|
Greetings!
Mark your calendars for Equal Pay Day on April 17, 2012. Equal Pay Day is a public awareness event to illustrate the gap between men's and women's wages.
Women with STEM jobs earned 33 percent more than comparable women in non-STEM jobs ( AWIS Jobs and Innovation Fact Sheet), but the gender wage gap persists even in the STEM fields.
As a national advocacy organization championing the interests of women in STEM across all disciplines and employment sectors, AWIS partners with coalitions like the National Committee on Pay Equity to help implement effective solutions for closing the wage gap.
Best regards,
Janet
____________
Janet Bandows Koster
AWIS Executive Director |
| Careers | |
6 Ways to Lead by Thinking Strategically
Are you caught up in the day-to-day activities of your work? Are you always putting out fires? Learn how to create space to be more strategic.
Best Places to Work for Postdocs
The Scientist: Magazine of the Life Sciences has released its 10th annual list of best places to work for postdoctoral scholars. Topping the list is the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA. See what other workplaces made the list.
Top ten
Canada Offers Best Faculty Pay
An analysis of faculty salaries at public universities lists Canada as the best place--especially for those newly entering the academic profession--in terms of purchasing power. The U.S. is fifth on the list behind Italy, South Africa and India.
|
| Education | |
Professors, Politics, and Religion
The Pew Research Center released a report on religion in the public sphere that included data on higher education. A majority of Republicans (56%) say that professors are unfriendly toward religion. By contrast, a plurality of Democrats (46%) says that professors are neutral toward religion. Among independents, 37% say professors are neutral toward religion, while 31% describe them as unfriendly and 16% say they are friendly to religion.
Decline in Women Pursuing STEM at Community Colleges
According to a new report from the Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR) women pursuing degrees in STEM fields at community colleges is significantly declining. Of special note are the low numbers of minority women completing STEM studies. Only 3.3 percent of associate's degrees in STEM fields are awarded to African American women and 2.2 percent to Hispanic women.
|
| Health | | Contributed by Anahita Hamidi
Antidepressants and the Power of Placebo
Individuals with major depressive disorder often try several different medications to find the one that works best for them. Researchers at UCLA have discovered that mere exposure to different antidepressants over time may result in a stronger placebo effect response later down the road. When presented with an antidepressant placebo pill, individuals who had previously used "real" antidepressants, showed decreased activity in the prefrontal cortex compared with individuals with no past history of antidepressant use.
What Your Handshake Says About You
The strength of your handshake reflects more than your degree of self-confidence. Research presented at the 64th Annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, demonstrated a link between the strength of a person's handshake and their risk for stroke or dementia. Other seemingly unconnected traits such as the speed of your walk or your quality of sleep have also been correlated with dementia risk.
|
| Science and Technology | |
Contributed by Anahita Hamidi
Theory or Data? Both please.
The traditional model of the scientific method begins first with a hypothesis, which is then tested by experimentation. In such a model, the collection of data is usually done in the interest of testing a hypothesis. However, there are times when data is collected and is not held within a theoretical framework. Dennis Overbye of the New York Times writes about the neutrino controversy as an example of when such "data before theory" becomes a problem.
Data driven
MIT Scientists Maximize Solar Energy
Solar power is generally regarded as an environmentally friendly energy source, albeit an expensive one. In order to minimize costs, many have focused on the production costs of photovoltaic cells - the cells that make up a solar panel. However, until recently, no one considered simply rearranging the solar panels themselves. Scientists at MIT have reconfigured the panels in cubes or extending towers in order to maximize the amount of solar energy that can be harvested. Some of the constructed structures have more than doubled the amount of solar power!
Shape shifters
|
| Work Life Satisfaction | |
Contributed by Anahita Hamidi
Is your Smartphone Controlling your Life?
How many times a day do you get distracted from what you are doing just to check your smartphone? For many, this little device is responsible for a whole lot of disruption. Click on this article for several tactics to put aside that smartphone and take back your life, such as "bunch checking" and placing it in a different room.
How Secrets Weight You Down
Feeling weighed down by a secret? A recent review published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology suggests that this expression may actually have physical grounding. The study investigated the effects of keeping a long-term meaningful secret, on perceptions of physical distance and incline. Individuals that were harboring secrets tended to overestimate the steepness of hills as well as distance. The authors concluded by stating that secrets (such as concealing sexual orientation or keeping information from a spouse) may actually lead to real physical overexertion and result in chronic stress. Heavy burden Connecting the Dots
The part of the brain named after the Greek word for seahorse - the hippocampus - is already well known for playing an important role in learning and memory. Recent work published in Frontiers in Neuroscience suggests that the hippocampus may play an important role in inferential reasoning - the ability to "connect the dots" between ideas that may have been learned in different contexts and at different points in time. So the next time you make a brilliant connection between two seemingly disparate ideas, be sure to thank the seahorse in your brain!
Seahorse sense |
| AWIS News and Events | |
AWIS STEMiNARS
Tuesday, April 17, 2012 from 10:00 AM - 11:00 PM EST
STEMiNARs© are online educational opportunities designed with your interest and comfort in mind. Using a webinar platform, AWIS hosts STEMiNARs© where members can hear live presentations and interact with the presenters from the comfort of their computer or mobile devices. Can't participate at the designated time? No problem. The STEMiNARs© are recorded and posted online.
Other Events
AWIS and SWE Joint Webinar
Event: Your Career by Design
Date: April 4
Time: 5:00pm - 6:00pm
AWIS National at ADVANCE-Leader Conference
Event: Keys to Academics' Success: Faculty Development
Date: April 12
Time: 10:00am-4:00pm
AWIS Philadelphia Chapter
Event: Book Club
Date: April 14
Time: 10:00am - 12:00pm
AWIS Los Angeles/Ventura County Chapter
Event: Sounds of L.A. and An Afternoon at the Getty
Date: April 15
Time: 2:00pm - 5:30pm
AWIS West Virginia Chapter
Event: "Improving Work-Life Satisfaction: In-Depth Discussions" Workshop
Date: April 18
Time: 12:00pm - 2:00pm Learn More
AWIS Seattle Chapter
Event: Women's Bioethics Project
Date: April 18
Time: 6:00pm - 8:30pm
|
| Opportunities | |
BBRG Affiliated Scholars Program
The BBRG Affiliated Visiting Scholars Program is designed to accommodate scholars who would like to spend a relatively short period of time in residence, ranging from one month to six months. The BBRG Affiliated Visiting Scholars Program is open to senior and junior faculty (tenured and untenured), visiting scholars, postdoctoral scholars and independent scholars, from the U.S. and abroad, whose work is centrally on women and gender. Applicants must have the Ph.D. in hand one year prior to the beginning of the appointment. The BBRG accepts applications for the BBRG Affiliated Visiting Scholars Program throughout the academic year.
Marie Curie Fellowship
Have you ever wanted to do research in Europe? Apply for a Marie Curie Fellowship. The goal of the Marie Curie Fellowship is to strengthen the human potential in research and technology by stimulating people to enter into the profession of research and attracting researchers from the entire world to Europe. This Fellowship addresses researchers at all stages of their careers, in the public and private sectors, from initial research training, specifically intended for young people, to life long learning and career development. Proposals are welcomed from all areas of scientific and technological research and the fellowship covers your salary plus your research expenses. To apply, you must have either a doctoral degree or at least 4 years' full-time equivalent research experience, after obtaining a degree permitting you to embark on a doctorate.
Small Business Postdoctoral Research Diversity Fellowship
The Small Business Postdoctoral Research Diversity Fellowship program aims to encourage creative and highly-trained recipients of doctoral degrees in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering and mathematical disciplines to engage in hands-on research projects in their areas of expertise at the kind of small innovative businesses that historically have fueled the nation's economic regime. This fellowship program offers small businesses the opportunity to attract top scientific and technological talent at a fraction of the usual cost, while recruiting postdoctoral fellows to work for at least a year outside an academic setting on cutting-edge research aimed at promoting scientific excellence and strengthening our nation's technological prowess. Each research fellow will receive a stipend of at least $75,000 plus health insurance benefits.
Myelofibrosis Challenge
The Myeloproliferative Neoplasm (MPN) Research Foundation and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking innovative approaches to reversing fibrosis in patients with myelofibrosis (MF). Applicants for this concept grant program (titled the MF Challenge) may request funding in the amount of up to $100,000 per grant. The grant review will take place in June 2012 in Chicago. The goal of The MF Challenge is to discover the factor(s) that induce(s) fibrosis in bone marrow, and to identify opportunities to arrest and reverse this fibrosis. Proposals are due by April 1, 2012.
Springboard: Life Science 2012 Forum Program
This venture forum is a community-driven accelerator designed exclusively for women-led companies seeking equity investments or strategic partnerships. Companies selected to participate in the program are inducted into the Springboard Expert network, receive a team to work with them on their investor presentation and business challenges, and depending on stage may be provided opportunities to meet and pitch to various investors, advisors, and partners. Priority deadline for applications is April 3, 2012.
Department of Energy (DOE) Carlsbad Field Office Fellowship Programs
The Department of Energy (DOE) CBFO Program provides the opportunity to conduct mission-oriented research in DOE's CBFO in Carlsbad, New Mexico. The CBFO Fellow will study needs for automated access control and secured wireless computing for use in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) repository.The Fellow will become familiar with Homeland Security Presidential Directive12, Public Key Infrastructure and secured wireless local area networking. The Fellow will also become familiar with key recommendations regarding the integration and deployment of information technology systems for optimized use and cost saving applications without sacrificing performance or security.The deadline to apply is April 8, 2012.
SAGE Junior Fellow Program
The SAGE Center for the Study of Mind at the University of California, Santa Barbara is offering a junior fellowship for post-doctoral scholars to engage in research and participate in teaching through graduate level course in a variety of departments at UCSB. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, but the latest date to submit materials is April 15, 2012.
DOE 2012 Enrico Fermi Award
The Department of Energy invites nominations for the Enrico Fermi Award. This is a Presidential award and recognizes outstanding contributions and achievements that are particularly distinguished and demonstrate scientific, technical, management or policy leadership that are related to all basic and applied research, science and technology supported by the DOE and its programs. The Award consists of a citation signed by the President of the United States and the Secretary of Energy, a gold medal, and a $50,000 honorarium. A diverse pool of candidates is encouraged. Nominations for the 2012 Fermi Award must be submitted by April 16, 2012.
DOE 2012 Ernest Orlando Lawrence Awards
The Department of Energy invites nominations for the 2012 Ernest Orlando Lawrence Awards. The Award is awarded to mid-career scientists and engineers in recognition of exceptional scientific, technical, and/or engineering achievements related to the broad missions of the U.S. DOE and its programs. The Award consists of a citation signed by the Secretary of Energy, a gold medal, and a $20,000 honorarium. An award is given in each of the following eight categories: Atomic, Molecular, and Chemical Sciences, Biological and Environmental Sciences, Computer, Information, and Knowledge Sciences, Condensed Matter and Materials Sciences, Energy Science and Innovation, Fusion and Plasma Sciences, High Energy and Nuclear Physics, and National Security and Nonproliferation. A diverse pool of candidates is encouraged. Nominations for 2012 Lawrence Awards must be submitted by April 16, 2012.
Aldo Leopold Leadership Program for Environmental Scientists
The Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University invites midcareer academic environmental scientists are invited to apply to the 2013 Leopold Leadership Fellowships. Leopold Leadership Fellows receive leadership training that is useful and relevant wherever Fellows choose to work. The program offers two intensive training sessions a year apart to help Fellows gain the skills, approaches, and theoretical frameworks for translating their knowledge to action and for catalyzing change to address the world's most pressing environmental and sustainability challenges. The deadline to apply is April 16, 2012.
Research Opportunities for Recent Ph.D. Graduates
The Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Postdoctoral Research Awards support EERE's mission in energy efficiency and renewable energy by offering recent Ph.D. recipients the opportunity to conduct applied research at universities, national laboratories, and other research facilities. The award will provide an annual stipend, allowances for health insurance and research-related expenses, and limited reimbursement for relocation expenses. An Annual Research Meeting for participants will be organized and hosted by EERE. The application deadline is May 1, 2012.
Mapping Meaning Conference
Mapping Meaning invites women artists, scientist, and scholars from all disciplines to participate in a unique 5-day conference to be held this summer at the Capitol Reef Field Station in southern Utah.The roughly 15 participants will engage in cross-discipline dialogue using this year's focus, "ecotone." Applications are due by May 1, 2012.
WESH Spring Executive Leadership Summit
WESH, Women Executives in Science and Healthcare (formerly known as SELAM, The Society for Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine) is hosting a Spring Executive Leadership Summit, "Renew and Redirect: A Workshop for Senior Leaders" at the Loews Hotel, Philadelphia, PA, May 4-6, 2012. For more information email wesh@fernley.com.
Travel Grants Available to Attend ESOF
Euroscience Open Forum is the biennial pan-European meeting dedicated to scientific research and innovation. The ESOF2012 event, to be held in Dublin in July, will discuss the best of European science and address all of the current major global scientific challenges. Travel grants are open for all "Early-Stage Researchers" working in European countries. The deadline for travel grant applications is May 10, 2012.
Cognizant Making the Future Scholarship Program
Cognizant is a leading provider of information technology, consulting, and business process outsourcing services. The goal of this design-based scholarship program is to expand the pool of students in STEM fields. Students will be required to submit documentation of a hands-on project. The application deadline is May 15, 2012.
2012 BBVA Foundation of Frontiers of Knowledge Awards
The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Awards seek to recognize and encourage world-class research and artistic creation, prizing contributions of lasting impact for their originality, theoretical significance and ability to push back the frontiers of the known world. These international awards span eight categories including Basic Sciences (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics), Biomedicine, Ecology and Conservation Biology, Climate Change and more. The award includes a € 400.000 prize. The closing date for submissions is June 30, 2012.
Travel Award Program for Early Career Investigators
Keystone Symposia on Molecular and Cellular Biology will offer a limited number of travel awards to early career investigators at the Assistant Professor or equivalent industry scientist level. The travel awards are to attend Keystone Symposia meetings. The purpose of these travel awards is specifically for early career investigators at the Assistant Professor or industry scientist equivalent level. At times researchers find that attending a Keystone Symposia meeting might substantially further a current research project or assist in problem solving around a particular experimental issue. These travel awards are specifically designed to address this situation. The emphasis is on URM scientists who are pursuing research careers.The application process opened March 1, 2012 for all of meetings between now and Feb 28, 2013. However, the awards will be made upon review, on a first come basis.
|
|
|
|
|
| Member Profile | |
Member Name:
Member Type:
Expiration Date: |
| Featured Jobs | | |
Division of Trauma, Burn and Surgical Critical Care
Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School
Atacama Large Millimeter/ Submillimeter Array National Radio Astronomy Observatory
San Francisco VA Medical Center |
| USA Science and Engineering Festival |  | |
AWIS member Carolyn R. Williams, PhD, Associate Dean for Multicultural Affairs & STEM Initiatives, St. Cloud State University, is on the Advisory Board of the Festival along with AWIS Immediate Past President, Joan Herbers, PhD.
The Festival will take place April 28-29, 2012 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC.
Official partner of the USA Science and Engineering Festival |
| AWIS in Action! |  |
Read the latest issue of our advocacy newsletter AWIS in Action! and learn about our 2012 Capitol Hill Day.
|
| Support AWIS | | |
Help other women in science! Donate to AWIS for its programs and awards.
Your tax-deductible donation to AWIS supports the wide-ranging advocacy activities of the National Office and the Executive Board.
|
|
|
