A meeting of the Academies of Sciences for countries of the Americas have formed the InterAmerican Network of Academies of Sciences (IANAS) at a recent meeting in Santiago Chile. The new organization has identified water and science education as its top two priorities. IANAS will work to strengthen S&T relationships as a tool for societal development, enhance capacities for information exchange, help establish Academies in countries where none exist and influence decision making processes. Elected to three-year terms as co-chairs of the Network are Dr Howard Alper, vice-rector research at the Univ of Ottawa (representing the Royal Society of Canada) and Dr Hernan Chaimovich Guralink (Brazilian Academy of Science)....