Based on a 1999 NATO Advanced Research Workshop titled "Reform of Government Scientific Laboratories" held at the U. of Manchester, with which the editors are affiliated, these 14 selected papers analyze the global trend toward "new public management" of university labs. Selections feature case studies illuminating the themes of: government research amidst political and economic crisis in Central and Eastern Europe; lab reform in the market economies of Western Europe and Canada; and responses in the US and elsewhere to such challenges as funding, brain drains to the private sector, and changing relationships among actors in an increasingly commercialized innovation system. Lacks a subject index. c. Book News Inc.

Strictly off limits to the public, Plum Island is home to virginal beaches, cliffs, forests, ponds -- and the deadliest germs that have ever roamed the planet. Lab 257 blows the lid off the stunning true nature and checkered history of Plum Island. It shows that the seemingly bucolic island in the shadow of New York City is a ticking biological time bomb that none of us can safely ignore. Based on declassified government documents, in-depth interviews, and access to Plum Island itself, this is an eye-opening, suspenseful account of a federal government germ laboratory gone terribly wrong. For the first time, Lab 257 takes you deep inside this secret world and presents startling revelations on virus outbreaks, biological meltdowns, infected workers, the periodic flushing of contaminated raw sewage into area waters, and the insidious connections between Plum Island, Lyme disease, and the deadly West Nile virus. The book also probes what's in store for Plum Island's new owner, the Department of Homeland Security, in this age of bioterrorism. Lab 257 is a call to action for those concerned with protecting present and future generations from preventable biological catastrophes.

Investigates the use of Federal research and development facilities for advanced education and training: to determine how well Federal laboratories are doing in continuing educational efforts; to make recommendations for improvements; and to explore the potential of Federal agencies in contributing more broadly to the educational activities of the nation.

Every nuclear weapons program for decades has relied extensively on illicit imports of nuclear-related technologies. This book offers the most detailed public account of how states procure what they need to build nuclear weapons, what is currently being done to stop them, and how global efforts to prevent such trade could be strengthened. While illicit nuclear trade can never be stopped completely, effective steps to block illicit purchases of nuclear technology have sometimes succeeded in slowing nuclear weapons programs and increasing their costs, giving diplomacy more chance to work. Hence, this book argues, preventing illicit transfers wherever possible is a key element of an effective global non-proliferation strategy.