The IAEA's special Fund to support fellowships and training for better cancer management and childhood nutrition in the developing world is gaining ground. The Fund was created by the Agency's Board of Governors last year after the IAEA and its Director General Mohamed ElBaradei were honoured with the Nobel Peace Prize.

The special fund — known as the IAEA Nobel Cancer and Nutrition Fund — houses the Agency's €525,000 share of the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize, and is open to donations. A new IAEA brochure has been issued that describes the Fund and its purposes. Earlier this month, Norway transferred a pledge of 4 million NOK (about €500,000) to the Agency Fund.

A main aim is to expand human resources in developing regions of the world. In the area of cancer management, the Fund will support training in radiation oncology to improve cancer treatment and care, as part of the IAEA's Programme of Action on Cancer Therapy (PACT). In the area of nutrition, the focus of the training is on the role of nutrition to help ensure healthy development of children using nuclear techniques to identify problems and evaluate the effectiveness of preventive measures taken.