Government & Policy Roundup

NSF selected 34 early-career U.S. scientists and engineers to receive this year's International Research Fellowships. The award allows young researchers to spend three to 24 months at foreign host institutions. The average award is $100,000. A complete list of 2004 fellows is available at http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/int/irfp_2004.htm.

The role of the National Nanotechnology Advisory Panel has been added to the duties of the President's Council of Advisors on Science & Technology. The official designation satisfies the requirements of the 21st Century Nanotechnology R&D Act.

FDA has granted regulatory approval to Roundup Ready wheat, a Monsanto-developed crop genetically engineered to resist the herbicide glyphosate. Monsanto, however, decided last year to defer commercialization of the crop until sometime in the future, and in June, it withdrew its petition for regulatory approval at USDA.