Dear AAAS Member,

Three scientific researchers whose climate studies suggest temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere are warmer than they have been for a thousand years recently received a demand from the U.S. Congress for detailed documentation of their work and professional histories. AAAS has expressed deep concern that this demand gives the impression of a search to discredit the scientists rather than to seek understanding of their work.

In a letter to U.S. Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, AAAS stressed that the papers in question had been subjected to multiple levels of peer review prior to publication in leading scientific journals as well as inclusion in the reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). While stating that Congress has an important role in the oversight of federally funded research, AAAS also cautioned that, when weighing policy-related scientific work, the proven approach of hearings, meetings with individual experts, and studies commissioned by relevant executive branch agencies remains superior to the approach taken in the round of letters to climate scientists.

Read the full text of our response, which also was reported in major newspapers including the New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal, at http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2005/0714letter.shtml.

Thank you for your support in our continuing effort to defend the integrity of the scientific enterprise and its products.

Sincerely,

Alan I. Leshner, CEO, AAAS

P.S. See our Historic Milestone of the Month articles on the Theory of Relativity, part of a series honoring the 125th birthday of Science.

AAAS Releases Update on R&D Funding in the U.S. Budget
The recent update, now available on the AAAS R&D website, details federal funds which were added to FY 2006 Appropriations prior to the August U.S. congressional recess. Read about increases in biomedical R&D and environmental research and the key programs for which the U.S. House and Senate still need to resolve funding levels:
http://www.aaas.org/spp/rd.

AAAS Cautions Against "Deemed Export" Proposal
AAAS is urging the U.S. Department of Commerce to reconsider proposed changes to its “deemed export” rules that would require universities to determine if foreign nationals must receive federal licenses to use sensitive research equipment. Read the letter detailing how this attempt to tighten control over the export of technical knowledge would actually diminish national security while also hurting the U.S. economy and research competitiveness: http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2005/0706de.shtml.

Two AAAS Leaders Cited as Minority Trailblazers
Shirley Ann Jackson, AAAS chair, and Shirley Malcom, director of Education and Human Resources, have been named to Science Spectrum magazine’s first list of minority trailblazers in science. Read about their accomplishments and this recent honor for “making contributions that have uplifted their communities and maintained a powerful position of influence regarding public policy for minorities in science” at
http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2005/0728trailblazers.shtml.

Packard/AAAS Graduate Scholars Share Experiences
Fifty young science and technology scholars who are past graduates of historically black colleges and universities in the United States gathered in July to talk about their Ph.D. pursuits at major research institutions. The prestigious Graduate Scholars Program was founded by the Packard Foundation in 1992 and has been managed by AAAS since late 2003. Some 147 five-year scholarships have been awarded. Read about these outstanding young scientists and engineers: http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2005/0725gsp.shtml.

Science: The Past and the Future
Top scientists gathered at AAAS on 7 July to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the journal Science, honoring the discoveries of the past and pondering the mysteries of the future. The lively and wide-ranging sessions covered challenging questions and predicted new investigative tools to progress toward answers. What is the biological basis of consciousness? Can the physical laws of nature be unified? What about the 90 percent of the universe made of unseen “dark matter”? Read more about these intriguing discussions: http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2005/0712anniv.shtml.

Iraq: Speeding Science Recovery
In July, during the first visit by Iraqi education officials to key U.S. institutions since Saddam Hussein’s ouster, AAAS hosted a public discussion on the future of Iraq’s higher education and scientific research. Reporting that 84 percent of Iraq’s university facilities have been burned, looted, or destroyed, an official outlined ways that the United States could help rebuild science including the use of surplus equipment from American universities. Read about the discussion and the work of AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellows in Iraq: http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2005/0707iraq.shtml.

Historic Milestone of the Month: Theory of Relativity
As part of the 2005 celebration of the 125th anniversary of Science, last December’s Voice Your Opinion Poll asked AAAS members to name the leading scientific breakthrough since 1880. Their top choices have been selected for a monthly free-access reprint from the archives of the journal Science, courtesy of JSTOR.org. Access http://promo.aaas.org/kn_marketing/pdfs/Science_1940_0524.pdf and http://promo.aaas.org/kn_marketing/pdfs/Science_1956_0323.pdf.

Watch a Slide Show of Science’s London Party
On 14 July at the Natural History Museum in London Science celebrated its 125th anniversary with a festive reception for AAAS members and guests. Watch a slide show of the event, hosted by the editors and staff: http://www.aaas.org/news/press_room/125/reception.shtml.

Compete in the Young Scientist Awards
GE Healthcare and Science/AAAS co-sponsor the Young Scientist Award, recognizing outstanding graduate students from around the world for their thesis work in molecular biology, described in a 1,000- word essay for judging. Those who received a Ph.D. in 2004 are eligible. The deadline for entries is 30 September. For complete details, go to http://www.sciencemag.org/feature/data/prizes/ge/index.shtml.

Get Advice on Pharmaceutical Careers Online
From 22 to 26 August, go online to the Science Careers Forum, hosted by David Lathbury, director of process chemistry, AstraZeneca. For answers and advice about careers in the pharmaceutical industry, and for job seeker and employer links, go to http://www.sciencecareers.org/.

Learn Interviewing Skills in San Francisco
Jump start your job search by attending Interviewing Skills for Scientists Entering Industry Science at the UC-San Francisco Mission Bay Campus on Wednesday, 7 September. The discussion is sponsored by Genome Canada, the UCSF Career Office, and Science’s Next Wave and ScienceCareers.org. To learn more and to register, go to http://nextwave.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2005/07/29/2.

Find Out about Ivory Towers vs. the Corporate Boardroom in Dublin
On 8 September in Dublin, Ireland, find out if the distinction between commercial and noncommercial research careers is a real one. Join Science’s Next Wave, Sense About Science, and experts from industry, academia, and government-funded research organizations for a stimulating discussion and networking buffet at Trinity College Dublin. To register go to http://nextwave.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2005/07/28/1.

Meet with Planetary Scientists in Cambridge
Science/AAAS is a sponsor of the 37th Annual Meeting, Division of Planetary Sciences, American Astronomical Society, 4 to 9 September at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. Join an international group at this meeting, held in association with the Royal Astronomical Society. Go to
http://www-outreach.phy.cam.ac.uk/dps2005/index.html.

American Chemical Society Meeting and Exposition, 28 August-1 September, Washington, DC, U.S.A. Information:
http://www.chemistry.org/portal/a/c/s/1/acsdisplay.html?DOC=meetings%5cwashington2005%5chome.html.

Human Proteome Organization (HUPO) Fourth Annual World Congress, 28 August-1 September, Munich, Germany. Information: http://www.hupo2005.com/.

European Life Scientist Organization (ELSO) 2005, 3-6 September, Dresden, Germany. Information: http://www.elso.org/index.php?id=elso2005.

BA Festival of Science, 5-10 September, Dublin, Ireland. Information:
http://www.the-ba.net/the-ba/Events/FestivalofScience/.