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Message to Members: Advancing Science and Young Scientists
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: Subaru VIP Partners Program
Read On, Online: Science Sites
Message to Members
ADVANCING SCIENCE AND YOUNG SCIENTISTS
Dear AAAS Member,
This month, thousands of scientists from around the globe will join together at the AAAS Annual Meeting in San Francisco. In addition to presentations of breakthrough research that advances science, we’ve also scheduled career events that advance young scientists. On 13 February, Science and the University of California, San Francisco are co-hosting an event to prepare attendees for more effective presentation of their credentials at the15 February Science/UCSF Career Fair. There, young scientists can attend workshops and meet with recruiters to explore science career opportunities ( http://www.sciencecareers.org/ucsf ). For other upcoming events, see the section on AAAS Science Careers, below.
Building a strong S&T work force that attracts young scientists and includes underrepresented minorities and women is a major objective of AAAS. A recent conference in Kuwait City brought US and Arab women scientists together in a groundbreaking three-day conference. Another meeting, in Paris, challenged leaders of international women’s groups to work to make S&T careers more accessible (see News to Note below).
We’re also pleased to note that the Intel Science Talent Search, the premier US high school science contest, recently named an equal number of female and male finalists for the first time since the contest began in 1942.
As we face complex science-related challenges including international security, energy, and climate, we must all work together to increase the ranks of scientists worldwide. Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Alan I. Leshner, CEO, AAAS
P.S. If you’re unable to attend our Annual Meeting, "S&T for Sustainable Well-Being," 15-19 February, go to the daily blog from the AAAS news department for full coverage, including audio recordings, images, and news reports. Visit this website after the meeting has begun: http://news.aaas.org.
AAAS in Action
NEWS TO NOTE
AAAS President Urges Massive Effort on Climate
Responding to the 2 February report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), AAAS President John P. Holdren released a statement saying the report "powerfully underscores the need for a massive effort to slow global climate disruption before intolerable consequences become inevitable." The summary of evidence, "Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis," describes progress in understanding the human and natural drivers involved. Read the full statement and find out about climate-change events for AAAS Annual Meeting attendees.
Kuwait Conference Unites US and Arab Women Scientists
A Moroccan expert in the safety of nuclear reactors, an epidemiological psychiatrist from Bahrain, a pioneering Saudi pharmacologist, a Palestinian microbiologist, an Egyptian geologist, a physicist from Qatar--more than 200 scientists and engineers from 18 nations in the Middle East and North Africa joined a conference that, for the first time, brought women leaders from the Arab world together with a delegation of their US counterparts. Outwardly, the 8-10 January gathering in Kuwait City resembled a typical science conference. But at a time of conflict and rising mistrust, the gathering also proved to be a bridge between cultures for long-term engagement and a nonpolitical vehicle for peace. Read more about the International Conference on Women Leaders in Science, Technology and Engineering, co-sponsored by AAAS, and access a selection of presentations.
UNESCO Paris Conference Calls on Women’s Groups to Embrace S&T
While the lives of women around the world have been transformed by science and technology, the women’s movement has been slow to use S&T to educate and empower women, politically and economically. This statement was made by Shirley Malcom, AAAS head of Education and Human Resources, at a December UNESCO international conference which convened researchers and policy makers. Read more about "Gender, Science and Technology for Sustainable Development: Looking Ahead to the Next 10 Years" and the need to focus attention on making S&T careers more accessible to women.
AAAS Workshop Presents Prototype for Cheap, Effective Water Quality Test
At a cost of less than 10 US cents, a new diagnostic test can establish levels of the E. coli bacteria that cause an estimated 3 billion annual cases of waterborne disease and the deaths of 200 people per hour worldwide. The diagnostic, a simple system for untrained users in the developing world, is a project of the joint US-EU initiative AQUATEST. Read about the 5 January workshop and the two former AAAS S&T Policy Fellows whose nonprofit organization is a partner in the initiative.
ScienceCareers.org Offers Lab Management Courses
Young scientists are mastering the art of running a lab, including managing people, money, and other resources, through a series of courses organized by ScienceCareers.org and a consortium of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, institutions. Find out more about the program. Check the schedule of upcoming events, including the 8 March course on Getting Funded, Mentoring Skills.
AAAS at Work
PROGRAMS AT THE FOREFRONT
EntryPoint!: A Success Story
Anthony Creapeau has proved that physical disability does not preclude scientific ability. Last summer, the AAAS EntryPoint! program placed him with the IBM Corporation in Massachusetts as a computer networking intern, where he flourished. His success was heralded in a story published last fall by the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Journal Sentinel. Since then, Creapeau, who became blind a decade ago due to diabetes and is currently a junior at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, has received three job offers in Milwaukee and has been asked to return to IBM for a 2007 internship. He wrote to EntryPoint! to say "AAAS has changed my life." Read the newspaper article.
AAAS’s EntryPoint! has developed partnerships with private industry and government agencies to place talented students with disabilities who are pursuing careers in science, engineering, and related fields into paid summer internships. These positions facilitate the entry and advance of students into competitive employment and research at all levels. Read more about this program from the AAAS Project on Science, Technology and Disability.
AAAS Engages the Public in Science Issues
The mission of AAAS to advance science and serve society includes speaking out to the public to promote discussion on vital issues. A new outdoor banner on AAAS’s Washington, D.C. headquarters building inspires passersby to think about alternative energy sources, and a special web page provides public information on sustainable development: www.aaas.org/info . Recently, another display at the US National Institutes of Health engaged scientists in support for increased US science funding, with directions to a web page giving information on the R&D budget and science policy: www.aaas.org/support . Find out more about the initiatives of the AAAS Center for Public Engagement with S&T .
AAAS Science Careers
EVENTS, TOOLS, ADVICE
For job listings and career development, see http://www.sciencecareers.org/ .
Event: Peer Review, UNESCO, Paris, France
On 22 February, Stephen Simpson, Science senior editor for immunology, will run a workshop on publishing and the peer-review process as part of the UNESCO-L’Oreal annual "For Women in Science" week. Attendees will include the promising young female scientists who have received a 2007 international UNESCO-L’Oreal fellowship.
Information will be posted at http://www.forwomeninscience.org .
Careers Feature: Europe’s Brain Gain
The 2 March issue of Science includes a special careers feature focusing on Europe. While R&D spending might be down, Europe’s commitment to transforming itself into a dynamic and competitive knowledge-based economy is firmer than ever. The article explores the European Council’s 7th Framework Program and the newly formed European Research Council, and examines funding initiatives in the United Kingdom,
Germany, and France. To access the article and read about job opportunities, go to
http://www.sciencecareers.org/ after 2 March. To place recruitment or branding ads in the 2 March issue, contact Tracy Holmes, tholmes@science-int.co.uk .
Event: Navigating the Peer-Review Process, BioVisionNxt, Lyon, France
On 10 March, ScienceCareers.org and L’Oreal will host an afternoon panel on "Navigating the Peer-Review Process" as part of BioVisionNxt 2007. Speakers include Joanne Baker, Science editor for space and earth science, and the panel will be chaired by Seema Sharma, ScienceCareers.org Programme Director for Europe. The day-long program brings together 100 of the most promising Ph.D.s, postdocs, and science-based M.B.A.s from leading universities and research institutions around the world and is part of The World Life Sciences Forum 2007.
Information >>
Event: What is the Alternative? Non-Academic Careers for Life Science Postdocs, Cambridge, UK
On 23 March, ScienceCareers.org and the University of Cambridge Careers Service will present a day of practical information on careers outside academia for life science postdocs. Expert panelists will provide insight into diverse careers away from the academic bench including management consultancy, publishing, research administration, and communication. An interactive session to help postdocs get on track with applications and personal action plans will be run by Cambridge University Careers adviser Anne Forde and ScienceCareers.org’s Seema Sharma. Stella Hurtley, Science senior editor for cell biology will be a panelist.
Information >>
Careers Feature: Cancer Research
On 6 April, Science Careers will publish a feature on Cancer Research Careers in Science and online at http://www.sciencecareers.org . Find out how developments in research are having an impact on the job market in academia, government, and industry. To place an ad adjacent to this feature, contact Daryl Anderson at +1 (202) 326-6543 or danderso@aaas.org .
AAAS Announcements
ITEMS OF INTEREST
Science Magazine NewsBlog Launches -- Focus on Sustainability
Look in on the meeting, 15-19 February, via a special Science magazine news blog covering headline-making, groundbreaking research plus fascinating tidbits, Q&As, and more. Science reporters and editors will make regular postings and you are invited to add your own comments and feedback. Join the conversation on sustainable well-being at http://blogs.sciencemag.org/newsblog/ . Additional coverage of the AAAS Annual Meeting will be posted each evening on ScienceNOW.
Apply for a Minority Science Writers Internship at Science (Deadline 1 March)
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., USA headquarters of AAAS. Get more info and an application for the summer 2007 program >>
Nominate High School Science Teachers for a New AAAS Prize (Deadline 1 April)
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. For more information about the prize and the nomination criteria, contact Lester P. Matlock, +1 (202) 326-6666 or lmatlock@aaas.org .
Apply for a 2007 Canon National Parks Science Scholarship (Deadline 3 May)
The program, a collaboration of Canon, AAAS, and the US National Park Service, will award eight US$80,000 scholarships to Ph.D. students throughout the Americas to conduct research critical to conserving national parks. Research projects in the biological, physical, social, and cultural sciences are eligible, as well as projects in technology innovation in support of conservation science. For information and a copy of the Application Guide, go to http://www.canonscholars.org .
Attend a Panel Discussion During the Cambridge Science Festival
On 22 March, "The Scale of Scientific Issues" will examine the aspects of doing research from the nano-scale up to global and universal issues. Panelists Lord Martin Rees, Professor Bill Sutherland, and Dr. Andrea Brand will answer questions and Tim Radford will chair the discussion. The evening event, at the University of Cambridge Law Faculty on Sidgwick Avenue, is part of the annual Cambridge Science Festival, 12-25 March. Information >>
Awards Made in Undergraduate Science Research
Fifteen US colleges and universities have been selected for awards from the Merck/ AAAS Undergraduate Science Research Program. The awards provide up to US$60,000, paid over three years, for use by the biology and chemistry departments at the recipient institution. The national competition, launched in 2000 to build capacity in the biomedical sciences, is funded by the Merck Institute for Science Education and administered by AAAS.
Grants Announced to Support Secondary School Science
AAAS has awarded grants of up to US$1,500 in the 2007 AAAS Student Research Grants Program, sponsored with the National Association of Academies of Science. The program provides support for the NAAS member academies to stimulate and improve research in all fields of science by secondary school students.
Look Back in Time with Science Classic
Check Volume I, Issue I from July 1880, and every issue through 1996, with Science Classic. Move forward in time, accessing issues from 1997 through today with Science Online. The journal’s entire collection is easy to search and read in sharp, print-quality text with optimized files for fast web transmission. Free to members with your Science Online username and password.
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 +1 (202) 326-6636 or visit our website We thank our many supporters who help us meet the ever-changing opportunities for new initiatives.
AAAS MEMBER BENEFIT
Subaru VIP Partners Program
AAAS Members save up to $3,000 off the manufacturer’s suggested retail price of a new Subaru through the Subaru VIP Partners Program. The VIP Program allows AAAS members to purchase or lease any new Subaru vehicle at Dealer Invoice Cost. Before visiting your local Subaru dealer, you must first e-mail the AAAS Member Services Office, or call at 202-326-6417. Information >>
Meet Up at Upcoming Events
Stop by the AAAS booth to pick up your member pin.
British Society of Immunology (BSI) Congress, 19-23 February, Glasgow, UK. Information >>
Pittcon 2007, 26-28 February, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Information >>
Biophysical Society 51st Annual Meeting, 4-6 March, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Information >>.
American Chemical Society (ACS) National Meeting & Exposition, 26-28 March, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Information >>
Society of Toxicology (SOT) Annual Meeting and ToxExpo, 26-28 March, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.
Information >>
Additional Meetings of Interest
First International Symposium on Thymosins in Health and Disease, 21-24 March,
Washington, D.C., USA. Information >>
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Inverse Problems and Biology, 20-22 April, Okinawa, Japan. Information >>
11th International Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) Conference, 13-16 May, Asilomar, California, USA. Information >>
Find Other Meetings and Events
Search our database of meetings, conferences, career fairs, career workshops, courses, and awards.
READ ON, ONLINE
AAAS News & Notes appears in Science in the last issue of each month. Or access http://www.aaas.org/ or http://www.scienceonline.org/ .
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