SCMRE

Citing the need to reallocate financial resources to higher priority
activities, the Smithsonian Institution has decided to close the
Smithsonian Center for Materials Research and Education and to
eliminate the positions of the center's employees.  Pending approval
by the US Congress of the Smithsonian's budget request for FY 2002,
this close-down is scheduled to take place by December 31, 2001.
Staff has been advised to pursue alternative employment
opportunities.  Phase-out of ongoing programs will start
immediately.

Since under these circumstances we cannot guarantee that staff will
be available, beyond the most immediate future, to conduct the
planned research and education activities, we must cancel a number
of anticipated engagements, including training courses.  While we
will honor existing contractual obligations, we will not be able to
participate in any additional collaborative projects that may have
been under discussion.  We alas will no longer entertain
applications for fellowships or internships.

On behalf of the SCMRE staff, I want to express our sincere regrets
for any inconvenience that this situation may cause.  We also want
to thank all those colleagues with whom we have had the pleasure to
work in the past, and especially those who have offered their
support to the laboratory and staff in this difficult period.  We
hope and trust that our paths will continue to cross in the future
and that, under different circumstances, we will have an opportunity
to work together with you again.

Lambertus van Zelst
Director, SCMRE


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 14:55
                 Distributed: Thursday, April 19, 2001
                       Message Id: cdl-14-55-002
                                  ***