Message to Members: HIV/AIDS: The 25th 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 Read On, Online: Science Sites This month's Advances is sponsored by Polyplus-transfection Polyplus's INTERFERin TM siRNA transfection reagent achieves over 90% silencing efficiency at 1 nM siRNA in a wide variety of cells with excellent viability. Using low siRNA concentrations avoids unwanted toxic and off-target effects. INTERFERin TM is ready to use and the transfection protocol is simple. It is compatible with serum and antibiotics. For more information, go to INTERFERin TM siRNA transfection reagent page and ask for a trial size. Message to Members HIV/AIDS: THE 25th YEAR Dear AAAS Member, Since the 1981 discovery of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, much progress in prevention and treatment has been made but great challenges remain. The overlooked epidemic in Latin America and the Caribbean was the topic of the 28 July special issue of Science , in a series of ten articles reported by correspondent and prize-winning author Jon Cohen. This issue, accompanied by a video presentation of film clips and interviews and a photo essay, is free to all visitors at http://www.sciencemag.org/sciext/aidsamericas/ . Also to mark a quarter-century of the AIDS crisis, Science /AAAS is supporting the XVI International AIDS conference, which is meeting now in Toronto , Canada . The world's largest gathering of HIV/AIDS scientists, policy makers, and educators is exploring the latest developments in research, policy, and practice and devising strategies to strengthen global response. AAAS, with the support of our members, works to advance science and serve society globally. Thank you. Sincerely, Alan I. Leshner, CEO, AAAS AAAS in Action NEWS TO NOTE Speaking Out on Kansas Evolution Controversy Last year, the Kansas State Board of Education pushed through science education standards that open the way toward teaching religious doctrine in public schools. In early August primaries, moderates wrested control of the board from the 6-4 conservative majority, all but assuring a positive change in the evolution debate following the November elections. Prior to these primaries, AAAS Chair Gilbert S. Omenn and CEO Alan I. Leshner spoke out in a commentary in the Wichita Eagle which stressed that science has no inherent conflict with religion and urged voters to reject arguments by extremists and support strong science education. Read the published opinion piece: http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2006/0731wichita.shtml . Addressing Climate Change "Time to get serious about climate change," a 30 July op-ed piece in the San Francisco Chronicle by AAAS President John P. Holdren and CEO Alan I. Leshner, cited a new study in Science that links the sharp increase in large wildfires in Western U.S. forests to warmer temperatures and earlier snowmelts. Adaptations such as new dams and dikes "will be essential because the climate is already changing and will change more before measures to reduce or counter society's emissions of heat-trapping gases can take hold." They also called for further dramatic improvements in energy efficiency and policy. Read about possible solutions and the urgent call for the public and U.S. leaders to muster the political will for serious action: http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2006/0801chronicle.shtml . Continuing Push for Funding of Stem Cell Research Prior to the U.S. Senate's July vote to loosen government restrictions on funding of stem cell research, AAAS addressed a Senate panel and wrote letters to each member of the Senate. Following the Presidential veto of the legislation, AAAS continues to advocate access to additional embryonic stem cell lines by federally funded researchers, and speaking out in public forums. Read about the AAAS position: http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2006/0714stemcells.shtml . Urging R&D Funding of Broad Research Fields In a July letter to U.S. Senate appropriations committees, AAAS urged a broad, balanced portfolio of R&D investments across all fields of physical, biological, behavioral, and social sciences. Read the letter encouraging lawmakers to support programs essential to innovation, the economy, and health and well-being, as final work begins on a funding bill for science agencies: http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2006/0711letter.shtml . Seminar Previews Neuroscience Impact on Court Cases Federal, state, and local judges and professors of law, psychology, philosophy, and neural science grappled with the legal impact of emerging issues in neuroscience during a recent seminar. The seminar, funded by the Dana Foundation, was organized by AAAS's Scientific Freedom, Responsibility and Law Program in cooperation with the Federal Judicial Center and the National Center for State Courts. Read about how scans and data from brain imaging techniques are providing new challenges as judges assess the technologies that soon may be commonplace in court proceedings: http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2006/0712neuroscience.shtml . Survey Presented at EuroScience Reveals Challenges Facing Science Reporters An international survey of reporters and public information officers released 17 July during EuroScience 2006 showed that the most-cited challenge facing news-science reporters is finding researchers capable of explaining science in an understandable fashion. Other concerns included obtaining visuals to convey complex content and promoting science-news stories within tight reporting budgets. Read the full details of this survey sponsored by EurekAlert!, the AAAS global science-news network, presented during the session "Myths of science: Glowing monkeys, wonder dogs, and more," at http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2006/0718euroscience.shtml . AAAS Board Member Wins Gairdner International Award Thomas Pollard, M.D., was named winner of the prestigious 2006 Gairdner International Award for his research on cell mobility and human disease. Recognized along with Alan Hall of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Dr. Pollard is a member of the AAAS Board of Directors and chair of molecular, cellular, and developmental biology at Yale University . Read more about this pioneer in biochemical and biophysical analysis: http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2006/0717pollard.shtml . AAAS Minority Scientists Find Mentoring Crucial During the 2006 annual meeting of the AAAS Graduate Scholars Program, held mid-July, young African-American scientists talked about the positive effects of their graduate program advisers who became strong mentors. The program has been successful in guiding science and engineering scholars from historically black colleges and universities to doctoral degrees, making an important contribution to the U.S. talent pool. Read more about the effort, originally founded and financed by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation in 1992 and managed by AAAS since late 2003: http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2006/0802packard.shtml . AAAS Hosts Foreign Press Breakfast " Washington : A Capital of Science and Technology," a daylong series of meetings with science journalists and policy makers sponsored by the U.S. State Department Foreign Press Center on 19 July began at AAAS. The purpose of the meetings is to broaden foreign correspondents' understanding of U.S. institutions and policies to improve reporting of science and technology news. Read the remarks from AAAS and Science spokespeople and press science editors about scientific advances and roadblocks, the need for public engagement, and shrinking resources for science journalists: http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2006/0809glocally.shtml . AAAS at Work PROGRAMS AT THE FOREFRONT S&T Policy Fellows: Address by Newt Gingrich Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and 30-year AAAS member, predicted a fourfold increase in worldwide scientific knowledge during the next quarter century and questioned whether Americans can cope with the changes that will occur. In his mid-July address to S&T Fellows, he stressed the need to overhaul U.S. math and science education and called for greater interaction between policy makers and scientists, which is the mission of the fellowship program. Read about the address: http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2006/0727gingrich.shtml . Nearly 2,000 scientists and engineers have served as Fellows in U.S. congressional offices and federal agencies since the program was founded in 1973. The applications deadline for 2007-08 Fellowships is 20 December 2006 . Find out how to apply at http://www.fellowships.aaas.org . Download the Annual Review of S&T Policy Fellowships Read about the achievements, career pursuits, and collaborative efforts of the 2004-2005 AAAS Fellows. The 32 nd class was the largest to date with 145 first-year and second-year participants bringing their science expertise to the policy decision-making process in the U.S. Congress and federal agencies. Go to http://fellowships.aaas.org/ and click on the box at the lower right of the screen. AAAS Science Careers EVENTS, TOOLS, ADVICE For job listings and career development, see http://www.sciencecareers.org/ . Call for 2007 Annual Meeting Career Development Workshop Proposals Proposals for career development workshops to be conducted at the AAAS 2007 Annual Meeting, 15-19 February in San Francisco , California , are now being accepted. These participatory workshops provide tools for individuals seeking careers in science and for professionals already in the field who want to sharpen or supplement their skills. All proposals will be peer-reviewed. For proposal guidelines and submission information, go to the AAAS Annual Meeting website: http://www.aaas.org/meetings/Annual_Meeting/02_PE/PE_06_CareerProp.shtml . The deadline for submission is 15 September. AAAS Announcements ITEMS OF INTEREST Register for the AAAS Leadership Seminar in S&T Policy Registration is open for the 2006 AAAS Leadership Seminar in Science and Technology Policy, 13-17 November in Washington , D.C. The seminar is a "crash course" in science and technology policy, designed for those who need to know how policy really works, and features key people directly involved in federal policy-making. The registration deadline is 13 October, but a prompt response is advised as space is limited to 30 participants. Full information, including the seminar agenda and registration form, is at http://www.aaas.org/spp/leadership . Access Science Collections Booklets Online Now available in PDF format, the Science Collections booklets give a focused look at specialized life sciences research in areas including signal transduction, RNAi, and stem cells. Go to http://www.sciencemag.org/products . Don't Miss the Latest Science Podcast Patent Gender Gap, Human Decision Making, A Lunar Mystery, and More http://www.sciencemag.org/about/podcast.dtl . Tell Children, Parents, and Teachers About Science for Kids For summer or back-to-school, the Science for Kids website within the EurekAlert! portal makes learning both fun and exciting. A growing collection of news stories written weekly just for kids and based on research published in Science includes bees and flowers, meerkats, and mammoths. The site also has links to free games and other intriguing science resources. Go to http://www.eurekalert.org/scienceforkids/ . Make a Gift to Support AAAS Mission and Work Contributions from our members and friends are used in their entirety to fund innovative initiatives to meet new challenges in programs and activities of greatest urgency. Multiple, convenient, tax-deductible contribution options are available. For example, more than 1,000 corporations and organizations offer programs to match charitable contributions made by employees, either in whole or in part. Your human resources department can tell you if your organization participates. Also, through our credit card installment program, you can pledge a gift amount and schedule convenient monthly payments. For all options, go to http://www.aaas.org/aboutaaas/giving/types/designate.shtml or call the development team at (202) 326-6636. Thank you for your support. Member Benefit of the Month: AAAS Members Get Double Discount with Barnes & Noble Now through August 30, AAAS members receive a double discount at the AAAS/B&N.com bookstore. Instead of the usual 5% discount off the lowest price, members will receive a 10% discount. This includes textbooks, DVDs, CDs, and over one million titles in stock. Go to http://www.aaas.org/bn . Meet Up at Upcoming Events Stop by the AAAS booth to pick up your member pin. XVI International AIDS Conference , 13-18 August, Toronto , Canada . Information: http://www.aids2006.org/ . International Astronomical Union (IAU) XXVI General Assembly, 15-24 August, Prague , Czech Republic , stand 27. Information: http://www.astronomy2006.com . 16th European Congress of Immunology , 6-9 September, Paris , France , stand 79. Information: https://www.colloquium.fr/ei/cm.esp?id=146&pageid=_1FG0V2PVN . American Chemical Society, 232nd National Meeting & Exposition , 10-14 September, San Francisco , California , U.S.A. Information: http://acswebcontent.acs.org/nationalmeeting/sf06/home.html . Additional Meetings of Interest The Annual Meeting of the International Hormesis Society , 1-3 May 2007, Amherst , Massachusetts , U.S.A. Pharma R&D Partnering and Innovation India , 6-9 November, Mumbai , India . Science /AAAS is an event partner in the only international conference focusing on the business and science of NCE discovery innovation and the clinical trials in India to foster global partnerships. Early bird discounts are available. Go to www.drugdisc.com/india for details, or call +65 6514 3180. Mention code R3199 Science when registering. Find Other Meetings and Events Search our database of meetings, conferences, career fairs, career workshops, courses, and awards: http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/meetings . This month's Advances is sponsored by Polyplus-transfection Polyplus's INTERFERin TM siRNA transfection reagent achieves over 90% silencing efficiency at 1 nM siRNA in a wide variety of cells with excellent viability. Using low siRNA concentrations avoids unwanted toxic and off-target effects. INTERFERin TM is ready to use and the transfection protocol is simple. It is compatible with serum and antibiotics. For more information, go to INTERFERin TM siRNA transfection reagent page and ask for a trial size. 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/ .