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Volunteering is a great way to build new skills, try out a new job, or make new friends. If you like to write or edit, we are looking for volunteers to contribute to the AWIS Magazine.
For more information on these positions or other opportunities with AWIS, visit our volunteer section on the AWIS website.
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Janet
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Janet Bandows Koster
Executive Director |
| Education |
Contributed by: Sanjukta Chakraborty
Reshuffling Graduate Training
Nobel laureate Roald Hoffmann has proposed to the National Science Board that a change be made in the existing government support of graduate students. Hoffman envisions an end to supporting graduate students on federal agency funded grants and instead using these funds to award competitive fellowships to the students. This seemingly minor shift could have huge consequences for universities and for the entire U.S. research enterprise. Academic leaders believe that while such a change is long overdue and Hoffman's suggestion could be promising, it would definitely be faced with a lot of odds.
Do the shuffle
Obama Hopes New GI Bill Will Produce More STEM Workers
A new bill will provide full-tuition at an in-state, undergraduate, public institution to veterans who were on active duty after 10 September 2001. President Obama hopes this bill, termed the Post-9/11 GI Bill, will help increase the number of homegrown scientists and engineers in the United States. This bill is on the lines of a similar bill introduced in the 1940s that enabled thousands of World War II veterans to obtain a college education.
Produce more
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| Government |
Contributed by: Emily Schmidt
Separating the Science from the PolicyA panel of prominent academics, corporate leaders, and regulatory experts recently gathered to discuss issues associated with governmental scientific research, studies, and policies. Scientific experts are often asked to provide government agencies with advice on policies and regulations, but this process is thought to be in need of improvement to promote consistency. Donald Kennedy, former editor of Science, states that in order to maintain the integrity of the government-funded studies and policies to which scientists are asked to contribute it is necessary to separate science from policy. Political science |
| International |
Contributed by: Lindsay De Biase
Fertility Tourism on the Rise
A growing number of women are traveling to Russia and India to visit fertility doctors who can offer treatments inaccessible to them in their home countries. Fertility clinics in Russia and India operate under more flexible guidelines regarding how old a woman can be and still receive treatment or how easily surrogate mothers and embryo donors can be used. Furthermore, these treatments cost only a fraction of what they do in the U.S. and Europe. While such clinics have fulfilled the dreams of many a hopeful mother, debate rages as to the ethics of promoting risky pregnancies in older women and the potential exploitation of poor local women who donate eggs for minimal financial compensation.
CNN video
Fertility tourism in India
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| Careers |
Contributed by: Sarah Rhodes
The Best Cities for Working Moms
The largest 50 cities in the U.S. were ranked by Forbes on the basis of their overall attractiveness as places to live for working mothers. Cities were assessed on 11 different criteria that were considered important to working moms (income, unemployment, cost of living, violent crime, property crime, overall health care, pediatricians, school quality, spending per pupil, number of daycare/preschool facilities, and park space). Topping the list were New York and Austin, while Orlando and Las Vegas trail at the bottom.
Work it mommas
Elite Academia Might Not Be the Key To Happiness
The results of a longitudinal study tracking the career paths and overall satisfaction of a group of physicists indicates that aiming for a research professorship at an elite university might not be the key to happiness. Career satisfaction at retirement age of faculty members at elite universities is lower than their peers at less prestigious institutions. The author, sociologist Joseph Hermanowicz, suggests that the difference between the two groups is that compared to high-flying academics, those who end up in less prestigious institutions may learn to deal with this disappointment early in their careers and thus have more realistic expectations about the impact that they would make on the world.
Playing the con game of academia
Women Engineers Not Dropping Out
It may be hard to attract women into engineering, but keeping them there doesn't seem to be a problem. That's the latest finding drawn largely from a database that includes 70,000 engineering students from nine institutions in the southeastern United States.
Recruitment not retention
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| Science and Health |
Contributed by: Christiana Fogg
Personalized Genomes Within Reach
A breakthrough in genome sequencing technology published in Nature Biotechnology brings closer the future of personalized genomics. A researcher at Stanford University sequenced his own genome using a new DNA sequencing platform known as the Heliscope Single Molecule Sequencer. This new approach costs approximately $50,000 for a single genome and requires significantly less labor and time than existing technologies. Researchers are hopeful this and similar technologies will reduce the cost of genome sequencing enough to facilitate large-scale human genome sequencing projects that reveal new links between genes and diseases.
Bargain genomics
Predicting Adverse Drug Reactions with Urine
The use of urine metabolic profiling, which is the analysis of the molecular products of metabolism, may be effective in predicting adverse drug reactions. A team of scientists from Imperial College London and Pfizer tested this approach in healthy males whose urine was analyzed before and after taking a dose of the over-the-counter painkiller acetaminophen. One of the metabolites of acetaminophen, para-cresol sulfate, was detected at different levels in urine due to individual metabolism differences. These results were published recently in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences, and the authors indicated that these individual responses may be due in part to differences in commensal gut bacteria. Future studies of drug-related metabolic profiling are aimed to further unravel the links between drug metabolism and gut microbes.
Gutting out drug reactions
Preserving Fertility and Surviving Cancer
A new study indicates that young women diagnosed with early stage ovarian cancer may be able to preserve their fertility without compromising their survival. Findings published in the journal Cancer summarized a retrospective analysis of the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database that showed women who were age 50 or younger upon diagnosis with early stage ovarian cancer had similar survival rates if they had a radical hysterectomy or if they preserved their non-cancerous ovary or uterus. These results give hope to young ovarian cancer survivors who plan to have children and may also protect women from health complications associated with low estrogen levels following removal of the uterus and ovaries.
Hope for young cancer survivors
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| Lifestyle |
Contributed by: Lindsay De Biase
Thank Goodness It's Thursday?
In the midst of the economic downturn, some states are searching for ways to cut budgets without cutting jobs. In Utah, a trial strategy has been to switch many state employees to a 40-hour, 4-day work week, which saves money by not operating state buildings on Fridays. The switch also reduces pollution by eliminating one day of commuting and actually improves traffic congestion Monday through Thursday because state workers with extended hours are not contributing to traditional rush hours. Skeptics of the strategy warn that working extended hours may increase fast food consumption and decrease opportunities for regular exercise. So far, however, the majority of the employees say they like the switch and find, if anything, that it improves their opportunities for exercise and interaction with family.
TGIF becomes TGIT
How Do You Spend Your Day?
An interactive graph plots time used by Americans for normal daily activities. Scroll over the graph to see how you compare to your demographic group.
Graph
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| AWIS News and Events |
AWIS Chicago Chapter
The AWIS Chicago Chapter gave its annual Innovator Award to Tijana Rajh of Argonne National Laboratory's Center for Nanoscale Materials. Read more about the award and the work of Tijana Rajh.
AWIS Bethesda Chapter
Event: Potluck Picnic
Date: August 15, 2009
Time: 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Location: Stratton Park
Bethesda, MD
Summer Webinar Series: Maximizing Your Mentoring Moments
Event: Part 3: Make the Most out of Online Mentoring
Date: August 26, 2009
Time: 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Location: Online
AWIS Central Arizona Chapter
Event: Luncheon at Arizona State University
Date: September 04, 2009
Time: 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
More Info: Contact chapter president Susanne Neuer
AWIS Connecticut Chapter
Event: Hiking Trip
Date: September 13, 2009
Time: 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Location: Ranger Station near parking lot
67 River Road
East Haddam, CT
AWIS Palo Alto Chapter
Event: Becoming A Person of Influence
Date: Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009
Time: 7:00 PM-9:00 PM
Location: PARC Auditorium
3333 Coyote Hill Road, Palo Alto
RSVP: Online
AWIS Connecticut Chapter
Event: Resume Writing/Interview Workshops
Date: October 21, 2009
Time: 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Location: College Center at Crozier Williams
1941 Room
Connecticut College
New London, CT
RSVP: www.awisct.ning.com
AWIS Central Arizona Chapter
Event: Darwinfest Distinguished Speakers Series
Date: October 28, 2009
Time: 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
AWIS Philadelphia Chapter
Event: What Works Workshop
Date: November 14, 2009
Time: 9:00AM-5:00PM
Location: University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA
More information: regionalmeeting@awisphl.org
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Opportunities |
From Science to Business: How to Prepare Female Scientists and Engineers to Successfully Transition into Entrepreneurship"
Date: Monday August 31, 2009 to September 1, 2009
Location: Beckman Center
National Academies
Irvine, California
Registration: Free
If you have any questions please feel free to contact Catherine Didion at cdidion@nas.edu or (202) 334-1737.
The 2009 AAAS Philip Hauge Abelson Award
Call for Nominations
The American Association for the Advancement of Science invites nominations for the 2009 AAAS Philip Hauge Abelson Award. Inquiries about the Award or its procedures should be directed to Steve Nelson, AAAS. Deadline for nominations to be received at AAAS is September 1, 2009.
NOMINATIONS ARE BEING ACCEPTED FOR THE AAAS SCIENTIFIC FREEDOM AND
RESPONSIBILITY AWARD
THE DEADLINE FOR THIS IMPORTANT AWARD IS SEPTEMBER 1, 2009. For more information call or email Deborah Runkle at 202.326.6794 or drunkle@aaas.org
The award is given to scientists or engineers or their associations whose exemplary actions have served to foster scientific freedom and responsibility.
International Research Fellowship Program (IRFP)
Deadline: September 8, 2009
Program Guidelines: NSF 06-582
More info: National Science Foundation
The objective of the International Research Fellowship Program (IRFP) is to introduce scientists and engineers in the early stages of their careers to international collaborative research opportunities.
The National Academy of Engineering
Releasing a study on Engineering in K-12 Education on September 8 at a public symposium in Washington, D.C. Irwin Jacobs, founder and CEO (ret.) of Qualcomm, will deliver the keynote address. Please note that seating is limited and registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis.
More Info: http://www.nae.edu/engineeringink12.aspx
The audio feed for portions of the symposium will be webcast. Information on how to connect to the webcast will be available at www.nationalacademies.org beginning September 7.
The Pasteur Foundation Fellowships
Postdoctoral fellowships in Paris
UP-COMING DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 11, 2009
These three-year fellowships are open to American postdoctoral scientists wishing to pursue research at the Institut Pasteur in Paris. For a list of labs and application information, visit website.
Undergraduate Summer Internships in Paris
These 10-week internships at the Institut Pasteur, one of the world's leading private, nonprofit centers for infectious disease research, offer hands-on laboratory experience to undergraduates contemplating a scientific career. See website for information and downloads.
The Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement
The requirements for nominations can be found on our website at: http://www.usc.edu/dept/LAS/tylerprize/nominate.html The deadline for this year's nomination process is September 15, 2009. The recipients of the 2010 Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement will be announced in April 2010. For nomination materials, questions or to suggest a potential candidate, please contact the Tyler Prize office at (213) 740-9760 or tylerprz@usc.edu.
AUTM Foundation Announces the 2009-10 Graduate Student Literature Review Prize Competition
A cash award will be given by the AUTM Foundation for top graduate student literature reviews of scholarly literature on some aspect of academic technology transfer and commercialization. Details can be found at this AUTM weblink: http://www.autm.net/litrevprize. Initial application and review abstracts due September 15. For additional information, please contact the Chair of the Review Committee, Dr. Joshua Powers (jopowers@indstate.edu; 812-237-2900).
Sofja Kovalevskaja Award
The Sofja Kovalevskaja Award is open to highly acclaimed scholars and scientists from all countries and disciplines. The application deadline for 2010 awards is October 15, 2009. The Foundation
plans to grant up to eight awards in the upcoming year. Application forms and detailed information are available on the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation webpage
The Schlumberger Foundation Calls for Applications
Faculty for the Future fellowships are
awarded to women from developing and emerging economies who are preparing
for PhD or postdoctoral study in the physical sciences, engineering and
related disciplines to pursue advanced graduate study at top universities
in their disciplines abroad. Candidates have from October 5th to November 30th 2009 to apply.
The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Postdoctoral Fellowship Program
This program offers one to three year postdoctoral fellowships designed to increase the involvement of scientists and engineers from academia and industry to scientific and technical areas of interest and relevance to the Navy. This program has a rolling admission.
Go to: http://www.asee.org/resources/nrl/ for detailed program information.
The Naval Research Enterprise Intern Program (NREIP) NREIP is a ten week summer research opportunity for undergraduate Juniors & Seniors, and Graduate students, under the guidance of a mentor, at a participating Navy Laboratory. The stipend amounts for the program are $5,500 for undergraduate students and $6,500 for graduate students. U.S. citizenship required; Permanent residents accepted at certain labs.
Go to: http://www.asee.org/nreip for application deadlines and detailed program information.
Humboldt Research Fellowship
Fellowships for Postdoctoral Researchers are for postdoctoral scientists and scholars who have completed a doctoral degree within four years prior to the application submission date are eligible. This fellowship allows for a stay of 6-24 months in Germany and provides a monthly stipend of 2,250 EUR. Click here for application materials and detailed information.
Fellowships for Experienced Researchers are for scientists and scholars who have completed a doctoral degree within twelve years prior to the application submission date are eligible.
This fellowship allows for a stay of 6-18 months in Germany which may be divided into a maximum of three visits of at least three months each and provides a monthly stipend of 2,450 EUR. Click here for application materials and detailed information.
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AWIS MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Lynne Friedmann
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Lynne Friedmann was recently inducted as a Fellow into the Public Relations Society of America's College of Fellows. As a science writer and long time member of AWIS we thank Ms. Friedmann for her 25 years of service to women in science. Read more about Lynne.
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| NEW MENTORING RESOURCE |
 ALL NEW!
Getting the Most out of Your Mentoring Relationships: A Handbook for Women in STEM
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Provides a quick yet structured guide to mentoring
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Includes a handy resource guide for quick reference
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Is the most comprehensive handbook catered to women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics
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Who's Hiring?
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Assistant or Associate Professor-Neuroscience
The Department of Biology at University of Waterloo
Eco Toxicologist
BASF, The Chemical Company
Director, Therapeutics Research Program
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
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Help other women in science! Donate to AWIS for its programs and/or to the Educational Foundation for its fellowships.
Your tax-deductible donation to AWIS supports the wide-ranging advocacy
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Executive Board.
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