News Roundup

US $4 Million in Prizes for Young Scientists

Nearly 1,500 young scientists aged 12 to 20 from 47 countries competed for US $4 million in scholarships and awards at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, presented by Agilent Technologies, from May 7 to 10 in Indianapolis, USA.

The projects submitted tackled some of science's most challenging problems, among them developing effective alternative energy sources, finding treatments for autism and other learning disabilities, reducing contaminants in the water supply and reducing electronic waste. "More than a science competition, the Intel ISEF is an investment in the next generation of scientists," said Brenda Musilli, Intel Corporation director of education.

One thousand expert judges, all with a Ph.D. or equivalent or at least six years of related professional experience, volunteered their time to judge the projects. Among the finalists, 15 percent already hold or have applied for a U.S. patent, and 47 percent are female.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Intel's title sponsorship of the fair, which has been administered since 1950 by Science Service, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to advance the understanding and appreciation of science around the globe. (For more information and an exhaustive list of winners, see www.sciserv.org .)

Source www.intel.com/pressroom

CIPIH Report on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property Rights

The final report of the independent Commission on Intellectual Property Rights, Innovation and Public Health (CIPIH), was published on April 3, 2006. The CIPIH was set up by Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2003 to investigate how to improve access to medicines and health products for diseases that mainly affect developing countries, in the light of international and national rules on patent rights.

Among more than 50 recommendations in the CIPIH report were recommendations addressed to:

* Governments regarding: provisions in bilateral trade agreements which could affect access to medicines; funding for research projects run by public-private partnerships; advance purchase schemes to contribute to the development of vaccines, medicines and diagnostics; incorporation of digital libraries of traditional medical knowledge into patent office data; elimination of tariffs and taxes on healthcare...