AWIS
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ASSOCIATION FOR WOMEN IN SCIENCE
Washington Wire
Edited by: Christina Fuentes
August 2009
Issue II
Greetings!  
 
As part of our continuing advocacy to secure more recognition, better workplace policies, and pay equity for women in STEM, I am very pleased to report that AWIS was just awarded a three-year grant from the National Science Foundation for a new project: "Advancing Ways of Awarding Recognition in Disciplinary Societies (AWARDS)." AWARDS is designed to create a sustainable framework for assuring progress towards more equitable rewards and recognition for women and members of underrepresented groups in a wide range of scientific communities.

To read more about the project and our partners, visit our home page at www.awis.org.

Hope you've had a great summer.

Janet

__________
Janet Bandows Koster
Executive Director
In This Issue
Education
Government
International
Careers
Science and Health
Lifestyle
Chapter News & Events
Opportunities
Education
Contributed by: Erin Rogers

Study Suggests Online Learning is Better than Classroom Learning
SRI International published the results of a study that examined 12 years of research comparing online teaching to traditional classroom-based teaching. Ninety-nine quantitative studies conducted primarily in colleges and adult continuing-education programs were reviewed and analyzed for the report, which was completed for the U.S. Department of Education. The study found that, on average, students who completed part or all of their class instruction online performed better than students who took the same classes in a traditional classroom setting. Experts predict that online educational formats are going to become increasingly important in the future, especially in K-12 settings where online teaching is currently limited and rarely studied.

Log on


Decline in Research Output from Public Universities Seen as Major Cause of Decline in the US International Research Standing
The National Bureau of Economic Research has published a paper discussing the international and economic environments that have shaped the global research standing of the United States since World War II. In reference to the decline in research publication rates in the U.S. during the 1990s, the authors suggest that this can be traced back to a decreasing growth of resources for public universities. The authors further argue that the decline in resources for public universities has caused a slower growth in tuition and state appropriations for public universities, compared to revenue growth at private universities.

Is the U.S. losing its preeminence in higher education?
Government
Contributed by: Lindsay De Biase

Can Science Build Better U.S.-Muslim Relations?
President Obama recently outlined plans for a science outreach initiative that he hopes will improve relations between the U.S. and Muslim-majority nations. Initial phases of the outreach will send leading U.S. researchers to visit Muslim nations where they will meet with local researchers and community leaders to assess the needs and goals of the region. Such information will then be used to shape specific efforts in each region. The U.S. program will also try to work in concert with scientific initiatives that have been launched in these countries, such as the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia.

Building blocks
International
Contributed by: Lindsay De Biase

Gender and Genetics Cause a Scene at The World Championships in Athletics
South African Caster Semenya ran an inspiring 800 meters at the World Championships in Berlin, pulling away in the final 200 meters to win with a superlative time of 1.55.45. Her victory was clouded, however, when the International Association of Athletics Federations requested tests to verify her gender. High profile cases such as this draw public attention to issues of gender definition, which are more complicated than might be assumed. Some individuals with XX chromosomes have medical conditions that elevate androgen levels, causing them to develop masculine characteristics. Other individuals with XY chromosomes have androgen insensitivity syndrome and fail do develop as men. These and other rare conditions make assigning gender and determining whether an individual has an unfair athletic advantage far from straightforward. Semenya's test results are still pending.
 
The X factor but Y?

Careers
Contributed by: Sarah Rhodes

Women Receive Almost a Third of The Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers.
President Obama named this year's recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), touted in the press release as "the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on young professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers." The winners are selected by nine federal departments and agencies and receive up to five years of grant funding. Thirty-one women will be amongst the 100 who are to receive this highly coveted award at a White House ceremony in the fall.

President honors outstanding early-career scientists


How Much Can a Holiday Delay Your Career?
Wait times for visas to be processed have become so long over the past year that foreign scientists dread leaving the country for fear of being stranded for up to several months. While the State Department claims that the problem has been resolved, some remain skeptical.

Visa delays put science careers at risk
Science and Health
Contributed by: Christiana Fogg

Strong Thigh Muscles Protect Women's Knees
A new study in the journal Arthritis Care & Research indicates that women with the strongest thigh (quadriceps) muscles are the best protected against the development of pain associated with knee osteoarthritis. In the Multicenter Knee Osteoarthritis Study, scientists at the University of Iowa examined over 3,000 women and men ages 50-79 to assess knee extensor strength relative to the incidence of osteoarthritis. Women with the strongest thigh muscles showed some protection against the development of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis, but this correlation was not as significant for men.

Do the Jane Fonda

 
New Hope for Avoiding Inherited Mitochondrial Diseases
Mitochondria are the tiny powerhouses of cells and are normally passed to children from the mother's egg.  Unfortunately, a number of devastating genetic disorders have been linked to defective mitochondria, including Parkinson's and Huntington's Diseases.  Researchers at the Oregon Health and Science University have developed an in vitro fertilization technique that can avoid passage of defective mitochondria to offspring. They tested this technique in non-human primates by transferring the genetic material from one donor egg into a different donor egg that had its genetic material removed but carried its mitochondria. These eggs were implanted into surrogate mothers and resulted in the births of four healthy newborns. Testing of this technique in animal models will continue before it is considered safe for use in humans.

Egg swapping
Lifestyle
Contributed by: Lindsay De Biase

Multitaskers Beware...
A recent study published in PNAS found that chronic heavy multitasking may alter the way in which the brain processes information and allocates attention. Specifically, the study surveyed 262 college students about their use of media (e.g., online video, television, cell phones, instant and text messaging) and classified them as low or high multitaskers. Following a battery of cognitive tests, they found that the high multitaskers had slower response times in tasks that required filtering out irrelevant, distracting information. While the findings are intriguing, it is unclear if such media-induced cognitive remodeling is permanent or reversible. Furthermore, the possibility that individuals with an innate susceptibility to distraction might be drawn to a multitasking lifestyles cannot be ruled out.

So many activities

 
Rockin' Science for the Kids
The Grammy-Award-winning band They Might be Giants will release a new album this September that focuses on raising positive awareness of science among children. In an interview for the journal Nature, John Linnell and John Flansburgh, the band's leaders, say that "Here Comes Science" springs from a personal interest in science as well as memories of growing up in the post-Sputnik period when children were highly encouraged to pursue science. The first song "Science Is Real" jumps right in to counter a growing skepticism toward science that the musicians say they have perceived over the past 25 years.

Hey kids rock'n'roll, rock on
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 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 Chicago Chapter
Event:        Fall Kickoff Event 2009
Date:          September 12, 2009
Time:          4:00 PM-8:00 PM
RSVP:         Register by September 7th


AWIS Connecticut Chapter
Event:      Hiking Trip
Date:        September 13, 2009
Time:        11:00 AM-2:00 PM
Location: Ranger Station near parking lot
              67 River Road
              East Haddam, CT


AWIS Central Jersey Chapter
Event:       Researcher-Friendly Image Analysis and Management Accelerates Biomedical Research
Date:        September 16, 2009
Time:        6:00 PM-8:00 PM
More Info: [email protected]


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 Palo Alto Chapter
Event:     Stories of AWIS
Date:      October 19, 2009
Time:      7:00 PM-9:00 PM
RSVP:      Online


AWIS Central Jersey Chapter
Event:      AWIS-CJC Planning for 2010
Date:        October 21, 2009
Time:        6:00 AM-8:00 PM
More Info: [email protected]


AWIS Connecticut Chapter
Event:      Resume Writing/Interview Workshops
Date:        October 21, 2009
Time:        6:00 PM-7:30 PM
RSVP:       Online


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: [email protected]

Opportunities

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 [email protected].


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 ([email protected]; 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.
Quick Links
 
AWIS VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

Betty Preece

Gretchen L. Schieber, PhD


Gretchen Schieber has been a invaluable member and volunteer in the AWIS National Office.  Gretchen has focused mainly on the Educational Awards program this year not only by introducing new technology but designing the new web based application process. You are able to see Gretchen's handy work all over the AWIS website.



NEW MENTORING RESOURCE
 
  ALL NEW!
 
 
Getting the Most out of Your Mentoring Relationships:  A Handbook for Women in STEM
  • Provides a quick yet structured guide to mentoring
  • Includes a handy resource guide for quick reference
  • Is the most comprehensive handbook catered to women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics
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