AWG E-mail News August 1999 #2 1. AWG ELECTIONS - EXTENSION OF VOTING PERIOD 2. Leopold Leadership Fellows 3. Job in Juneau 4. Earthwatch: Call for Proposals 5. GAP update *********************************** 1. AWG ELECTIONS - EXTENSION OF VOTING PERIOD Due to the AWG office address change during the voting period, the deadline for casting votes in the AWG election has been extended until August 31. Ballots are in the May-June issue of Gaea. Please mail all ballots to the new AWG office address (P.O. Box 280, Broomfield, CO 80038-0280). At-Large Student Members are especially encouraged to vote for the Student At Large Delegate. If a ballot is needed by a voting member, please email office@awg.org. *********************************** 2. Leopold Leadership Fellows Note!!! The application deadline is August 31, 1999. The Aldo Leopold Leadership Program -- about to begin its second year -- will train 60 environmental scientists to be effective communicators and leaders. The Leopold Leadership Fellows will be primarily tenured academic environmental scientists who are active in research and teaching. Leopold Leadership Fellows hone skills that enable them to better share their knowledge of environmental science with media representatives, policy makers, and the private sector. The Program will train 20 scientists a year for three years. The first cohort of fellows -- which includes at least three active SSI members -- has completed the first training session and will soon embark upon the second one in the DC area. The training sessions include five modules: * Providing Leadership within the Scientific Community * Providing Scientific Input to the Policy Process * Communicating with the Media * Interacting with the Corporate Sector * Working with Non-Governmental Organizations The above topics will be spread out over the course of two week-long training sessions -- the first training session is scheduled for June 13-20, 2000, and the second for a week next September. The application deadline for the second year's program is August 31, 1999. Since the application requires some references, you might want to take a look right away if you are interested. To apply or to nominate a candidate, or for more information (including information on this year's fellows), access their web site: http://www.leopold.orst.edu Or contact Dr. Judith R. Vergun, Project Director, (541) 737-4684; (541) 737-2450 (fax); vergunj@oce.orst.edu Or Dr. Jane Lubchenco, Steering Committee Chair, (541) 737- 5337; (541) 737-3360 (fax); lubchenj@bcc.orst.edu *********************************** 3. Job in Juneau Interdisciplinary Research Position Hydrologist/Geologist/Ecologist U.S. Forest Service The Pacific Northwest Research Station (http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw) in Juneau, AK (http://www.juneau.com) solicits applications for the above position. Duties include conducting an interdisciplinary, long-term research and development program in the disciplines of geomorphology, hydrology, landscape ecology, or hyporheic/perirheic processes and the relationships among them in forested, mountainous environments, including the interactions between land use and natural processes and conditions. Complete position announcements, including duties, qualifications, and application instructions, may be viewed at http://www.usajobs.opm.gov. Click on Current Job Openings. Click on Alphabetical Job Search to locate this position under "Interdisciplinary Research Position" (for federal employees) or under "Ecologist, Geologist, or Hydrologist, Interdisciplinary Research Position". Application instructions must be followed carefully. Reviewing all four announcements may be helpful. Any previously submitted material will not be utilized and must be resubmitted to be considered. Applications must be postmarked by 8/30/99. For further job information, call or email Dr. Richard D. Woodsmith 907-586-8811x229, rwoodsmith/r10@fs.fed.us. The USDA, Forest Service is an equal opportunity provider and employer. U.S. citizenship is required. ****************************************** 4. REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS STUDENT CHALLENGE AWARDS PROGRAM GRANTS In the summer of 2000, Earthwatch Institute and The Durfee Foundation will sponsor 10 - 12 research projects through the Student Challenge Awards Program. This program aims to support important research through grants and the assistance of talented high school students. By connecting students with scientists, we aim to excite the imagination and expand the potential of gifted students, and to stimulate the students' curiosity about science and technology. Students in this program have demonstrated talent in the arts and humanities and interests that bridge the arts and sciences. They are selected from high schools across the United States, and receive full scholarships to participate in the program. Scientists supported through this program work with a single team of six to eight students, for a period of two to three weeks. Project budgets are covered by grants of $6,000 to $15,000. September 1, 1999 is the proposal deadline for SCAP projects fielded in the summer of 2000. We welcome proposals for: - research projects that expose students to new scientific technologies and enable nonspecialists to make a tangible contribution to science - laboratory, observatory, or field research - research in the life sciences, physical sciences, or archaeology - research conducted in North America, Hawaii, The Caribbean, or Costa Rica - research conducted by principal investigators and research institutions committed to the scientific education and personal growth of talented youth - projects that include graduate student mentors and/or other staff who can help provide 24 hour supervision for one's team. For a program overview, project structure, and grant application information please go to: http://www.earthwatch.org/cfr/CFRdurfee.html. For links to web sites created by SCAP teams and information about nominating students for an award please go: http://www.earthwatch.org/ed/scdurfee.html. You can also contact Dee Robbins, SCAP Program Director, for more information: E-mail: drobbins@earthwatch.org Telephone: 617-926-8200, ext. 109 Address: Earthwatch Institute, P.O. Box 9104, 680 Mt. Auburn Street, Watertown, MA 02472 ****************************** 5. AGI GAP Updates The following news items are excerpted from the American Geological Institute Government Affairs Program (AGI GAP) monthly (July) update. Superfund The tax cut bill passed by the U. S. Senate on July 30th includes provisions concerning brownfields, expanding credits to encourage clean-up at any brownfield location and in high-poverty areas. Because more sites are eligible for the credit, the cost is estimated to increase to $782 million dollars over 10 years. The tax cut bill passed by the House on July 22nd combines the Superfund trust fund with the Leaking Under-ground Storage Tank (LUST) trust fund. Superfund clean-up costs would be able to tap into the $1.4 billion dollars currently in the LUST fund, providing funding for clean-ups while skirting the controversial issue of reinstating the Superfund Tax. For more information on the Superfund, visit: http://www.agiweb.org/gap/legis.html#superfund. NSF and Environmental Science The National Science Foundation (NSF) has released an interim report "Environmental Science and Engineering for the 21st Century: The Role of the National Science Foundation." The report, which was prepared by a special Task Force on the Environment created by the National Science Board, is available online at: http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/tfe/nsb99133/start.htm. According to NSF, the Task Force was established "to assist the Foundation in defining the scope of its role with respect to environmental research, education, and assessment, and in deter- mining the best means of implementing activities related to this area." The report offers two "keystone" recommendations: 1) environmental research, education, and scientific assessment should be one of the highest priorities at NSF, and towards that end recommend increasing the level of environmental funding from the current level of approximately $600 million by $1 billion dollars over five years; and 2) NSF management should develop an effective organizational approach that meets all of the criteria required to ensure a well-integrated, high-priority, high-visibility, cohesive, and sustained environmental portfolio within the NSF." More information on this issue may be found at: http://www.agiweb.org/gap/legis.html#nie. NASA, NSF & NOAA Take Hits Congressional leaders are showing little sign of easing up on the budgetary caps set in 1997 to constrain federal spending, and science funding is taking a hit. Defense spending is up and civilian spending is down. For science, that approach is translating into major budget cuts. Some of the deepest cuts are being felt in the massive VA/HUD/Independent Agencies bill, which funds NSF, NASA, and EPA among other agencies. NASA would be hardest hit, receiving nearly $850 million less than requested and $1.4 billion (over 10 percent) less than the agency received in FY 1999. The Office of Earth Science would receive a 20% cut. In addition to eliminating the Triana satellite (viewed as a pet project of Vice President Gore), the House bill cuts more than $260 million from earth science programs. The American Geophysical Union has sent out an alert on the NASA cuts, which can be found at http://www.agu.org/cgi-bin/asla/asla-list. In the same bill, NSF would receive $3.6 billion, 7% less than the President requested and 0.7% less than it received in FY 1999. Research accounts at NSF would receive $2.8 billion, down 7.5% from the request and 0.3% over FY 1999. As usual, the Interior spending bill is mired in controversy, mostly related to legislative provisions-known as "riders" -- attached to it on issues such as mining and timber. The House bill passed on July 14th, and the Senate is still debating its version. The USGS fares moderately well in both bills, receiving more than FY 1999 but less than requested. Most of the increases go toward uncontrollable costs rather than to Administration initiatives. A rider in the Senate bill would permanently reverse the Department of the Interior Solicitor's interpretation of the 1872 Mining Law that limits the size of mine dumps. More on that issue at: http://www.agiweb.org/gap/legis.html#mining. The House version of the Commerce spending bill slashes research funding at NOAA by over 10% from FY 1999. NOAA as a whole went down $547 million below the request and $208 million below FY 1999 levels, despite a 7% increase for the National Weather Service. Ocean and atmospheric research, remote sensing, and marine fisheries programs would take the brunt of reductions. More on these bills at: http://www.agiweb.org/gap/legis.html#approps. George Brown Dies Representative George E. Brown Jr. passed away July 16th at the age of 79, leaving behind a legacy as science's greatest and most knowledgeable champion in Congress. He saw science as a marvelous tool for the betterment of the human condition, and his support for science cannot be separated from his leadership in the struggle for civil rights and environmental protection. Brown served eighteen terms to become the longest-serving representative in California's history. As chairman of the House Science Committee and later as its ranking Democrat, Brown hired many scientists and engineers for his staff, creating an oasis of technical expertise on Capitol Hill. A strong supporter of the congressional science fellowship program since its inception in 1973, Brown frequently used fellows on both his personal and committee staff, including several geoscientists. Brown is the father of the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP). He was a tireless advocate for space exploration and for greater international scientific collaboration. He helped expand the role of the National Science Foundation to include education and was a catalyst for creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the permanent White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The recipient of a bachelor's degree in industrial physics from UCLA, Brown challenged scientists "to become more involved with the political process and the needs of the broader society-in other words, be more effective citizens." ****************************************** Address changes to kmccarvi@silver.sdsmt.edu -- please include your OLD e-mail address so I can remove it from the list.