Message to Members: Addressing Critical Climate Change Issues Message to Members News to Note Advancing Science, Serving Society R&D Funding: Advocating and Reporting Addressing a subcommittee of the US House of Representatives Appropriations Committee on 28 February, AAAS CEO Alan I. Leshner warned members that the 2008 budget proposed by the White House would decrease federal science spending and dwindle the "vital feedstock for innovation in the US economy." Read the full testimony submitted to the House subcommittee. On 7 March, Dr. Leshner testified during a US Senate hearing on the future of the nation’s agricultural research programs, urging that more funding go to outside scientists who win competitive grants. Read the full text or listen to the testimony. The basis for the congressional testimony is a recent report from the AAAS R&D Budget Policy Program that shows proposed increases in FY 2008 for weapons program development, space exploration, and basic physical science but also proposed cuts across most other research-related areas from health and agriculture to climate, environmental regulation, and defense. AAAS applauded members of Congress for the recently finalized 2007 budget that provides much more balanced increases for R&D. See the full preliminary report on the proposed FY 2008 budget, the analysis of the joint funding resolution on the 2007 budget, and letters to congressional leaders. Access the Science and Policy Programs website. BiosciEdNet(BEN): Redesigned Library Portal More than 4,700 reviewed resources covering 77 topics in biological sciences are freely accessible to college and university educators through an innovative digital library spearheaded by AAAS. Now, navigation updates offer easier-to-use advanced search functions enabling educators to sort topics into grade-level categories. To increase awareness and use of this valuable tool, 21 undergraduate faculty members who are leaders in biological science teaching and learning have been named as the first cohort of BEN Scholars. More information and the list of scholars. The BEN Collaborative portal, established in 1999 by AAAS and 11 other professional societies and primarily funded by the National Science Foundation, contains lesson plans, articles, movies, and other resources. Join the community of more than 8,000 educators who are using the BEN portal, the National Science Digital Library (NSDL) Pathway for biological science education: www.biosciednet.org . Science Careers For job listings and career development, see www.sciencecareers.org . Event: Ph.D. - What Next? Society for General Microbiology Meeting, Manchester, UK On 28 March, ScienceCareers.org will sponsor this workshop for Ph.D. students and first year postdocs who are planning their next career move. The session will focus on employability and will include a panel discussion and the opportunity to meet scientists in diverse careers. More information Event: Student Conference on Conservation Science University of Cambridge, UK This international event, 27-29 March supported by Science /AAAS, will be held in the university’s zoology department. The conference will help young conservation scientists gain experience, make contacts, and develop new ideas that will benefit their future careers. Information: http://www.sccs-cam.org/. Event: What is the Alternative? Non-Academic Career Paths BNA Meeting, Harrogate, UK On 4 April, ScienceCareers.org will hold a special event for postdoctoral researchers and Ph.D. candidates during the British Neuroscience Annual Meeting. The session will provide the chance to meet scientists who have forged successful career paths outside academia in diverse sectors including research in the pharmaceutical industry, science communication, finance, and regulatory affairs. Information: e-mail Seema Sharma, ssharma@science-int.co.uk, or access the website. Event: Career Development Workshop Imperial College London, UK On 25 April, ScienceCareers.org will team with Imperial College to hold a full day of interactive workshops for postdoctoral researchers. Topics will include establishing an independent research group and crossing the academia-industry divide. The event, which also includes an interview clinic, is organized by Seema Sharma, ScienceCareers.org, and Imperial’s research project manager, Subo Shanmuganathan. Information: e-mail ssharma@science-int.co.uk. Careers Feature: Recruit Cancer Researchers On 6 April, reach 56,000 molecular biologists, 40,000 cell biologists, 23,000 cancer biologists, 15,000 signal transduction experts, and 15,000 American Association for Cancer Research meeting attendees by placing an ad adjacent to Science ’s feature on Cancer Research Careers. To place an ad, contact Daryl Anderson at 202-326-6543 or danderso@aaas.org AAAS Member Benefit Apple Products at Preferred Prices Apple and AAAS are offering a valuable new member benefit. Go to the online Apple Store for special prices on everything from MacBooks to iPods to accessories and free shipping on orders over US$50: www.apple.com/eppstore/aaas. Announcements Register for the Annual AAAS Forum on Science & Technology Policy On 3-4 May, the AAAS R&D Budget and Policy Program will host a two-day forum in Washington, D.C. Held each spring, the forum is recognized as the major US public meeting on S&T policy. This year’s meeting will cover up-to-date R&D budget information and policy issues. Expected participants include John H. Marburger, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; US Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN), chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology; and Sherwood Boehlert, public policy scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and former chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology. Space is limited. For detailed information and advanced registration at discounted rates, go to www.aaas.org/spp/rd/forum.htm . GrantsNet Expands to Include Federal Science Grants GrantsNet has expanded its listings of some 900 funding programs from private foundations and not-for-profit organizations to include 400 to 500 new entries from the US government’s central funding portal. This provides the first comprehensive database of funding opportunities to research scientists and administrators, career counselors, financial aid specialists, and undergraduate and graduate students. For listings, go to www.grantsnet.org. Read About Recent AAAS Award Winners During the February Annual Meeting, AAAS honored major contributors to science in the areas of research, journalism, mentoring, freedom and responsibility, international cooperation, and public understanding. Find out about the winners in the full story. 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. Applications Now Open for Two Prizes from Science Science and its partners, GE and Eppendorf, are offering scientists two opportunities to win prizes worth US$25,000. The GE & Science Prize for Young Life Scientists rewards research in molecular biology by outstanding graduate students.Entry deadline is 15 July. Full details for the GE & Science prize. The Eppendorf & Science Prize for Neurobiology is awarded to researchers in neurobiology who hold an advanced degree and are age 35 or younger. Entries must be postmarked by 15 June. Full details for the Eppendorf & Science prize. 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: www.cambridgescience.org. Join the AAAS SWARM Division Annual Meeting From 18 to 21 April, the 82nd Annual Meeting of the Southwestern and Rocky Mountain (SWARM) Division of AAAS will be held in Texas at the University of Houston-Clear Lake. Go to www.aaas-swarm.org to view the 2007 Preliminary Program and to pre-register. Appreciate the Art of Science and Spirituality at the AAAS Gallery Through 27 April, an exhibit entitled "Pay Attention: A Father/Daughter Collaboration" features wood sculpture by Charlie Brouwer and oil and acrylic paintings by Jennifer L. Collins. The show, sponsored by the AAAS Center for the Art of Science and Technology, is at AAAS headquarters, 1200 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. See examples of the art that seeks to understand the earth and its place in the universe and read about other AAAS programs that encourage an appreciation of the link between science and religion: Full article 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 www.canonscholars.org. 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 go to our website. We thank our many supporters who help us meet the ever-changing opportunities for new initiatives. Meet Up at Upcoming Events AAAS/ Science will have a booth at the following events. Stop by to pick up your member pin. Biotechnology Vendor Showcase™, 22 March, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA. Information American Chemical Society (ACS) National Meeting, 26-28 March, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Information Society of Toxicology (SOT) Annual Meeting, 26-28 March, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. Information National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) National Conference, 29-31 March, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Information British Society for Cell Biology, British Society for Developmental Biology, and Genetics Society Joint Meeting, 29 March-1 April, Edinburgh, UK. Information British Neuroscience Association (BNA) National Meeting, 1-4 April, Harrogate, UK. Information BioResearch Product Faire™, 11 April, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Information American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), 15-18 April, Los Angeles, California, USA. Information European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly, 15-20 April, Vienna, Austria. Information Society for Biomolecular Screening (SBS) Annual Conference, 16-18 April, Montreal, Canada. Information Experimental Biology (EB) Annual Meeting, 29 April-1 May, Washington, D.C., USA. Information Additional Meetings of Interest Society for Experimental Biology (SEB) at Glasgow 2007, 31 March-4 April, Glasgow, UK. Information Joint MBI-Molecular Virology, Immunology, and Medical Genetics Workshop, 12-13 April, Columbus, Ohio, USA. Information Drug Discovery and Development Partnering, Licensing and R&D Innovation Summit, 25-27 April, Tokyo, Japan. Information International Aids Society (IAS) Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, 22-25 July, Sydney, Australia. Information European Life Scientists Organization-ELSO 2007, 1-4 September, Dresden, Germany. Information European Science Foundation (ESF) Conferences, 16-19 September, Lisbon, Portugal. Information Find Other Meetings and Events Search our database of meetings, conferences, career fairs, career workshops, courses, and awards. More About AAAS AAAS News & Notes appears in Science in the last issue of each month. The website for AAAS Read Science magazine online Renew your membership Change your address or other info at aaasmember.org |