In this issue:

Message to Members: Bridging Boundaries through Science Diplomacy

News to Note: Syria-US Meetings, Perspective on North Korea, International S&T Cooperation, US Omnibus Budget, Stem Cell Act, Mathematics and Counterterrorism, Biosafety Oversight, Energy Efficiency, Bioethics Council, Texas Science Standards

Advancing Science, Serving Society: Agricultural Antibiotic Use

Science Careers: Upcoming Events

Announcements: AAAS to Launch New Journal, 2010 Annual Meeting Symposium Submissions, New Webinar, NSF Grant, Young Scientists' Prizes, Teacher Leadership Prize, and other announcements

Message to Members

Bridging Boundaries through Science Diplomacy

Dear AAAS Member,

Reaching beyond the strained government-to-government relations that divide some nations, scientists and scientific institutions are identifying issues that can unite these same countries to address common concerns such as climate, energy, and sustainability.

The AAAS International Office and its Center for Science Diplomacy bring researchers and their organizations together with the foreign policy community and policy makers in this cooperative endeavor. In March, AAAS officials joined a 10-member US delegation to Damascus, Syria, for discussions with counterparts about scholar exchanges and collaborations on water, energy, agriculture, and other vital initiatives. At AAAS headquarters in Washington, D.C., the focus turned to North Korea during a presentation detailing a US humanitarian organization's ongoing joint development projects that could offer a model for US-North Korea scientific cooperation. On Capitol Hill, a AAAS diplomacy expert testified before a US House subcommittee urging lawmakers to increase international scientific cooperation as a key element of US foreign policy. (See news stories, below.)

Earlier this year, a panel of foreign policy experts and scholars met at AAAS to discuss the continuing scientist-to-scientist engagement with Iran that can help create a climate for improved bilateral relations. Similar efforts are also developing or deepening US relationships with scientists and engineers in China, Vietnam, Rwanda, and other nations.

With the support of our members, we continue to foster the international scientific cooperation that both advances science and serves society in the very broadest sense.

Thank you.


Sincerely,


Alan I. Leshner, CEO, AAAS


P.S. John P. Holdren, assistant to President Barack Obama for science and technology and a former AAAS president, will deliver the keynote address at the annual AAAS Forum on S&T Policy. The Forum will be held in Washington, D.C., 30 April-1 May. See Announcements for additional information. Register here: http://www.aaas.org/spp/rd/forum.htm

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News to Note

Syria-US Meetings Herald a New Era of Scientific Cooperation
A 10-member US delegation, including Past Chairman of the AAAS Board David Baltimore, Director of the AAAS Center for Science, Technology, and Security Policy Norman P. Neureiter, and AAAS Chief International Officer Vaughan Turekian, traveled to Damascus in March for four days of meetings. The delegation met with high level science, medical, government, and education officials to explore proposals for collaborations in science, education, and health care. The meetings also included working groups on specific issues, visits to research, education, and medical centers, and a discussion with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The independent science diplomacy effort coincided with US President Barack Obama's interest in improved relations with Syria. Read more about specific recommendations for water, energy, agriculture, and other initiatives.

AAAS Event Presents Different Perspective on North Korea
For the past 12 years, a US nonprofit humanitarian organization has worked with national and local North Korean leaders on a range of joint development projects in education, food security, and health. The organization's founder Robert Springs spoke to an audience at AAAS in mid March, detailing some of the challenges and rewards in working with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). Springs offered a range of insights that may be used by AAAS and other organizations seeking to develop a relationship between US scientists and engineers and North Korean counterparts based on scientific cooperation. Read more about the patient efforts of nonpolitical science diplomacy to build trust between the two countries and listen to a recording of the presentation.

AAAS Diplomacy Expert Briefs Capitol Hill on International S&T Cooperation
Testifying before the US House Subcommittee on Research and Science Education on 24 March, Norman P. Neureiter urged lawmakers to increase US international scientific cooperation as a key element of a constructive foreign policy. Neureiter, director of the AAAS Center for Science, Technology, and Security Policy, stressed scientific cooperation as a strong soft-power tool in solving pressing global challenges such as climate change, energy, health, food, and clean water. He called on House members to re-establish the US Committee on International Science Engineering and Technology (CISET), disbanded in 2001 by President George W. Bush. Read more and access the written testimony. 

New AAAS Analysis: US Omnibus Budget Increases R&D Funding
The 2009 omnibus budget, which includes nine unfinished appropriations bills from last year, was approved by Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama in March. R&D funding will increase by $6.8 billion, or 4.7 percent over 2008, after several years in which funding declined in real terms. Every federal R&D agency will receive increased funds, with the biggest boosts allocated to energy, health, and education. The AAAS R&D Budget Program's analysis characterizes 2009 as "a remarkable year for federal R&D overall," citing the omnibus budget together with the US government's financial stimulus package. Read more and access the full analysis.

Get updates on the FY 2010 budget resolutions, passed by the US House and Senate before the spring recess, as the measures move through the agreement process in the two chambers and as the Obama administration releases specific details of spending proposals in early May.

AAAS Calls Stem Cell Act "An Historic Moment"
Human embryonic stem cell research "holds great promise for many millions of people around the world," AAAS CEO Alan I. Leshner said in a letter to US President Barack Obama following his executive order on federal support at a 9 March White House ceremony. Leshner and AAAS President Peter Agre, both of whom attended the signing, also applauded the president's memorandum issuing guidance on the integrity of science in the US policy making process. Read the letter and access questions and answers about stem cell research.

Mathematicians Join Effort to Counter Terrorism
From risk analysis to behavior modeling to the math of complex systems, the tools of mathematics and computer technology are being used to test new methods to identify and disrupt terrorist operations. Experts gathered at the 5th Conference on Mathematical Methods in Counterterrorism, held at AAAS in mid March, to discuss a range of computer models. One method of analysis called clique percolation argues that "too many terrorists spoil the plot" and calculates how many are too many. Another technique called diffusion modeling predicts the frequency of collective violence by weighing the competing forces of ideological provocation and repression in a society. In risk assessment, order theory is being used to evaluate a tool for assessing the vulnerability of key resources and infrastructure facilities. Read more about the conference.

AAAS Briefing Warns that Excessive Biosafety Oversight Could Hinder Science
A panel of top laboratory administrators warned that excessive biosafety and security regulations are placing an undue burden on researchers whose work in public health could be used to reduce the effect of a bioterrorist attack. During a mid-March briefing for news reporters, the panel stated that, while clearly serving the vital purpose to secure dangerous pathogens, some aspects of the regulations and inspection schedules have become excessive without adding security or safety benefits. Read more, including calls for a coherent inspection regime and the inclusion of all stakeholders in the development of new regulations.

Forum Explores Efficiency as Tool to Reduce Carbon Emissions
While promising renewable power resources are being developed, how can new and emerging technologies make the current carbon-based fuels more efficient and less damaging? A day-long forum of researchers and business leaders focused on energy efficiency as the cheapest and most expedient way to reduce emissions and called on policy makers worldwide to make efficiency central to their efforts. "Meeting Energy Needs, Reducing Environmental Impact," sponsored by Hitachi and co-organized by AAAS, drew 400 people to hear discussions on the coal conundrum, conservation and efficiency, and geo-engineering. Read more.

AAAS Joins Effort to Urge Texas State Board to Reject Anti-Evolution Amendments
In a letter to the Texas State Board of Education, AAAS and two dozen leaders of the Texas science and education community urged rejection of amendments to draft science standards that would undermine sound science teaching. In a supporting commentary in the San Antonio Express-News, AAAS warned that the antiscience amendments could undermine the state's reputation as an international engine of discovery and innovation. Read the full text of the letter and commentary.

Note: In the 27 March final vote on the standards, the board narrowly supported teaching the mainstream theory of evolution without reinserting the directive to study the "strengths and weaknesses" of evolution and without requiring standards to study the "sufficiency or insufficiency" of natural selection. However, the board approved other amendments above the advice of scientific experts, including a directive to teach "all sides of scientific evidence," which critics fear will embolden the board to challenge science textbooks when they come up for approval in 2011.

AAAS Urges Changes in US Council on Bioethics
At the invitation of the current U.S. President's Council on Bioethics, established in 2001 and set to expire in September, AAAS bioethics expert Mark S. Frankel identified four emerging topics that should be considered by future committees. Citing personalized medicine, synthetic biology, virtual communities, and neuroscience, Frankel recommended examination of ethical implications as well as potential benefits in treatments. The director of the AAAS Scientific Freedom, Responsibility and Law Program also urged a mechanism for public input on the topics to be addressed. Read more about the 12-13 March meeting of university scholars and the leaders of international bioethics commissions.

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Advancing Science, Serving Society

AAAS Center for Science, Technology, and Congress

Capitol Hill Briefing: Agricultural Antibiotic Use Helps Drive Antibiotic Resistance in Humans
Three experts in epidemiology, emerging pathogens, and food and health explored the scientific consensus that the use of antibiotics in agriculture is contributing to the rise in drug-resistant infections in humans. During the briefing for US congressional staffers, the experts explained that antibiotics regularly added to livestock feed to prevent infections and increase animal growth can result in antibiotic-resistant infections. These infections can be spread to the general population through food, interactions with agricultural workers, or groundwater and soil from the farms. Legislation expected to come before the US Senate later this year would phase out some agricultural antibiotic use and require pharmaceutical companies to document type and quantity of drugs sold to livestock feed producers. Read more.

The AAAS Center for Science, Technology, and Congress (CSTC) co-sponsored the briefing along with the Union of Concerned Scientists. The Center was established in 1994 to provide timely, objective information to the US congress on current S&T issues and to assist the scientific and engineering community in understanding and working with Congress. The center's newsletter Science and Technology in Congress is published monthly when Congress is in session. Learn more about CSTC activities and publications.

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Science Careers

AAAS’s online career job and advice site, Science Careers, makes 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 site include:

- Thousands of job postings
- Thousands of career development articles
- Resume/CV database
- Webinars and employer videos
- Grant and funding opportunities

Visit ScienceCareers.org today. Your future awaits.


Upcoming Events

Webinar - Nontraditional Careers: Opportunities Away From the Bench
Want to learn more about exciting and rewarding careers outside of academic/industrial research? Increasingly, Ph.D.-level scientists are becoming aware of other career opportunities beyond bench research. A roundtable discussion will focus on various career options open to scientists across different sectors, strategies you can use to find a nonresearch career, and the future of the scientific work force in nontraditional careers.

Beginning April 30th you will be able to access a recording of the webinar using our OnDemand feature. Please complete your registration and you will automatically receive an e-mail notification once the webinar becomes available for OnDemand viewing. Information and Registration


Career Day: Broadening Your Scientific Career Horizons
Friday 8 May, Cambridge Research Institute, Cambridge, UK
A full day of career information will cover industry careers, careers away from the bench, bio-entrepreneurship and tech transfer, making the most out of your postdoc, and strategies for networking.  Event Information

Career Night: Rensselaer Alumni Association, Hartford Chapter
Thursday 28 May, 6-8:30 pm, Hartford, Connecticut
Science Careers is one of several organizations that will provide information and answer questions related to the job market. How to identify and approach opportunities and the tools necessary for career advancement in today's business climate also will be discussed. Event Information

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Announcements

Last Call for Symposium Submissions – Deadline 28 April 2010
AAAS Annual Meeting, Bridging Science and Society, 18-22 February, San Diego, California
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 and submission guidelines visit: www.aaas.org/meetings.

Latest Science /AAAS Webinar: Advances in Cancer Genomics
Thursday 30 April at 12 noon Eastern Time (9 am Pacific, 4 pm GMT) Cancer is a complex family of diseases, characterized by the deregulation or dysregulation of the normal control pathways for cellular growth and/or apoptosis. Despite advances, technological limitations or excessive cost have historically restricted research into causative factors. Next-generation genomic platforms now are enabling scientists to study individual genomes in more depth, giving them a better understanding of the mechanisms of tumorigenesis, metastasis, and therapeutic response. In this timely webinar, a panel of distinguished scientists will share their latest advances in cancer genomics and offer their views on the road ahead for this important area of research. Register today: www.sciencemag.org/webinar Produced by the Science/AAAS Business Office and sponsored by Applied Biosystems.

NSF Program Invites Studies of Federal Stimulus Funding Impacts. In anticipation of questions about the impacts of federal economic stimulus funding, the National Science Foundation's Science of Science & Innovation Policy (SciSIP) Program announced recently that it "will take advantage of NSF's Rapid Response Research (RAPID) funding mechanism to accept short (2-5 pages) RAPID proposals that attempt to answer many of the outcome questions that will be asked about the impact of the stimulus package as well as to advance the scientific understanding of science policy." Prospective applicants should contact SciSIP program director, Julia Lane (jlane@nsf.gov), for assistance and advice prior to proposal submission, which can be made electronically at any time. 

AAAS Egg Diversity Exhibit Debuts at the 2009 White House Easter Egg Roll
For the first time in at least 30 years, AAAS was asked to contribute a science-focused activity in support of the annual White House Easter Egg Roll, hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama and President Barack Obama.
The AAAS-Science table, located directly adjacent to the White House, drew thousands of visitors--from young children to teachers and parents who were encouraged to learn about animal diversity by exploring an array of replica eggs and their animal parents. Following an invitation to the AAAS CEO from Thomas Kalil, deputy director for policy at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and John P. Holdren, assistant to the president for science and technology, AAAS designed and staffed an exhibit at the 2009 Easter Egg Roll.



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.

Apply for the GE & Science Prize for Young Life Scientists: Deadline 1 August
The US$25,000 prize is open to outstanding recent molecular biology Ph.D./M.D. degree recipients from all regions of the world. Entries must be postmarked by 1 August. Access eligibility rules, entry procedures, and 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.

Nominate High School Teachers for the AAAS Leadership Prize: Deadline Extended to 22 May 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. Access the nomination and application forms. For more information, contact Lester Matlock at lmatlock@aaas.org.

Journalism Students Report from AAAS Sustainability Forum
The AAAS Forum for Sustainability Science Programs, held during the 2009 Annual Meeting, was captured in a video report by graduate journalism students at Northwestern University's Medill School. The report covers the contributions of science, humanities, and economics in meeting the challenges of climate change. Watch the video.

Conference at AAAS Showcases Post Grad Research
Master's and Ph.D. candidates in the fields of science/technology and society, and S&T policy presented their research during a two-day meeting of young scientists in late March. Representing 13 US states and 12 countries, the students also attended addresses by leading scholars and policy makers. Read more about the S&T in Society Conference. 

AAAS Hosts Workshop on Responding to Challenges to Science/Education Integrity
"Speak Out for Science" brought together scientists and science educators from some 20 states to discuss how best to respond to state and local level threats to science and science education. The workshop was held 28 March in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Look for a video report.

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. If your institution would like to co-host a workshop, visit the website for details. To receive our free e-newsletter and automatic updates on workshops and other Project 2061 news, sign up here.

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 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.

The Society for Experimental Biology Annual Main Meeting,
28 June-1 July, Scottish Exhibition Centre – Glasgow, Scotland
Open to members and nonmembers alike, the SEB meeting presents the opportunity to attend cutting edge scientific and educational sessions, as well as the chance to network with a diverse range of biologists from all over the world. Visit the website for more information.

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