AAAS in Action
NEWS TO NOTE

Building Science and Engineering Capacity
In 2004, the AAAS Center for Advancing Science and Engineering Capacity was established to provide consultant services to individual universities and colleges seeking to increase the participation of all students, particularly women and underrepresented minorities, in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers. In two years, the center, founded with a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, has built momentum toward its goal. Read about the programs to broaden participation in computing, transform teaching through technology, and offer undergraduates summer research opportunities: http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2006/1003capacity.shtml .

Advancing Research at Historically Black Colleges and Universities
A grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation focuses on the need to draw scientists and engineers from the broadest possible talent pool. Awarded to the AAAS Education and Human Resources directorate, this grant will support annual conferences for awardees of the NSF’s Historically Black College and Universities (HBCU) Undergraduate Program. During three fall meetings, beginning in 2007, conferees will gather for workshops, research presentations, and recruitment activities. Read more about the efforts to increase participation of underrepresented groups in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics: http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2006/0925hbcu.shtml .

Speaking Out on Climate Change
"The business-as-usual way of dealing with the Earth’s system is not an option," warned Sir Crispin Tickell, delivering the 2006 Robert C. Barnard Environmental Lecture to a full auditorium at AAAS in Washington , D.C. The director of the Policy Foresight Programme of the James Martin Institute at Oxford University first brought the problem of human-induced climate change to wide public attention nearly 30 years ago. Today, he states that global climate change poses a greater threat to society than terrorism and that vested interests in the United States are preventing a swift global response. Read more about his proposed solutions and access the full text of his address:
http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2006/1002tickell.shtml .

I.D. Deception: "Critical Analysis"
Intelligent design advocates in Ohio are expanding their campaign for "critical analysis" of evolution to other politically sensitive issues, such as embryonic stem cell research. This new attempt to inject a narrow religious doctrine into the state’s science curriculum was rebutted by AAAS CEO Alan I. Leshner in a mid-September commentary in the Akron Beacon-Journal. Dr. Leshner urged voters in Ohio’s state Board of Education races to be wary of the ruse that would turn the scientific method upside-down, providing no hard evidence and threatening the integrity of the science classroom. Read the commentary: http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2006/0913id.shtml .

AAAS at Work
PROGRAMS AT THE FOREFRONT

S&T Fellows: The Power of Science Diplomacy
On the eve of the mid-July GeoInformation for Sustainable Cities forum in Amman, Jordan, war broke out in Lebanon, just 150 miles away. The forum, planned by a current and a former AAAS Diplomacy Fellow working with the U.S. State Department, started on schedule, with added emphasis on collaboration and commonality in both the science objective of innovative development and the diplomatic goal of strengthening relationships between the West and the Muslim world. Fifty planners, scholars, and government officials from 10 countries in the Middle East and North Africa attended, along with U.S. government and industry representatives. Read about the high-level exchange on the uses of geographic information systems (GIS), from tracking leaks in an urban water system to charting broad development and poverty patterns: http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2006/0918amman.shtml .

Become a AAAS S&T Policy Fellow
For more than three decades, AAAS S&T Policy Fellowships have placed Ph.D.-level scientists and engineers in nearly a dozen U.S. government agencies and the U.S. Congress. Career-advancing positions provide a unique public policy learning experience and an opportunity to apply scientific and technical knowledge and analytical skills to national and international issues. The application deadline for 2007-2008 Fellowships, which begin in September, is 20 December 2006 . To access an online application and full details on criteria, guidelines, program areas, and instructions, go to http://www.fellowships.aaas.org .

Science Policy: Animal Rights Extremists
In a September letter to the U.S House Judiciary Committee, AAAS voiced strong support for the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act. The bill, which is pending, would strengthen laws against harassment, threats, or intimidation of scientists who are involved with biomedical research with lab animals, covering individuals, organizations, and researchers’ families. Read the letter from Gilbert S. Omenn, AAAS Board Chairman, and the latest in a series of AAAS resolutions which stress the value of animals in research as well as responsibility for proper care:
http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2006/0907animal.shtml

Promoting sound science policy is a major initiative of AAAS. Programs include the Center for Science, Technology, and Congress which provides timely, objective information to legislators; ongoing R&D budget analysis; and other areas such as security, human rights, and scientific freedom and responsibility. Find out more about the AAAS Science & Policy effort: http://www.aaas.org/programs/science_policy/ .

Education: Updating Science Update
Acrobatic ants, dinosaur diversity, music composed by a volcano, electric healing--the latest discoveries in science, technology, and medicine are reported daily in the quirky, entertaining, and informative Science Update . Children, students, families, and all listeners can phone in or submit questions online and download the week’s features in the Science Update Podcast. Teachers can use the latest science news to teach standards-based science. See the website’s new look, check the archives, and listen to the latest installments at http://scienceupdate.com/newsite/index.php .

Since its debut in 1988, the 60-second news brief has won numerous New York Festival World Medals. Science Update is available to commercial radio stations across the country. Read more about the show: http://scienceupdate.com/newsite/about.php .

AAAS Science Careers
EVENTS, TOOLS, ADVICE

For job listings and career development, see http://www.sciencecareers.org/ .

Grant Writing: Submitting a Successful Application
Report from 6 October, University of Manchester , Manchester , UK
Read a report of the workshop for postdoctoral researchers, organized by Seema Sharma, Programme Director for Europe, including a step-by-step strategy for securing a grant.

From Patent to Profit: Commercialising Your Research
26 October, EuroBio 2006, Paris, France
The Pan-European bio-conference provides a forum for investors, industry representatives, and life science professionals. As part of the EuroBio career fair, ScienceCareers.org is hosting an event aimed at budding entrepreneurial researchers. Panelists will offer expert advice on business models and securing financing for business ventures in this interactive session. For more information, contact Seema Sharma at sharma@science-int.co.uk .

Put Your Ph.D. to Work: A Career Symposium for Scientists
27 October, Sheraton Milwaukee-Brookfield, Brookfield , Wisconsin , U.S.A.
Garth Fowler, outreach coordinator for ScienceCareers.org, will deliver a plenary lecture at this event co-sponsored by the Medical College of Wisconsin, the University of Minnesota , and the Mayo Clinic. Topics will include how scientists can improve their interviewing skills and market themselves for jobs outside of academia. Access the website for the event: http://www.mcw.edu/display/router.asp?docid=18263 .

AAAS Announcements
ITEMS OF INTEREST

Attend the Abelson Advancing Science Seminar
On 26 October, the day-long 2006 Philip Hauge Abelson Advancing Science Seminar presents "Microbes, Minerals, and the Environment" at AAAS headquarters in Washington , D.C. The seminar, furthering Dr. Abelson’s vision, encourages participants to think about where science is going--addressing how interactions among microbes, minerals, the environment, and people have shaped the ecology of the earth, and discussing new strategies for harnessing these interactions for bioremediation, climate control, and materials science. For information, contact AAAS Development at +1 (202) 326-6636 or e-mail advancesseminar@aaas.org .

View the AAAS President’s Climate Change Message
Watch a brief interview with Dr. John P. Holdren, President of AAAS, Director of the Woods Hole Research Center , and Teresa and John Heinz Professor of Environmental Policy at Harvard University , regarding global climate change at http://www.aaas.org/programs/centers/pe/index.shtml . The video is a preview of the upcoming town hall, " Communicating and Learning About Climate Change: An Event for Teachers, Students and Other Communicators ," which will be held Sunday, 18 February, 2007, 1:15 p.m.–5:30 p.m. at the 2007 AAAS Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California. During this informative interview, Dr. Holdren provides thoughtful insights to compelling questions related to climate change that will be explored further at the town hall.

Register Online for the 2007 AAAS Annual Meeting
From 15-19 February, in San Francisco , California , AAAS will convene "Science and Technology for Sustainable Well-Being." Join thousands of peers for more than 200 symposia, seminars, and plenary and topical lectures covering the health, energy, environment, education, and security issues affecting sustainable well-being worldwide. For details and to register, go to http://www.aaas.org/meetings/Annual_Meeting/01_REG/Register.shtml .

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 now 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. Read the new classic:
http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2006/0914science-classic.shtml .

Access the Sequencing Collection
The newest Science Collection Booklet, the Sequencing Collection , has just been published. This compilation brings together a range of papers previously published in Science that demonstrate the practical use of recent advances in sequencing technologies, as well as thought-provoking articles from Robert Service and Richard Gibbs that challenge scientists to produce a $1,000 genome sequence. Access the full text or download a PDF at http://www.sciencemag.org/products/collectionbooks/sequence.pdf .

Navigate the Redesigned STKE Site
AAAS’s Signal Transduction Knowledge Environment presents a mix of tools and approaches that are stable, scalable, interoperable, and cost effective for providing information on cell signaling with improved navigation, new advanced search options, and new personalization features. Expanded links and quick article summaries further expedite research. To check the contents of the current issue and to subscribe, go to
http://stke.sciencemag.org/ .

Designate AAAS in the U.S. Combined Federal Campaign
U.S. government employees can encourage innovation in science and engineering by designating AAAS in the CFC, number 9850, listed among national and international organizations. All contributions go to the AAAS Fund for Excellence, which assists critical initiatives in science and technology. The official solicitation period is 1 September – 15 December. For information, go to http://www.aaas.org/makeagift.shtml or call AAAS Development at +1 (202) 326-6636.

To support AAAS’s ongoing efforts to increase scientific leadership on key science and technology issues, you may also make a gift online by visiting http://www.aaas.org/makeagift.shtml

Member Benefit of the Month: Paragon Real Estate Resources, Inc.
Paragon offers AAAS members a complete package of real estate, mortgage, and moving services. Find out how to receive real estate rebates, mortgage credits, and a free home warranty. Call 1-888-509-6087 (within the U.S. ) or visit www.paragonreri.com/AAAS .

Watch Dream Science Classroom on The Science Channel
On 29 October at 8:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time, AAAS partner The Science Channel will premiere a one-hour show that chronicles the design-and-build of a new state-of-the-art middle school science classroom. As many AAAS members know, a number of science classrooms around the country are in dire need of a "makeover." After a nationwide search, The Science Channel selected Brad Edwards, a seventh-grade science teacher in Rahway , New Jersey , to be surprised with a brand new science classroom. Tune in, or watch a preview of the show online at http://www.aaas.org/media/dream.wmv (Windows Media), or http://www.aaas.org/media/dream.mov (QuickTime)

Meet Up at Upcoming Events
Stop by the AAAS booth to pick up your member pin.

National Science Teachers Association Midwestern Area Conference, 19-21 October, Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.A. Information: http://www.nsta.org/conferencedetail&Meeting_Code=2006OMA .

California Science Teachers Association - California Science Education Conference, 19-22 October, San Francisco, California, U.S.A. Information: http://www.cascience.org/conference&events.html .

EuroBio 2006, 25-27 October, Paris, France. Information: http://www.eurobio2006.com .

Human Proteome Organization - 5 th Annual World Congress, 28 October-1 November, Long Beach, California, U.S.A. Information: http://www.hupo.org/congress/ .

2006 American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists Annual Meeting and Exposition, 29 October-2 November, San Antonio, Texas , U.S.A. Information: http://www.aapspharmaceutica.com/meetings/annualmeet/am06/index.asp .

National Science Teachers Association - Eastern Area Conference, 2-4 November, Baltimore, Maryland , U.S.A. Information: http://www.nsta.org/conferencedetail&Meeting_Code=2006BAL .

Additional Meetings of Interest

The 22nd Annual International Conference on Soils, Sediments and Water , 16-19 October, Amherst, Massachusetts , U.S.A.

EuroBiO 2006 Tenth European Biotech Crossroads, 25-27 October, Paris, France.

Intramural Training and Education, Session Series September 28-November 23, Bethesda, Maryland , U.S.A.

Molecular Biology in the 21st Century: Interface, Integration, and Perspectives, 12-14 November, Taiwan, Institute of Molecular Biology/Academia Sinica.

Janelia Conferences Spring 2007, 4 March 2007-2 May 2007, Chevy Chase, Maryland, U.S.A., Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Critical Issues in Tumor Microcirculation, Angiogenesis and Metastasis: Biological Significance and Clinical Relevance, 5-8 June 2007, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

International Brain Research Organization (IBRO) World Congress of Neuroscience, 12-17 July 2007, Melbourne , Australia . Abstract and Early Registration Deadline: 31 January 2007 . Information:
http://www.ibro2007.org or e-mail ibro2007@sallyjayconferences.com.au .


Find Other Meetings and Events
Search our database of meetings, conferences, career fairs, career workshops, courses, and awards: http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/meetings .

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/ .