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AWG E-MAIL NEWS 2006-03
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CONTENTS
1) 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 1906 SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE
2) CALLS FOR ABSTRACTS
3) GRANTS FOR RESEARCH AND SUPPORT OF TRAVEL
4) GLACIAL SEDIMENT MICROMORPHOLOGY WORKSHOP, JUNE 5TH – 9TH, 2006
5) REQUEST FOR 2006 SCIENCE FAIR JUDGES
6) ASA IS AWARDED NORTHROP GRUMMAN’S SUPPLIER EXCELLENCE AWARD
7) AGI GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS MONTHLY REVIEW - DECEMBER 2005
8) AGI GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS ACTION ALERT: 01-10-05
9) POSITION OPENINGS
2006-004 Rice University - Faculty Position - Department of Earth
Science
2006-010 Rice University - Faculty Position - Department of Earth
Science
2006-011 Vassar College - One-year sabbatical replacement position -
Department of
Geology and Geography
10) CONTACT INFORMATION
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Thanks to everyone who contributed to this issue of E-mail News
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1) 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 1906 SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE
You are invited to join the Seismological Society of America in San
Francisco to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 1906 earthquake and
kick off the SSA's centennial celebration at the "The 100th Anniversary
Earthquake Conference". SSA will be meeting jointly with the
Earthquake Engineering Research Institute for their 8th National Earthquake
Conference and the California emergency management community for their
annual Disaster Resistant California conference at the Moscone Convention
Center on April 18-22. The conference is also being co-sponsored by
more than 50 organizations from around the world, including AWG.
This will be a golden opportunity for exchange between earth
scientists, structural engineers, emergency managers and policy makers.
Throughout the four-day meeting, there will be plenary sessions highlighting the
1906 earthquake, lessons from recent large earthquakes worldwide, and
the outlook for earthquake research and loss reduction in the 21st
century. Each day both plenary sessions and concurrent technical sessions
will be offered, as will tutorials and field trips. Additional field
trips will be available the weekend following the meeting. The SSA portion
of the meeting will cover the full range of topics of interest to your
membership. Registrants may attend any sessions at the meeting,
whether they are sponsored by SSA, EERI or DRC.
To commemorate the two centennials, the meeting will feature an
Earthquake Anniversary Gala Reception and a SSA Centennial Reception and
Banquet in addition to the traditional SSA icebreaker and annual luncheon.
All four of these activities are included in the registration fee.
Registration and hotel information is online at the 100th Anniversary
Earthquake Conference website: www.1906eqconf.org. (SSA's headquarters
hotel is the historic Palace Hotel; book early for a greatly reduced
rate).
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2) CALLS FOR ABSTRACTS
2006 Joint Assembly
Abstract submissions are being accepted for the 2006 Joint Assembly and
will continue until 1 March 2006. The 2006 Joint Assembly, a
partnership between AGU, GS, MB, MSA, and SEG is being held 23-26 May 2006 at
the Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, Maryland. Visit
http://www.agu.org/meetings/ja06/ for a list of sessions.
* * * * * * * * * *
Western Pacific Geophysics Meeting
Abstract are being accepted for the Western Pacific Geophysics Meeting.
The submission deadline is 16 March 2006. The Western Pacific
Geophysics Meeting, 24-27 July 2006 will be held in Beijing, China. Visit
www.agu.org/meetings/wp06/for a list of sessions.
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3) GRANTS FOR RESEARCH AND SUPPORT OF TRAVEL
Paleontological Society research grants
The Paleontological Society invites applications from student members
and members with postdoctoral research appointments for a limited number
of $500 Stephen J.Gould Grants in support of research on any aspect of
paleontology. The deadline for applications for this year is February
28th, 2006. For detailed instructions and an application form
(electronic), please go to this page on the Society's website:
http://www.paleosoc.org/grantin.html.
To be eligible for these grants, applicants must be members of the
Society.
U.S. National Science Foundation funds for travel to Beijing
NSF has agreed to fund a limited number of $1000 travel grants for U.S.
students who plan to participate in the Second International
Palaeontological Congress, June 17-21, 2006, in Beijing, China. Full details of
plans for this forthcoming event can be found at the conference website,
http://www.ipc2006.ac.cn/index.asp.
To apply for one of these travel grants: 1) Send a message requesting
this support, indicating the institution and degree program in which you
are enrolled, and include the abstract of your presentation or other
statement of purpose for attending this meeting. 2) Ask you advisor to
send a message confirming your U.S. student status and endorsing your
application for support. Both messages should be sent by February 10 to
David J. Bottjer, at dbottjer@earth.usc.edu. Late applications will be
considered if funds are still available, following consideration of
applications received by this date. This information also appears on the
Society's website, at: http://www.paleosoc.org.
The Paleontological Society, which applied for the funds, will
administer these NSF travel grants. However, they are not limited to members
of the Society. All eligible applicants will receive equal
consideration. Eligibility for these grants is limited to "U.S. persons", that is
U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
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4) GLACIAL SEDIMENT MICROMORPHOLOGY WORKSHOP, JUNE 5TH – 9TH, 2006
The Department of Geosciences at Hamilton College is pleased to be
hosting an NSF-OPP sponsored workshop on the micro-morphology of glacial
sediments taught by Dr. John Menzies (Brock University) and Dr. Jaap van
der Meer (Queen Mary, University of London). The workshop will be
conducted in a new state-of-the-art microscopic laboratory in the college's
new Science Facility on the scenic Hamilton College Campus. Both
microscopy and field sampling techniques in glacial sediments will be covered
as the facility is within walking distance of excellent exposures of
Quaternary glacio- and glaciolacustrine deposits. We will also review new
advances in the observation and interpretation of laminated Antarctic
glacial marine sediments as instructed by Dr. Jennifer Pike (Cardiff
University), as long jumbo piston cores (25 m in length) will be available
for examination and study. Hamilton College is located in the eastern
end of the Finger Lakes landscape, is adjacent to the Adirondack
Mtns, and the glacially sculpted Mohawk Valley and Ontario Lowland. The
course will run from June 5th to June 9th with arrival and a welcoming
reception planned for June 4th. Travel support will be available for
students. Space is limited to 20 participants. Please contact Danelle
Parker for registration details (dparker@hamilton.edu) by April 1st,
2006.
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5) REQUEST FOR 2006 SCIENCE FAIR JUDGES
AWG provides Student Award for Geoscience Excellence (SAGE)
certificates through Science Service, the sponsoring organization of the
International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), to young women whose projects
exemplify an understanding of our world and its processes. As the AWG
point-of-contact for Science Service, fair directors often contact me
with requests for science fair judges. I would like to share information
concerning several fairs searching for judges from the AWG membership.
Please contact Valerie Honeycutt (styles@hpnc.com or 972-723-2260) to
find out how you can help! Thanks!
The science fairs currently requesting Special Awards judges to present
the AWG certificate are as follows:
1) The Arkansas Valley Regional Science Fair to be held February 24-25,
2006 in La Junta, CO at Otero Junior College. Contact Dr. Joel Gray at
(719) 384 6892 or at joel.gray@ojc.edu for fair information.
2) The Central Western Oregon Science Expo to be held February 24-25,
2006 in Monmouth, Oregon. See http://www.nwse.org for fair
information. Please contact Dr. David Hackleman (Chemical Engineering, Oregon
State University) at (541) 737-8988 or David.Hackleman@oregonstate.edu.
If you are interested in helping judge some interesting Science and
Engineering Projects at the Central Western Oregon Science Exposition, we
need you to help us determine the winner of a certificate of merit from
AWG. Fair Dates: 24/25 February. Judging is Noon – 7PM on 24
February and the awards ceremony is on 25 February. This fair is in Monmouth,
Oregon, on the WOU campus. For more information, go to
http://www.nwse.org > Judge Registration > REGIONAL FAIRS > Central
Western Oregon Science Exposition, or contact me directly. Judging the
science and engineering projects of these young individuals is rewarding
both because you have a chance to help them develop their own abilities
but also you get to see some quite interesting ideas! To give you an
example, a young woman from Salem, Oregon did a rather detailed study
of the geoscience of the moon Europa, coming up with her own theories on
the reasons for the observed surface features, a relatively unique
theory that
seems rather plausible to folks that judged her at our regional, the
state and international fairs. Last year, the fair had 110
participants, and was three times the size of the fair the prior year. This year,
we are not certain of the size, but are expecting it to grow from 110.
David Hackleman
3) The Seminole County Regional Science, Math, & Engineering Fair to be
held on Saturday, February 18, 2006 in Sanford, Florida. See
http://www.seminolescience.org for fair information. Please contact
the Fair Director, Dr. Suzy Behel, at 407-320-3603 or sbehel@cfl.rr.com.
The Seminole County Regional Science, Math, & Engineering Fair is
Saturday, February 18, 2006. Last year, 30 Seminole students went on to
compete and many took prizes in the State competition. Four individual
students and two teams from Seminole County High Schools went to
International and several came home with prizes! Professionals in the
sciences, math, and engineering fields are needed to judge the event from 9 AM
until 3PM on February 18. In addition, sponsorships and awards from
professional societies, companies, and individuals are needed, and
volunteers are needed to assist in logistics for the event. There are also
year-round opportunities to mentor students who are preparing projects.
Don't miss the public display of projects during mall hours on February
18 at the Seminole Towne Center Mall in Sanford, FL. For more
information, contact the Fair Director, Dr. Suzy Behel, at 407-320-3603.
4) 2006 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), to be
held in Indianapolis, Indiana on May 7-13, 2006. They are looking for
50 individuals including qualified women (in academia, government and
industry) who can judge in the earth/space category as Category Judges,
not just Special Awards judges. Judges need either a Ph.D. or 6 years
experience beyond the master's degree, and will need to be present on
Tuesday, May 9 and Wednesday, May 10, 2006. Please contact Anne Argast,
Dept. of Geosciences, Indiana-Purdue University Fort Wayne at
Argast@ipfw.edu.
5) AWG would also like to field a team of at least three AWG Special
Awards judges at the 2006 ISEF (Indianapolis, Indiana, May 7-13, 2006).
AWG presents three female students with awards each year at the ISEF,
but we can't present these awards if we don't have judges! We need YOU!
Judging is on Tuesday afternoon May 9 and all day Wednesday May 10,
with the Special Awards presentation on Thursday evening, May 11. I have
several resources to share, including a "calling card", the certificate
paper and certificate templates, AWG judging guidelines, and other
miscellaneous information. Some travel funds may be available. AWG
members interested in participating as an AWG Special Awards judge at the
ISEF are invited and encouraged to contact Valerie Honeycutt at
styles@hpnc.com by no later than February 15, 2006. The ISEF requires
that it's Grand Award Judges have either a Ph.D., M.D. or equivalent
_OR_ a minimum of 6 years professional experience in one of 14 specific
disci
plines including behavioral and social sciences, biochemistry, botany,
chemistry, computer science, earth science, engineering, environmental
science, mathematics, medicine and health, microbiology, physics, space
science, and zoology. So, in accordance with the ISEF guidelines for
judge’s experience, we welcome AWG members with those qualifications to
volunteer as an AWG Special Awards judge.
6) Other - Over 600 ISEF-affiliated regional fairs are held world-wide
each year, many in the United States, and these fairs are also looking
for judges to present the AWG SAGE certificates at their fairs. If
anyone in your Chapter might be interested in participating as a judge, or
if your Chapter is interested in sponsoring an additional award at a
local fair, please contact Valerie Honeycutt at styles@hpnc.com or
972-723-2260 for affiliated local fair information in your area. You can also
visit the Science Service website for more information or a list of
their regional affiliated science fairs at
http://www.sciserv.org/isef/aff_fairs/aff_fairsearch.asp.
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6) ASA IS AWARDED NORTHROP GRUMMAN’S SUPPLIER EXCELLENCE AWARD
Applied Science Associates (ASA) has been awarded Northrop Grumman
Corporation’s suppliers’ excellence award. The award honors suppliers who
have contributed substantively to Northrop Grumman’s success through
their technical capability and commitment to producing quality products
and services. It signifies that ASA has met Northrop Grumman’s highest
criteria for delivery, quality, cost and schedule management, and
customer satisfaction.
"This award honors suppliers who have made significant contributions
and provided outstanding support to Mission Systems," said Jerry Agee,
corporate vice president and president of Northrop Grumman Mission
Systems. "They are an asset to our company and are critical in ensuring
that we achieve our customers' mission objectives."
ASA is working closely with Northrop Grumman on rapidly evolving
technologies to evaluate the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS)
development plan. The IOOS is a coordinated national and international
network of observations and data transmission, data management and
communications (DMAC), and data analyses and modeling that systematically and
efficiently acquires and disseminates data and information on past,
present and future states of the oceans and coastal waters. The IOOS is the
U.S. contribution to the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) and the
Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS).
ASA is also working with Northrop Grumman to develop SAROPS, the latest
advancement in search & rescue technology for the United States Coast
Guard. This software will be deployed throughout the U.S. Coast Guard
in 2006.
"This successful collaboration demonstrates the power of a large
systems integrator working with small companies like ASA that have highly
specialized domain experience", says the CEO of ASA, Eoin Howlett, “and
allows us to work on projects with national and international
significance."
ASA is an international leader in the development and application of
computer tools to investigate marine and freshwater environments. Since
1979 ASA has been helping clients understand and manage marine and
freshwater environments worldwide. Combining proprietary computer modeling
tools with the consulting capabilities of an exceptionally diverse
technical staff, the firm provides a broad range of services to
international, national and local government agencies, private industry and
educational institutions. ASA has extensive experience with clients involved
in oil and gas, power generation, ports and harbors, wastewater,
coastal management and crisis response, ecological risk assessment,
hydrodynamics, dredging, water quality and coastal engineering.
In addition to its Narragansett, RI headquarters, ASA has offices in
Australia, Brazil, France and Scotland. The company’s website,
www.appsci.com, contains numerous scientific reports written by its staff and
extensive information about its services.
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7) AGI GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS MONTHLY REVIEW - DECEMBER 2005
A web version of the Monthly Review is available at
http://www.agiweb.org/gap/email/review1205.html
1. Final Congressional Budget Battles Sink ANWR
2. Budget Deficit Bill Targets Student Loans
3. AAAS Summarizes Science Research and Development Spending for 2006
4. NASA Reauthorization Act Signed Into Law
5. Congressional Visits Day Scheduled for March 28-29
6. AGI Accepting Congressional Science Fellow Applications
7. NSF Requesting Your Comments on New Strategic Plan
8. Congress Reviews the National Environmental Protection Act
9. International Year of Planet Earth, 2008
10. Energy Department Revises Energy Prices Forecasts
11. Great Lakes Basin Water Compact
12. Evolution Round-up a. Dover Decision
13. Multihazard Mitigation Report
14. Record Breaking 2005 Hurricane Season Ends as Katrina Gets
Downgraded
15. Going Back to the Moon
16. Stardust Coming Back to Earth
17. Geoscience Teacher Training Grants from NSF
18. Education Teachers Can Spend a School Year in Washington DC
19. Government Affairs Program Welcomes New and Old Faces
20. Federal Register 21. New Updates on the Web Site
1. Final Congressional Budget Battles Sink ANWR
Congress ended December with a blitz of legislative maneuvers and
classic battles among congressional veterans, finishing fiscal year 2006
appropriations on December 22 with the passage of two final bills, one for
the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and
Related Agencies and one for Defense. President Bush signed the bills
on December 30.
The defense bill included a controversial provision for drilling in the
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), a 1% rescission for all
appropriations bills and $29 billion in Hurricane Katrina relief. ANWR stalled
the defense bill in the Senate as Senator Robert C. Byrd (WV) opposed
the ANWR provision inserted by Senator Ted Stevens (AK) on a procedural
rule, authored by Byrd, which does not allow extraneous provisions to
be added to appropriations bills. Both made strong appeals to their
colleagues to support their position and in the end, the ANWR provision
was deleted from the bill along with 3 other provisions that were deemed
to violate the procedural rule. The ANWR provision also provided
funding for energy and mineral school education grants, geologic data and
mapping and about $6 billion in hurricane relief funds for Louisiana from
future ANWR royalties. All of these provisions were also dropped from
the bill because their source of revenue was gone.
After ANWR was dropped the Senate went into a prolonged quorum call
when no legislative business could occur that lasted more than 8 hours.
During this time, senators worked out compromises on the hurricane
relief supplemental in the defense bill and concurrently compromises on the
separate but highly controversial US Patriot Act reauthorization.
Eventually the Senate ended the quorum and completed legislation on the
Patriot Act and the defense bill. Hurricane Katrina relief remained
intact at about $29 billion in the defense bill. Specific spending in the
supplemental includes $2.9 billion to repair and upgrade levees;
$1.6 billion for hurricane-ravaged schools as well as schools that took
in displaced students from the hurricanes; $11.5 billion in Community
Block Grant spending; $2.75 billion to repair roads, bridges and other
transportation infrastructure in the Gulf Coast; $350 million to NASA to
repair space facilities; $135 million to repair damage in national
parks, wildlife refuges and forests; $30 million to repair waterways or
watersheds; $618 million to help farmers and ranchers affected by the
hurricanes; and $441 million for Small Business Administration disaster
loans. The Senate then approved the defense bill by a vote of 93-0 and
the House voted for passage a short time later.
2. Budget Deficit Bill Targets Student Loans
Congress completed a budget reconciliation bill entitled the Budget
Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 by a very close vote just before they left
for the end of the year holidays and a long recess. The bill (S. 1932)
cut about $37.5 billion mostly from Medicaid, Medicare and student
loans. The Senate vote was so close that Vice President Dick Cheney had to
shorten his Middle East travels and return to Congress to cast the
deciding vote and break a 50-50 tie.
The bill cuts about $12.6 billion from the student loan program over 5
years. The spending cuts will be achieved by increasing the interest
rate from 7.9% to 8.5%, restricting lenders from getting 9.5% interest
on loans financed by tax-exempt bonds, require borrowers to pay a 1% fee
to guarantors and some other accounting practices. One positive note
for students were increases to the loan limits, which will help students
offset the rising costs of tuition.
Another ominous measure in the bill is a change in the $900 million for
the Department of Education to administer the loan program from a
mandatory spending item to a discretionary spending item. Funds for the
administration of the loan program must be appropriated each year by
Congress and in any given year, Congress may choose to provide less funding
or in the worst case scenario, no funding.
The bill does provide $3.75 billion to create a new grant program to
support low-income students who pursue degrees in the science and
technology fields. The new Department of Education Science and Math Access to
Retain Talent (SMART) Grants program, provides supplemental grants of
$750 to $4000 to Pell-eligible college students who major in math,
science, engineering, technology, and high-need foreign language areas.
3. AAAS Summarizes Science Research and Development Spending for 2006
The American Association for the Advancement of Science tracks federal
spending for science research and development every year and they have
released a summary and detailed analysis of fiscal year 2006 funding,
now that Congress has completed their appropriations. Overall federal
spending for R&D will total $134.8 billion in fiscal year 2006, a 1.7%
increase compared to fiscal year 2005, though much of this increase is
for defense R&D and space exploration. Federal geoscience funding was
mixed. The U.S. Geological Survey, the National Science Foundation, the
National Atmospheric and Oceanographic Administration, the Bureau of
Land Management and the Smithsonian Institution received small increases
in their overall budgets and a small fraction of these overall
increases will fund geoscience R&D. The Office of Fossil Energy in the
Department of Energy received large reductions to their oil and gas R&D
programs, though many were relieved that Congress did not end these prog
rams as requested in the President’s budget. The National Park
Service, the U.S. Forest Service and the Minerals Management Service within
the Department of the Interior also will have smaller budgets than they
had in 2005. While the National Institute of Standards and Technology
(NIST) received a small increase to its overall budget, the National
Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program (NEHRP), which is supposed to be
directed by NIST, received no funding. Finally the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA) received a boost to its overall budget
compared to 2005, however, because of many budgetary problems with the
space station, the space shuttle and mission cost over runs; it remains
unclear whether any of these increases will trickle down to geoscience R&D
within NASA.
The AAAS summary and detailed analysis of R&D funding is available at:
http://www.aaas.org/spp/rd/upd1205.htm
A summary of geoscience appropriations is available from AGI at:
http://www.agiweb.org/gap/issues/alphalist.html#approps
4. NASA Reauthorization Act Signed Into Law
On December 30, President Bush signed the NASA reauthorization bill
(H.R. 3070/S. 1281), which authorizes spending priorities for 2 years.
The law authorizes $17.93 billion for NASA in fiscal year 2007 (FY07) and
$18.68 billion in FY08. It designates $6.17 billion for Science and
Education, and $962 million for Aeronautics in FY07 and $6.76 billion for
Science and Education, and $990 million for Aeronautics in FY08.
Although the law sets spending levels, Congress must still appropriate
these amounts on an annual basis and could decide to appropriate
different amounts. The law also requires NASA to ensure uninterrupted
spaceflight capabilities by accelerating the timetable in which the Crew
Exploration Vehicle (CEV) will be ready to replace the space shuttle. The
CEV was originally scheduled to be ready for flight in 2014 and Michael
Griffin the new NASA administrator promised to advance that schedule to
readiness to 2012. Congress however has requested the CEV be ready for
flight in 2010 when the space shuttle is scheduled to be retired. It
remains uncertain whether NASA can meet congressional expectations for
spaceflight capabilities and the President’s vision for moon-Mars
exploration without a significant increase in funding above what is committed
in the reauthorization act. There is considerable concern that funding
for science and aeronautics programs will be shifted to space
exploration programs to meet expectations.
The full details of the bill are available at http://thomas.loc.gov by
entering either H.R. 3070 or S. 1281 into the bill search option.
5. Congressional Visits Day Scheduled for March 28-29
The 11th annual Congressional Visits Day (CVD) is scheduled for March
28 and 29, 2006. The CVD is a two-day annual event that brings
scientists, engineers, researchers, educators, and technology executives to
Washington to raise visibility and support for science, engineering, and
technology. CVD is an important opportunity to make science issues and
science funding a priority for congress. More information about CVD is
available at http://www.aas.org/policy/cvd/. The site contains a
downloadable packet of briefing materials updated to demonstrate the need for
sustained federal investment in scientific research. If you are
interested in attending the CVD please contact the AGI Government Affairs
Program at govt@agiweb.org so we can help coordinate your visit.
6. AGI Accepting Congressional Science Fellow Applications
The American Geological Institute is accepting applications for the
2006-2007 William L. Fisher Congressional Geoscience Fellowship. The
successful candidate will spend 12 months (starting in September 2006) in
Washington working as a staff member in the office of a member of
Congress or a congressional committee. The postmark deadline for 2006-2007
fellowship applications is February 1, 2006. Prospective applicants
should have a broad geoscience background and excellent written and oral
communications skills. The fellowship carries an annual stipend of up
to $49,000 plus allowances for health insurance, relocation, and travel.
Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and curriculum vitae
with three letters of reference to:
William L. Fisher Congressional Geoscience Fellowship American
Geological Institute 4220 King Street Alexandria VA 22302-1502
Several of AGI's Member Societies also sponsor Congressional Science
Fellowships. For further information, contact the American Geophysical
Union, Geological Society of America or Soil Science Society of America.
AAAS also offers a number of fellowships for Congress and the executive
branch. It is acceptable to apply to more than one society. Stipends,
application procedures, eligibility, timetables, and deadlines vary.
For more information on the AGI fellowship and links to other
fellowships visit: http://www.agiweb.org/gap/csf/index.html
7. NSF Requesting Your Comments on New Strategic Plan
As reported in a December 20 Action Alert, the National Science
Foundation (NSF) is requesting input from the science and engineering
community on their new strategic plan for fiscal years 2006 through 2011. The
agency is specifically interested in comments regarding how the agency
is meeting the current needs of the science and engineering
communities. Comments will be accepted until January 20, 2006 and can be
submitted at http://www.nsf.gov/about/performance/input.cfm.
The complete text of the action alert is available at
http://www.agiweb.org/gap/legis109/nsfinput1205_alert.html
8. Congress Reviews the National Environmental Protection Act
Congress is showing growing interest in revisiting and perhaps
rewriting the nation’s most comprehensive environmental legislation, the
National Environmental Protection Act. The act was established in 1969 and
most recently amended in 1982. The House of Representatives’ Committee
on Resources established two task forces (Task Force on Improving the
National Environmental Policy Act and the Task Force on Updating the
National Environmental Policy Act) to consider changes to NEPA. On
December 21, the two task forces released a joint report and the report is
open for public comment until February 6. All comments about the report
must address specific recommendations and must be received in writing.
The 30-page report and instructions for submitting comments is
available as a pdf document from the House Resources Committee web site at:
http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/nepataskforce/report/nepareport_finaldraft.pdf
9. International Year of Planet Earth, 2008
On December 22, the United Nations General Assembly adopted by
consensus a Resolution by the United Republic of Tanzania and co-signed by 82
nations, to proclaim 2008 as the United Nations Year of Planet Earth.
The press release stated, "By a draft on the International Year of
Planet Earth, 2008, which the Committee approved without a vote on 11
November, the Assembly would declare 2008 the International Year of Planet
Earth. It would also designate the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to organize activities to be
undertaken during the Year, in collaboration with UNEP and other relevant
United Nations bodies, the International Union of Geological Sciences and
other Earth sciences societies and groups throughout the world. Also
by that draft, the Assembly would encourage Member States, the United
Nations system and other actors to use the Year to increase awareness of
the importance of Earth sciences in achieving sustainable developm
ent and promoting local, national, regional and international action."
Geoscientists and geoscience societies are strongly encouraged to
participate in the International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE).
More information about IYPE is available at: http://www.esfs.org/
10. Energy Department Revises Energy Prices Forecasts
On December 12, the Energy Information Administration of the Department
of Energy revised their 20-year forecast on energy prices. They
concluded that oil prices will remain near about $45 per barrel and average
about $54 per barrel in 2025 compared to earlier projections of prices
dropping to $30 per barrel. They also predicted lower prices for
natural gas, falling from current highs of $14 per thousand cubic feet to
less than $5 per thousand cubic feet as long-term demand, especially for
electricity production wanes.
They also scaled back the expected growth of liquefied natural gas in
the United States as worldwide demand increases, forecast that coal will
remain the primary fuel for producing electricity until at least 2030
and predicted United States energy demand will increase by 1.1% per year
until 2030.
The full report is available at http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/aeo/
11. Great Lakes Basin Water Compact
On December 13, the governors of the states of Illinois, Indiana,
Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio and Wisconsin and the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania signed an agreement on rules and regulations for drawing
water from the Great Lakes watershed, the largest single source of fresh
water in the world. The Great Lakes account for 20% of the world’s
fresh water and 90% of the United States’ fresh water. The rules would
limit Great Lake states, excluding Illinois, from withdrawing more than
100,000 gallons per day and would not allow communities outside of the
watershed (again excluding Illinois and thus Chicago, which reversed the
flow of the Chicago river in 1900 and removed the city from the
watershed) to draw any water without special permission from the compact. The
compact must now be approved by the 8 state legislatures and the United
States Congress. The current Great Lakes Compact was approved by the
state legislatures and given consent by Congress through public la
w 90-419 in 1968.
For the full text of the current Great Lakes Compact, please see:
http://www.glc.org/about/glbc.html
For the full text of the new, proposed compact agreement, please see:
http://www.cglg.org/projects/water/docs/12-13-05/Great_Lakes-St_Lawrence_River_Basin_Water_Resources_Compact.pdf
12. Evolution Round-up - Dover Decision
On December 20, U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III barred the Dover,
PA school district from suggesting intelligent design as an alternative
theory to evolution. Judge Jones wrote a critical 139-page opinion in
Kitzmiller et al. versus the Dover Area District et al. that includes a
definition of science, a description of how scientists work and an
explanation of the differences between intelligent design and science. He
wrote, “The overwhelming evidence is that Intelligent Design is a
religious view, a mere re-labeling of creationism and not a scientific
theory.” The breadth of Jones’ decision will make it very difficult for
intelligent design proponents to win legal victories in any future cases.
The Dover Area School District, which has 8 new members after the
November 8 election removed proponents of intelligent design from the board
said they do not plan to appeal this decision. On January 4, the Dover
school board rescinded the policy of presenting the intelligen
t design alternative to students.
Intelligent design proponents dismissed the Jones’ decision as
inappropriate and biased. Former Dover school board member, William
Buckingham, responded to the Associated Press that “I’m still waiting for a judge
or anyone to show me anywhere in the Constitution where there’s a
separation of church and state.” He added “We didn’t lose; we were robbed.”
The Discovery Institute issued a press release stating that “The Dover
decision is an attempt by an activist federal judge to stop the spread
of a scientific theory and even prevent criticism of Darwinian
evolution through government-imposed censorship rather than open debate,…” The
Discovery Institute intends to continue its efforts to show that
intelligent design is science even though it is not.
The full text of Judge Jones’ decision is available at:
http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/educate/ktzmllrdvr122005opn.pdf
See “The Constitutional Debate over Teaching Intelligent Design in
Public Schools” by Anne Marie Lofaso, published in December 2005 by the
American Constitution Society for a brief and useful discussion of the
differences between science and intelligent design and a summary of legal
issues. http://www.acslaw.org/pdf/Intelligent_Design_White_Paper.pdf
13. Multihazard Mitigation Report
The Multihazard Mitigation Council of the National Institute for
Building Sciences released their report on the cost of mitigation. The study
shows that money spent on mitigation saves lives, reduces risks and
reduces economic losses. On average for every $1 spent on mitigation, the
United States will gain about $4 in future benefits.
FEMA grants to mitigate hazards from 1993 to 2003 are expected to save
at least 220 lives and prevent about 4,700 injuries over the next 50
years. Societal benefits from FEMA grants over the same period yielded a
discounted present value of $14 billion compared to the $3.5 billion
employed in hazard mitigation programs. The potential annual savings to
the federal treasury is about $970 million compared to $265 million per
year in costs for the grants. The council recommends that the federal
government invest in mitigation on an ongoing basis before and after
disasters, increase knowledge and promote institutional commitments to
mitigation at the local level and support a structured process for the
assessment of buildings and infrastructure before and after disasters.
The full report is available at: www.nibs.org/MMC/mmchome.html
14. Record Breaking 2005 Hurricane Season Ends as Katrina Gets
Downgraded
Tropical Storm Zeta formed in the Atlantic Ocean on December 30 and
became the long-lasting storm in January as it drifted northwest before
petering out on January 7. This ended a record breaking year for the
hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean. Among the many records broken:
-27 named storms (previous record: 21 in 1933)
-14 hurricanes (previous record: 12 in 1969) -Four major hurricanes
hitting the U.S. (previous record: three in 2004)
-Three category 5 hurricanes (previous record: two in 1960 and 1961)
-Seven tropical storms before August 1 (previous record: five in 1997)
-Costliest Atlantic season ($107 billion+) (previous record 2004, $45
billion)
-Costliest hurricane: Katrina ($80 billion+) (previous record Andrew,
$26.5 billion - 1992 dollars)
In related news, on December 22, researchers downgraded Hurricane
Katrina from a Category 4 storm to a Category 3 storm when it made landfall
on the Gulf Coast. The change was made after researchers analyzed data
from hurricane hunter aircraft, including from dropsondes, devices
dropped into the hurricane that measure wind speed, temperature, humidity
and atmospheric pressure, stepped frequency microwave radiometers and
radar images. The maximum wind speeds were probably about 125 mph at
landfall. New Orleans, which is about 63 miles northwest of landfall,
probably only experienced category 1 or 2 wind speeds. Ground-based
anemometers measured maximum wind speeds of only 95 mph at a NASA facility
in eastern New Orleans.
15. Going Back to the Moon
Paul Spudis, a lunar scientist at Johns Hopkins University’s Applied
Physics Laboratory and a member of President Bush’s Commission on the
Implementation of U.S. Space Exploration Policy published an editorial in
the Washington Post on December 27, 2005 on why the U.S. should go back
to the moon. He stated that lunar exploration was important for
science, inspiration and resources.
The full text of Spudis’ editorial is available at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2005/12/26/AR2005122600648.html
16. Stardust Coming Back to Earth
NASA’s Stardust spacecraft is returning to Earth on January 15 with the
first direct samples of a comet and interstellar space dust. Stardust
was launched on February 7, 1999 and collected interstellar particles
before its rendezvous with comet Wild 2 and collected cometary particles
in January 2004. Stardust will enter Earth’s orbit at an altitude of
128 km and a velocity of about 12.8 km/s, it will drop for about 3 km in
a free-fall mode and then deploy a parachute to reduce its velocity for
a soft landing. Stardust is targeted to land within a 30 km by 84 km
error ellipse within the U.S. Air Force Utah Test and Training Range,
southwest of Salt Lake City at about 5:12 am (Eastern Time). The samples
will be sent to NASA – Johnson Space Center for analysis by geochemists
to improve our understanding of the solar system’s origins.
More information about the mission is available at:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/stardust/main/index.html
17. Geoscience Teacher Training Grants from NSF
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate for Geosciences has
initiated a grant program called GEO-TEACH. The program will support
projects to improve the quality of geoscience instruction, primarily at
middle to high school levels. The deadline for submitting a letter of
intent is February 15, 2006 and the deadline for proposals is April 17,
2006. More information about the program is available at
http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=VIEW&oppId=7472
18. Education Teachers Can Spend a School Year in Washington DC
The Einstein Fellowship program brings outstanding mathematics,
science, and technology education teachers to Washington, DC to spend a school
year working on Capitol Hill or in one of several participating Federal
agencies. The purpose of the program, as stated in the Albert Einstein
Distinguished Educator Act of 1994, is to provide outstanding educators
with an opportunity to serve in the public policy arena and to bring
the expertise, unique insights, and know-how of classroom teachers to the
Congress and appropriate branches of the Federal government.
Application deadline has been extended until January 16, 2006. For more
information go to http://www.triangle-coalition.org/ein.htm
19. Government Affairs Program Welcomes New and Old Faces
AGI’s Government Affairs Program welcomes Donald Juckett as the head of
the AAPG Geoscience and Energy Office in Washington, DC (GEO-DC). He
retired in 2003 from Department of Energy, where he served as director of
the Office of Natural Gas and Petroleum Import and Export Activities in
Washington, D.C. Prior to joining DOE he worked for 14 years with
Phillips Petroleum in various research and research management positions.
The GEO-DC is housed at AGI’s Alexandria, VA, headquarters.
An AAPG Explorer article on the new GEO-DC is available at
http://www.aapg.org/explorer/2006/01jan/juckett.cfm.
Margaret Anne Baker, who formerly worked for AGI’s Government Affairs
program before leaving to complete a master’s degree in geology at the
University of Maryland, has returned. The Government Affairs Program is
delighted to have Margaret back and look forward to a great year. You
can reach Margaret by email at mab@agiweb.org or by phone at
703-379-2480, x212.
20. Federal Register
Below is a summary of Federal Register announcements regarding federal
regulations, agency meetings, and other notices of interest to the
geosciences community. Entries are listed in chronological order and show
the federal agency involved, the title, and the citation. The Federal
Register is available online at
http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fedreg/frcont05.html. Information on
submitting comments and reading announcements are also available online
at http://www.regulation.gov.
USDA/Forest Service: The Forest Service is seeking comments on a
proposed change to directives related to activities that are categorized as
having no significant impacts on the environment, meaning that these
activities normally do not require further analysis in either an
environmental impact assessment or an environmental impact statement.
The proposed amendment would add a new categorical exclusion to
facilitate the implementation of limited oil and gas projects on leases on
National Forest System lands that do not have significant effects on the
human environment. This exclusion will not apply where there are
extraordinary circumstances, such as adverse effects on threatened and
endangered species or their designated critical habitat, wilderness areas,
inventoried roadless areas, wetlands, and archeological or historic
sites. Comments must be received in writing by February 13, 2006.
Additional information about this proposed change and about submitting comments
are available from the Federal Register: December 13, 2005 (Volume 70,
Number 238).
FAA: The Federal Aviation Administration published a 123-page proposal
to regulate the budding commercial spaceflight industry. The
rulemaking would establish requirements for crew training and qualification as
well as establish requirements for space flight participants. Comments
will be accepted until February 27, 2006. Additional information on
the proposed regulations is available at http://dms.dot.gov [Federal
Register: December 29, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 249)].
MMS: The Minerals Management Service is seeking comments on the
development of a regulatory program to implement portions of the Energy Policy
Act of 2005 regarding energy development from sources other than oil
and gas and alternate uses of existing facilities on the outer
continental shelf. Comments will be accepted until February 28, 2006. [Federal
Register: December 30, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 250)].
21. New Updates on the Web Site
Action Alert: NSF Requests Your Input (12-20-05) Hearings on Energy
Policy (12-20-05) Hearings on Water Resources (12-20-05) Political
Challenges to the Teaching of Evolution (12-14-05) Hurricane Katrina, Response
and Recovery (12-12-05) Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (12-12-05)
Energy Policy Overview (12-12-05) Public Access to Federally-funded
Scientific Research (12-5-05) Hearings on Hurricane Katrina (12-8-05)
Monthly Review prepared by Margaret Anne Baker and Linda Rowan,
Government Affairs staff
Sources: Federal Register, Thomas, CNN, Washington Post, The Associated
Press, and AAAS
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8) AGI GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS ACTION ALERT: 01-10-05
*** Come to Capitol Hill for Congressional Visits Day on March 28-29,
2006 ***
The beginning of February marks the start of another budget cycle for
the Federal government, and what better time to come to Capitol Hill and
meet with your members of Congress. Federal geoscience agencies are
again feeling the pressure of a shrinking federal research budget. More
than ever, the geoscience community needs to make a strong case to
Congress about the value of these programs.
A great opportunity to make your voice heard is to come to Washington
on March 28-29 for the 11th Annual Science-Engineering-Technology
Congressional Visits Day (CVD). Each spring, CVD brings more than 200
scientists and engineers to Capitol Hill to visit members of Congress and
their staff right at the start of the congressional budget cycle. It will
consist of an opening day of briefings by key administration and
congressional leaders (including a morning pre-briefing at AGU for geoscience
participants) followed by a day of constituent visits with senators,
representatives, and their staff. We can help arrange your visits,
either as an individual or as a group and we can provide you with
information about government processes or updates on legislation being considered
in the spring.
Participants in CVD are asked to carry forward a core message that
federally funded research is the Nation's foundation for the future. In
addition, participants can advance their own messages about programs that
they see as valuable examples of the federal science and technology
enterprise emphasizing, for example, the value of the geosciences to the
economy and national security.
It is vital for geoscientists to be represented in science-community
efforts if our discipline is to be a distinctly recognizable and valued
element of the congressional view of "science." For anyone interested
in science policy, this is an opportunity to meet your elected officials
and experience Capitol Hill at the height of political activity. If you
have participated in CVD previously, this is a chance to continue
building a relationship with your members of Congress and their staff.
If not, there is no better time than now to sit down and talk about
funding priorities that are important to you and the larger science,
engineering and technology community. We especially encourage the
leadership of AGI's Member Societies to attend.
More information about CVD and the core message is available on the CVD
website at http://www.setcvd.org. As March 28th and 29th approach, the
site will add more information, including a downloadable packet of
briefing materials to update you on the need for sustained federal
investment in science research, help orchestrate your visit and familiarize you
with the legislative process. In addition, AGI has a number of
articles and updates on its Government Affairs website
(http://www.agiweb.org/gap) that can provide background and context for
some of the issues you may want to discuss.
If you would like to participate or have any questions or would like
our assistance in setting up a visit, call Margaret Anne Baker in AGI's
Government Affairs Program at (703) 379-2480 x. 212 or e-mail at
mab@agiweb.org.
CVD is organized by the Science-Engineering-Technology Work Group (of
which AGI is a member).
Alert prepared by Margaret Anne Baker, Government Affairs Associate
Please send any comments or requests for information to the AGI
Government Affairs Program, govt@agiweb.org
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9) POSITION OPENINGS
2006-004
Rice University
Faculty Position - Department of Earth Science
The Rice Earth Science Department is expanding in faculty, staff, and
facilities. We are particularly interested in hiring in the areas of
petrology, geochemistry, rheology, and planetology.
The successful candidate is expected to establish a process-oriented
research program, supervise graduate research, and teach courses for both
undergraduate and graduate students. Field and/or remote sensing based
research with a strong quantitative component is desirable.
Although we anticipate hiring at the assistant professor level,
unusually well qualified senior applicants will be considered. Applications
received by March 1, 2006, are assured of receiving fullest attention.
Please send a resume and names of five or more references to:
Search Committee Chair
Earth Science Department, MS-126
Rice University, PO Box 1892, Houston, TX 77251-1892.
Information about the department can be found at
http://earthscience.rice.edu.
Rice is an equal opportunity affirmative action employer.
* * * * * * * * * *
2006-010
Rice University
Faculty Position - Department of Earth Science
The Rice Earth Science Department is expanding in faculty, staff, and
facilities. We seek an outstanding scientist in energy-related
research, broadly defined. The successful candidate will be expected to
develop and fund a graduate research program which will be of significance to
industry, and to teach at the undergraduate and graduate level.
Candidates at all ranks will be considered. Distinguished mid-career or
senior scientists will be considered for the Wiess Chair. Applications
received by April 10, 2006, are assured of receiving full consideration.
Please send a CV and statements of research and teaching interests to:
Energy Search Committee
Earth Science Department, MS-126
Rice University, PO Box 1892, Houston, TX 77251-1892.
Information about the department can be found at
http://earthscience.rice.edu.
Rice is an equal opportunity affirmative action employer.
* * * * * * * * * *
2006-011
Vassar College
One-year sabbatical replacement position - Department of Geology and
Geography
The Department of Geology and Geography at Vassar College invites
applications for a one year sabbatical replacement position, renewable for
up to 3 years. The position will begin August 2006 and will be at the
rank of visiting assistant professor. Vassar College is an equal
opportunity/affirmative action employer and is strongly and actively committed
to diversity within its community.
Candidates should have completed or be nearing completion of a Ph.D. in
geology or Earth science at the time of appointment. The successful
candidate will teach physical geology and historical geology at the
introductory level, and an advanced level course in his or her specialty.
In addition, she or he will be expected to advise undergraduate research
work.
Vassar College is a private liberal-arts college in New York's Hudson
River valley. The Geology and Geography department presently consists
of 4 geologists with specialties in geophysics, sedimentology, and
Quaternary Geology, and 4 geographers with specialties in cultural, urban,
and physical geography. The geology program emphasizes surficial
processes and is active in the environmental studies programs. The program
has ~20 students and graduates 6-8 students per year.
Instrumentation in the department includes XRD, laser-particle size
analyzer, coulometer, fully equipped sedimentology, paleoclimatology, and
clay mineralogy laboratories, GIS computer lab, various geophysical
instruments, and a meteorological station. In addition, the department
shares an ICPAES with the Department of Chemistry. Vassar College also
owns a 500-acre ecological preserve with a laboratory field station.
Send a letter of application that includes a description of teaching
experience as well as a description of the proposed advanced level
course. Please also include a curriculum vita the names and addresses of at
least 3 references. Address these materials to: Department Chair,
Department of Geology and Geography, Box 735, Vassar College,
Poughkeepsie, NY 12604. geo@vassar.edu.
Review of applications will begin March 15, 2006.
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10) CONTACT INFORMATION
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