AWIS
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ASSOCIATION FOR WOMEN IN SCIENCE

Washington Wire 

Special Edition    

October 2012
  Issue II   

Dear Valued Member, 

 

Women comprise half of the U.S. labor force, a quarter of the STEM workforce, but hold only 7.5% of the patents in the U.S.  Innovation and jobs are hot topics throughout the country as we all look for ways to develop alternative revenue streams.  Therefore, this month, we have been focusing our attention on technology transfer through a STEMiNAR for members, this month's Washington Wire, and a panel discussion we hosted here in DC. 

 

Speaking of politics and DC, in Friday's  AWIS in Action!, we promised to apprise you of updates from the Romney campaign.  We strive hard to be bipartisan and planned to display both campaigns' responses side by side for your examination.  However, we were very disappointed the Romney campaign has declined the opportunity answer our questions about their views on women and women in science.  The Obama campaign's responses, along with the questions, are available for your perusal. 

 

Best regards and Happy Halloween!  

 

Erin

____________

Erin Cadwalader, Ph.D.

AWIS Phoebe S. Leboy Public Policy Fellow   

 

In This Issue
Technology Transfer Articles
Events
Opportunities
Technology Transfer Articles

10 Rules When Selling Your Research

Commercializing scientific research can be an arduous process as you attempt to develop your findings into a marketable product for an audience that has not yet been established. An easier, less intensive option is to sell the research to a specialized office that can identify an audience and market the product to them. Before working with these groups, review these 10 rules covering the primary issues that arise before and after working with these offices.

To market, to market

How to Choose Your Technology Transfer Team

When developing your start up group, it is imperative to understand the qualities that establish a successful team. This blog lists the services and skills that should be considered when assembling and assessing tech transfer teams. The author suggests that assessing the strengths and weaknesses of your current team and providing adjustments where needed is a better strategy than requiring each staff member to posses all of the qualities listed here.

 

Tech HR 101

Funding for Student Start Ups

First Round Capital has announced its experimental "Dorm Room Fund" that will provide $500,000 to a team of selected students who will invest the funds into student start up companies throughout the year. Because major entities like Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, and Facebook were all started by students on college campuses, First Round follows the thinking that students are not only capable of developing these types of platforms, but also choosing them. First Round partner Josh Kopelman says that it is hardest to raise the first thousands of dollars needed for a start up and hopes that this funding will be a lucrative option for the recent onslaught of college-aged entrepreneurs who would like to start a company while completing their degrees.  

 

Student-run student funds

Women Could "Have it All" in Tech Industries

After Atlantic Monthly featured the now viral article, "Why Women Still Can't Have it All," the rising trend in technology start ups presented an alternative to this perspective. Although men currently dominate the tech industry, women have the opportunity to enter this sector at its onset and maintain both a fulfilling career and satisfying home life that might be harder to obtain in a traditional career path. This article lists four key reasons why women can maintain a work-life balance with tech start ups by working where new ideas are embraced and with people who recognize the need for flexibility in the workplace.

 

Tech has it all

 

Bridging the Gap between Academia and Industry

Eli Lilly and Company CEO, Dr. John Lechleiter, would like to maintain Indiana's standing in the "top tier" of the life sciences communities and focuses on achieving this goal through collaborations between industry and academia. He states that it is pivotal that research universities assist with tech transfer and bring products to society, and suggests that universities make their licensing processes more predictable and encourage IP development through tenure policies to improve industry/university partnerships. He adds that companies would need to continue to bring outside investments and make changes to better facilitate exchanges between industry and local universities.

 

Meet in the middle   

 

AWIS News and Events
 

AWIS Massachusetts Chapter

Event: Volunteer: Build Your Leadership Skills AND Make a Difference

Date: November 1

Time: 7:00PM - 9:00PM

Register Now 

                       

AWIS Chapter Leaders: Developing a Mentoring Program

Event: Virtual Meeting

Date: November 2

Time: 12:00PM - 1:00PM  

Register Now 

           

AWIS Chicago Chapter

Event: STEM enrichment day for Chicago high school students

Date: November 3

Time: 9:00AM - 2:30PM  

 Register Now 

           

AWIS Los Angeles/Ventura County Chapter

Event 2012 Walk for Hope

Date: November 4

Time: 8:00AM - 12:00PM   

Register Now       

 

AWIS Palo Alto Chapter

Event: You, The Brand. Tell Your Story, Build Your Career

Date: November 7

Time: 7:00PM - 9:00PM

Register Now 

 

AWIS at WE12 Conference

Event: Strategies for Effective Grant Writing

Date: November 9

Time: 2:45PM - 3:45PM

Learn More    

           

AWIS at WE12 Conference

Event: Work-Life Integration: Effective Strategies

Date: November 9

Time: 4:00PM - 5:00PM

Learn More  

 

AWIS Central Jersey Chapter 

Event: Professional Networking Event with the Douglass Project for Women Students in STEM  

Date: November 9

Time: 5:30PM - 7:00PM   

Learn More 

Opportunities

 2013 Alan T. Waterman Award Call for Nominations
The Alan T. Waterman Award is the highest honor awarded by the National Science Foundation. The annual award has been bestowed upon individuals who have demonstrated exceptional individual achievement in scientific or engineering research of sufficient quality to place them at the forefront of their peers.The annual award recognizes an outstanding young researcher in any field of science or engineering supported by the National Science Foundation. In addition to a medal, the awardee receives a grant of $1,000,000 over a five year period for scientific research or advanced study in the mathematical, physical, biological, engineering, social or other sciences at the institution of the recipient's choice. Nominations will be accepted from August 1, 2012 to October 31, 2012. Candidates must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, 35 years of age or younger, or not more than seven years beyond receipt of their Ph.D. degree by December 31 of the year in which they are nominated.

Dynamics Days US 2013
The Department of Applied Mathematics at the University of Colorado at Boulder announces Dynamics Days, an international conference on nonlinear dynamics, chaos and its applications. Talks will cover a broad range of topics, including dynamics on networks, biological systems, fluid dynamics, synchronization of nonlinear systems, and pattern formation. The event will take place in the Marriott City Center in downtown Denver, Colorado, from January 3 to January 6, 2013. There will be additional talks and poster presentations selected from contributed abstracts. The abstract submission deadline is November 9. Hotel registrations should be made by December 12. It is anticipated that the university will be able to offer a number of travel awards for students and postdocs. Please indicate your desire to be considered for such an award when submitting an abstract. Notifications of travel support award decisions will be sent by email at the end of November. The participation of women and underrepresented minorities will be encouraged.

National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program
The National Science Foundation's Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) helps ti ensure the vitality of the human resource base of science and engineering in the United States and reinforces its diversity.  The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master's and doctoral degrees at accredited US institutions.  The NSF welcomes applications from all qualified students and strongly encourages under-represented populations, including women, under-represented racial and ethnic minorities, and persons with disabilities, to apply for this fellowship. The deadline for applications are designated by field of study and are as follows: Engineering, Computer and Information Sciences, and Materials Research applications are due November 13; Mathematical Sciences, Chemistry, Physics, and Astronomy applications are due November 14; Social Sciences, Psychology, and STEM Education and Learning applications are due November 16; and Life Sciences and Geosciences applications are due November 19.

The Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the Future Program
The Schlumberger Foundation is accepting applications for the 2013-2014 Faculty for the Future Fellowships. New applications will be accepted from September 10 to November 16, 2012. This program awards fellowships to women from developing and emerging economies to pursue PhD or post-doctoral studies in the physical sciences, engineering and technology at leading universities abroad. The long-term goal of the program is to generate conditions that result in more women pursuing academic careers in scientific disciplines thus contributing to the socio-economic development of their home countries and regions.

Impact of Clean Cooking Solutions on Women Users and Their Families
The Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves is seeking qualified teams of researchers to fill key gaps in the existing evidence on the impact that clean cooking solutions have on women users and their families, as well as data that provides a better understanding of the impact women entrepreneurs working in the cookstove and fuel value chain have on adoption rates. Of particular interest are studies that are based in Alliance priority and potential priority countries/regions[1]. Confirmed priority countries include: Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Bangladesh, Uganda and China. Potential countries/regions include: Rwanda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Mexico, Peru, and India. As much as $250,000 will be available for studies funded under RFA 12-5. The Alliance would like to be able to share results in at least one impact area in the next 6-9 months, and will prioritize applications that reflect this objective. Overall, studies should be completed within a 6 month to 18 month timeframe. The deadline for Letters of Intent (encouraged, but not mandatory) is October 26, 2012. The deadline for submission of proposals is November 19, 2012.

Policy Fellowships with the Society for Research in Child Development
SRCD is seeking applications for upcoming Policy Fellowships for 2013-2014. There are two types of Fellowships: Congressional and Executive Branch. Both provide Fellows with exciting opportunities to come to Washington, DC and use their research skills in child development outside of the academic setting to inform public policy. Fellowships are full-time immersion experiences and run from September 1st through August 31st. The application deadline is December 15, 2012. Applicants must have a doctoral-level degree in any relevant discipline (e.g., Ph.D., M.D.), must demonstrate exceptional competence in an area of child development research, and must be a member of SRCD.

FASEB Stand Up for Science Competition
The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) is sponsoring a competition for the most effective demonstration of how research funded by NIH, NSF, and other federal agencies improves the health, quality of life, or economy in local communities.Competitors will create exhibits, events, or web-based outreach that highlight the value of NIH, NSF, or other federally funded research. Documentation of events and outreach efforts should be maintained and can include photos, videos, specific twitter hashtags, webpages, and links to news articles. Submissions will be accepted from September 17, 2012 to December 1, 2012. Voting will open on December 3, 2012 and close December 31, 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. 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 is open for all meetings between now and February 28, 2013. However, the awards will be made upon review, on a first come basis.

Opportunity for Scientists to Collaborate with European Colleagues
The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the European Commission (EC) signed an Implementing Arrangement to provide opportunities for NSF-funded early career scientists and engineers to pursue research collaborations with European colleagues supported through the European Research Council (ERC) awards.  The ERC will identify researchers wishing to host NSF funded investigators, and NSF will solicit proposals from its CAREER awardees and Postdoctoral Research Fellows for these potential collaborative opportunities. This agreement will allow US scientists to be incorporated in the ERC-funded teams and will be supported as any other ERC team members. NSF will cover travel costs for the US scientists. NSF will release further details through an upcoming Dear Colleague Letter.

ADVANCE Program Solicitation
NSF ADVANCE: Increasing the Participation and Advancement of Women in Academic Science and Engineering Careers (ADVANCE) is accepting proposals for projects that develop systemic approaches to increase the representation and advancement of women in academic STEM careers, thereby contributing to the development of a more diverse science and engineering workforce.

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 lifelong 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.

NSF's Career-Life Balance (CLB) Initiative
Scientists now have the opportunity to submit supplemental funding requests to support additional personnel (e.g., research technicians or equivalent). This will help sustain research when the Principal Investigator is on family leave. In FY 2012, up to 3 months of salary support may be requested (for a maximum of $12,000 in salary compensation) by CAREER awardees.
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AWIS Governing Board Spotlight
Joan M. Herbers, Ph.D.

Dr. Joan M. Herbers, Immediate Past President of AWIS and Professor of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology at Ohio State University, recently hosted the AWIS symposium, "Technology Transfer: Fueling America's Innovation Pipeline," the first installment of the AWIS Symposium Series. Joan joined the AWIS national board in 2007 and became president-elect in 2009. She continues to serve AWIS efforts as the Immediate Past President, strengthening advocacy and breaking down barriers for women in STEM.

Learn more about Joan

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