Message to Members: Advancing into a New Year AAAS in Action: News to Note AAAS at Work: Programs at the Forefront AAAS Science Careers : Events, Tools, Advice AAAS Announcements: Items of Interest, Events Member Benefit : AAAS Visa Card Read On, Online: Science Sites Message to Members ADVANCING INTO A NEW YEAR Dear AAAS Member, As we move forward into 2007, one set of advances we all would particularly welcome includes new national policies that aggressively address such science-related issues as climate change and energy security. Many of the plenary and topical speakers at our Annual Meeting in February, led by AAAS President John Holdren, will present key findings and recommendations for how best to address these issues. In addition, our half-day Town Hall, "Communicating and Learning about Global Climate Change," will engage teachers and students, scientists and policymakers, in an important public dialogue (for details on the event, see News to Note below). This year, for the first time, extensive coverage of these and other sessions among the meeting’s 180 symposia and plenary and topical lectures will be released in a daily blog featuring reports and podcasts from the staff of Science and Science NOW along with links to U.S. and international news coverage. We look forward to a year of major advances in sound science policy as well as groundbreaking scientific research--and we salute Science ’s 2006 Breakthrough of the Year (see related story on the Poincaré Theorem in News to Note below). I hope to see you at our Annual Meeting, "S&T for Sustainable Well-Being," 15-19 February, in San Francisco, California . Sincerely, Alan I. Leshner, CEO, AAAS P.S. You can still register online for the Annual Meeting which will feature many eminent speakers including Nobel laureate Stephen Chu and Google co-founder Larry Page. For details, go to: www.aaasmeeting.org AAAS in Action NEWS TO NOTE Science’ s Breakthrough of the Year Salutes the Poincaré Theorem Solution In 1904, Henri Poincaré proposed a conjecture that described a test for showing that a space is equivalent to a hypersphere, the three-dimensional surface of a four-dimensional ball. A century later, the reclusive Russian mathematician Grigori Perelman provided proof of the elusive conjecture. Read about Science ’s 2006 Breakthrough of the Year and the nine other achievements on Science ’s Top Ten list, reported in the journal’s 22 December issue. Full story >> Warming Climate Threatens Ancient Alaskan Culture As rising seas erode sand bluffs beneath simple houses, and softer winter ice makes hunting and fishing hazardous, a remote island village in arctic Alaska faces a move to the mainland that will sacrifice historic traditions for future survival. The 18 February half-day Climate Change Town Hall event, held during the AAAS Annual Meeting, will debut a short documentary showing the plight of this village and other far north areas. Full story >> The Town Hall, moderated by AAAS President Dr. John Holdren, also features presentations from renowned climate experts. Read more about the event >> Commentary in Kuwait Times Urges Science Partnerships "Building Science, Building Trust," a commentary written by AAAS CEO Alan I. Leshner and Egyptian scholar Farkhonda Hassan, was published 8 January in the Kuwait Times. The commentary marked the opening of the International Conference on Women Leaders in Science, Technology & Engineering, which brought women scientists from 20 Muslim countries in the Middle East and North Africa together for three days of dialogue with U.S. scientists, business leaders, and diplomats. Read the full commentary, which outlines the meeting’s mission to use "science diplomacy" to begin building strong long-term partnerships between Western and Arab nations. Full story >> Forum Calls for Research to Improve U.S. Elections Mysterious glitches in high-tech electronic voting machines, shortages of paper ballots, long lines at polling places-- these are just some of the extensive problems reported following the U.S. mid-term elections last November. In response, AAAS and Carnegie Corporation of New York convened a two-day meeting of influential election experts. Policymakers, election administrators, scholars, and activists charted strategies for research that can persuade government officials to back reform and provide funding. A report from the meeting, organized by the AAAS Scientific Freedom, Responsibility and Law Program and the AAAS Education and Human Resources Program, will be issued soon. Full story >> Vietnam’s S&T Vice Minister Holds Talks at AAAS AAAS is playing an important role in international cooperation between Vietnam and U.S. scientific enterprises. In mid-December, during the year’s second visit to AAAS by high-level Vietnamese officials, the vice minister of Vietnam’s Ministry of Science, Tran Quoc Thang, discussed his priorities in developing a robust S&T infrastructure as Vietnam becomes the World Trade Organization’s 150th member. Read more about proposed Internet links between U.S. scientists and Vietnamese university science students and forums for scientists from both countries. Full story >> AAAS Supports Nationwide U.S. Science and Math Standards In an 8 January letter to U.S. congressional leaders, AAAS CEO Alan I. Leshner applauded a bipartisan proposal for voluntary nationwide standards, urging planners to incorporate widely accepted existing guidelines including Project 2061’s Benchmarks for Science Literacy. Read more about how the Standards to Provide Educational Achievement for Kids (SPEAK) Act seeks to ensure that all U.S. children receive high-quality science and mathematics education. Full story >> AAAS at Work PROGRAMS AT THE FOREFRONT The Threat of a Backyard Bomb: Reporters’ Briefing Rather than trying to smuggle a nuclear device into the United States , could terrorists and technicians hiding out in a remote corner of the country assemble a crude atomic bomb, using highly enriched uranium acquired on the black market, at a cost of less than U.S. $10 million? Nuclear experts outlined this disturbing scenario during a December briefing for reporters co-sponsored by the AAAS Center for Science, Technology and Security Policy and the AAAS Center for Media and Security. Although called a low-probability event, read how a backyard bomb could come together and what governments must do to prevent such an attack. Full story >> The AAAS Center for Science, Technology and Security Policy acts as a two-way portal to build new connections between academic centers, policy institutes, and policy makers who are involved with anti-terrorism efforts and other national and international security issues. Find out more about the Center’s work: http://cstsp.aaas.org . The Role of Geospatial Imaging: AAAS Human Rights Day In 2004, AAAS began to investigate how satellite technology can be used to monitor and prevent human rights violations, and by 2006 had issued the first report which documented the destruction of entire settlements by the government of Zimbabwe . This geospatial tool, increasingly important to nongovernmental organizations, was the topic for a panel of experts co-sponsored by the AAAS Science and Human Rights program, Amnesty International, and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum to observe the international Human Rights Day in December. Read about initiatives to provide unimpeachable evidence which can attract and sustain media, political, and public interest. Full story >> The AAAS Science and Human Rights Program facilitates opportunities to advance human rights and supports scientists around the world whose rights are threatened or violated. Read about the program and upcoming events: http://shr.aaas.org/. AAAS Science Careers EVENTS, TOOLS, ADVICE For job listings and career development, see www.sciencecareers.org . Hire Faculty with Science -- Advertise your faculty job listings alongside Science’s 2 February Business Office Feature on Faculty Positions. Space is still available, so contact your Science sale representative or request information through our online form today. New NIH Electronic Grant Application Process Explained at ScienceCareers.org Science Careers tells you everything you need to know about electronic submission of proposals for U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) R01 grants. This article-- part one of a two-part series-- provides background and explains the process NIH has devised for submitting electronic R01 applications and the key steps researchers and grant administrators need to take before the 5 February deadline. Full story >> Event: How to Make the Most of Your Career Fair On Tuesday, 13 February at 6:00 p.m., attend this important free session prior to the Science/ UCSF Biotech Career Fair, held in the Genentech Auditorium at the University of California San Francisco Mission Bay campus in conjunction with the AAAS Annual Meeting. Learn how to present credentials effectively in a fast-paced career fair environment. Presenter: Garth Fowler, AAAS Outreach Program Manager. Information>> www.sciencecareers.org/ucsf . Event: 9th Annual Science /UCSF Biotech Career Fair On Thursday, 15 February, from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Science and UCSF will co-host a career fair in the Robertson Auditorium on the UCSF Mission Bay campus. Meet recruiters face to face and explore career opportunities for all levels of scientists. Registration for the AAAS Annual Meeting is not required for this event, which is free to all attendees. Information>> www.sciencecareers.org/ucsf . AAAS Announcements ITEMS OF INTEREST Register Online for the 2007 AAAS Annual Meeting From 15 to 19 February in San Francisco , AAAS will convene "Science and Technology for Sustainable Well-Being." Explore topics ranging from efforts to mitigate global warming to the latest developments in robotics and virtual worlds, from global health challenges to the mysteries of the universe. Register for the Annual Meeting >> Apply for a Minority Science Writers Internship (Deadline 1 March 2007 ) AAAS offers a summer internship program for undergraduate minority students interested in pursuing a career in science journalism. Interns learn from the editors and writers of the journal Science , located within the Washington, D.C., headquarters of AAAS. Get more info and an application for the summer 2007 program >> Nominate High School Science Teachers for a New AAAS Prize Through the generous support of Dr. Edith D. Neimark, "The AAAS Leadership in Science Education Prize for High School Teachers" has been established to inspire innovation and excellence in science teaching, disseminate best practices more widely, and honor the achievement of outstanding teachers across the United States . This annual award recognizes a high school science teacher who has contributed significantly to the AAAS goal of advancing science education by developing and implementing an innovative and demonstrably effective strategy, activity, or program. The nomination process will begin this month and will close 1 April. For more information about the prize and the nomination criteria, contact the AAAS Development Office at (202) 326-6636 or development@aaas.org . Check EurekAlert!’s Top 10 Science Stories of 2006 EurekAlert!, the premier Web site for science news, has announced the science stories that attracted the most views during 2006. A study that traced a cancer in dogs back to its centuries-old origin in wolves topped the list-- followed by the solution to the mystery of why water freezes faster after heating and a pepper component that triggers suicide in prostrate cancer cells. Read all 10 stories, drawn from a range of resources. Full story >> Choose from Multiple Ways to Advance the AAAS Mission Contributions from members and friends are used in their entirety to support AAAS’s mission to promote science in all forms. Your employer may be one of more than 1,000 corporations and organizations offering programs to match charitable contributions made by employees, either in whole or part (check with your Human Resources department to see if your organization participates). You also may choose to donate through our credit card installment plan. For information on these and other ways of giving, contact the AAAS Development Team at 202-326-6636 or go to www.aaas.org/aboutaaas/giving/types/designate.shtml . We thank our many supporters who help us meet the ever-changing opportunities for new initiatives. AAAS MEMBER BENEFIT AAAS Platinum Plus® Visa® Credit Card with World Points™ Take advantage of a new credit card with no annual fee, online access, and 24-hour service, reward points, and more. Apply today . Meet Up at Upcoming Events Stop by the AAAS booth to pick up your member pin. ALA Lab Automation , 28-30 January, Palm Springs, California , U.S.A. Information >> AAAS Annual Meeting, 15-19 February, San Francisco, California, U.S.A. Register for the Annual Meeting >> Additional Meetings of Interest National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) 2007Annual Meeting, 30 March-1 April, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, California , U.S.A. Information>> Find Other Meetings and Events Search our database of meetings, conferences, career fairs, career workshops, courses, and awards: www.sciencecareers.org/meetings . READ ON, ONLINE AAAS News & Notes appears in Science in the last issue of each month. Or access www.aaas.org or www.scienceonline.org .