Report of IUPAC
Activities
2002
- INTRODUCTION
- MEMBERSHIP
- VITAL STATISTICS
- ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS
4.1. MEETINGS
4.2. FINANCES
4.3. SECRETARIAT
- ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN DURING 2002
5.1. SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS AND ACTIVITIES
5.2. ADVISEMENT IN GOVERNMENTAL MATTERS
5.2. ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVITIES IN CONJUCTION WITH ICSU
5.4. PUBLICATIONS
5.5. PROJECTS
5.6. IUPAC PRIZE
- CONCLUSIONS
1. INTRODUCTION
The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) was formed
in 1919 by chemists from industry and academia. Over eight decades,
the Union has succeeded in fostering worldwide communications in the
chemical sciences and in uniting chemistry - academic, industrial, and
governmental - in a common language. IUPAC is recognized as the world
authority on chemical nomenclature, terminology, standardized measurement
methods, atomic weights, and other critically evaluated data. The Union
sponsors major international meetings ranging from specialized scientific
symposia to meetings with societal impact.
The year 2002 was a period of assessment of the changes initiated and
implemented in 2000 and 2001. The changes in the IUPAC system allow
the Union to be responsive to the current needs of chemistry. The scientific
work of IUPAC is now focused on the ever-changing needs of the global
chemical community. The new project
approval system continues to be effective, and there is increasing
focus on chemistry and its impact on society, as well as on chemistry
education. The Divisions now have an active role in project recruitment,
assessment, approval, and implementation. The IUPAC website is a source
of information for IUPAC activities, and is regularly updated with the
most recent news and events.
2. MEMBERSHIP
The members of IUPAC are National
Adhering Organizations (NAOs). The organizations may be National
Academies of Science, National Chemical Societies, or associations of
Chemical Societies. The NAOs pay National Subscriptions and may name
delegates to the IUPAC Council, the Union's highest governing body.
To encourage broad input and involvement, IUPAC has Associate
National Adhering Organizations, Associated
Organizations, Company Associates,
and Affiliate Members.
Former members of IUPAC bodies become IUPAC Fellows, and remain informed
of IUPAC activities via a free subscription to the newsmagazine, Chemistry
International.
3. VITAL STATISTICS
IUPAC has 44 National Adhering Organizations, 21 Associate
National Adhering Organizations, 32 Associated Organizations, 94 Company
Associates, nearly 5100 Affiliate Members, and over 1000 Fellows. IUPAC
sponsored 32 scientific meetings
in 2002.
The journal of Pure
and Applied Chemistry (PAC) is published monthly and is distributed
worldwide, and has an Impact Factor ranking of 31 out of 118 Journals
(Institute for Scientific Information, 2001. The Impact
Factor is based on the frequency of citation by outside sources).
IUPAC publishes a bimonthly newsmagazine, Chemistry
International (CI), which is available both in print and online
editions. The IUPAC web site, www.iupac.org,
contains substantial information on involvement and activities.
- see section 5.4 for description.
4. ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS
4.1. MEETINGS
The IUPAC General Assembly is held biennially. Planning
is underway for the 2003
General Assembly, scheduled for 9-17 August in Ottawa, Canada. Meetings
of the Union's bodies in 2002 were held at various times and places,
in some cases in conjunction with an international conference concerning
that specific field of interest.
4.2. FINANCES
During 2002, IUPAC's operating expenses were approximately
USD 1.6 million. The primary sources of income were the National Subscriptions
paid by the NAOs and IUPAC publications. The work of various IUPAC bodies
and operation of the Secretariat comprise the bulk of IUPAC's expenses.
4.3. SECRETARIAT
The IUPAC Secretariat is located in Research Triangle Park,
North Carolina, USA. Five individuals provide support for IUPAC Officers
and IUPAC bodies, and also manage the Union's publication activities
and website.
5. ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN DURING
2002
5.1. SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS AND ACTIVITIES
The 32 IUPAC-sponsored meetings
during 2002 were held in 25 countries throughout the world. These
conferences were organized by international advisory boards, included
the participation of chemists from countries worldwide, and covered
topics ranging from polymer chemistry to natural products chemistry.
The results of the Union's projects are apparent through the appended
list of reports and recommendations
published in PAC.
5.2. ADVISEMENT IN GOVERNMENTAL MATTERS
IUPAC, as a non-governmental body, was asked to undertake
a review of the impact of scientific developments on the Chemical Weapons
Convention. This project
included the organization of a workshop to explore these issues, held
in Bergen, Norway, from 1-3 July 2002, with nearly 100 attendees. An
International Advisory Board, with representation from 17 countries,
aided the Program Committee in formulating the program and obtaining
the best international scientific input.
In November, 2002, IUPAC provided a report to the Organization for the
Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, in which scientific and technological
advances in the chemical sciences were evaluated. This report
is expected to assist the OPCW and the States Parties in preparing for
the First Review Conference of the Convention, scheduled for The Hague
in April 2003.
5.3. ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVITIES
IN CONJUNCTION WITH ICSU
The International SCOPE/IUPAC Symposium on Endocrine Active
Substances (EASs), held 17-21 November 2002 in Yokohama, Japan, was
a major milestone in the project, Environmental
implications of endocrine active substances: Present state-of-the-art
and future research needs, coordinated by the Chemistry and the
Environment Division and led by the late Dr. Junshi Miyamoto (SCOPE
is the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment of the International
Council for Science). The objectives of the project are to critically
evaluate issues relating to the effects of EASs on humans and the environment,
to prioritize research needs, and to offer manageable actions facilitating
risk assessment and communication.
Overall, this project demonstrates IUPAC's focus on current issues and
will result in authoritative reviews, conclusions, and recommendations
for all topics related to understanding the significance of EASs. The
results are expected to be published in Pure and Applied Chemistry in
2003.
5.4. PUBLICATIONS
IUPAC publishes a journal, Pure
and Applied Chemistry, a newsmagazine, Chemistry
International, and books. PAC contains lectures from
IUPAC-sponsored conferences and reports and recommendations from IUPAC
bodies. Over 850 copies are printed each month and sent both to paying
subscribers and to individuals and institutions in many countries. In
2002, the lectures of 7 conferences and 23 reports and recommendations
were published in PAC (see
Annex). Two Special Topic Issues were published in 2002, including
a July issue on the Science
of Sweeteners and a September issue on the Theme of Nanostructured
Advanced Materials. Chemistry
International is published bimonthly and is sent to approximately
9000 subscribers, including several hundred copies sent at no cost to
chemists in developing and economically disadvantaged countries. It
is also freely accessible on the IUPAC web site. The Solubility
Data Series is published four times a year in special issues of
the Journal of Physical and Chemical Reference Data. The Committee
on Chemistry Education recently introduced an online journal, Chemical
Education International, that presents facts, figures, opinions,
and essays and is compiled through the efforts of Committee volunteers.
Eight volumes of the series Macromolecular
Symposia were published in 2002, and contain proceedings of
IUPAC-sponsored meetings in the area of macromolecular chemistry.
5.5. PROJECTS
IUPAC operates under a project
system, through which projects are actively solicited. In 2002,
75 projects were approved, demonstrating both the awareness and effectiveness
of the system. The projects cover a wide range of areas, such as chemical
education, nomenclature and terminology, human health, and environmental
chemistry - including 2 CHEMRAWN projects. IUPAC also participated in
inter-union activities and projects, including the First Inter-Union
Workshop on Science Education, "New
Directions in the Teaching and Learning of Science" in Beijing,
the IUPAC/IUPAP Joint
Recommendation and Report on the Recongnition of the Discovery of Element
110, and the IUPAC-IUBMB
Joint Commission on Biochemical Nomenclature.
5.6. IUPAC PRIZE
The IUPAC Prize for Young Chemists was
established to encourage young research scientists at the beginning
of their careers, and is given for the most outstanding Ph.D. thesis
in the general area of the chemical sciences. The winners receive a
monetary award and are invited to present posters at the IUPAC Congress,
with travel and accomodation expeneses covered by IUPAC. In 2002, prizes
were awarded to chemists from the Netherlands, United States, Germany,
and India. Additionally, honorable mentions were awarded to chemists
from the United States, Hungary, Japan, and Poland.
6. CONCLUSIONS
As IUPAC's strategy is to address the evolving needs of
chemistry, the Union will continue to change in response to the demands
of the scientific community, industry, and the public. IUPAC recognizes
changes in chemistry and has the flexibility in structure to respond
to these changes.
John W. Jost
IUPAC Executive Director