PRESS RELEASE
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: edina@farusa.org
Website:
October 13, 2006
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RESEARCHERS ENSURING PROSPERITY FOR ARMENIA WITH SUPPORT OF FAR
Armenians have much to be proud of. A strong people, they have survived
countless hardships and disasters. They have created emotionally stirring
works of literature and cultivated a deep and lasting faith. Previous
generations of Armenians were continually recognized for their academic and
scientific achievements.
During the past 100 years, Armenians have been global leaders in fields such
as laser technology, cosmic ray physics, and astrophysics. However, with
the joys of independence came a devastating financial crunch that left many
talented scientists and researchers unable to pursue their studies and
projects in their homeland.
With little economic support from the government and the nation’s scientific
institutions, many of Armenia’s brightest minds began leaving their country
in search of employment opportunities elsewhere. As they continue to
emigrate, the hopes of using Armenia’s academic rigor to create a better
future are diminishing. Now, however, it looks like a brighter dawn will
rise, thanks in part to the efforts of a few ambitious Armenian-American
scientists and the Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR).
FUNDING GREAT WORKS
In 1999, a group of prominent academic and community leaders founded the
Armenian National Science and Education Fund (ANSEF) under the auspices of
FAR. Their goal was to provide support and guidance to the scientific and
scholarly talent in Armenia.
Brilliant thinkers – such as Edgar Housepian, Vartan Gregorian, Yervant
Terzian, Tavit Najarian, Harut Barsamian, Garabed Eknoyan, Mihran Agbabian,
and Aram Chobanian – founded ANSEF because they knew how vital it was for
the newly independent Republic of Armenia to retain its most educated
citizens.
“It is well recognized that for a nation to survive and be successful it
should have a strong academic and research environment. A nation’s lasting
legacy is reflected in the great works of its people,” said Dr. Yervant
Terzian, a world-renown astrophysicist at Cornell University and one of the
original founders of ANSEF. “We have done so much to help Armenians simply
survive, but by supporting science we are building a solid foundation for a
prosperous, independent Armenia.”
ANSEF provides grants directly to scientists and scholars, funding research
in the fields of engineering, natural sciences, physical sciences, and the
humanities. It only takes $5,000 to fund a project for one year —
providing salaries for several researchers and assistants, along with
computers and equipment. Very often this financial help supports
researchers support their families.
“FAR is grateful to have so many brilliant thinkers working hard to improve
all of Armenia by improving conditions for the nation’s scholars,” said
Kevork Hovnanian, FAR’s Founder and Honorary Life Chairman. “People like
Dr. Terzian could easily do nothing, but instead they give of their time and
talent to make a difference in Armenia. And it takes so little to help a
researcher stay in Armenia.”
Each year FAR is able to offer around 20 ANSEF grants, though it receives
between 200 to 300 quality proposals. Funds are awarded to select proposals
following a peer review and recommendation by distinguished academics in
research institutions such as Cornell, Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, and
others.
BUILDING A CULTURE OF MERIT
This peer-review of projects is unique in Armenia, where Soviet authorities
awarded research funding based on connections and the arbitrary will of the
government rather than skill. By requiring proposals to undergo a
peer-review by international experts, FAR is teaching Armenia’s researchers
how to be competitive in today’s global, knowledge-based marketplace.
“The aim of ANSEF is to assist in maintaining and strengthening the Armenian
intellectual community,” said Dr. Terzian, who chairs the ANSEF Research
Council that coordinates the anonymous refereeing of the proposals to
international experts for review. “This will ensure creating the great
leaders needed for a strong country. We should do our best to promote
excellence and to encourage the young generation to follow the pioneering
scientific and scholarly tradition in Armenia.”
In the six years of its existence, ANSEF has received 1,258 project
proposals. It has been able to provide funding for 144 projects. More than
500 senior and junior researchers have been able to continue their work in
Armenia thanks to ANSEF support. More than 235 articles have been published
in prestigious international scientific journals based on research made
possible by ANSEF grants.
Because the rules governing funding are so stringent, ANSEF grants are
recognized by Armenian researchers as a validation of their work. They
realize the importance of this new system, which has also helped raise the
quality of proposals to meet international standards.
SHAPING THE FUTURE
Another consideration in awarding grants is the inclusion of young
scientists and scholars in the team of researchers who work on the
proposals. By rewarding quality over connections, ANSEF gives vital support
to younger researchers who have good, solid ideas. This helps build the
next generation of Armenian intellectuals.
Dr. Astghik Shahkhatuni, for example, is a junior researcher at the Molecule
Structure Research Center of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia.
Dr. Shahkhatuni, 26 years old, has been internationally recognized for her
work in understanding the structure of the human genome, work funded in part
by an ANSEF grant.
With the support of ANSEF, Dr. Shahkhatuni is able to stay in Armenia, while
making incredible scientific advances. By remaining in Armenia she also
serves as a role-model for her peers and the younger generation, encouraging
them to dream of a promising future in Armenian scientific community.
“She is just one of the many researchers we are able to help thanks to ANSEF
and those donors who support its unique mission,” said Randy Sapah-Gulian,
Chairman of the FAR Board of Directors. “It is amazing the level and
quality of research done in Armenia. FAR is proud to be able to support
many of those projects. We need to do more to help develop this talent and
ensure a brighter future for our independent homeland.”
With more outstanding proposals received than ANSEF is able to fund, FAR is
continually looking for donor support to engage Armenia’s top scientists and
scholars.
LOOKING AHEAD
The people of Armenia still require basic humanitarian projects that meet
basic needs, such as food distribution, adequate shelter, and medical
attention. In tandem, the people of Armenia need to be empowered to build
the nation’s future. ANSEF’s mission is forward looking. By supporting
today’s thinkers and scientists, ANSEF aims to create a brighter future for
the entire nation.
“Education and progress in science and engineering are imperative for a
better future for Armenia. Education is the greatest asset of the country.
Knowledge and pride in the country, these will be the wealth for our
country,” explained Dr. Terzian. “Armenia is a very progressive country
where the sciences flourished, particularly in physics, chemistry and
engineering. I can see new vigor in the youth, especially in these
subjects.”
This passion for academic research and its transformative powers are what
drove Dr. Terzian to be one of the founders of ANSEF. A renowned
astrophysicist, Dr. Terzian is an expert on planetary nebulae, physics of
interstellar medium, galaxies, and radio astronomy. He has led observations
using Arecibo, the largest radio telescope in the world, as well as the
orbiting Hubble Space Telescope.
Since 2002, Dr. Terzian is Chairman of the U.S. Square Kilometer Array (SKA)
consortium, a consortium of universities and research institutes in the
United States that are studying and prototyping technologies under
development for the SKA. The SKA is an international project to build the
largest radio telescope in the world (its collecting array will measure one
square kilometer). Construction is scheduled to begin in 2012 and should be
completed by 2018. The SKA will be one of a suite of new, large telescopes
for the 21st century probing fundamental physics, the origin and evolution
of the Universe, the structure of the Milky Way Galaxy, and the formation
and distribution of planets.
A widely published academic, he is conducting cutting-edge significant
research on dark matter, an important topic in cosmology — the study of the
beginning of the universe and its evolution. Along with his research, he is
also a respected and admired professor on the Cornell University campus,
where he is the David C. Duncan Professor in the Physical Sciences in the
Department of Astronomy and Space Sciences.
Even with his hefty research and teaching schedule, Dr. Terzian finds time
to devote to ANSEF because of its importance in creating the future of
Armenia by supporting its academics today.
“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,” he said.
DONORS ASKED TO CREATE ENDOWMENT FUNDS
“FAR is constantly working not just to provide basic support to Armenia, but
to empower its people,” FAR Founder and Life Chairman Kevork Hovnanian said.
“And ANSEF is definitely one of the FAR programs that best reaches to a
bright future for the nation, and one that deserves our support.”
ANSEF has thus far existed thanks to general donations. This, however,
limits the number of grants that can be awarded each year. Countless
deserving proposals go unfunded, with more and more researchers searching
outside of Armenia to find support for their studies.
To ensure future funds are available, ANSEF has begun asking donors to
establish endowment funds. By giving $125,000 for an endowment fund, either
individually or in a group, donors will be able to name the fund and direct
its annual grant to a particular field — for history or chemistry or
astrophysics, for example.
“If someone believes the vitality of Armenia is important, then ANSEF is an
important program for them to support,” FAR Executive Director Garnik
Nanagoulian said. “We are proud of all that FAR has done over the years,
but ANSEF really benefits the productivity and success of Armenia in the
future, because it acts as a springboard, propelling Armenian scientists and
scholars into success in the international marketplace.”
The new named endowment funds can memorialize a loved-one, honor a team of
co-workers, or celebrate the achievements of a specific researcher. The
principal of the endowment will never be touched, with just a portion of the
interest earned used to provide direct financial support to Armenian
researchers in perpetuity. Researchers in America, and non-academics, who
want to see a brighter tomorrow for Armenia, are encouraged to support ANSEF
today.
* * *
Since its founding in response to the 1988 earthquake, FAR has served
millions of people through more than 220 relief and development programs in
Armenia and Karabagh. It has channeled more than $265 million in
humanitarian assistance by implementing a wide range of projects including
emergency relief, construction, education, medical aid, and economic
development.
FAR, one of the preeminent relief and development organizations operating
there, is dedicated to realizing the dream of a free, democratic,
prosperous, and culturally rich Armenia. It works towards a brighter future
by partnering with donors to make life better for our people. By offering
hope and more promising prospects in Armenia, Karabagh, and Javakhk, FAR
binds the Diaspora and the Armenian family together around the globe.
For more information on ANSEF or FAR, or to send donations, contact us at
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016; telephone (212) 889-5150; fax (212)
889-4849; web ; e-mail far@farusa.org.
–10/13/06
E-mail photos available on request.
PHOTO CAPTION 1: Professor Yervant Terzian, ANSEF founder and chairman of
its Research Council, at the Cornell University-operated giant radio
telescope antenna in Arecibo, Puerto Rico.
PHOTO CAPTION 2: Dr. Astghik Shahkhatuni meets and discusses her 2006 ANSEF
project with Dr. Edgar Housepian, FAR Board member and ANSEF founder, during
his recent trip to Armenia.
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