AAAS Advances - A Monthly Newsletter for AAAS Members - April 2004


Message to Members: Science Across Borders
Voice Your Opinion: International Students/Scholars
AAAS in Action:News to Note
AAAS at Work: Programs at the Forefront
AAAS Announcements: Items of Interest
Read On, Online: Science Sites


Message to Members:
SCIENCE ACROSS BORDERS

Dear AAAS Member,

The advancement of science requires collaboration among nations and cooperation among scientists. We must protect this tradition of openness and inclusiveness to continue to foster innovation around the globe.

Restricting U.S. study for foreign students severely diminishes the future ranks of scientists and engineers in America as well as the future ability to take expertise home to native countries. Prohibiting American scientists from participating in research meetings held in nations under sanctions works against international interests. In a positive step, the recent easing of a ban on the editing of scholarly works from countries under U.S. trade embargos once again allows the sharing of critical research.

AAAS is actively addressing the concerns of the scientific community, policy makers, and the public to safeguard academic freedom as we also work to answer today’s urgent need for increased protection and security. With our members’ support, we can continue to advance scientific cooperation across borders for the benefit of all people.

Sincerely,
Alan I. Leshner, CEO, AAAS


Voice your Opinion

Has the post-9/11 decline in the numbers of intenational students/scholars coming to the U.S. affected your organization? Submit your vote and view the results of previous questions.

Submit your vote.



AAAS in Action:
NEWS TO NOTE

Now Available Online: AAAS Annual Report on R&D Funding
The full text of the 304-page Annual Report, including nearly 40 tables, is now accessible online in HTML and PDF formats. This reference work provides a comprehensive analysis of R&D in the U.S. federal budget for FY 2005, including specialized analyses by theme, major agency, and discipline, written in collaboration with two dozen other science and engineering societies. The print publication will be released 22 April at the Annual AAAS Forum on S&T Policy (see below). For information and a 15-page summary of highlights go to http://www.aaas.org/spp/rd/prel05p.htm.

Introducing Nonscientists to the Science of Behavior and Genetics
Available for downloading and dissemination for non-commercial purposes, Behavioral Genetics is the product of a project conducted by AAAS and The Hastings Center. This “introduction to how genes and environments interact through development to shape differences in mood, personality, and intelligence” covers human nature, personal responsibility, and equality. Go to http://www.aaas.org/spp/bgenes/publications.shtml.

Scientists and Engineers Meet to Help Eradicate Poverty
UNESCO brought more than 50 policy makers, engineers, and technology specialists together at AAAS to formulate a strategy to expand access to the knowledge needed to overcome poverty. Read the 22-23 March focus group suggestions for applying technology to areas such as water supply and sanitation, food production and processing, income and employment: http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2004/0318poverty.shtml.

Setting and Assessing Science Education Standards
Project 2061, AAAS’s education reform initiative, has influenced how states within the U.S. develop standards for K-12 science content through its publication Benchmarks for Science Literacy. Now, with funding from the National Science Foundation, Project 2061 is developing science and mathematics assessment items tied to those standards, available online to educators and the public. Read more: http://www.project2061.org/assessment.

Science Debates Time at U.K. Science Festival
“Reactions to Time,” a panel discussion sponsored by Science, was a highlight of the weeklong Cambridge Science Festival in March. Experts from the University of Cambridge talked about time travel and predicting the future in a presentation geared to people aged 14 and older. Read more about the popular festival that brings science to the public: http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2004/0324time.shtml


AAAS at Work:
PROGRAMS AT THE FOREFRONT

Teaming with Science Teachers
One of the primary goals of AAAS is to “foster education in science and technology for everyone.” The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) has a similar mission “to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.” The NSTA Annual Meeting 1-4 April in Atlanta, Georgia, attracted several AAAS departments including Project 2061, Science Books & Films, and Education and Human Resources. Read about NSTA: http://www.nsta.org/. Find out about the latest issue of Science Books & Films online: http://www.sbfonline.com/. Check out Project 2061 and other AAAS education initiatives: http://ehrweb.aaas.org/.


AAAS Announcements:
ITEMS OF INTEREST

Give the Gift of Science
This spring, give the gift that lasts all year to mark a graduation or for Mother’s or Father’s Day. The benefits of AAAS membership include 51 issues of Science, Science Online, job postings, and more. Plus, when you give, you receive a Barnes and Noble gift card. For details, go to http://promo.aaas.org/sgift1.

Join Key Experts to Address S&T Issues
On 22-23 April, the 29th Annual AAAS Forum on Science & Technology Policy will convene in Washington, DC. Key speakers include Lou Dobbs of CNN; Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD); former NIH Director Harold Varmus; Jaime Parada Avila, General Director, National Council for Science and Technology (CONACYT), Mexico; John D. Graham of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget; and Presidential Science Adviser John Marburger. To register go to http://www.aaas.org/spp/rd/forum.htm.

Learn About Innovations in Undergraduate Science
From 16 to18 April in Crystal City, Virginia, the Course, Curriculum & Laboratory Improvement Conference will highlight advances in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education. For information or to register for the conference, sponsored by the National Science Foundation in collaboration with the AAAS Directorate for Education and Human Resources Programs, go to http://www.ccliconference.com/index.htm.

Celebrate S&T Policy Fellows’ 30th Anniversary
On 13-14 May, a symposium titled “Vision 2033: Linking Science and Policy for Tomorrow’s World” is the focal point of the AAAS celebration at the Carnegie Institution of Washington. Come find out how S&T will affect the human condition, global security, and global change during the next 30 years. Information and registration: http://fellowships.aaas.org/30th/.

Submit an Abstract for ELSO 2004
AAAS/Science is a sponsor of the annual meeting of the European Life Scientist Organization (ELSO) 4-8 September in Nice, France. The 8th International World Congress of Cell Biologists also joins the meeting. This major event for life scientists worldwide focuses on the use of molecular tools. For information or to submit an abstract (due 31 May), go to http://www.elso.org/ or e-mail contact@elso.org.

Meet Up at Upcoming Events
Stop by the AAAS booth to pick up your member pin.
-Experimental Biology, 17-21 April, Washington, DC. AAAS booths #309 and #311.
Information: http://www.faseb.org/meetings/eb2004/.
-ERBI's 6th Annual Cambridge Biopartnering Exchange, 5-6 May, Cambridge, UK. Information: http://www.erbi.co.uk/events/erbi_conference.asp.
-American Society for Microbiology, 23-27 May, New Orleans, LA. AAAS booth #1153. Information: http://www.asm.org/Meetings/index.asp?bid=697.


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/.