VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHVB #0323/01 1091143
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 181143Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 8833

UNCLAS ZAGREB 000323 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR OES/STC EILEEN KANE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KSCA TSPL SENV EAGR AMGT OTRA APER HR
SUBJECT: Croatia Requests for Embassy Science Fellows 2008 
 
REF: STATE 28712 
 
¶1. In response to reftel, post supports a request from the 
Government of Croatia to host Embassy Science Fellows. Post has 
received thirteen proposals. The Croatian Ministry of Science, 
Education and Sport will provide housing and in-country 
transportation for any Embassy Science Fellow. Requesting 
institutions will provide office space and necessary equipment. 
English is the working language for all programs and no security 
clearance is required. Two proposals include specific persons 
requested from U.S. institutions.  Embassy point of contact is Diana 
Matijas-Vengar: email: matijasdk@state.gov; phone 011 385 1 661 
¶2244. 
 
¶2. Following are 13 (A-M) Embassy Science Fellow 2008 proposals for 
Croatia: 
 
A) Institution: University of Zagreb 
 
Project: The University recently established a Research Office and 
Technology Transfer Office. The Research Office intends to develop 
resources in order to be able to help with international research 
grants, research contracts, intellectual property, ethical issues, 
research integrity and performance as well as professional 
development and information resources. The Technology Transfer 
office intends to provide patenting, licensing and all other 
commercialization support to facilities and researchers. 
The University requests an expert to help establish best practices 
for the Research office or Technology Transfer Office, or both. The 
University was founded in 1669 and is the oldest and largest 
university in South Eastern Europe. 
 
Area of expertise: Patenting and licensing assistance for 
researchers. International grants applications. 
 
Time frame: The preferred time for the Fellow would be May to July 
2008, but they are flexible, with a stay of up to 3 months. 
Language: English. Security Clearance: None 
 
Housing/office space: The Ministry of Science, Education and Sport 
has agreed to cover the costs of in-country housing and 
transportation. The institution will provide office space and a work 
station for the Fellow. 
 
Point of Contact: 
Hrvoje Matakovic 
University of Zagreb 
Trg Marsala Tita 14 
10002 Zagreb 
+385 4564 111 
hrvoje.matakovic@unizg.hr 
 
 
B) Institution: Faculty of Agriculture, Department of General 
Agronomy, University of Zagreb 
 
Project: The overall interest is in emission of green house gasses 
from agriculture with a focus on the study of the carbon cycle and 
soil respiration. The focus is on the fundamentals regarding global 
carbon cycling, climate changes, ecosystem productivity, crop 
production, and soil fertility. The project includes studying the 
different measurement methods of soil CO2 efflux that are in use: 
auto-chambers, portable gas analyzers, etc. The study includes 
detailed research on biotic, chemical and physical processes of soil 
respiration. 
 
Area of expertise: Teaching and transferring knowledge on the above 
topic to students and employers, with experience in CO2 efflux 
measurement techniques. 
 
Time frame: The preferred time for the visit would be spring or 
autumn 2009, in order to ensure the possibility of field measurement 
work, for at least 2 months. Language: English. Security Clearance: 
None 
 
Housing/office space: The Ministry of Science, Education and Sport 
has agreed to cover the costs of in-country housing and 
transportation. The institution will provide office space and a work 
station for the Fellow. 
 
Point of Contact: 
Zeljka Zgorolec 
Faculty of Agriculture 
University of Zagreb 
Department of General Agronomy 
Svetosimunska cesta 25 
10000 Zagreb 
+385 1 239 4091 
zzgorolec@agr.hr 
 
 
C) Institution: Institute for Social Research in Zagreb, Center for 
Educational Research and Development (CERD) 
 
The CERD is a research unit within the Institute for Social Research 
in Zagreb that carries out fundamental and applied research in 
education. It was founded in January 2001 by professors from the 
Faculty of Philosophy in Zagreb (Departments of Pedagogy, 
Psychology, Sociology and Philosophy). 
 
Project: The visiting expert would help organize a series of 
seminars for CERD researchers presenting US best practices in 
development and implementation of competence-based curricula. He/she 
is also expected to hold a series of interviews with CERD 
researchers on their previous experience in the field (esp. 
concerning the practice of national curriculum development in 
Croatia) and propose potential improvements. Assistance in 
developing research instruments for assessing awareness among 
stakeholders about curricular changes would also be of great 
benefit. In exchange the visiting expert can benefit from the CERD 
experience in Croatian curricular reform. The project should take a 
holistic approach to analyzing competences by looking at education 
for competences as part of a broader societal context (as an 
educational response not only to the particular needs of the 
individual, but also of society in general). 
 
Area of expertise: Experience in qualitative methods in educational 
research. 
 
Housing/office space: The Ministry of Science, Education and Sport 
has agreed to cover the costs of in-country housing and 
transportation. The institution will provide office space and a work 
station for the Fellow. 
 
Time frame: The preferred time frame for the visit is September 2008 
to June 2009 for at least 30 days. Language: English. Security 
Clearance: None 
 
Point of Contact: 
Marina Stibric 
Institute for Social Research in Zagreb 
Center for Educational Research and Development 
Amruseva 11, 10000 Zagreb 
+385 1 4883 550 
cerd@idi.hr 
 
 
D) Institution: University Hospital for Infectious Diseases "Dr. 
Fran Mihaljevic" Scientific Unit, Zagreb 
 
The University Hospital for Infectious Diseases (UHID), Zagreb, 
Croatia, was founded in the spring of 1893 as the City Hospital for 
Contagious Diseases. Today UHID is the leading University Hospital 
for Infectious Diseases in Croatia as well as this region of Europe. 
The Hospital's important focus on national and regional infectious 
diseases is reflected in its many reference centers: Center for 
AIDS; Center for Urogenital and Sexually Transmitted Diseases; 
Center for Travelers' Diseases; Center for the Control of 
Antimicrobial Resistance; Center for the Diagnoses and Treatment of 
Infectious Diseases; Center for Viral Hepatitis; and the recently 
established Center for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious 
Diseases. 
 
Project: The Fellow would train Croatian scientists in U.S. funding 
application preparation, submission, and funded research program 
management, as well as training Croatian scientists in intellectual 
property issues and patenting. Help with grant/contract application 
issues such as identifying funding sources, meeting the requirements 
of the funding agency, developing mutually beneficial national and 
international collaborations, understanding the peer review process, 
and the preparation of competitive applications. Help with research 
management issues such as financial policies, regulatory agency 
requirements, interactions with funding agency officials, 
intellectual property and tech transfer interests, human and animal 
research subject policy, etc. In light of recent attention to 
emerging and re-emerging diseases (HIV/AIDS, drug-resistant TB, 
MRSA, Avian influenza, SARS, arthropod-transmitted infections etc.), 
bioterrorism threats (anthrax), and rapid global travel, infectious 
diseases are a critical component of global health research and 
policy development. 
 
Area of expertise: In discussions with NIH/NIAID representatives, 
the Hospital requests and proposes: 
Dr Peter R. Jackson, PhD, Chief, AIDS Clinical and Epidemiology 
Research Review Branch (PJackson@mail.nih.gov) 
 
Time frame: The preferred time frame for the visit is September - 
December 2008 for at least 2 full months. Language: English. 
Security Clearance: None 
 
Housing/office space: The Ministry of Science, Education and Sport 
has agreed to cover the costs of in-country housing and 
transportation. The institution will provide office space and a work 
station for the Fellow. 
 
Point of Contact: 
Dr. Alemka Markotic 
University Hospital for Infectious Diseases "Dr. Fran Mihaljevic" 
Mirogojska 8, 10000 Zagreb 
+385 1 4603 148 
alemka.markotic@gmail.com, alemka.markotic@bfm.hr 
 
 
E) Institution: Institute of Veterinary Economy and Analytical 
Epidemiology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Zagreb 
 
Project: To help perfect Veterinary epidemiology studies by applying 
simulation models and risk analysis. The Fellow would teach 
application of simulation models to be used at the Institute, 
focusing on applications used by the USDA Center for Epidemiology 
and Animal Health. The Fellow would also apply simulation programs 
to models of spreading swine flu in Croatia and the study thereof. 
The Fellow would teach Institute representatives prevention 
strategies and models for eradication, as well as risk analysis 
important for decision making that would lead to protection of both 
human and animal health. 
 
Area of expertise: The Institute requests a specialist in the above 
mentioned field from the USDA Center for Epidemiology and Animal 
Health. 
 
Time frame: The preferred time for the visit is May - July 2008 for 
at least one month. Language: English. Security Clearance: None 
 
Housing/office space: The Ministry of Science, Education and Sport 
has agreed to cover the costs of in-country housing and 
transportation. The institution will provide office space and a work 
station for the Fellow. 
 
Point of Contact: 
Dr. Marina Pavlak 
Institute of Veterinary economy and analytical epidemiology 
Veterinary Faculty 
University of Zagreb 
+385 1 2390 134 
marina.pavlak@vef.hr 
 
 
F) Institution: Large Carnivores Research Project, Biology 
Department, Veterinary Faculty, University of Zagreb 
 
Project: Researchers of "Large Carnivores Research Project" at the 
Biology Department of the Veterinary Faculty of the University of 
Zagreb have studied various aspects of the biology of bears, wolves 
and lynx in Croatia for the past 26 years. Scientific data on large 
carnivores' distribution, home ranges, densities, activity, habitat 
use, diseases and mortality were implemented in management and 
conservation of those animals in Croatia. 
As of 2008, they have extended their research efforts to deer 
populations living in the range of large carnivores, to determine 
basic biological parameters of prey bases for large carnivores. They 
would like for the Fellow to help improve efforts in studying deer 
ecology including survival, mortality factors, reproduction, 
movements, dispersal, population dynamics, genetics, and 
relationships with large carnivores. 
 
Area of expertise: The Veterinary Faculty requests/proposes Mr. 
Michael E. Nelson of the Minnesota Office of the U.S. Geological 
Survey (USGS) based on his expertise in the above-mentioned fields. 
 
Time frame: The preferred time for the visit is the summer or fall 
of 2008, depending on his availability, for at least one month. 
Language: English. Security Clearance: None 
 
Housing/office space: The Ministry of Science, Education and Sport 
has agreed to cover the costs of in-country housing and 
transportation. The institution will provide office space and a work 
station for the Fellow. 
 
Point of Contact: 
Josip Kusak 
Large Carnivores Research Project 
Biology Department 
Veterinary Faculty 
University of Zagreb 
Heinzelova 55, 10000 Zagreb 
+385 1 239 0142 
kusak@vef.hr 
 
 
G) Institution: Department of General Agronomy, Faculty of 
Agriculture, University of Zagreb 
 
Project: Assistance sought on ground-based remote sensing in 
agriculture. The Fellow would help with remote sensing technologies 
in agriculture concerning comprehensive analysis of crop vegetation 
under different types of stress caused by surplus or lack of 
fertilization and water, and also spatial analysis of weed or 
disease distribution within crop canopy, especially for modelling 
nitrogen dynamics in plant and soil under different nitrogen 
fertilization treatments and agro-ecological conditions by 
ground-based remote sensing (field spectroscopy). 
Would like for the Fellow to give a general overview on precision 
farming techniques - sampling methods, spatial data analysis and 
interpretation, remote sensing technology in agriculture - airborne 
and satellite image data analysis and field spectroscopy with a 
focus on soil and vegetation spectral analysis for monitoring 
dynamics of nutrients and water balance, and correlation of 
satellite image data analysis with ground truth spectral data 
obtained by spectroradiometer. 
 
Area of expertise: The Fellow should have experience in ground-based 
remote sensing measurement techniques (field spectroscopy, spectral 
data processing, prediction models based on multiple linear 
regression). 
 
Time frame: The preferred time for the visit is fall 2008 for at 
least 2 months. Language: English. Security Clearance: None 
 
Housing/office space: The Ministry of Science, Education and Sport 
has agreed to cover the costs of in-country housing and 
transportation. The institution will provide office space and a work 
station for the Fellow. 
 
Point of Contact: 
Ivana Vukovic 
Department of General Agronomy 
Faculty of Agriculture University of Zagreb 
Svetosimunska cesta 25, 10 000 Zagreb 
+385 1 239 4088 
E-mail: ivukovic@agr.hr 
 
 
H) Institution: Soil Science Department, Faculty of Agriculture, 
University of Zagreb 
 
Project: The Fellow would help with soil classification and soil 
taxonomy. The matter of interest is Soil Science, more precisely the 
correlation of national soil classifications. In order to understand 
soil taxonomy better, the Soil Science Department would like to 
achieve correlation of Croatian soil classification with soil 
taxonomy. The correlation would be done using examples of dominant 
soil types in Croatia. The Fellow would offer expertise in this 
field. 
 
Area of expertise: Experience in soil classification according to 
WRB and soil taxonomy. 
 
Time frame: The preferred time for the visit is during 2009 for at 
least one month. Language: English. Security Clearance: None 
 
Housing/office space: The Ministry of Science, Education and Sport 
has agreed to cover the costs of in-country housing and 
transportation. The institution will provide office space and a work 
station for the Fellow. 
 
Point of Contact: 
Professor Stjepan Husnjak 
Soil Science Department 
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb 
Svetosimunska cesta 25, 10 000 Zagreb 
+385 1 2393 934 
shusnjak@agr.hr 
 
 
I) Institution: Institute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation, 
Split 
 
The Institute for Adriatic Crops (IAC) is a public research 
Institute under the auspices of the Ministry of Science, Education 
and Sport (MSES) of the Republic of Croatia. It is located in Split, 
on the Adriatic coast, in the area where typical Mediterranean crops 
are grown. Split is also Croatia's second largest city. 
 
Project: In order to promote continuity based on the foundation 
built in 2007, an embassy Fellow is requested to continue strategic 
planning and implementation for grants and proposals in agricultural 
research, education and extension. Relationships established with 
some U.S institutions will be extended for collaboration in 
international education through distance learning, research 
collaboration, and sharing of extension methods. 
 
Area of expertise: A scientist with experience in research, 
education and extension programs in the field of Food, Agriculture 
and Biotechnology could provide necessary knowledge and would help 
us develop and improve our activities. A person with a sound 
scientific background, familiar with horticulture, and with good 
knowledge of its international industry sector, would best fit in 
 
the program. 
 
Time frame: The preferred time for the visit is sometime between May 
and July 2008 or from middle of August to the end of September 2008, 
for at least 45 days. Language: English. Security Clearance: None 
 
Housing/office space: The Ministry of Science, Education and Sport 
has agreed to cover the costs of in-country housing and 
transportation. The institution will provide office space and a work 
station for the Fellow. 
 
Point of Contact: 
Slavko Perica 
Institute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation 
Put Duilova 11, 21000 Split 
+385 21 434 434 
slavko@krs.hr 
 
 
J) Institution: Department of Agricultural Botany, Faculty of 
Agriculture, University of Zagreb 
 
Project: The project would focus on plant ecology and the dynamics 
of vegetation by remote sensing techniques with a special interest 
in succession of pastures. The department also requests help in 
vegetation spectral analysis for monitoring the dynamics of 
vegetation and the correlation with satellite image data analysis 
with ground truth spectral data. 
 
Area of expertise: Experience in ground based remote sensing 
measurement techniques (field spectroscopy, spectral data 
processing). 
 
Time frame: The preferred time for the visit is during 2008 or 2009 
for at least two months. Language: English. Security Clearance: 
None 
 
Housing/office space: The Ministry of Science, Education and Sport 
has agreed to cover the costs of in-country housing and 
transportation. The institution will provide office space and a work 
station for the Fellow. 
 
Point of Contact: 
Ivica Ljubicic 
Department of Agricultural Botany 
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb 
Svetosimunska cesta 25, 10 000 Zagreb 
+385 1 239 4029 
iljubicic@agr.hr 
 
 
K) Institution: Department of Pomology, Faculty of Agriculture, 
University of Zagreb 
 
Project: With regard to selected wild fruits, the Department expects 
to work on developing inventories and insight into the existing 
condition of populations, analysis of genetic diversity within and 
between populations, determination of antioxidant content in 
selected populations, isolation of plants rich in nutrients, 
isolation of plants resistant to the most important diseases and 
pests, propagation of interesting material and growing an ex situ 
collection, protection of interesting material in ex situ 
collection, and availability of material for propagation. 
 
Sampling of selected wild edible fruits and data input into FCD. 
Preparation for locating the collection field will be done. The 
results of botanical, pomological, genetic and chemical analyses for 
determined localities will be obtained. Accessions for propagation 
and planting into collection will be selected. Propagated material 
will be planted in the collection field. The results of botanical, 
pomological, genetic and chemical analyses for the determined 
localities will be obtained. Data will be analyzed and considered 
for preparation of papers for scientific journals or science 
conferences. 
 
Area of expertise: Fellow would be a scientist from the United 
States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Fellow should have 
experience in establishing gene banks and knowledge about plant 
diversity. 
 
Time frame: The preferred time for the visit is May and July 2009 
for at least 2 months. Language: English. Security Clearance: None 
 
Housing/office space: The Ministry of Science, Education and Sport 
has agreed to cover the costs of in-country housing and 
transportation. The institution will provide office space and a work 
station for the Fellow. 
 
Point of Contact: 
Boris Duralija, scientific project manager 
Department of Pomology, 
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb 
Svetosimunska 25, HR-10000 Zagreb, CROATIA 
+385 1 2393726 
bduralija@agr.hr 
 
 
L) Institution: Faculty of Geotechnical Engineering University of 
Zagreb 
 
The Faculty of Geotechnical Engineering was one of the first higher 
education institutions in Croatia to initiate education of students 
in Environmental Engineering. The Faculty has recently completed 
their Environmental Geochemistry Laboratory, with special facilities 
for water analyses. 
 
Project:  The Faculty wishes to host an expert in environmental 
protection and the role of various disciplines in protecting the 
environment The Faculty would like to improve the quality of the 
university education program by updating their curriculum and 
establishing Environmental Engineering as a respectable engineering 
and scientific discipline. According to the Faculty, the importance 
of Environmental Engineering has not yet been adequately recognized 
in Croatia. The Fellow would be welcome to give lectures on the 
importance of Environmental Engineering for academics as well as for 
general audience and experts in public administration of the 
Republic of Croatia. 
 
Area of expertise: An expert with a sound knowledge of environmental 
protection. The Fellow should be acquainted with education programs 
for environmental engineers. 
 
Time frame: The preferred time for the visit is during the winter 
semester of the 2008-2009 academic year for at least one month. 
Language: English. Security Clearance: None 
 
Housing/office space: The Ministry of Science, Education and Sport 
has agreed to cover the costs of in-country housing and 
transportation. The institution will provide office space and a work 
station for the Fellow. 
 
Point of Contact: 
Ivan Hip 
Faculty of Geotechnical Engineering 
University of Zagreb 
Hallerova aleja 7, 42000 Varazdin 
+385 42 408 900 
ivan.hip@gfv.hr 
 
 
M) Institution: Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, 
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb 
 
Project: The Department seeks a Fellow who could help with 
Trichinella, Croatia's most widespread food borne parasitic 
pathogen. In Croatia, the PCR method is used to detect intra and 
interspecific variability.  Aside from multiplex PCR, amplification 
of ITS1 and ITS2 fragments followed by RFLP analysis is also used 
for the recognition of various Trichinella. The Fellow would help 
establish sophisticated molecular techniques appropriate to carry on 
molecular epidemiological investigation, which would be useful in 
searching for the source and the risk of trichinellosis spread in 
Croatia. Better knowledge of appropriate molecular methods would 
help in clarifying the current occurrence of non encapsulated 
Trichinella pseudospiralis in Croatia. 
 
Area of expertise: The Department requests a Fellow from the Animal 
Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, United 
Stated Department of Agriculture, BARC EAST, Beltsville, Maryland. 
 
Time frame: The preferred time for the visit is during 2009 for up 
to 3 months. Language: English. Security Clearance: None 
 
Housing/office space: The Ministry of Science, Education and Sport 
has agreed to cover the costs of in-country housing and 
transportation. The institution will provide office space and a work 
station for the Fellow. 
 
Point of Contact: 
Professor Albert Marinculic, 
Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases with Clinics, 
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Zagreb, 
Heinzelova 55, 10000 Zagreb 
385 98 982 9107 
albert@vef.hr 
 
Bradtke