AAAS Advances  
Advances - The Monthly Newsletter for AAAS Members - May 2011

In this issue:

Message to Members: The Outlook for Federal Research and Development Funding

News to Note:
--Challenges Ahead for U.S. R&D
--Website Reveals Students' Science Knowledge
--Asia-Pacific Ideas for S&T Cooperation
--Apollo Program's 50th Anniversary
--Dilemmas of Genetic Testing
--Geoengineering Approaches to Climate Change
--Subaru/AAAS Science Book Drive
--Green Education at Earth Day Expo
--Support for Interdisciplinary Research
--Science at White House Egg Roll
Member Central
--Profile: Robert B. Darnell
--Fish Robotics
--Principles of Vision
Member Benefit: Discount on Dell Products

Science Careers:
--Step by Step Booklet
--Featured jobs

Announcements:
--Neureiter Receives Public Service Award
--"Science Buddy" Site Wins Science SPORE Award
--AAAS Regional Division Meetings
--Clinical Trials Conference 6-7 June
--Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Lecture 21 June
--Project 2061 Assessment Workshop 12-14 October
--High School Teachers Award Nominations Deadline 27 May
--Eppendorf & Science Prize Application Deadline 15 June
--GE & Science Prize Deadline 1 August
--Join the President's Circle




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Message to Members


The Outlook for U.S. Federal Research and Development Funding


Dear Colleagues,

Despite the fact that up to 50 percent of U.S. economic growth since World War II has been driven by science and technology*, and despite continued positive returns on investment for academic scientific research, the outlook for federal R&D funding remains uncertain at best.

The 2011 budget compromise, which represents the largest collection of spending cuts in U.S. history, did spare R&D programs and agencies from the worst of the cuts, with basic research faring the best. (You may access a detailed analysis by agency and character of work at the AAAS R&D Budget and Policy Program website, www.aaas.org/spp/rd.). However, as Congress debates the federal debt ceiling and long-term spending priorities, with stark political and philosophical differences between the two parties, the 2012 budget faces major battles.

During an April briefing on Capitol Hill sponsored by AAAS, science policy experts stressed the vital advantages of federal R&D funding to future innovation, which will drive the job, business, and new product creation critical to economic growth. (See the News report, below.) President Obama's 2012 budget request includes a 10 percent increase in research spending, offset by a 5.1 percent decline in development spending, as well as funds to train 100,000 K-12 STEM teachers over the next decade. As the talks move forward, you can sign up for our weekly Policy Alert, and also access the just-released AAAS Report XXXVI - Research & Development FY 2012, at www.aaas.org/spp/rd.

Earlier this month, the annual AAAS Forum on Science and Technology Policy was held amid the contentious deficit and budget debates. The Forum focused on funding prospects for R&D, the financial stability of research universities, and fostering skills for the 21st century economy. You'll find coverage on www.aaas.org and next month's Advances will include reports from the Forum.

A wide array of AAAS programs work at the intersection of science, government, and society to bring high quality scientific advice into the U.S. policy-making process. Your membership with AAAS helps support this program, which serves the research community, educators, law makers, and society as a whole. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Alan Leshner

Alan I. Leshner, CEO, AAAS

Sources:
* National Academies' National Research Council, Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future (2007)



News to Note


image Capitol Hill Briefing: Challenges Ahead for U.S. Research and Development
Patrick Clemins, director of the AAAS R&D Budget and Policy Program and Alan I. Leshner, AAAS CEO, joined U.S. Representatives Rush Holt (D-NJ) and Judy Biggert (R-IL), co-chairs of the House Research and Development Caucus, for a congressional briefing in April. Uncertainty dominated the discussion, as speakers warned that cuts to R&D could have profound consequences for future U.S. economic growth, urging law makers to appropriate the level of R&D investment in the 2012 budget necessary for innovation and job creation -- usually making up about 12 percent of discretionary spending. These federal dollars are spread across two dozen departments and agencies with more than half going to the Department of Defense and more than a fifth allocated to the Department of Health and Human Services. The National Science Foundation and DHHS are considered primary drivers of innovation. Read more and access Clemins' analysis.

New AAAS Website Reveals Students' Science Knowledge
Do all organisms have DNA? What about the size of atoms? AAAS's Project 2061 has launched an innovative website to help educators assess what U.S. middle and high school students know about key ideas in science as well as hundreds of prevalent misconceptions. The site offers a detailed analysis of a national sample measuring current knowledge and more than 600 multiple-choice test questions, which can help teachers improve instruction and better design their own exams to measure both factual knowledge and logical reasoning. Read more about assessment and its role in increasing calls for national science standards and common core curriculum, and visit the new site.
Go to the assessment website: http://assessment.aaas.org/

imageAAAS Roundtable Explores Asia-Pacific Ideas for S&T Cooperation
More than 30 leaders in the Asia-Pacific region, already a scientific powerhouse, presented a new set of ambitious ideas for increased cooperation during a meeting convened by AAAS Chair of the Board of Directors, Alice Huang. Nearly two dozen possible steps by governments, universities, funding agencies, and businesses that could strengthen collaboration in the region -- which includes nations as diverse as China, India, Japan, Australia, Mexico, and Canada -- were detailed in a summary released in April. Strategies include higher education and talent development, funding, and conduct, ethics, and norms. Read more and access the full summary.

Symposium at AAAS Commemorates Apollo Program's 50th Anniversary
On 25 May 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced his goal of going to the moon before a joint session of the U.S. Congress. This announcement came less than two months after the Soviet Union's Yuri Gararin became the first human to orbit the Earth, and several weeks after Alan Shepard became the first American in space. During an April symposium at AAAS, experts in space science and space policy discussed the lasting scientific impact of the six U.S. lunar landings -- beginning with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin's historic first manned lunar landing on 20 July 1969 -- and the treasure trove of data still being studied. Read more.

AAAS Seminar Examines Dilemmas of Genetic Testing
During the recent seminar, two case studies illustrated the potential consequences of direct-to-consumer genetic testing -- and the proper role of government regulation. The most controversial area is online testing services for health-related genes and susceptibility to certain diseases, which currently exist in a regulatory vacuum. The two studies examined a worst-case scenario: susceptibility testing for Alzheimer's, a fatal, incurable disease. One revealed unintended negative consequences. Read more about recommendations for improving informed choice in future testing.

U.S. Researchers Urge Study of Geoengineering Approaches to Climate Change
The best known strategies for dealing with climate change are reducing greenhouse emissions or adapting to their effects. But geoengineering, the large-scale engineering of the environment, deserves closer attention according to climate experts at a Capitol Hill briefing co-sponsored by AAAS. The experts urged the development of an organized research program to examine strategies such as a centralized approach including an industrial carbon capturing facility, a distributive method to pull carbon dioxide into biological or chemical sinks, and solar management to reflect sunlight into space. Read more and watch a video.

Subaru, AAAS Launch Science Book Drive in Washington, D.C.
Public school libraries in the District of Columbia are receiving much needed high quality, contemporary science books as a result of the book drive, an outgrowth of the AAAS/Subaru Science Books & Film Prizes for Excellence in Science Books. As many as 1,250 books will be donated primarily to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics high schools, replacing collections that are ten years old, or even older. Visitors to Washington, D.C.-area Subaru dealers are invited to add a personalized bookplate to one of the donated volumes through the end of spring, when the books will be delivered to schools. Read more.

imageAAAS Promotes Green Education at Earth Day Expo
The AAAS booth, featuring students from the Spark Club after-school curriculum for 6th through 8th graders, was a highlight of the 2011 National Sustainable Design Expo on the National Mall, part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's annual Earth Day celebration. Held in mid-April, the expo brought students, scientists, engineers, and business leaders together for a showcase of innovative technologies designed to advance economic growth and reduce environmental impact. The AAAS Spark Club, an eight-week spring program now active in seven D.C. schools, demonstrated a project about wind turbines and solar power systems. The expo also included EPA's competition of sustainability projects presented by college teams. Read more.

imageSymposium Speakers Urge Effort to Support Interdisciplinary Research
Stretching the boundaries of the multidisciplinary paradigm, interdisciplinary research experts urged institutes to educate students in more than one discipline, especially at the undergraduate level, followed by in-depth training in one area at the graduate level. The national symposium "Science on FIRE -- Facilitating Interdisciplinary Research and Education," co-organized by AAAS, was held in Bolder, Colorado. Speakers addressed the obstacles to dissolving disciplinary boundaries in meeting difficult challenges such as autism, infectious diseases, and cancer -- and noted past success in spawning such advances as the genomics revolution. AAAS is preparing a practical guide to initiating, managing, and supporting interdisciplinary research and education programs. Read more.

AAAS Engages the Public in Science at White House Egg Roll
The annual Easter Monday White House Egg Roll entertained and educated more than 30,000 people from all 50 states and the District of Columbia with face painting, story-telling, egg-rolling -- and activities to help children learn how bodies work and how to stay healthy. AAAS volunteers followed the event's theme "Get Up and Go!" by showing how pulse rates are affected by exercise and the relationship of calories and exercise, also handing out rulers that measure reaction time in a toss.-and-catch game. Read more and watch a video.

MemberCentral


Profile: Robert B. Darnell, helping humanity in cancer fight
This Member Spotlight focuses on Robert B. Darnell, a neuro-oncology researcher and physician specializing in paraneoplastic neurologic disorder (PND), a group of rare brain diseases triggered by the body's immune response to certain cancers. Darnell believes these diseases to be the Rosetta Stones in the development of a cancer vaccine due to the ability of those with PND to combat their cancer, though succumbing to the other effects of PND in the process.

Robots Swim Like Fish
Watch a video of fish robotics, a major research theme in Professor George Lauder's lab at Harvard University.

Demonstrations communicate color and light principles
See two examples given by Jerry Bell of the chemical process of vision that do not require being in a lab setting, excerpted from a handbook for chemistry teachers.

Science Careers


Science Careers, published by AAAS, offers many resources to help you 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, you'll find helpful tools on the site -- all for free. Thousands of searchable jobs from academia, industry, and government are available as well as job alert e-mails, career advice, a resume/CV Database, webinars, and more. Visit ScienceCareers.org today.

Science Careers Booklet: Step by Step
A lot of what is written about science careers focuses on the career options available to individuals or how to apply for jobs when you're ready to enter the market. The reality, of course, is that we should be thinking about our career long before that point. This booklet looks at the steps you can take throughout your training to better prepare for your career. Whether you're considering which internship opportunity to pursue, what sort of graduate school experience you might be interested in, or what to expect in your postdoc position, you'll find information here.

ScienceCareers Featured Jobs:


Jackson Laboratory
Bar Harbor, ME
 
Wayne State University
Detroit, MI
 
University of Exeter
Exeter, England

Member Benefit


Give the gift of Science, support AAAS, and make someone happy in the process!
http://promo.aaas.org/gift

image 10% Member Discount on Dell Products
Dell and AAAS have teamed up to offer AAAS members in the United States and many other countries a 10% discount on Dell products through 15 June. For specific country voucher codes and other information, go to http://membercentral.aaas.org.



Announcements

Norman P. Neureiter Receives ACS Public Service Award
Norman P. Neureiter, the senior advisor to the AAAS Center for Science Diplomacy, has been awarded the American Chemical Society's 2011 Public Service Award for his vision and leadership in science and engineering policy. Neureiter, a research chemist, was the first S&T advisor to the U.S. Secretary of State, leading international cooperation efforts under Secretaries Madeline Albright and Colin Powell. He shares the award with Jeremy M. Berg, director of the NIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences. Read more.

"Science Buddy" Website Wins Science SPORE Award
Students looking for guidance on ideas for science and engineering projects that capture their specific interests are finding an innovative website founded by software engineer Ken Hess. The site, which attracted 9.8 million unique individuals last year alone, has been cited for its effectiveness by the Science Prize for Online Resources in Education (SPORE). Students can answer a set of questions to determine an engaging project idea, access scientist-vetted information, and exchange messages with expert volunteers. Read more, access the article about Science Buddies published in the 29 April issue of Science, and visit the website.

Attend Your AAAS Regional Division Meeting
Four regional divisions of AAAS carry out the objectives of the association in their respective territories, focusing on science-related matters of local concern. Upcoming meetings:

Pacific Division 92nd Annual Meeting
12-16 June, San Diego, California

Arctic Division Annual Meeting
21-24 September, Dillingham, Alaska

SWARM Annual Meeting
31 March-4 April 2012, Tulsa, Oklahoma

SPECIAL EVENTS

Register for "Clinical Trials: New Challenges and Opportunities," 6-7 June
AAAS, The Friends of the National Library of Medicine, and the National Library of Medicine invite you to attend a major conference exploring the future of clinical trials from the perspectives of industry, government, academia, and patient advocates. The conference will be held at the National Institutes of Health Natcher Conference Center in Bethesda, Maryland. For more information about the agenda and registration, go to http://www.fnlm.org.

Attend the 2011 Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Lecture, 21 June
Beginning at 4:00 pm, AAAS will host the 2011 Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Lecture at AAAS Headquarters. Dr. Pamela C. Ronald, Professor of Plant Pathology at the University of California, Davis, will present keynote remarks on the role that food, agriculture, and natural resources play in providing a secure food supply and a sustainable economy. To register for the lecture, go to their website. For more information, contact Anne Moraske at amoraske@aaas.org.

Project 2061's Three-Day Assessment Workshop: 12-14 October
Held in Washington, D.C., the new assessment workshop, "Developing and Using Assessments Aligned to Science Learning Goals," is designed to introduce teachers, researchers, and assessment specialists to Project 2061's approach to science assessment and criteria and procedures for developing effective tools closely aligned to science ideas. Early bird discounts are available. Register now.

AWARD DEADLINES

Nominate an Innovative High School Science Teacher: Deadline 27 May
Calling all U.S. high school science educators, principals, and administrators: nominate outstanding teachers for the 2011 AAAS Leadership in Science Education Prize for High School Teachers. The $1,000 prize honors a high school science teacher who has advanced science education by developing and implementing an effective strategy, activity, or program. For more information, contact bgoldste@aaas.org or go to prize details, nomination forms, and application forms

Apply for the Eppendorf & Science Prize for Neurobiology: Deadline 15 June
The International Eppendorf & Science Prize for Neurobiology honors one young scientist annually for the most outstanding neurobiological research based on methods of molecular and cell biology, conducted during the past three years. The prize is US$25,000. For entry details and judging procedures, go to www.eppendorf.com/prize.

Apply for the GE & Science  Prize for Young Life Scientists: Deadline 1 August
The GE & Science Prize for Young Life Scientists provides support for outstanding Ph.D. graduates from around the world who received their degrees in the general area of molecular biology. The prize is US$25,000. Eligibility, entry, and judging information.

Join the AAAS President's Circle
AAAS's undertaking to advance science in the service of society is an enormous one, especially now as we are increasingly called upon by the administration and Congress, the science community, and the public to speak up for science on a host of global issues. You can help to ensure that the voice of science -- your voice -- is heard by becoming a part of the President's Circle today with a philanthropic contribution of $500 or more. You will receive updates about our activities and invitations to AAAS events. Visit us online at http://www.tinyurl.com/dye8kn or call +1-202-326-6636 for more information.




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Meet Up at Upcoming Events

Science/AAAS will have a booth at the following events. Stop by to take advantage of the event's special AAAS membership renewal rate and pick up your member pin.

ASM - 111th Annual Meeting, 21-24 May, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA - Booth 1421

6th IAS Conference on HIV, 17-20 June, Rome, Italy

FEBS Congress, 25-30 June, Torino, Italy

BIO (Biotechnology Industry Organization), 27-30 June, Washington, D.C., USA

Bio Expo and Bio Forum Japan, 29 June-1 July, Tokyo, Japan


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