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AWG E-MAIL NEWS 2008-4
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CONTENTS
1) AWG OFFERS TRAVEL FUNDING TO VISIT US CONGRESS
2) SEPM HONORARY MEMBERSHIP: CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
3) FORWARD TO PROFESSORSHIP CONFERENCE OPPORTUNITY
4) AAUW ACTION NETWORK: ATTEND THE WOMEN’S EQUALITY SUMMIT AND
CONGRESSIONAL ACTION DAY!
5) CIMR: CLIMATE INFORMATION FOR MANAGING RISKS
6) SPECIAL SESSION AT THE 2008 AGU JOINT ASSEMBLY
7) AGI NEWS
AGI to Exhibit at 2008 AAG Annual Meeting
AGI Government Affairs Special Updates:
i. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (2/15/08)
ii. The President's FY2009 Department of Commerce Budget Request (2/13/08)
iii. The President's FY2009 Department of Energy Budget Request (2/11/08)
iv. The President's FY2009 Department of the Interior Budget Request (2/8/08)
v. National Science Foundation Budget Request: Falling Off a Flat Earth
8) POSITION OPENINGS
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, NM - Seasonal/summer positions
9) CONTACT INFORMATION
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Thanks to everyone who contributed to this issue of E-mail News
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1) AWG OFFERS TRAVEL FUNDING TO VISIT US CONGRESS
The AWG Foundation will again provide funding for AWG members to attend the Science, Engineering and Technology Working Group (SET) Congressional Visits Day in Washington, D.C. AWG members will join hundreds of scientists descending upon Congress to underscore the importance of science and technology to the nation and deliver a message of support for federal funding of scientific endeavors.
This year’s event will take place on March 4 and 5, 2008. On March 4, the American Geophysical Union (AGU) and American Geological Institute (AGI) will sponsor a geo-focused workshop and arrange for visiting geoscientists to meet Congressional Science Fellows. In the afternoon, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) will brief visiting scientists of all disciplines on how Congress works, on the federal R&D budget process, and how to conduct their visits with members of Congress. Comprehensive information packets will be provided. A reception will follow the briefing. After breakfast on March 5, scientists will fan out to their respective congressional delegations and deliver their messages.
AWG is one of many scientific organizations and individuals to participate in Congressional Visits Day. But among the participating groups, AWG will be the only one to bring the unique issues of women geoscientists to the attention of Congress.
AWG’s specific goals in sponsoring member travel to Congressional Visits Day are to:
1. Deliver a unified message from AWG to Congress regarding the needs of women in the geosciences;
2. Educate and involve AWG members in federal policymaking;
3. Establish long-term relationships between AWG members and their members of Congress;
4. Establish AWG as an important voice in Congress, and as an informational resource for congressional staff; and
5. Increase AWG’s visibility in government and to other professional scientific organizations.
(The goal is NOT to lobby Congress for specific legislation. Participants may not discuss current or future legislation with members of Congress or their aides.)
Congressional Visits Day provides a terrific opportunity for anyone who is remotely interested in the public policy process. It is sure to have an impact. This well-organized annual event is a perfect introduction to policymaking for scientists, and can lead to positive, long-term working relationships with congressional staff. Such relationships provide opportunities to share scientific expertise for decisions about science-based issues.
AWGF will cover travel and accommodations for selected AWG members to participate in Congressional Visits Day. Due to the limited amount of funding, it is envisioned that two AWG members will be selected - one from the east coast with relatively easy access to Washington, D.C., and one from another part of the country. However, depending upon the level of interest and the ability of interested members to raise additional funds, any number of AWG members could participate. Last year, AWG stretched the funding to support six participants.
Participants will be expected to share hotel rooms, to cover a portion of their expenses (at a minimum, meals and incidentals), and to contribute to a Gaea article describing the experience. Priority may be given to members who reside in congressional districts represented by female senators or representatives who have leadership roles in committees that address the status of women in the geosciences.
If you would like to attend Congressional Visits Day 2008, please send an e-mail to Laurie Scheuing (lscheuing@qeallc.com) or Debbie Hanneman (hanneman@jeffersonvalley.net) as soon as possible, explaining your interest. Please include a brief statement of your interest in Congressional Visits Day; a rough estimate of your travel costs; your contact information, including daytime, evening, and weekend phone numbers; and the names of your senators and representative, the committees on which they serve, and their relevance to the AWG mission. For further information on Congressional Visits Day, visit http://www.setcvd.org/cvd2008/index.html.
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2) SEPM HONORARY MEMBERSHIP: CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
Do you have an advisor, mentor or colleague who has achieved professional success and provided service to SEPM (Society for Sedimentary Geology)? If so, should they be one of the distinguished who have been awarded SEPM Honorary Membership? Honorary Membership in the SEPM Society for Sedimentary Geology is awarded in recognition of "Excellence in professional achievements and extraordinary service to the Society."
Nominees for the medal will be persons who are active members of the national Society; recognized as having made outstanding research, teaching, or administrative contributions to paleontology, sedimentology, stratigraphy or allied disciplines; and served the aims of the Society through elected office, committees, or other significant contributions.
If you know someone that you feel should be in this group, please nominate them right away. You can begin the process by visiting http://www.sepm.org/awards/awardshome.htm. It really doesn't take long.
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3) FORWARD TO PROFESSORSHIP CONFERENCE OPPORTUNITY
The 2008 FORWARD to Professorship workshop will take place at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC on May19-21, 2008. This workshop is traditionally targeted at women and underrepresented minorities in the fields of Science, Mathematics, and Engineering (SEM) who are interested in professorship. Qualified individuals are either close to finishing their Ph.D., are postdoctoral fellows, or are in non tenure track early academic positions.
The program is well funded and there are several openings left. Dr. Yell Inverso (forward.office@gallaudet.edu) is the person to contact if you have any questions or concerns about the program. Information about the workshop and application instructions are also available on the FORWARD program website at http://student.seas.gwu.edu/~forward/advance/.
Participants in the FORWARD to Professorship workshop will learn strategies for
• navigating the tenure-track process
• applying and negotiating for a position
• securing research funding
• getting the most out of teaching
• arriving at a career, home and personal balance,
The workshop is also a wonderful networking opportunity.
Food, lodging, and registration are funded by the grant and some additional travel assistance is also available.
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4) AAUW ACTION NETWORK: ATTEND THE WOMEN’S EQUALITY SUMMIT AND CONGRESSIONAL ACTION DAY!
Since the American Association of University Women's founding over 125 years ago, women have made great strides toward achieving equality of opportunity, and AAUW has long been a key catalyst for such change. Despite gains made in the areas of economic security, education, and civil rights, there is still unfinished business-because equity is still an issue. AAUW members recognize and are proud of the important gains women have made and remain steadfast in the commitment to creating a level playing field for all women and girls. The work of AAUW builds upon a century of responsible public participation, and AAUW encourages you to get involved and take action on issues important to you.
You have an opportunity to participate in a public policy conference and lobby day in Washington, D.C. with other AAUW members and AAUW coalition partners. The Women's Equality Summit and Congressional Action Day will bring together hundreds of women leaders and their allies for two days of issue briefings, training sessions, and face-to-face meetings with members of Congress and national women leaders. The Summit is a project of the National Council of Women's Organizations, the largest coalition of women's groups in the country, and the Younger Women's Task Force, the grassroots movement that engages women in their 20's and 30's to act on the issues that matter most to them. This is a great opportunity to make your voice heard on Capitol Hill on issues you care about, and represent AAUW to congressional leaders and women from around the country.
Take Action!
What: Attend the Women's Equality Day Summit and Congressional Action Day
Where: Washington, D.C.
When: Monday, March 10 and Tuesday, March 11
Who: You, fellow AAUW members, your colleagues and coworkers, student leaders, and
anyone who cares about women's equality
For more information, visit www.womensorganizations.org or call Elizabeth at 202-293-4505.
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5) CIMR: CLIMATE INFORMATION FOR MANAGING RISKS
Partnerships and Solutions for Agriculture and Natural Resources
June 10-13, 2008,
St. Pete Beach, FL
CIMR is an international symposium that will provide a forum for the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and ideas among diverse participants. Its purpose is to identify priorities and plan strategies for climate research, education and outreach that are needed to assure decision makers have relevant and valuable climate information. Attendees will include federal, state and local government agencies conducting climate research, NGO’s, PVO’s, the private sector and working group representatives, crop consultants, commodity associations, producer organizations, environmental consulting firms, agricultural and natural resources media and others.
Why are we organizing this Symposium?
Agricultural and natural resource managers need climate information to address short and long-term challenges posed by a variable and changing climate. An important element of the CIMR Symposium will be to explore opportunities and needs for applying global climate information at the local and regional levels, with local and regional examples coming from throughout the nation and world. Solutions will depend on integrated research, teaching and extension programs, with decision-makers and other stakeholders included as partners in these programs.
Call for Abstracts - Submission Deadline: March 1st, 2008
The program will consist of invited speakers, and poster presentations selected from abstract submissions. Poster presentations will provide a valuable format for dialogue outside the plenary and breakout sessions, and thus will be a significant component of this symposium. Posters will be displayed during a formal poster session and reception with authors available for discussion. Abstracts submitted will also be published in the electronic book of abstracts on CD-ROM. Visit the website (http://www.conference.ifas.ufl.edu/CIMR) for details.
Sponsorship Opportunities
The CIMR symposium will also provide sponsors with a unique opportunity to interact with regional, national, and international leaders, as well as researchers, scientists, teachers, and practitioners, from the public and private sectors. For more information, please visit the sponsor website at http://www.conference.ifas.ufl.edu/CIMR/sponsor/.
This symposium promises to be an interesting event and the organizers are providing an excellent opportunity for dialogue between all parties involved in this arena.
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6) SPECIAL SESSION AT THE 2008 AGU JOINT ASSEMBLY
Faster: Collection, distribution and applications of low-latency data in Earth science Session G04
May 27-30, 2008
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Rapid access to data from a variety of geophysical instruments is increasingly important for a wide range of scientific applications, including regional seismic networks and rapid hazard assessments, tsunami and volcano warning, and space and atmospheric physics.
Reliable collection and distribution of data with low latency is a significant challenge for today's networks, especially those operating in harsh environments and with limited funding. Fortunately, the growth in consumer and business demand for low-cost Internet access (in even remote areas) and other similar advances have made it easier to provide the needed data. This session is intended to bring together network and data managers, technologists, and researchers with an interest in low-latency data. Presentations that define scientific needs or new solutions that can foster further growth in this exciting area are especially welcome.
Conveners
Dr. Greg Anderson
Senior Scientist
Swiss Seismological Service
ETH-Hoenggerberg, HPP P.5
8093 Zurich
Switzerland
Tel: +41 044 633 24 80
FAX: +41 044 633 10 65
E-mail: greg.anderson@sed.ethz.ch
Dr. Mike Jackson
Director, Plate Boundary Observatory
UNAVCO
6350 Nautilus Dr.
Boulder, CO 80301
Tel: 303 381 7554
FAX: 303 381 7552
E-mail: jackson@unavco.org
The deadline for abstracts is 5 March 2008.
For more information visit the meeting web site at http://www.agu.org/meetings/ja08/ or go to www.earthscope.org.
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7) AGI NEWS
AGI to Exhibit at 2008 AAG Annual Meeting
For the first time, the American Geological Institute (AGI) will be exhibiting at the Association of American Geographers (AAG) Annual Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts. The largest geographic conference in the world will feature more than 6,000 geographers and 54 exhibitors.
Visit the AGI Booth (number 539) at the Boston Marriott Copley Place April 15-19, 2008. Attendees will able to preview our selection of publications, such as the “Glossary of Geology,” and our online services. The booth will also feature footage from “Faces of Earth,” AGI’s 4-episode, award nominated high-definition television series about the ever-changing planet on which we live. DVD sets of the complete series will be available for purchase at the conference.
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AGI Government Affairs Special Updates
i. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (2/15/08)
On February 4, 2008, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Deputy Director Shana Dale presented the President’s fiscal year (FY) 2009 request at $17.6 billion. The request represents a 1.8% increase above FY08 enacted levels and according to Dale “demonstrates the President’s commitment to funding the balance of priorities he set forth for the agency in space exploration, Earth and space science, and aeronautics.”
In the FY08 Appropriations Omnibus, Congress instructed NASA to restructure its accounting system and rather than allocating funding across three accounts (Science, Aeronautics, and Exploration; Exploration Capabilities; and Inspector General), funds are dispersed among seven accounts (Space Operations, Exploration Systems, Science, Aeronautics, Education, Cross Agency Support, and Inspector General).
The Science Mission Directorate, which includes Earth Science, Planetary Science, Astrophysics and Heliophysics, would receive $4.4 billion in the FY09 proposal, a decline of 6% or $265 million compared to FY08 enacted levels. The Aeronautics directorate would fall by 13% or $65 million, totaling $447 million, and the Education account would decrease by 21% or $31 million for a total of $116 million. The increases in NASA’s proposed budget boost the Exploration and Space Operations accounts by 11% and 5% for a total of $3.5 billion and $5.8 billion, respectively.
The Earth Science and Planetary Science programs within the Science Directorate are slated to get a boost in the FY09 budget to $1.37 billion and $1.33 billion, respectively, representing an increase of 7% in for both programs when compared to FY08 levels. The Astrophysics and Heliophysics programs would decline to $1.16 billion and $577 million, a 13% and 31% drop, respectively.
Deputy Director Dale emphasized NASA’s receipt of the Decadal Survey for Earth Science, last year and the input the science community had on the formation of the missions within the Science Directorate. Dale stated that NASA’s “budget runout (FY09-FY13) provides $910 million for the development of two Decadal Survey priorities, the SMAP Mission for soil moisture mapping and a second-generation ICEsat Mission, as well as formulation and early development work on three additional Decadal Survey missions.” Decadal Survey Missions would receive $103.2 million in FY09, this is a 68% increase compared to FY08 enacted levels.
Other projects of interest within the Earth Science program include the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission that would increase by $51.4 million in FY09 to $125.8 million, the Landstat Data Continuity Mission that would increase slightly to $139.4 million in FY09 compared to $133 million in FY08, the Ocean Surface Topography Mission that would decrease by $52.5 million for a total of $80 million in FY09, and the Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) that would decline to $25.4 million from $35.6 million.
During NASA’s budget presentation Dale discussed the collaboration of the Science Directorate, specifically the Planetary Science program, with the Exploration Mission Directorate “to better understand our Moon,” and increased funding in the FY09 budget proposal for lunar science as well as the development of two small lunar landers. The Lunar Science Research program would increase by $82 million or 362% above FY08 levels for a program total of $105 million. Deputy Director Dale also indicated that NASA will focus much of its effort on Mars missions until after 2013 and a sample return launch by 2020, this is reflected in proposed budget with a decline of $167 million or 30% in the Mars Exploration program for a proposed total of $385.6 million in FY09.
ii. The President's FY2009 Department of Commerce Budget Request (2/13/08)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): On February 7, 2008 Administrator Conrad C. Lautenbacher presented the President’s fiscal year (FY) 2009 budget request for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The total request is for $4.1 billion, a 5.2% increase or $203 million above last year's enacted level.
According to Lautenbacher, “this budget allows us to continue making significant investment to protect life and property through improved weather and extreme event forecasting. By investing in climate monitoring, research and modeling we further solidify the U.S. as the world leader in climate science.”
In alignment with the improved weather forecasting goals outlined by Lautenbacher, the National Weather Service, would receive $930.7 million a 2% increase, and the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, would receive $1.2 billion, a 21% increase, while the other major divisions are slated for a decrease. The National Ocean Service would receive a total of $488.2 million, a 9% decrease from last year's funding level, and the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research would receive $382.6 million, a 4% decrease.
The increases proposed in the National Weather Service (NWS) would target the Local Warnings and Forecasts Base with an increase of $23 million above FY08 for a total of $601.9 million. Hurricane and Climate Support Operations, that include NOAA’s 15 new hurricane detection buoys, and the Tropical Ocean Atmosphere Array (55 buoys), would increase by $5.3 million, and Hurricane Forecast Modeling would increase by $4.3 million.
The National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service (NESDIS) would get the largest boost for a total budget of $1.16 billion, an increase of $203 million above FY08 levels. Within NESDIS the Geostationary Satellite System (GOES-R Series) would increase by $242.2 million above FY08 for the development of GOES-R instruments. The Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellite Systems (POES), the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite Systems (NPOESS), and the Geostationary Satellite System (GOES-N Series) would all see planned decreases as the systems are either in the final stages of development or are scheduled for launch; POES is scheduled to launch in February 2009 and NPOESS is scheduled to launch in 2013.
The President requested $488.2 million for the National Ocean Service (NOS), a 50% decrease from last year's funding level. Activities related to Ocean Resources Conservation and Assessment would receive $157 million, a drop of $26 million below FY08. Within this program the Ocean Assessment account would receive $86 million (a decrease of $20 million, compared to FY08), the Reponses and Restoration account would receive $22.5 million (a decrease of $2.8 million), and the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science account would receive $48.6 million (a decrease of $2.9 million). Funding for the Ocean and Coastal Management activities would total $98.8 million and includes $66.1 million for Coastal Zone Management grants. Also within NOS is $25.4 million, a $3.1 million decrease, for the Geodesy program.
While funding for the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) overall falls by $15.5 million the Climate Research program within the OAR sees a boost of $2.7 million above FY08 levels for a total of $195.5 million. The Competitive Research program, which includes the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS), and the Climate Data and Information program within Climate Research are the big winners with increases of $4.6 and $8.3 million for program totals of $134.7 and $8.3 million, respectively. The losers within Climate Research would be the Laboratories and Cooperative Institutes, which may drop $1.9 million for a total of $51.6 million, and Climate Observations and Services, Abrupt Climate Change Research, and Drought Research Study programs which would be zeroed out in the FY09 budget request.
The Weather and Air Quality Research program also within the OAR would increase by $5.5 million for a total of $57.6 million, while the Ocean, Coastal and Great Lake Research program would decline by $24.2 million for a total of $106.2 million. The potential loss in the Ocean, Coastal and Great Lake Research program would result specifically in decreases in the National Sea Grant College Program (a decrease of $2.1 million for a total of $55 million), and the Ocean, Coastal, and Great Lake Research Laboratories and Cooperative Institutes (a decrease of $2.2 million for a total of $20.8 million). Finally within the OAR, the Ocean Exploration and Research program, that now includes the National Undersea Research Program (NURP), would increase by $8.3 million above FY08 for a total of $27.8 million.
The NOAA budget documents are available at http://www.corporateservices.noaa.gov/~nbo/.
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST): The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) would see a decline in its overall budget from $756 million in FY08 to $638 million in FY09. Congressman John Dingell (D-MI), Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee said “I plan to seek detailed clarification from Commerce Secretary Gutierrez about proposed funding decreases for the Economic Development Administration (EDA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). In my view, such irresponsible cuts will hinder the Nation’s capacity to generate robust economic growth.”
However, the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) within NIST would receive $6.26 million in the FY09 budget. Most of the proposed program funds, $5.55 million, would be slated for research and development, while the remaining funds would be utilized by NIST, the lead agency, in the management of the program. The NEHRP increase would be the result of the President’s request of $3.3 million above the FY08 baseline level ($1.7million), plus the allocation of $1.5 million to NEHRP from a new Disaster Resilient Structures and Communities Initiative proposed by the Administration in the FY09 budget.
More information about DOC’s budget for fiscal year 2009 is available from AGI’s Appropriations page at http://www.agiweb.org/gap/legis110/appropsfy2009_commerce.html.
iii. The President's FY2009 Department of Energy Budget Request (2/11/08)
On February 4, 2008, the President’ fiscal year (FY) 2009 budget for the Department of Energy (DOE) was revealed by Secretary Samuel Bodman. The President’s request of $25 billion for the Department would represent an increase of $1.1 billion above the FY08 appropriation level. The overall increase of 4.7% in the Department’s budget compared to FY08 enacted levels is something few agencies are seeing in this time of fiscal constraint. The additional funds are targeted toward coal technologies, nuclear energy programs and U.S. scientific competitiveness through a significant increase for the Office of Science.
According to Bodman “this budget furthers President Bush’s comprehensive strategy to increase energy, economic, and national security by focusing on accelerating technological breakthroughs, expanding traditional and renewable sources of energy, and increasing investment in scientific discovery and development.”
While the proposed increases generally elicited positive responses from members of Congress, lawmakers did express concern regarding the decline in funds for the popular weatherization assistance program within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Congress will most likely also, haggle with the President on nuclear energy issues, which have mixed support, and the proposed increase in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to 1.5 billion barrels.
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy: The budget within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) was slashed by 27% in the FY09 request, losing $1.25 billion. The renewable energy programs suffered mixed results with the geothermal program getting a boost to $30 million, an increase of 51% compared to FY08 levels.
The Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) supported the increase for geothermal: “In the case of geothermal energy, I’m pleased that the Administration listened to and worked with Congress to define a new profile for that program in the recent energy bill, and then came through with a good funding proposal in this budget request.”
The hydrogen and hydropower programs with proposed levels at $146 million and $3 million represent declines of 31% and 70% respectively, compared to FY08. According to DOE, the hydrogen program is being realigned with the deferral of hydrogen production and delivery efforts and instead focuses on the barriers of hydrogen storage.
Office of Fossil Energy: The Office of Fossil Energy would get a $223 million increase above last year’s level for a total of $1.1 billion. Within Fossil Energy natural gas and petroleum technology programs are terminated again. These programs have been zeroed out for the past few years, but restored by Congress.
The proposed budget funnels $632 million in FY09 into the Coal technology program, $85 million into the Clean Coal Initiative, and $156 million into FutureGen. Earlier this month, Secretary Bodman announced that the FutureGen program would be altered from a single facility in Illinois that would have been designed to demonstrate advanced coal-fire electricity generation, hydrogen production, and carbon capture and sequestration to a variety of capture and sequestration projects that will be announced in an upcoming solicitation.
The leaders of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Senators Bingaman and Domenici, both indicated in press statements that they’d like the Department to explain their reasoning for the programmatic changes in FutureGen.
Also, as part of the Department’s focus on ‘clean’ coal technology development the Carbon Sequestration Regional Partnerships are slated to receive $149 million a boost of $30 million in FY09 for continued efforts to inject one million tons of carbon dioxide into various geologic formations.
Office of Science: The Office of Science proposed budget of $4.7 billion would include a $749 million increase above FY08 enacted levels and represents an increase for all programs. The Basic Energy Science program is proposed to receive a 24% increase above FY08 levels at $1.6 billion, the Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Energy Biosciences program would receive $75 million above FY08 enacted levels for a total proposed budget of $297 million. The Biological and Environmental Research program would be given $414 million in the FY09 budget request and the Climate Change Research program would receive $155 million, representing an increase of $6 million and $18 million, respectively.
The increases across the board in the Office of Science are part of President Bush’s American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI) and some of the increases are also consistent with the bipartisan America COMPETES Act. Both have the overarching goal of keeping America the most innovative nation in the world through the strengthening of education and research in science, math and engineering.
However, Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM) had the following to say about the implementation of the act into the Department’s request. “While I support the substantial increase for the Office of Science, I do plan on questioning the Department about how it plans to integrate the America COMPETES Act within this budget. I had hoped to see specific components of the COMPETES Act more fully funded in this budget request, but many simply are not mentioned. I certainly hope that the Department plans on carrying out the initiatives of this bipartisan law.”
Office of Environmental Management: The Office of Environmental Management was established in 1989 to clean up the waste and contamination from nuclear weapons development and energy research. It includes an environmental clean-up account for defense and non-defense activities. Non-defense clean-up activities would receive a 17% increase in the proposed budget to $213 million, while defense activities would see a slight decline with total proposed level of $5.5 billion in FY09.
Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management: The primary mission of the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) is to develop a geologic repository at Yucca Mountain in Nevada, for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste from commercial reactors and atomic energy defense activities. OCRWM receives funds from defense and non-defense waste disposal programs within DOE. The Nuclear Waste Disposal program contains funding for Yucca Mountain, Transportation, Program Management and Program Direction, while the Defense Nuclear Waste Disposal program only contains funding for Yucca Mountain.
The Nuclear Waste Disposal program would see a $60 million rise in funding compared to FY08 for a total of $247 million. The Defense Nuclear Waste program would also increase in FY09 by 48%, again to $247 million.
The $495 million budget proposal for Yucca Mountain will be challenged by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), who has sworn to terminate the project in the appropriations process. Last year, Reid was able to convince enough legislators to cut $104.5 million from the project, which puts DOE’s June deadline for the submission of a license application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission at risk. However, Bodman assured reporters that DOE plans on moving forward with the Yucca Mountain Project and plans submit the license application by the end of 2008; a new timeline and cost of the repository will be released this spring based on the FY 08 budget.
More information about DOE’s budget for fiscal year 2009 is available from AGI’s Appropriations page at http://www.agiweb.org/gap/legis110/appropsfy2009_energy.html.
iv. The President's FY2009 Department of the Interior Budget Request (2/8/08)
On February 4, 2008, Dirk Kempthorne, Secretary of the Department of the Interior (DOI), unveiled the President’s fiscal year (FY) 2009 budget, totaling $10.7 billion. The Department’s FY09 request is a 3.5 % decline compared to last year’s enacted level, but a 1.8 % increase compared to the President’s FY08 request. Secretary Kempthorne stated that “like all federal agencies, we face tight budget times;” but he concluded that the requested budget will sustain core conservation and stewardship programs and address emerging environmental and resource management challenges.
Congressman Nick Rahall (D-WV), Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, was less optimistic about DOI’s budget request stating “this was the President’s last chance to end the recurring budget nightmare that has set the Interior Department on a steady path of neglect and deterioration.” Rahall said, “This budget axes forest programs, undercuts our wildlife refuges, puts programs to save endangered species under the knife, neglects the needs of our National Parks, and puts a stopper in important water programs.”
Indeed the budget request for DOI in FY09 is almost the same as the Department’s enacted budget of $10.675 billion in FY03. The Department is clearly suffering even more than other federal agencies
Bureau of Land Management (BLM): The total funding request for BLM is $977.4 million, a decline of 3% compared to FY08 enacted levels. The President’s Healthy Lands Initiative got a boost of $10 million; the healthy lands program focuses on landscape-scale restoration across eight western states. The Energy and Minerals Management program also saw an increase of $22.1 million compared to last year, with a total request of $132 million. The boost is due to continued efforts to remediate legacy wells on Alaska’s North Slope.
Minerals Management Service (MMS): The funding request for Minerals Management Service (MMS) is $160.4 million, 0.4 % below FY08 enacted levels. The Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) resource evaluation program increased by 7.6% compared to last year, totaling $32.7 million, highlighting the Administration’s continued interest in energy and mineral resources in the OCS. The budget also calls for the repeal of offshore royalty incentives that were approved in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The House attempted to repeal these royalties in their energy bill in 2007, but the repeal was not accepted in the final version that was signed into law.
National Parks Service (NPS): The National Parks Service (NPS) budget request totals $2.4 billion, a decline of 1.9% from last year. While the overall NPS budget is lower, there is an increase of $160 million in the park operations account, in preparation for the President’s National Parks Centennial Challenge.
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS): On February 4, 2008, USGS Director Mark Myers, announced a 3.8% decline in the agency’s budget request, $968.5 million for FY09 compared to the FY08 enacted level of $1 billion. The budget includes program increases of $34.9 million, a $15 million increase for fixed costs and offsetting program decreases totaling $87.8 million. USGS will play a central role in two new Administration initiatives, the Water for America Initiative and the Ocean and Coastal Frontiers Initiative. The Survey will continue its role in the President’s Healthy Lands Initiative, which targets western states and will also re-structure its climate change activity, putting most of this work into a new account entitled the Global Change Program.
Myers stated that “the proposed budget will also strengthen our efforts in climate change studies, priority ecosystems research and the development of a National Land Imaging Program." Myers also emphasized the role USGS will play in addressing large-scale challenges of data integration, data preservation and data accessibility. He emphasized that the USGS provides valuable and objective information to help the nation manage and sustain its resources.
Geologic Programs: The Geologic Hazards, Resource, and Processes account is marked for a 14.6% decrease; the proposed budget is $208 million, with large losses in the Mineral Resources, Earth Surface Dynamics, Earthquake Hazards, and Global Seismographic Network programs. The Mineral Resources’ budget is reduced by $24.5 million, the Earth Surface Dynamics program is eliminated, including the remaining work on the Great Lakes geologic mapping, and the Earthquake Hazards program is reduced by $5 million, retaining $49.1 million for only the highest priority earthquake research projects in FY09.
The programs slated for increases include the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping program, which would provide additional support for the water census by increasing knowledge related to groundwater resources and the Coastal and Marine Geology program, which has an increase of $7 million, $4 million for the collection of data for the extended Continental Shelf of the Arctic Ocean, $2 million will be used to conduct merit-based ocean research projects, and $1 million will complete funding for efforts in seafloor mapping, and modeling of extreme weather events.
Water Resources Programs: The Water Resources programs as a whole, also suffer a decline the FY09 proposed budget totaling $203 million, a reduction of $17.5 million from the FY08 enacted budget. The 2009 budget includes a net increase of $8.2 million in support of the water census component of the Water for America Initiative. The National Streamflow Information Program is funded at $23.8 million, which includes an increase of $3.7 million to upgrade 350 stream gages with real-time telemetry and to reinstate 50 discontinued stream gages in 2009. Also in support of the water census, the Ground-Water Resources program would receive an increase of $3 million, for a total of $10.6 million in FY09.
The National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program would be cut by $10.9 million, for $54.1 million in FY09 and the Hydrologic Research and Development program would be cut by $3.5 million for a proposed budget of $11.9 million in FY09. The FY09 budget will also eliminate all federal support for the State Water Resources Research Institutes, which support an institute in each state and four U.S. territories; this will result in the loss of support for over 250 research projects and more than 600 students.
Mapping Programs: Land Remote Sensing is funded at $62.6 million, an increase of $1 million compared to FY08 levels. Also included is a programmatic increase of $2.0 million to develop a National Land Imaging Program. The program will assess the future need for land imaging data and develop a plan for the acquisition of satellite data to supplement Landsat 7 imagery. The Geographic Analysis and Monitoring account is marked for a reduction of $5.7 million for a total of $73.1 million in FY09.
Biological Programs: The Biological programs would receive a slight increase compared to FY08 levels for a total proposed budget of $180 million.
Global Change: The global change activity of USGS was restructured in the FY09 budget, creating a new program area, Global Change, which retains $5.0 million of the $7.4 million allocated by Congress in FY08. The small increase would be added to a steady budget of $21.6 million for climate change research, giving the new Global Change Program a total budget of $26.6 million for FY09. An additional $5 million for climate change work would remain disbursed within the Geographic and Biologic divisions. So the USGS’s total contribution to the Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) would be about $31.4 million in FY09.
More information about DOI’s budget for fiscal year 2009 is available from AGI’s Appropriations page at http://www.agiweb.org/gap/legis110/appropsfy2009_interior.html.
v. National Science Foundation Budget Request: Falling Off a Flat Earth
The National Science Foundation (NSF) held a press conference on February 4, 2008 to discuss President George W. Bush’s last budget request for the nation’s basic research agency for fiscal year 2009. Arden Bement, the director of NSF started his comments with a quote from Norman Augustine from his recent National Academies report “Falling off a Flat Earth”. The director called science and technology investments imperative to sustain U.S. competitiveness in a flattening world. Bement described the budget for fiscal year 2008 (FY08) as “substantially short” such that the NSF has “fallen off the rails”. NSF is still analyzing the FY08 budget and compared the new budget requests to estimates for FY08.
Bement was more positive about the President’s request for FY09 saying the NSF was “determined and optimistic” about next year’s budget. He suggested that the President’s determination to support his American Competitiveness Initiative, which calls for a doubling of physical science and engineering research at NSF, the Energy Department’s Office of Science and the National Institute of Science and Technology, has helped NSF.
Indeed, the NSF would receive a 13 percent increase for a total budget of $6,854 million compared to the estimated budget for FY08. The Research and Related Activities account would receive a 16 percent increase (about $773 million more) for a budget of $5,594 million. Education and Human Resources would receive an increase of almost 9 percent (about $65 million more) for a budget of $790 million.
The Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction (MREFC) account would receive a cut of 33 percent (about $73 less) for a budget of $147.5 million. Bement indicated that the Alaska Region Research Vessel (ARRV) and the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) would be deferred and would receive no funding from the MREFC account. Additional funds to complete design plans would come from the R& RA account within the Geosciences Directorate (about $2.5 million for ARRV and $5 million for OOI). There is a possibility that the scope of each project may be reduced in further planning.
While the MREFC would receive a cut, Integrative Activities (IA) which supports Major Research Instrumentation and Science and Technology Centers would receive a large increase of $44 million (about 19 percent more than FY08 estimates). Some of this increase would be for five to six new Science and Technology Centers.
The Geosciences Directorate (GEO) is the lead partner in the U.S. Global Change Research Program and is critical for mitigating environmental consequences while maintaining a growing economy. Funding for the Climate Change Science Program would increase about 4.4 percent (about $7 million) over the estimated FY08 budget for a total of $164.7 million in the request. In his remarks about NSF-wide initiatives, Bement also focused on NSF’s new Dynamics of Water Processes in the Environment program which would receive $5.3 million in new funds in the President’s request. Bement quipped that “while humans can survive without petroleum, they cannot survive without water”. NSF would work with the U.S. Geological Survey on the water initiative.
Bement also focused on the Cyber-enabled Discovery and Innovation (CDI) initiative, which received $48 million in FY08 and would receive a large increase to $100 million in FY09. The initiative would emphasize advancing science and engineering through new fundamental pathways in computing. Investments in CDI would emphasize From Data to Knowledge, Understanding System Complexity and Virtual Organizations. Geoscientists are encouraged to team up with engineers and computer scientists to apply for grants from CDI to tackle such areas of development as they apply to the geosciences.
Geosciences Directorate: The Geosciences Directorate (GEO) would receive $848.67 million, an increase of 12.8 percent or about $96 million more than the estimated FY08 budget. GEO would receive a much smaller percentage increase than physics, mathematics, engineering and computing because GEO is not considered a physical science that is directly part of the President’s ACI. This is puzzling to many as GEO includes strong components of physics, mathematics, computing and engineering and GEO is a key directorate for essential basic research to help mitigate the nation’s problems with climate change, energy resources, water resources and natural hazards as well as providing the innovative stimulus for future economic growth and security.
Within GEO, Atmospheric Sciences would receive $260.58 million, an increase of 13.6 percent, Earth Sciences would receive $177.73 million, an increase of 13.9 percent and Ocean Sciences would receive $353.5 million, an increase of 13.9 percent. Jarvis Moyers, the acting director of GEO, in a break-out session after Bement’s speech, noted modest growth for GEO of about one percent in the FY08 omnibus appropriations, the continuing support of Congress for NSF and the consistent request for a doubling track for NSF from the Administration.
A significant concern for NSF and GEO is the rising costs of materials, infrastructure, operations and maintenance. Costs for drilling, ships, instrumentation and raw materials are sky-rocketing as the supply and demand for these has increased in the public and private sector. Unexpected shortages, increasing competition and growing demand is significantly increasing the cost of basic research in GEO. This is one reason for NSF’s decision to defer ARRV and OOI and not provide any funding for these facilities within MREFC.
Research infrastructure within GEO received the following budget requests: Academic Research Fleet would receive $87.96 million, EarthScope Operation would receive $26.29 million, Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) would receive $12.2 million, Ocean Drilling Activities would receive $47.4 million, Ocean Observatories would receive $10.5 million and the National Center for Atmospheric Research would receive $95.42 million.
GEO also provided information about the number of people involved in their activities and the number of awards given. About 4,200 senior researchers, 3,000 other professionals, 600 postdoctorates, 2,400 graduate students and 1,700 undergraduate students are estimated to benefit from GEO activities in fiscal year 2008. Those estimates would jump substantially if the increases for FY09 are realized. An estimated 1,500 additional people would benefit directly in FY09.
New Web Portal: Research.Gov: Last but not least, Bement announced the start of a new web site at NSF called research.gov. The portal provides information about research spending, federal policies related to research, grant application status and information about grants user rights and privileges.
More information about NSF’s budget for fiscal year 2009 is available from AGI’s Appropriations page at http://www.agiweb.org/gap/legis110/appropsfy2009_nsf.html.
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8) POSITION OPENINGS
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, NM
Seasonal/summer positions
John Day Fossil Beds NM is looking for 2 seasonal interpreters/park rangers to work with the public, lead hikes and tell the story of the geological and paleontological history of the John Day Basin. Click on the link below to see the full announcement. These are uniformed positions working with the public, largely at the new Paleontology Center, but may also include a smattering of fieldwork with the John Day Fossil Beds’ paleontologists.
http://jobsearch.usajobs.gov/jobsearch.asp?q=hrfs+08-243&re=0&sort=rv&FedEmp=N&vw=d&brd=3876&ss=0&FedPub=Y&tm=&rad=&zip=&x=0&y=0
If you are interested in these, contact either Sarah_Herve@nps.gov or Lia_Vella@nps.gov.
There are also plans to hire 2 or 3 student workers, preferably paleontologists, this summer as museum technicians, to assist with lab, curatorial, and fieldwork with an emphasis on the latter. The positions will probably run from April 1st to late September. For more information write to:
Theodore Fremd
Paleontologist, John Day Fossil Beds
Dept. of Geol. Sciences, Univ. of Oregon
32651 Highway 19,
Kimberly, OR 97848
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3) CONTACT INFORMATION
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