Fund for Armenian Relief
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Edina N. Bobelian
Tel: (212) 889-5150; Fax: (212) 889-4849
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
March 11, 2005
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FAR SUPPORTS GROUND-BREAKING SCIENTIFIC AND SCHOLARLY RESEARCH IN
ARMENIA THROUGH ANSEF
People seem surprised when they hear about Armenia’s cutting-edge
research and tremendous young talent. After all, Armenia is a country
known to have an economy in transition, a GDP per capita well below the
world average, and a population mostly struggling to meet basic needs.
Could world class research even be conducted there?
The answer is a resounding YES! This fact is confirmed by Dr. Yervant
Terzian and his work through ANSEF, the Armenian National Science and
Education Fund, operating under the auspices of the Fund for Armenian
Relief (FAR), that provides annual grants for ground-breaking research
in Armenia.
Dr. Terzian, the David C. Duncan Professor in the Physical Sciences in
the Department of Astronomy and Space Sciences at Cornell University,
was appointed the Director of the NASA New York State Space Grant in
1996. He is also a Research Professor with the National Astronomy and
Ionosphere Center. With a career spanning 40 years, speckled with
multiple accolades and awards, including the Clark Distinguished Award
for Excellence in Teaching, Dr. Terzian’s fields of expertise include
the physics of the Interstellar Medium, Galaxies, and Radio Astronomy.
In addition to authoring or co-authoring more than 200 scientific
publications and being the editor of six books, including “Carl Sagan’s
Universe,” Dr. Terzian is a founding member of ANSEF.
A group of prominent academic and community leaders, including Vartan
Gregorian, Tavit Najarian, Edgar Housepian, Harut Barsamian, Anahid
Kazanjian Longobardo, Tamar Hajian, Mihran Agbabian, Aram Chobanian, and
Terzian, gathered in 1999 to discuss what could be done to encourage the
scientific and scholarly talent in Armenia. “I remember making a
passionate speech that first day in support of ANSEF’s creation. I had
just returned from a visit to Armenia where I met with university
students and researchers; I knew the needs,” remembers Dr. Terzian.
>>From the moment Dr. Terzian became Chairman of ANSEF’s Research Council,
each fall, he and his committee coordinate the peer-review of the
proposals submitted by Armenian scientists and scholars to ANSEF
annually. “I treat every proposal like my own; each is handled with
tender care, exactness and objectivity,” said Dr. Terzian, who has
received 1,086 proposals in ANSEF’s five years. “Each one is
peer-reviewed by at least two, sometimes three, experts at major
research universities and institutes throughout the U.S., for example
Harvard, Stanford, Cal. Tech., U.C. Berkeley, and the N.I.H. (National
Institute of Health).” These experts are leaders in their respective
fields and include Nobel Prize laureates.
To be eligible for an ANSEF grant, Dr. Terzian insists that the
proposals from Armenia follow a strict format and meet international
standards: they are written in English, describe the proposed work and
anticipated results, and include the curriculum vita and bibliography of
each researcher, as well as, most importantly, a detailed budget.
While ANSEF awards 25-27 grants per year, 200-300 research proposals are
submitted annually. “Our peer review efforts have shown that a large
fraction of the work being proposed is cutting-edge science in Armenia,”
said Dr. Terzian, “we should feel proud and continue supporting this
world class research, to encourage the young talent in the country.”
The attraction to ANSEF within the scientific and scholarly community in
Armenia is two-fold: first, its recognized confidential, fair
peer-review process to identify grant winners, and second, the prestige
accompanying an ANSEF grant award serves as international validation and
confirmation of cutting-edge work from among the best in the world.
When asked about his attachment to ANSEF, Dr. Terzian replied, “My
motivation is to encourage Armenian talent, including the youth, and to
spark their vision of a strong scientific and scholarly Armenia. I feel
happy that, through ANSEF, we have done some good work in Armenia.” Dr.
Terzian also showed enthusiasm for creating two additional ANSEF/FAR
programs, one to establish a fund to provide travel expenses for
scientists from Armenia to attend international meetings and present
their research work, and another fund to support stipends for graduate
students in Armenia.
In the past five years, ANSEF has supported 129 projects. The seemingly
small amount of an ANSEF grant ($5,000) allows a team of investigators,
on average three to five researchers, to continue its creative efforts
and to produce outstanding research for an entire year. At least 500
senior and junior researchers have been able to continue their work in
Armenia thanks to ANSEF.
Dr. Terzian said, “I receive e-mails from researchers in Armenia
expressing appreciation and gratefulness to ANSEF, the support from
abroad, and for the recognition they receive through the fair,
peer-review system.”
“Thank you very much for awarding our research team an ANSEF grant for
the year 2005. This is very important for our laboratory that involves
four students in our scientific research. This ANSEF grant will help us
support young scientists in Armenia,” wrote Dr. David Sarksyan of the
Laser Spectroscopy Laboratory at the Institute of Physical Research
within the National Academy of Sciences to Dr. Terzian. Dr. Sarksyan is
a 2005 ANSEF grant winner for his research on “Atomic Ensemble of Free
Rubidium Atoms Confined in an Optical Nano-cell.”
The mission of ANSEF is to maintain and strengthen the Armenian
intellectual community by providing peer-reviewed research awards to
support scientific, technological and scholarly research.
“Historically, Armenians have made significant contributions to the
sciences. Each of us is proud of their accomplishments,” said Kevork
Hovnanian, Chairman of the FAR Board of Directors. “We need to support
this strong scientific tradition in Armenia. I encourage the
Armenian-American community to help foster a dynamic research
environment in Armenia.”
To support the country’s leading scientists and scholars, send your
tax-deductible contributions to FAR/ANSEF at 630 Second Avenue, New
York, NY 10016. To learn more about ANSEF’s activities, visit
; telephone (212) 889-5150, e-mail [email protected].
— 3/11/05
E-mail photo available upon request.
CAPTION: Professor Yervant Terzian promotes scientific and scholarly
research in Armenia through ANSEF.