBERIA, GHANA, AND KENYA. (NTIS ACTIVITIES IN LATIN AMERICA ARE SUPPORTED UNDER PROJECT #5980572.) NTIS WILL SUPPORT ITS LDC AGENTS BY PROVIDING PRODUCTS AT US PRICES INSTEAD OF THE REGULAR FOREIGN PRICES WHICH ARE TWICE AS HIGH. NTIS WILL GRANT A 25% COMMISSION ON ALL SALES AND PROVIDE AN INITIAL $1,000 CREDIT IN THE MARKETING ACCOUNT OF EACH NEW AGENT. IN ADDITION, THE AGENT RECIEVES MARKET PROMOTION SUPPORT, STAFF TRAINING, BIBLIOGRAPHIC MATERIAL, SAMPLE DOCUMENTATION, AND SOME INFORMATION HANDLING EQUIPMENT. IN-COUNTRY SEMINARS WILL STIMULATE DEMAND FOR US TECHNICAL INFORMATION AND FOSTER CLOSER TIES BETWEEN COOPERATING AGENCIES AND THEIR LOCAL END USERS. WITH USAID SUPPORT, NTIS WILL CONDUCT WORKSHOPS IN WASHINGTON FOR LDC AGENTS ON US INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND INFORMATION HANDLING TECHNIQUES. AS A SUBSIDY TO COOPERATING AGENCIES, USAID WILL FUND AIRMAIL POSTAGE FOR SHIPMENT OF NTIS ORDERS. USAID WILL ALSO FUND THE NTIS PUBLICATION "APPLICATION OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY TO INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT" (AMTID), A MONTHLY REPORT OF AVAILABLE NTIS ACQUISITIONS IN LDC INTEREST AREAS. BY THE END OF THE PROJECT, A 3-FOLD INCREASE IN THE FLOW OF US SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION TO PROJECT COUNTRIES IS EXPECTED. NTIS WILL CONTINUE AGENT DISCOUNTS BUT PRICES WILL RISE TO THE FULL INTERNATIONAL LEVEL AND AIRMAIL COSTS WILL ALSO BE PASSED ON TO THE AGENT. DESPITE THE HIGHER PRICES, DEMAND IS EXPECTED TO PERSIST BECAUSE OF INCREASED AWARENESS OF THE HIGH POTENTIAL VALUE OF TECHNICAL INFORMATION. THE ESTABLISHED INSTITUTIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE SELF-SUPPORTING.