VZCZCXRO5061
PP RUEHAST RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHTM RUEHTRO
DE RUEHUP #0151/01 0581503
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 271503Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3931
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BUDAPEST 000151 
 
SIPDIS 
 
OES/STC FOR EILEEN KANE; 
OES/PCI FOR NINA FITE AND PATRICK HUDAK; 
EUR/PGI FOR NICK MANRING AND DAVID TESSLER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV TSPL TBIO EAGR ENRG ECON AMGT APER EPA
ASEC, XH, ZJ, HU 
SUBJECT: EMBASSY SCIENCE FELLOWS PROGRAM 2009 (HUNGARY) 
 
REF: STATE 10843 
 
¶1.  In response to reftel, Embassy Budapest would like to 
submit the following requests for Embassy Science Fellows. 
Current point of contact for these proposals is outgoing ESTH 
Hub Officer Camille Hill, HillCD2@state.gov, 36-1-475-4956. 
Ms. Hill will depart post May 19 and her successor, Sam 
Kotis, KotisS@state.gov, 36-1-475-4956, will serve as POC 
after his arrival in mid-May. 
 
Regional Renewable Energy Outreach and Promotion to Central 
and Eastern Europe 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
¶2.   Background:  One of the Hub,s Goals and Objectives on 
Environment is support of USG climate policy and promotion of 
clean energy.  Key elements of this support have included 
following up on pledges made at the Washington International 
Renewable Energy conference in March 2008, seeking ways and 
resources to bring in U.S. expert speakers, and working with 
Commercial officers at posts to attract U.S. clean energy 
companies to the region.  Hub officer has found in the course 
of her regional travels that USG achievements in the field of 
renewable energy are not well known in Central and Eastern 
Europe.  While there is great excitement in the region about 
the Obama Administration,s new direction on climate change, 
and governments and stakeholders are eager to hear more from 
the new Administration about renewable energy, the perception 
persists that the U.S. is behind the curve on this issue. 
The recent natural gas crisis has heightened interest in 
alternatives to dependence on Russian gas.  The Hub believes 
that a sustained outreach campaign by an energy expert 
publicizing the good news story about the many USG 
achievements on renewable energy and encouraging the uptake 
of renewable energy by countries of the Central and Eastern 
European Region would be helpful in nurturing productive 
interactions with these governments at the UNFCC COP-15 in 
December 2009 in Copenhagen.  The energy expert could also 
assist Posts in identifying market opportunities for U.S. 
clean energy firms in the region. 
 
¶3.   Proposed work program:  The Science Fellow will be 
charged with one principal task:  developing and implementing 
a regional outreach plan in coordination with the Department, 
ESTH, FCS, FAS, PAS and Posts.  The outreach plan should 
include:  publicizing USG achievements and initiatives on 
renewable energy, promoting the uptake of renewable energy, 
and identifying market opportunities for U.S. clean energy 
firms.  The fellow should draft one or more reporting cables 
on these activities.  The vision is that the outreach plan 
would be developed prior to the fellow's arrival in Budapest. 
 Budapest would serve as a European base of operations for 
the fellow during the month of November, with the fellow 
spending the majority of that month traveling in the region. 
 
 
¶4.  Area of expertise:  Knowledge of USG and U.S. private 
sector renewable energy technologies, policies and 
priorities.  Experience in public speaking and outreach. 
 
¶5.  Timeframe:  One month in November 2009.  Other timeframes 
might be considered pending availability of TDY housing. 
 
¶6.  Housing and office space:  The Embassy will provide 
housing in Budapest, likely a furnished one-bedroom 
apartment, office space at the Embassy, and in-country travel 
and logistical support, as needed.  In-country travel and 
logistical support will be funded from the Hub budget. 
 
¶7.  Medical and security clearance requirements:  Per reftel, 
a medical clearance is required for TDYs exceeding 30 days. 
A security clearance is not required as we plan to provide 
office space outside the CAA, but an employee with a security 
clearance level of secret or above would have access to the 
CAA. 
 
¶8.  Travel funds outside Hungary:  The Hub,s travel budget 
is not sufficient to support the proposed regional outreach 
activities, and Post does not have other funds available for 
this activity.  Post requests that the fellow come with 
blanket travel orders for the Hub's 20-country region to be 
funded by the fellow,s home agency.  The 20 country region 
includes:  Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and 
Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Georgia, 
Hungary, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, 
Romania, Slovakia, Serbia, and Ukraine.  We recommend a 
funding level of 10,000 USD or more to facilitate a robust 
outreach plan. 
 
BUDAPEST 00000151  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
¶9.  Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Impact: 
Although Hungary is not a member of the OIC, two countries in 
the Hub,s region are:  Albania and Azerbaijan.  Bosnia and 
Herzegovina, also in the Hub,s region, is an observer. 
Budapest is a convenient point of departure for travel to 
another OIC member, Turkey, which is the seat of the Black 
Sea Economic Cooperation Organization, another possible 
avenue of outreach on renewable energy to many of the 
countries of the Hub,s region.  The coordination of the 
outreach plan prior to the fellow's arrival will allow 
focusing the proposed month of outreach on target countries 
consistent with the priorities of the Department and other 
concerned agencies. 
 
Healthy Lifestyles Promotion Outreach and Advice 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶10.  Background:  One of the Hub,s Goals and Objectives on 
Health is supporting Ambassadorial outreach activities in 
Hungary underlining the importance of healthy lifestyles and 
early screening in addressing preventable/treatable health 
problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, 
alcoholism, and breast cancer.  Hungarians have the lowest 
life expectancy in the OECD (72.4 years on average; 68.39 
years for men and 76.84 years for women) and its rate of 
increase over the last 20 years has been much slower than in 
the rest of the region.  In 2000, Hungary had 160 
alcohol-related deaths per 100,000, more than double the 
EU-15 average.  Annually 28-30,000 Hungarians die as a result 
of smoking, and smoking-related health care costs reached 1.4 
billion USD in 2004.  Thirty-five percent of the population 
smoke, and forty percent of the population under 20 smoke 
regularly.  Ambassador Foley has made promoting healthy 
lifestyles one of her central themes when visiting various 
parts of Hungary, and local communities have frequently 
expressed an interest in assistance in reducing smoking and 
drinking among their populations.  The proposed Science 
Fellow,s activities would respond to these requests and 
complement Hungary,s National Program for the Decade of 
Health, launched in 2003, which currently focuses more on 
encouraging participation in government-funded free health 
screenings than on changing lifestyles.  The proposed 
outreach would also amplify the message of a new campaign 
launched in February 2009 by an association of media and 
advertising agencies, supported by Pfizer, to stress that 
individuals have the power to make choices that will improve 
their own health and that of their loved ones. 
 
¶11.  Proposed work program:  The Science Fellow will be 
charged with three principal tasks.  First, the fellow must 
develop a plan for outreach to local communities in 
coordination with PAS, ESTH, and the Front Office.  Second, 
the fellow should liaise with Hungarian Government officials 
from the Ministry of Health and other relevant agencies, as 
needed, to coordinate the outreach program with the GOH,s 
healthy lifestyles campaign and offer technical advice as 
appropriate.  Third, the fellow should conduct outreach to 
the staff of private medical facilities to encourage 
complementary healthy lifestyles' promotion activities.  The 
fellow should draft one or more reporting cables evaluating 
the effectiveness of GOH and private sector efforts to 
promote healthy lifestyles. 
 
¶12.  Area of expertise:  Medical credentials, preferably an 
MD.  Experience treating patients with conditions arising 
from abuse of alcohol and/or cigarettes or in treatment 
programs to combat addiction to alcohol and/or cigarettes. 
Experience in public speaking and outreach.  Experience in 
developing and implementing outreach campaigns on the dangers 
of smoking and drinking.  Hungarian language skills are 
desirable but not required. 
 
¶13.  Timeframe:  One month in January or March 2010 
(following the major holiday celebration periods of the New 
Year and Carnival).  Other timeframes might be considered 
pending availability of TDY housing. 
 
¶14.  Housing and office space:  The Embassy will provide 
housing in Budapest, likely a furnished one bedroom 
apartment, office space at the Embassy, and in-country travel 
and logistical support, as needed.  In-country travel and 
logistical support will be funded from the Hub budget. 
 
¶15.  Medical and security clearance requirements:  Per 
reftel, a medical clearance is required for TDYs exceeding 30 
days.  A security clearance is not required as we plan to 
provide office space outside the CAA, but an employee with a 
 
BUDAPEST 00000151  003 OF 003 
 
 
security clearance level of secret or above would have access 
to the CAA. 
Foley