GAEC has opened its "doors and windows" to the entire public and the world at large at a promising and challenging time. Promising because a broad spectrum of opportunities in science and technology have been "opened" unto the research institutes of the Commission, positioning them at the frontiers of science and technology to meet the nations immediate and long term research and development needs in our core mission areas of nuclear science applications to agriculture, energy, health and environment. Challenging because funding for R&D both locally and internationally has become even more competitive.