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Sponsored by: The EMBO Meeting |
| Advances - The Monthly Newsletter for AAAS Members - March 2009 | |
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In this issue: Message to Members: Annual Meeting Report: Solving Global Problems News to Note: Highlights from the 2009 AAAS Annual Meeting, Darwin Symposium, Iranian Nuclear Progress News Briefing Advancing Science, Serving Society: AAAS Center for Science Science Careers: Upcoming Events, New Women in Science Booklet Announcements: Science/Eppendorf Prize Entry, AAAS Forum on S&T Policy, 2010 Annual Meeting Symposium Proposals, S&T in Society Conference, High School Teacher Leadership Prize, Atlas of Science Literacy Workshops Sponsored By:  http://www.the-embo-meeting.org/ Dear AAAS Member, I’m happy to report that the 2009 AAAS Annual Meeting, "Our Planet and Its Life: Origins and Futures" was a resounding success. A mix of 175 symposia, seminars, plenary and topical lectures covering every scientific discipline focused on using science, technology, and education to help solve pressing world problems. The American Association for Physics Teachers met in conjunction with AAAS, bringing an additional 900 members of the scientific community. The meeting was reported extensively worldwide by the estimated 800 members of the international news media who were among the attendees. The AAAS President’s Address by James J. McCarthy, who also presided over the program, urged a global effort to curb anthropogenic climate change. The special invited address by Al Gore, former US Vice President and 2007 Nobel Peace Prize winner, called on scientists to get involved in their communities to help effect change in environment and energy policy. A trans-Atlantic news conference with evolutionary geneticist Svante Pääbo and his subsequent plenary address unveiled the first draft of the Neandertal genome. These are just three examples of the exceptional presentations that attracted 6,700 science and engineering researchers, policy makers, educators, and journalists from around the world to our Annual Meeting, which has been called "the Olympics of science conferences." As the meeting ended, McCarthy began a one-year term as chairman of the AAAS Board of Directors and Peter Agre began his term as the new AAAS President. Agre, Nobel laureate, medical doctor, and biomedical researcher, stressed his central issues in a recent interview: civic engagement in science, public school science education, science policy, and science diplomacy. Alice Huang from Caltech became the AAAS President-elect. Highlights of the 2009 AAAS Annual Meeting, including Family Science Days and the new "Meet the Scientists" series, are detailed below. You can access the meeting’s news blog for extensive coverage. Sincerely,  Alan I. Leshner, CEO, AAAS P.S. See Announcements for program and registration information about the annual AAAS Forum on S&T Policy to be held 30 April-1 May in Washington, D.C. Highlights from the 2009 Annual Meeting  Presidential Address: James J. McCarthy Opens Meeting On the eve of the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth, outgoing president, now Chairman of the AAAS Board of Directors, and influential climate change scholar James J. McCarthy stated that human impact has brought our planet to a "new era where natural forces are being overwhelmed." A public eager for solutions and a renewed policy focus on climate from leaders at all levels signals that "we are now at the moment where we must act," McCarthy said. Read more and watch a video.  Invited Address: Al Gore Urges Scientists to Join Broad Policy Effort Speaking to an overflow crowd of some 3,000 people, former US Vice President Al Gore called on scientists to use their knowledge and their status in the community to advance broad, swift changes in energy and environmental policies. His presentation surveyed escalating damage and defined the common thread interweaving climate change with the national security crisis and world financial meltdown as "our absurd over-dependence on carbon-based fuels." Gore stressed that, even with strong support in the US Congress and the Obama White House, meeting the challenge will be profoundly difficult and closed with a call to "Keep your day job, but start getting involved with this historic debate. We need you." Read more and watch a video.  First Draft of Neandertal Genome Unveiled A milestone in the understanding of human evolution was announced during a joint press conference in Leipzig, Germany, and at the AAAS Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois. The first draft of the Neanderthal genome confirms that modern humans and Neandertals share a speech-related gene, but the two groups diverged genetically about 800,000 years ago and the Neandertals probably did not contribute to the gene pool of modern humans. Evolutionary geneticist Svante Pääbo and colleagues at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology said their draft contains nearly 63 percent of the genome. Read more about the press conference. Watch a video of Svante Pääbo’s plenary address, posted on the Annual Meeting News Blog. A Call for a Rescue Plan to Address "Stealth Disasters" Planetary scientist Susan W. Kieffer compared natural disasters such as floods with "stealth disasters" like the climate change that threatens ecosystems and natural resources, calling for the creation of a "CDC for Planet Earth." This organization could respond to planetary threats with the same coordination that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed during the SARS and bird flu outbreaks of the late 1990s. Ocean acidification, spreading deserts, dry aquifers, and degraded soils are advance warnings of disasters that "will undermine our survival and evolution into the civilized global society that we might become," cautioned Kieffer. Read more and watch a video. Kavli Foundation Endows AAAS Science Journalism Awards Since 1945, the independent juried science journalism awards have honored distinguished reporting by professional journalists for a general audience. In recognition of a generous new endowment, the 2009 citations will be called the AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Awards. The foundation, based in Oxnard, California, is dedicated to advancing science for the benefit of humanity and increasing public understanding of science and support for scientists and their work. The 2008 winners in newspaper, magazine, television, radio, online, and children’s science news received their awards at the recent AAAS Annual Meeting. Read more about the awards and the winners. Family Science Days Introduces "Meet the Scientists" A fossil hunter, an insect scientist, a peregrine falcon specialist. A computer scientist who talked about hip hop music and math, a physicist who examined X-ray vision, an astronomer who explored asteroids, alien life, and UFOs. Middle and high school students participated in the new series "Meet the Scientists" during Family Science Days at the AAAS Annual Meeting. School groups, parents, and children of all ages browsed interactive exhibits, joined hands-on demonstrations, and watched stage shows. AAAS held the free two-day public event in collaboration with Science Chicago and area labs, universities, and museums. Read more. US Women Researchers Advance International Science Cooperation To foster participation by women scientists and engineers in international research, small travel grants were awarded from 2001-2003. The increased productivity resulting from these grants, funded by the National Science Foundation and administered by AAAS, were presented at the 2009 Women and Minorities in Science Networking Breakfast during the Annual Meeting. The study of plate tectonics in New Zealand, chip-stacking technology in Scotland, and plants endemic to Ecuador are among the studies by 193 women who visited 63 countries. The original Women’s International Scientific Cooperation (WISC) funds have been utilized and plans are proceeding to seek new funding. Read more. Symposium at AAAS Celebrates Darwin "Twenty-first Century Ecosystems: Systemic Risk and the Public Good" explored opportunities for designing policies that strengthen biodiversity and ecosystem services. The two-day symposium, sponsored by AAAS, the US National Academy of Sciences, and other scientific entities, attracted scientists, policy experts, and journalists from around the world. Watch a video of the event celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin. AAAS News Briefing Examines Iran’s Nuclear Progress Two leading security experts discussed the impact of Iran’s nuclear activities on US Russia relations at a mid-February news briefing co-sponsored by AAAS and the Center for Media and Security. Iran’s recent dramatic launch of a satellite into orbit and growing concerns about the country’s apparent effort to become capable of launching ICMBs with nuclear warheads should advance US Russia collaboration on missile defense, according to the experts. Read about the Obama Administration’s conciliatory statements about working with Russia and one missile defense expert’s idea for a jointly operated site in southern Russia. AAAS Center for Science Diplomacy
 The Future of Iran-US Scientific CooperationA panel of foreign policy experts and scholars led a discussion earlier this year at AAAS, focusing on important mutual benefits for continued scientific engagement between US and Iranian scientists. The long-term uneasiness between the two nations and the recent detention of a US science policy expert traveling with medical researchers in Iran make science diplomacy progress difficult, the speakers said. But they added that the Obama administration’s ongoing Iran policy review and continuing scientist-to-scientist engagement outside Iran may create a climate for improved bilateral relations. Read more. AAAS Officers Urge More Comprehensive US Europe S&T Cooperation Writing in the latest newsletter of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, AAAS CEO Alan I. Leshner and Chief International Officer Vaughan Turekian say that a deeper Euro-US relationship should be an anchor for an emerging global network of S&T knowledge and economic growth. Turekian also serves as director of the AAAS Center for Science Diplomacy. Noting President Barack Obama’s clear belief in the importance of science to virtually all societal issues and the unprecedented array of economic and environmental challenges, Leshner and Turekian called for researchers, universities, industry, and governments to work together to make the collaboration more systematic and comprehensive. Read more and access the full editorial. The AAAS Center for Science Diplomacy was established to promote and support the role of science and scientists as bridge builders in broader diplomatic relations between and among countries, and to raise the profile of science diplomacy in both the foreign policy and scientific communities. Learn more about the new AAAS Center. The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre is the hub for S&T in the European Union, providing independent support for EU policy making in the areas of agriculture, enterprise, environment, and health and consumer protection. Learn more about the center’s monthly newsletter. AAAS’s online career job and advice site, Science Careers, has a new look and new features that make it easier to advance your career, whether you’re seeking a new job, advice on career advancement in your chosen field, or ways to stay current on industry trends. Some of the features you’ll find on the newly redesigned site include: - Enhanced job searching - Relevant job e-mail alerts - Improved resume/CV uploading - Search by geography - Multimedia section Visit ScienceCareers.org today. Your future awaits. Upcoming Event: Managing Your Relationship with Your Supervisor A postdoc’s relationship with a supervisor can sometimes be difficult. In this workshop, we’ll talk about ways to manage this relationship, including proactive strategies to start, keep, or get the relationship on the right track, and methods for dealing with conflicts. By thinking through relationships with their own supervisors, postdocs will be better prepared to supervise students and postdocs in their own labs. The workshop will (1) offer advice and facilitate discussion about ways to build successful relationships and strategies to deal with conflict, and (2) use case studies to discuss ways to work through tensions or dilemmas that might arise with an adviser. National Postdoctoral Association Meeting (Must be registered for meeting) Saturday, 28 March, 2:30-4 p.m. Houston, Texas National Postdoctoral Association NPA Annual Meeting Questions? Email outreach@sciencecareers.org See all Outreach Events Upcoming Event: Science/UCSF Biotech Industry Career Fair Science/AAAS is teaming up with UCSF to bring you an exciting career day that includes free career development workshops followed by a career fair. Come learn how to improve your networking skills and meet recruiters face to face. Thursday, 2 April San Francisco, California UCSF Mission Bay Community Center http://sciencecareers.org/ucsf New Edition: Young Women in Science Booklet Science/AAAS, in collaboration with the L’Oréal Corporate Foundation, has published a new Young Women in Science booklet. The 2009 booklet offers more exciting and inspirational stories. These profiles, from interviews with young women at the start of their science careers, tell stories of passion and persistence -- what drives and excites them about their work in the sciences. Read more. Science Careers Featured Jobs:Faculty Positions In Pharmacology Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Amarillo, Texas Breast Cancer Scientist John Wayne Cancer Institute Santa Monica, California Independent Post Doc Positions University of Freiburg, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany Apply for the Eppendorf & Science Prize for Neurobiology: Deadline 15 June The US$25,000 prize is awarded to outstanding researchers in neurobiology who hold advanced degrees and are age 35 or younger. Entries must be postmarked by 15 June. Access information and entry forms. Register for the Annual AAAS Forum on S&T Policy On 30 April-1 May, in Washington, D.C., the AAAS R&D Budget and Policy Program will host the major annual US public meeting on S&T policy. Find out what is likely to happen in the federal budget and the growing number of policy issues that affect researchers and their institutions. Space is limited. View the Forum program and register online. Call for Symposium Proposals 2010 Annual Meeting: Bridging Science and Society The AAAS Annual Meeting is one of the most widely recognized interdisciplinary scientific events, with hundreds of networking opportunities and broad national and international media coverage. For theme statement, proposal submission guidelines, and deadlines go to http://www.aaas.org/meetings/2010/program/symposia/submit/. The meeting will be held in San Diego, California, 18-22 February 2010. Register for the Science & Technology in Society Conference On 28-29 March, an international, interdisciplinary graduate student conference provides a venue for graduate students from science and technology policy, science and technology studies, and related fields to discuss and present their research at the AAAS headquarters in Washington, D.C. Register at http://www.stglobal.org Nominate High School Teachers for the AAAS Leadership Prize: Deadline 24 April US high school science department chairs and administrators are urged to nominate qualified science teachers to receive the 2009 AAAS Leadership in Science Education Prize for High School Science Teachers, established through generous support from AAAS member Edith D. Neimark. This 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. To access the nomination and application forms, go to http://www.aaas.org/aboutaaas/awards/hs_scied_leadership/. For more information, contact Lester Matlock at lmatlock@aaas.org. Sign Up for 2009 Atlas of Science Literacy Workshops Project 2061 continues a popular workshop for K-12 educators and adds an innovative new workshop for informal science education. "Using Atlas of Science Literacy"
Designed for K-12 science teachers, curriculum specialists, and other educators and researchers, these workshops demonstrate how participants can use the conceptual strand maps in Atlas 1 and Atlas 2, along with other Project 2061 resources, to enhance their own understanding of science literacy and take a benchmarks-based approach to helping all students achieve literacy in science, mathematics, and technology. Atlas of Science Literacy is co-published by AAAS and NSTA. Madison, Wisconsin, 22-24 June Durham, North Carolina, 14-16 September Washington, D.C., 19-21 October Scholarships and Early Bird rates are available, but registration is limited. For more details and a registration form, go to our workshop information page and check the Project 2061 website for up-to-date information at http://www.project2061.org/events/workshops/default.htm. If your institution would like to co-host a workshop, go to http://www.project2061.org/events/workshops/cohost.pdf for details. To receive our free e-newsletter and automatic updates on workshops and other Project 2061 news, sign up at http://www.project2061.org/about/feedback.asp. Join the AAAS President’s Circle The coming years represent a unique opportunity for science and the nation. To stay at the forefront of these opportunities, AAAS needs increased individual support. With philanthropic contributions totaling $500 or more, you will be recognized as part of the newly launched AAAS President’s Circle and will join a select group that receives periodic briefings on key issues. Please visit us online at http://www.aaas.org/aboutaaas/giving/types/designate.shtml, or call +1 (202) 326-6636 for more information. Come to Cambridge This Summer and Celebrate Darwin’s 200th Birthday Science and AAAS are proud to be a major sponsor of the Darwin 2009 Festival taking place in Cambridge, UK, 5-9 July. The festival celebrates both the bicentenary of Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species. The five morning sessions will consider in broad terms Darwin’s impact, health and society, human nature and belief, modern science and the future. Bookings for full or part days are filling fast. Tickets for evening events are also now available. Purchase tickets via the festival website at http://www.darwin2009.cam.ac.uk/. FEMS 2009 -- 3rd Congress of European Microbiologists, Gothenburg, Sweden, 28 June-2 July "Microbes and Man -- interdependence and future challenges" presents the latest information on microbiology, an in-depth understanding of the interdependence between key fields, and a chance to discuss solutions to future challenges. Organized by The Federation of European Microbiological Societies (FEMS), the microbiology congress’s scientific program features presentations by top scientists, joint symposia, satellite symposia, workshops and a focus on young scientists. Key areas to be addressed include: biodiversity; biofilms in ecology and medicine; clinical microbiology and pathogenesis; eukaryotic microbes; marine microbiology; microbial stress responses; microbes in alternative energy generation; molecular microbiology and genomics; and virology. Register online by 27 April for Early Bird discounts: www.kenes.com/fems AAAS News & Notes appears in Science in the last issue of each month. You can also read more about AAAS at www.aaas.org. Science magazine is available at www.sciencemag.org. Change your mailing address or other info at www.aaasmember.org Invest in AAAS Contributions from our members and friends are needed to support AAAS’s mission to promote science in all forms. Visit us online to make a gift, or call +1 (202) 326-6636. With your support, we can continue to speak up for you --and advance science for the benefit of society worldwide. |
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