Washington Wire 
Edited by
Trudy Jackson Bosilovic
May 2013 Issue I
Dear  ,
 

AWIS has been ranked as a Top-Rated Women's Nonprofit by GreatNonprofits for 3 years running.  This is an honor achieved by less than 1% of nonprofits nation-wide.

 

To again be recognized in 2013, we need your help.  AWIS must have a minimum of 10 positive reviews by Friday, May 31, 2013.  If you would like to contribute a brief review, please click here.

 

You can help us keep our gold star!

 

Best Regards,

  
Janet Bandows Koster
AWIS Executive Director/CEO
 
 Careers
Contributed by Meghan Mott

8 Ways to Reinvigorate your Career

It's never too late to reinvent yourself professionally. If you feel like you're stuck in a rut, then it's time to identify what it is about your job that's no longer fulfilling. Breathing new life into your career doesn't require dramatic change - subtle modifications can make a big difference. Map out your timeline, develop feasible skills, and don't be afraid to take a step back.

 

5 Tips for Cover Letter Writing

When it comes to job applications, cover letters are make-or-break documents. Following basic guidelines and avoiding classic mistakes will improve your chances of being hired. Make sure to keep it to a single page, pay attention to details, and proofread. Don't simply restate your resume or submit a generic stock piece. Make your letter specific to the position and demonstrate how hiring you would be beneficial. 

  Education

Contributed by Jacqueline Akech

 

Study: Why Few Women are in Science

To understand the root cause of gender disparity in STEM, a recent study asked male and female graduate students to complete a questionnaire that focused on gender roles. Participants were asked to evaluate and rate abstracts from a conference for various qualities such as "publishable in a prestigious journal."  Study results showed that both sexes thought that males were more likely to be well published.

Impact of NIH Sequestration

Recently, The National Institutes of Health (NIH) published figures that highlighted the impact of the federal budget sequestration on the 2013 budget.  Grants already funded will drop by $1.55 billion from 2012 affecting the overall funding environment for many Institutional Research Programs.  Many science leaders are concerned that these measures will impact young scientist who would be more likely to abandon the field.

 

No funding, more problems!
Member Profile  
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Harvard Medical School

Volunteer Spotlight

 Joy Ramos, PhD 

is a Medical Writer for Prescott Medical Communications Group.

Joy is Past President of AWIS Chicago and is the Chapter News Editor for AWIS Magazine.

 

Learn more about Joy

Chapter Event Funded by Mini-Grant

 

The AWIS St. Louis chapter hosted a panel discussion and networking event titled "Secrets to Her Success."  Partial funding for the event was provided by Nalco, a division of Ecolab, Inc. via the AWIS Chapter Mini-Grant Program.

 

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 Science and Technology

Contributed by Demetra Farley

 

Adult Germs Boost Infant Health

A study from the Pediatrics journal argues that bacteria from the mouths of parents actually decrease common health issues in children. Of 184 children studied, those whose parents cleaned their soiled pacifiers by sucking them developed significantly less eczema and asthma than those with pacifiers cleaned by tap or even boiling water. Study authors believe that the "self-cleaning" method transfers good bacteria from parent to baby, helping infants more effectively ward off affliction.

 

One man's germs, another's health

 

Bipartisan Support for Science Laureate

In an effort to heighten interest in STEM in the US, several members of Congress recently introduced legislation supporting the induction of a national Science Laureate.  Appointees would travel the nation, speaking to students about the utility of careers in science and paths to ultimate success. The honorary position would be bestowed upon a current member of the National Academy of Sciences for a period of 1-2 years.

 

Laureate to motivate young scientists 

 Work Life Satisfaction

Contributed by Catherine Moorwood 

 

Supporting Work-Life Balance: Everyone Wins

A research survey by the Hay Group has found that enabling work-life balance for employees is a win for employers too. Good work-life balance practices result in lower employee turnover, as well as greater employee pay satisfaction. The survey also found that the number of people reporting a lack of work-life balance increased from the previous year.

 

Win-Win

 

Cisco CTO Padmasree Warrior: It's Not About Balance

One of Silicon Valley's most powerful women, Padmasree Warrior, says the secret to satisfaction is to integrate and pay attention to all the things that make up your life: work, family, community and self. She stresses the importance of not trying to do everything at the same time, and being ok with the decisions you make.

 

Lose your balance

 Health 
 

Contributed by Lara Kallal

 

Want a Healthy Heart? Own a Dog

With a growing number of reports suggesting the overall health benefits of pet ownership, the American Heart Association came out with a statement indicating the correlation between owning a dog and a reduced risk of heart disease. Although no causal link has been proven, studies have suggested that owning a pet may increase daily exercise and reduce stress levels, thereby lowering heart rate.

 

Pet love

 

Yet Another Reason to Exercise

The association between aerobic exercise and a lower risk of breast cancer has long been appreciated, but the reasons for this link had not been known. Researchers at the University of Minnesota assessed estrogens and their break-down products, metabolites, in women who were inactive and those who exercised regularly. The exercised group showed increased ratios of protective estrogen metabolites compared with the sedentary group.

 

Estrogen effects

 Events
 
MAY 18
AWIS San Diego Chapter

 

MAY 21
AWIS Greater Cincinnati Chapter

 

MAY 22
AWIS Bethesda Chapter

 

MAY 23
AWIS East Bay Chapter

 

MAY 23
AWIS NY Metro Chapter

 

MAY 29
AWIS Philadelphia Chapter

 

June 19
AWIS Massachusetts Chapter
 
June 19
AWIS Seattle Chapter
 Opportunities 
 

Fulbright Post-Doctoral Fellowship

The United States-Israel Educational Foundation (USIEF), the Fulbright commission for Israel, offers 8 fellowships to American post-doctoral researchers in support of work to be carried out at Israeli universities. This program is open to American post-doctoral researchers in all academic disciplines. 
 

AGU Summer Internships

Are you looking to launch your career in a challenging and rewarding summer internship? At AGU, an international non-profit association, you will help to promote the understanding of Earth and space for the benefit of humanity. You will work within a collaborative, agile environment with talented, dedicated professionals who are interested in making a difference.

  

The University of Michigan College of Engineering has recently established an annual future faculty development workshop for potential women and underrepresented minority faculty members.  Application deadline is June 3, 2013.

 

Eppendorf & Science Prize for Neurobiology

The Prize is awarded annually to one young scientist for the most outstanding neurobiological research based on methods of molecular and cell biology conducted by him/her during the past three years. Prize money: US$25,000 Next application deadline: June 15, 2013

 

Elsevier Awards for Early-Career Woman Scientists in the Developing World  Candidates must be female early-career scientists (within ten years of earning their PhD degree). At nomination, candidates must have lived and worked for at least three years in one of the countries listed in the nomination form. 

 

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.

 

2012-13 AWIS Star Chapter Award  

The AWIS Star Chapter Award honors those chapters who have accomplished many of the key objectives outlined in the Strategic Plan. The award encourages chapters to perform specific activities designed to ensure that women in STEM fields are able to achieve their full potential.  Objectives must be met before June 3, 2013.

 

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. 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.

 

Summer Institute for Training in Biostatistics

The Summer Institute for Training in Biostatistics (SIBS) offers a comprehensive six to seven week summer training course on biostatistics with relevant examples that include data collected in studies of heart, lung, blood, and sleep disorders.

 

AWIS Chapter Mini-Grants

AWIS Chapter Mini-Grants are available to support chapter initiatives focused on membership recruitment and retention. Applications following the guidelines are considered on a quarterly basis with the next due June 30, 2013.