Science for Solving Global Challenges: Innovative Technologies on View at UN Week Forum

SEPT. 22 EVENT HOSTED BY USAID AND THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A forum focused on the use of innovative science and technology to solve development issues will be held on September 22, 2010, during the United Nations' General Assembly meetings in New York City. The Science, Technology and Innovation Forum is co-hosted by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the New York Academy of Sciences.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20091022/USAIDLOGO)

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091022/USAIDLOGO)

The Forum will build on an unprecedented momentum within USAID and among many government, host-country, foundation, and private sector partners to integrate better science, technology, and innovation to solve today's most pressing needs using frugal, high-impact, life-saving and income-producing products and technologies. During the event USAID will unveil its roadmap for science and technology and announce USAID's Grand Challenges for Development strategy, designed to solve some of the most difficult development problems facing the poor in all parts of the world.

The New York Academy of Sciences will discuss the exciting new platform of Scientists Without Borders, a web-based collaborative community dedicated to generating, sharing, and advancing innovative science and technology-based solutions to the world's most pressing global development challenges. The dynamic and free web platform now supports a strategy to use cutting-edge methods such as open innovation challenges and prize competitions, technology-enabled collaboration, and crowdsourcing to tackle the world's most pressing global development challenges.

A key component of the Forum will be an interactive science fair to highlight innovations and technologies designed for the developing worlds poorest populations which are already in use, or poised to enter the marketplace, which have significant life-saving and income-producing impact or potential. Exhibitors consist of world-class public, private, and academic organizations that have made the integration and application of science, technology, and innovation for development their primary goal.

WHAT: The Science, Technology and Innovation Forum

Press Opportunities with:

- Dr. Rajiv Shah, USAID Administrator

- Shaifali Puri, Executive Director, Scientists Without Borders, The New York Academy of Sciences

- More than 15 inventors and their development-related inventions

WHEN:  Wednesday, September 22, 2010 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. (**Special press sneak preview of displays

from 1:30-2 p.m.)

WHERE: Millennium UN Plaza Hotel

Diplomat Ballroom (East Tower)

One United Nations Plaza,

44th Street, New York, NY

For security reasons press wishing to attend must RSVP for access.  Please RSVP to Adrienne Burke at 212-298-8655 or [email protected].

For more information about USAID and its programs around the world, please visit www.usaid.gov/.

Scientists Without Borders is a public-private partnership that was conceived by the New York Academy of Sciences in conjunction with the United Nations Millennium Project. For more information, please visit www.scientistswithoutborders.org.

SOURCE U.S. Agency for International Development