0 Shares 0 Shares ×

Scientific Opportunities

SUBMIT TO NASA REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON SCIENTIFIC CONNECTIONS BETWEEN NASA’S EARTH SCIENCE DIVISION AND ASTROBIOLOGY PROGRAM

The NASA Science Mission Directorate is soliciting information on connections and synergies between the research goals of the NASA Astrobiology Program and those of the NASA Earth Science Division. The Earth Science Division supports research activities that address the fundamental questions: how is the Earth changing and what are the consequences for life on Earth? The Astrobiology Program is dedicated to addressing three fundamental questions: How does life begin and evolve? Does life exist elsewhere in the universe? What is the future of life on Earth and beyond? The two programs thus share a focus on life in the Earth system. This request seeks the broadest level of community input on areas in which research addressing the goals of one program has the potential to make an impact on achieving the goals of the other.

The deadline for submissions is October 29, 2010. The full text of the Request for Information and instructions for submitting responses are online at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/. Questions concerning this request for information should be addressed to Dr. Carl B. Pilcher, Director, NASA Astrobiology Institute, 650-604-0022, carl.b.pilcher@nasa.gov.

APPLY TO THE MARINE GEOSCIENCE LEADERSHIP SYMPOSIUM

As global headlines focus on climate change, ocean acidification and tsunamis, marine geoscientists stand well-positioned to serve the needs of society while pushing the frontiers of scientific research. To solve these challenges and forge the necessary links between science and society, marine geoscientists must reach beyond their individual laboratories, form interdisciplinary collaborations, and communicate their discoveries to the public and policymakers. The Marine Geoscience Leadership Symposium (April 18-22, 2011 in Washington, DC) will introduce these skills to early career marine geoscientists. Participants will engage in small group discussions, participate in proposal workshops, and meet with funding agencies, media representatives, and policymakers. The symposium will provide leadership and communications training and begin the process of forming interdisciplinary research collaborations.

Applicants may be from any subfield of marine geology or geophysics and have completed their Ph.D. between December 1, 2007 and December 1, 2010. Selected participants will receive full participation support. The deadline to apply is December 31, 2010. For more information, visit http://www.oceanleadership.org/mgls.

INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE AT OCEAN LEADERSHIP

The Consortium for Ocean Leadership offers Washington, DC-based internships for students at Ocean Leadership member institutions. Over the years, interns have come from a variety of backgrounds, disciplines and institutions in the academic and government sectors and have made many valuable contributions to the mission and work of Ocean Leadership.

Ocean Leadership ocean observing internships are designed to further professional development for current or recently graduated students and provide assistance to the Ocean Leadership full-time ocean observing staff. In addition to project work relevant to each intern’s research, area of concentration, or degree, each participant will learn about the various national and international projects in ocean science that contribute to an integrated global observing system. Participants will have the opportunity to work on specific projects with ocean scientists and engineers who are directly engaged in the construction of the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI).

The OOI management team is particularly interested in applicants with skills in the following areas:

Electrical, Mechanical, or Systems Engineering
Information Technology
Display Model Development
Communications and Science Outreach

Preference is given to students in good standing at an Ocean Leadership member institution http://www.oceanleadership.org/about-ocean-leadership/membership/ therefore it is recommended that interested students seek out support for their application from their university’s Ocean Leadership representative via a sponsorship letter. Applicants should have strong written and communications skills and demonstrate an ability to take personal initiative. Interested applicants should provide a writing sample (less than three pages), a cover letter, a C.V. or resume, and a letter of recommendation (or sponsorship letter) from a university representative or faculty member.

Internships are available year-round and Ocean Leadership provides a base stipend of $1500 per month. Institutions are encouraged, but not required, to match stipends for a minimum of 2 months and cover intern travel costs to and from DC. The intern’s medical insurance coverage will remain with his or her individual policy or student group health insurance.

Internships typically follow the academic semester schedule, but specific start and end dates are flexible. Individuals who gain interest after the application deadline should contact Emily Griffin (information below) to inquire about availability.

Spring Semester: January – May (November 15 application deadline)
Summer Semester: June – August (April 15 application deadline)
Fall Semester: September-December (July 30 application deadline)

For more information, contact Emily Griffin: 1201 New York Ave., N.W., 4th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20005. (202) 787-1615, e-mail: egriffin@oceanleadership.org.

GRADUATE STUDENTS: APPLY FOR A SCHLANGER OCEAN DRILLING FELLOWSHIP

The Consortium for Ocean Leadership is accepting applications for the Schlanger Ocean Drilling Fellowship. Schlanger Fellowships offer merit-based awards for outstanding graduate students to conduct research related to the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program. Research may be directed toward the objectives of upcoming or past expeditions or may address broader themes. Selected fellows will receive an award of $28,000 to be used for stipend, research, or other approved costs. Applicants can be enrolled in either a Ph.D. or M.S. program at any U.S. institution, including those that have had little or no previous involvement in IODP. The application deadline is November 15, 2010.

For a fellowship application and more information, please visit: http://www.oceanleadership.org/programs-and-partnerships/usssp/schlanger-fellowship/.

NRC CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: EFFECTS OF THE DEEPWATER HORIZON MISSISSIPPI CANYON-252 OIL SPILL ON ECOSYSTEM SERVICES IN THE GULF OF MEXICO

The Ocean Studies Board of the U.S. National Research Council is soliciting nominations for individuals to serve on its new study committee charged with assessing the Effects of the Deepwater Horizon Mississippi Canyon-252 Oil Spill on Ecosystem Services in the Gulf of Mexico.

If you would like to nominate someone to serve on this committee, please do so no later than October 25, 2010. For more information, visit http://www.oceanleadership.org/2010/nrc-call-for-nominations-effects-of-the-deepwater-horizon-mississippi-canyon-252/.

MOORE FOUNDATION’S MARINE MICROBIOLOGY INITIATIVE ISSUES RFI

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation’s Marine Microbiology Initiative (MMI) has issued a Request for Ideas (RFI) for marine microbiology and marine microbial ecology research. The Moore Foundation is looking to identify the most promising opportunities where a strategic, focused effort over the next five years will help to break open ‘black boxes’ in the field and take understanding of marine microbial communities to a new level.

More information about the RFI can be found at, http://www.moore.org/mmi-rfi.aspx. Researchers interested in contributing an RFI for consideration should submit a two-page idea summary by November 8, 2010.

NATIONAL SCIENCE BOARD CALLS FOR TWO NOMINATIONS

The Vannevar Bush Award is awarded annually to truly exceptional lifelong leaders in science and technology who have made substantial contributions to the welfare of the Nation through public service activities in science, technology, and public policy. Recent recipients include: Bruce Alberts, Editor-in-Chief, Science Magazine; Mildred Dresselhaus, Institute Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and Norman Augustine, former Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, Lockheed Martin Corporation. To nominate, visit www.nsf.gov/nsb/awards/bush.jsp.

The National Science Board (NSB) Public Service Award honors individuals who and groups that have made substantial contributions to increasing public understanding of science and engineering in the United States. These contributions may be in a wide variety of areas that have the potential of contributing to public understanding of and appreciation for science and engineering – including mass media, education and/or training programs, entertainment, etc. Recipients of the NSB Public Service Award include NUMB3RS, the CBS television drama series; Ira Flatow, Host and Executive Producer of NPR’s “Science Friday”; Alfred P. Sloan Foundation; Bill Nye The Science Guy; and NOVA, the PBS television series. To nominate, visit http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/awards/public.jsp.

The deadline for award nominations is November 3, 2010. Please contact Jennifer Richards at jlrichar@nsf.gov with any questions.

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC SUMMER INSTITUTES FOR U.S. GRADUATE STUDENTS – 2011 APPLICATION NOW OPEN

The National Science Foundation (NSF) East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes for U.S. Graduate Students (EAPSI) is a flagship international fellowship program for developing the next generation of globally engaged U.S. scientists and engineers knowledgeable about the Asian and Pacific regions. The Summer Institutes are hosted by foreign counterparts committed to increasing opportunities for young U.S. researchers to work in research facilities and with host mentors abroad. Fellows are supported to participate in eight-week research experiences at host laboratories in Australia, China, Japan (10 weeks), Korea, New Zealand, Singapore and Taiwan from June to August. The program provides a $5,000 summer stipend, round-trip airfare to the host location, living expenses abroad, and an introduction to the society, culture, language, and research environment of the host location.

The 2011 application is now open and will close at 5:00 pm local time on November 10, 2010. Application instructions are available online at www.nsfsi.org. For further information concerning benefits, eligibility, and tips on applying, applicants are encouraged to visit www.nsf.gov/eapsi or www.nsfsi.org. Please contact the EAPSI Help Desk by email at eapsi@nsfsi.org or by phone at 1-866-501-2922 with questions.

CAMEO CALL FOR PROPOSALS

NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service and National Science Foundation Division of Ocean Sciences are pleased to announce a call for proposals for the Comparative Analysis of Marine Ecosystem Organization (CAMEO) Program which is implemented as a partnership between the two agencies. The purpose of the CAMEO program is to strengthen the scientific basis for an ecosystem approach to the stewardship of our ocean and coastal living marine resources and ecosystems. The goal is to provide an understanding of and predictive capability for marine ecosystem organization and production, particularly as the dual drivers of climate variability and fishing pressure affect them. Comparative analyses provide an ideal way to achieve this goal. They can be employed in lieu of direct experimentation where controlled manipulation at relevant temporal and spatial scales is not possible. Well-designed comparative studies use existing gradients in ecosystem features to reveal how those features are manifest in processes and structures. Comparative analysis may be applied across ecosystems, within ecosystems through time, or across modeling approaches.

The CAMEO program is designed to address these issues by supporting research under five themes:

Connectivity of Marine Ecosystems defines the fundamental structural and functional attributes of ecosystems and interactions among ecosystems;
Responsiveness of Ecosystems to Perturbations examines the factors that control ecosystem responses to perturbations and stresses;
State Transitions and Stability identifies equilibrium states of ecosystems and the role of attributes (e.g., resilience, biodiversity) in determining the transitions between these states;
Human Society and Marine Ecosystems examines the critical interactions between humans and marine ecosystem processes; and
Comparative Analysis, Synthesis, and Forecasting explores new approaches of synthesizing existing information on ocean ecosystems and predicting the response to fishing and climate variation and change.

A key aspect of these proposals is the emphasis on collaborative partnerships between the academic and NOAA NMFS scientists with mission responsibilities to inform ecosystem management activities.

The full Announcement of Opportunity and further information on the CAMEO program is available on the CAMEO website (http://cameo.noaa.gov). Proposals must be submitted through the NSF FastLane System no later than January 7, 2011. Information on the eight exciting new proposals selected for funding as a result of the 2009-10 Announcement of Opportunity can also be found on the CAMEO web site.

Questions or comments regarding CAMEO activities can be directed to
NSF: Cynthia Suchman (csuchman@nsf.gov) or Dave Garrison (dgarriso@nsf.gov)
NOAA: Mike Ford (Michael.Ford@noaa.gov) or Lora Clarke (Lora.Clarke@noaa.gov) For more information visit the CAMEO web site at, http://cameo.noaa.gov.