Teamwork
- Issue No. 1 -
New members
of the Division Committee
In this first edition of 'Teamwork' we welcome our Associate Members
(AM) and new National Representatives (NR) to the team that makes
up the Analytical Chemistry Division Committee (ACDC):
Associate
members:
Heinz Gamsjaeger, Austria <[email protected]>
Bryn Hibbert, Australia <[email protected]>
Wlodomierz Kutner, Poland <[email protected]>
K. M. Wang, P.R. China <[email protected]>
Ales Fajgelj, Austria <[email protected]>
National
Representatives:
Teodor Ast, Yugoslavia <[email protected]>
Marja-Liisa Riekkola, Finland <[email protected]>
Elias A. G. Zagatto, Brazil <[email protected]>
A. Sanz_Medel, Spain <[email protected]>
Hasuck Kim, South Korea <[email protected]>
Jose de Costa Lima, Portugal <[email protected]>
It
is particularly pleasing to have members from countries that have
not recently been represented on the Division Committee.
Each
of you brings a wealth of knowledge and experience of analytical chemistry.
That is really important to us. Each of us as members of the Division
Committee has experience in a different facet of analytical chemistry
and its practice, perhaps in industry, research, education, administration
or government.
Together
we make up a team. Collectively we have the responsibility of serving
the analytical chemistry community with timely attention to technical
issues, method validation, critical reviews of data, quality assurance,
nomenclature and terminology, and assessment of emerging techniques.
The
new face of IUPAC
We are all aware that IUPAC has undergone a metamorphosis in the last
few months. Commencing 2002, all of the long established Commissions
have been disbanded. The Commission-driven system was one in which
the partly-funded Commissions had the responsibility of initiating
and completing Projects. There were advantages and disadvantages in
this system. One of the great advantages was from working together
in 'teams' whose membership rolled over rather slowly.
We
now have in place a Project-driven system, one in which the Projects
can be proposed by any qualified task group in the chemistry community.
The funding originally used to support the Commissions will now be
available to those task groups on a competitive basis. The stringent
review processes used to ensure quality publications will still be
applied. The responsibility for soliciting and initiating the projects
now rests with the Division Committee, as does the publication review
process.
Thus
the Division Committee has much more responsibility than in the past.
However, it has the advantage of being able to regularly review the
relative needs of all fields within analytical chemistry and can thus
prioritise the selection of Projects to be funded.
New
responsibilities for DC members
The Analytical Division Committee is determined to utilise the skills
and experience of all its members. Thus, AM and NR have full voting
rights on the Division Committee. When key decisions are required
during the year, all members will be asked to contribute to the process.
For example, approval of Projects will now be considered twice yearly,
and for each pool of applications a contestable process will be used.
This will involve all members.
In
the past the Commissions have been a source of expertise that could
be used in the review processes. More of this responsibility now falls
on the Division membership and we will try to involve everyone in
this.
Tuebingen
This was a superb venue for our Division Committee meeting in February.
Our hotel was in the 'old town' and we could absorb the wonderful
atmosphere with the imposing castle overlooking a tree-lined river,
the market squares, the cobbled streets, etc. We thank Guenter Gauglitz
for his wonderful hospitality in hosting this meeting at the University
of Tuebingen.
The
Minutes of this meeting have been distributed to all members of the
Division Committee. If they did not reach you then there is an e-mail
problem, so please advise the secretary, Ryszard Lobinsky: [email protected].
Please read them carefully to see what decisions were made, particularly
those that affect you!
ACD
web site. The web site is currently being developed but you
may view it at the non-public url.
On this site you will find the Terms of Reference of the ACD. These
outline the aspects of chemistry that are the responsibility of
the Division. In a new development, this site also summarises the
responsibility of each member of the Division Committee. Look there
to see what we will expect from you!
Advisor
groups. To assist them in monitoring the needs of their field,
and in formulating and soliciting possible projects, the TM will
all have a group of Advisors with whom they will maintain an active
communication. All AM and NR, if they do not have another specific
responsibility, will be working as an Advisor with one of the TM.
Orange
Book. The Compendium of Analytical Nomenclature is a 'cornerstone'
publication for the Analytical Division. David Moore has put in
a tremendous amount of work to prepare the on-line version. Many
of us have been asked to check one or more chapters that can be
accessed on the non-public URL.
Let's all try and complete this task in a timely manner! You may
discover that much of the Orange Book needs to be updated, but that
will be Stage II of the process once the web version is in place.
Looking
ahead
Teamwork will periodically update you on the activities
of IUPAC and your Division. Teamwork could be a vehicle
for you to share concerns or interesting news items. Do let me have
your contributions!
