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August 16, 2010
July 12, 2010
Becoming a Successful Principal Investigator
It is not enough to have a good idea. Your good idea must also be well positioned, or review panels for grant agencies are unlikely to approve it. Grant writing is the end of a process, not the beginning. Long before you make the decision to write a grant proposal for your research, you should be taking concrete steps to raise your profile in the eyes of reviewers.
What does that mean? Most basically, it means preparing yourself as a scholar, a researcher, and a grant writer in ways that will strengthen the ideas behind your proposal, demonstrate that you have the wherewithal to carry out your project, and enhance your ability to communicate what reviewers are looking for.
The following article from the Chronicle of Higher Education describes ways to become a successful PI:
July 08, 2010
Pattullo Conference Workshop Report
The Pattullo Conference workshop report is complete! It includes a summary of the conference, an update on MPOWIR activities, and results from an online survey of participants.
July 01, 2010
Defenders of Wildlife Position
DEFENDERS
OF WILDLIFE
JOB DESCRIPTION
JOB TITLE: Coral reef marine scientist
DIVISION/SITE: Headquarters, Washington, DC
DEPARTMENT: Conservation Science and Economics
REPORTS TO: Chief Scientist
BASIC SUMMARY:
This professional-level position is responsible for implementing all science-based advising and research necessary to implement the strategies of a four-organization coalition seeking to ensure the long-term health and resilience of the world’s coral reef ecosystems, including the demonstrably sustainable and humane import of coral reef species into the United States. Primary responsibilities are to prioritize the science-based conservation objectives and strategies to implement these goals for Defenders and its three coalition partners (World Wildlife Fund, Environmental Defense Fund, Humane Society of the U.S.). The incumbent will act as lead for the coral reef campaign inside Defenders, and serve as its official liaison with the coalition and all external partners who are involved with the campaign.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Represent Defenders for the coral reef coalition, at public meetings, hearings, press events, conferences, national and international forums, and in communications with public officials, the media, Defenders’ membership, the donor community, and the general public on the issue of coral reef conservation.
• Prepare on behalf of the four-member coalition key science reports, articles, and fact sheets that document the impacts and other conservation consequences from global trade in coral reef fauna and artifacts.
• Identify the optimal science-based metrics that can evaluate whether the regulatory, economic, policy, and legislative goals that are established for coral reef conservation are likely to be achieved.
• Assist in the application of credible science that can best influence federal and state wildlife policy aimed at coral reef conservation through administrative and legislative forums, using a range of strategies including but not limited to:
o Direct and grassroots lobbying in the U.S. Congress and appropriate legislatures
o Policy and programmatic changes in relevant state and federal agencies
• Educate and motivate Defenders staff to improve coral reef conservation, especially the organization’s legislative affairs, international, and media/communications departments.
• Perform all other related duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS:
• Education: Ph.D. degree preferred in Marine Science, Natural Resource Management, Ecology, or related discipline.
• Experience: 3+ years of experience working on coral reef conservation, or 5+ years working on other marine conservation issues.
• Demonstrated ability or willingness to learn emerging issues at the interface of conservation and social science, especially as these relate to global wildlife trade (e.g., consumer preference, supply/demand relationships, market incentives, tradable quotas, and mariculture technology).
• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be accepted as a satisfactory substitute for the specific education and experience listed above.
• Other
• Some knowledge of federal and state agencies, laws, treaties, and policies dealing with use and conservation of natural resources
• Fundamentally strong writing, media, and communications skills.
• Ability to conduct research, analyze information, and produce quality work products in a consistent, efficient, and timely manner
• Ability to work constructively as a member of several teams
• Independent judgment for using science creatively to achieve sound conservation goals
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use a computer and communicate with others while doing so.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
• General office working conditions, the noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.
COMMENTS:
• This position requires occasional domestic travel.
How To Apply
Interested applicants please reference Coral Reef Marine Scientist in your subject line and submit a letter of interest, along with your resume and salary history (must be included to be considered) to us via e-mail at: HR@defenders.org
JOB DESCRIPTION
JOB TITLE: Coral reef marine scientist
DIVISION/SITE: Headquarters, Washington, DC
DEPARTMENT: Conservation Science and Economics
REPORTS TO: Chief Scientist
BASIC SUMMARY:
This professional-level position is responsible for implementing all science-based advising and research necessary to implement the strategies of a four-organization coalition seeking to ensure the long-term health and resilience of the world’s coral reef ecosystems, including the demonstrably sustainable and humane import of coral reef species into the United States. Primary responsibilities are to prioritize the science-based conservation objectives and strategies to implement these goals for Defenders and its three coalition partners (World Wildlife Fund, Environmental Defense Fund, Humane Society of the U.S.). The incumbent will act as lead for the coral reef campaign inside Defenders, and serve as its official liaison with the coalition and all external partners who are involved with the campaign.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Represent Defenders for the coral reef coalition, at public meetings, hearings, press events, conferences, national and international forums, and in communications with public officials, the media, Defenders’ membership, the donor community, and the general public on the issue of coral reef conservation.
• Prepare on behalf of the four-member coalition key science reports, articles, and fact sheets that document the impacts and other conservation consequences from global trade in coral reef fauna and artifacts.
• Identify the optimal science-based metrics that can evaluate whether the regulatory, economic, policy, and legislative goals that are established for coral reef conservation are likely to be achieved.
• Assist in the application of credible science that can best influence federal and state wildlife policy aimed at coral reef conservation through administrative and legislative forums, using a range of strategies including but not limited to:
o Direct and grassroots lobbying in the U.S. Congress and appropriate legislatures
o Policy and programmatic changes in relevant state and federal agencies
• Educate and motivate Defenders staff to improve coral reef conservation, especially the organization’s legislative affairs, international, and media/communications departments.
• Perform all other related duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS:
• Education: Ph.D. degree preferred in Marine Science, Natural Resource Management, Ecology, or related discipline.
• Experience: 3+ years of experience working on coral reef conservation, or 5+ years working on other marine conservation issues.
• Demonstrated ability or willingness to learn emerging issues at the interface of conservation and social science, especially as these relate to global wildlife trade (e.g., consumer preference, supply/demand relationships, market incentives, tradable quotas, and mariculture technology).
• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be accepted as a satisfactory substitute for the specific education and experience listed above.
• Other
• Some knowledge of federal and state agencies, laws, treaties, and policies dealing with use and conservation of natural resources
• Fundamentally strong writing, media, and communications skills.
• Ability to conduct research, analyze information, and produce quality work products in a consistent, efficient, and timely manner
• Ability to work constructively as a member of several teams
• Independent judgment for using science creatively to achieve sound conservation goals
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use a computer and communicate with others while doing so.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
• General office working conditions, the noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.
COMMENTS:
• This position requires occasional domestic travel.
How To Apply
Interested applicants please reference Coral Reef Marine Scientist in your subject line and submit a letter of interest, along with your resume and salary history (must be included to be considered) to us via e-mail at: HR@defenders.org
June 23, 2010
The 57th annual Eastern Pacific Ocean Conference (EPOC)
The 57th annual Eastern Pacific Ocean Conference (EPOC) will take
place this year at the Timberline Lodge, Mt.Hood, Oregon 22-25
September 2010.
Please see: http://bioweb.coas.oregonstate.edu/~EPOC2010/ for further information.
Abstract/registration deadline will be on AUGUST 1st, 2010.
June 22, 2010
Are Women Better PIs?
Last summer, the New York Times ran an article entitled "No Doubts: Women Are Better Managers," which unleashed a firestorm of comments (over 300), many of which railed against the inherent sexism of that proposition and others that suggested that women were in fact worse bosses, who were harder on their female subordinates than males.
The following article, posted on the Tomorrows-Professor email list, describes what science says about male and female managers, and some evidence-based advice for working with men and women in the lab. The article is by Edyta Zielinska and is from The Scientist: Magazine of the Life Sciences, Volume 24, Issue 6, Page 71, June 1, 2010.
To subscribe to the Tomorrows-Professor Mailing list, go to:
https://mailman.stanford.edu/mailman/listinfo/tomorrows-professor
June 09, 2010
Postdoctoral Fellow – Ocean Process Studies
Postdoctoral Fellow – Ocean Process Studies
The Department of Physics at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth has an opening for a postdoctoral research associate to study oceanic submesoscale processes, their implications for vertical fluxes on scales of 100 m - 10 km, their interaction with mesoscales and dependence on mixing, using modeling and analysis. Knowledge of ocean dynamics and modeling at small and large scales, mixing parameterizations, data analysis, or theoretical oceanography is a plus. The position is funded by NSF collaborative award and offers scope of interdisciplinary numerical and theoretical work motivated by observations. The fellow will work with the research group of Prof. Amit Tandon and interact with Dr. Amala Mahadevan and her research group at Boston University, and with graduate students and scientists at the School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST). Other responsibilities may include assistance in grant proposal writing and general lab/student supervision.
The minimum qualifications are a Ph.D. in physical oceanography, atmospheric sciences, applied mathematics, mechanical engineering, environmental physics or a closely-related field and eligibility to be employed in the United States. The candidate should be highly motivated and have demonstrated ability to work independently as well as within a research group. Strong oral and written communication skills are essential. Salary is commensurate with qualifications. The initial appointment at UMass Dartmouth will be for one year, with possibilities for extension to a second year.For more information about this position please see http://www.umassd.ed/hr/postdocphysics4-10.cfm
Applicants should send a letter stating their interests and qualifications, along with a current curriculum vitae, a brief narrative describing their professional goals, and a list of three professional references, electronically to atandon@umassd.edu.
Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. An official graduate transcript will be required for finalists. The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is an EEO/AA employer.
June 01, 2010
Postdoctoral Opportunity
We have an opening for a postdoc position in the data-assimilation group at the University of Reading. He/she will look into localisation in particle filters, aiming to solve the full nonlinear data-assimilation problem for large-dimensional geophysical systems.
A full description plus application details can be found at:
http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/ABC114/nceo-postdoctoral-research-assistant/
Note the deadline of 11 June 2010
Best regards,
Peter Jan
Prof Peter Jan van Leeuwen
p.j.vanleeuwen@reading.ac.uk
http://www.met.reading.ac.uk/~xv901096
A full description plus application details can be found at:
http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/ABC114/nceo-postdoctoral-research-assistant/
Note the deadline of 11 June 2010
Best regards,
Peter Jan
Prof Peter Jan van Leeuwen
p.j.vanleeuwen@reading.ac.uk
http://www.met.reading.ac.uk/~xv901096
May 17, 2010
Postdoctoral Opportunity
New Climate Process Team seeks four physical oceanography postdoctoral scholars
Applicants
are sought for postdoctoral scientists to join a recently NSF and NOAA
funded Climate Process Team. The ultimate goal of the project is to
better parameterize internal-wave driven mixing in ocean climate
models. The team consists of 15+ PIs from leading institutions, with
combined expertise in modeling, observational analysis, and theoretical
work. We seek four postdoctoral fellows to work on various aspects
of internal-wave driven mixing in the ocean, including numerical
process studies, careful theory and data comparison, and development
of parameterizations for use in global high-resolution and climate
models.
Funding
is available for up to three years of support, depending on the
performance of the successful applicants. The postdoctoral scientists
will be located at Scripps Institution of Oceanography (UCSD), Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institution, University of Michigan, and Princeton
University / GFDL (Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory). All of the
successful applicants will be encouraged to visit with collaborators at
other participating institutions, and frequent workshops will offer
additional opportunities for the postdocs to network with scientists
throughout the country. All of the participating institutions offer
competitive salary and benefits packages for postdoctoral scientists.
More details are available at http://www-pord.ucsd.edu/~jen/cpt/
Each
successful applicant will have a PhD in physical oceanography or in
related fields such as applied mathematics, fluid dynamics, or
atmospheric science. Applications and inquiries should be sent to Dr.
Jennifer MacKinnon (jmackinn@ucsd.edu)
Applicants should send a curriculum vitae including a list of
publications and presentations, contact information for three
references, and a cover letter describing which aspects of the problem
they are most interested in or qualified to work on. Review of
applications will begin on June 20, 2010. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.
The
University of Michigan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Princeton
University is an equal opportunity employer and complies with
applicable EEO and affirmative action regulations. UCSD is an
affirmative action / equal opportunity employer. WHOI is an
Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V, a member of the
Higher Education Recruitment Consortium, and is sensitive to the issues
of dual career candidates.
May 02, 2010
Help to the Finish Line: Ways to Reduce the Number of Ph.D. Dropouts
Doctoral students in the United States are finishing their degrees faster than at any point since at least 1983. But that's not actually saying much. Their average time-to-degree is still a formidable 7.7 years—and that, of course, is for the students who manage to finish at all. By some estimates, more than 30 percent of the students who enter American doctoral programs walk away empty-handed.
A report released in March by the Council of Graduate Schools highlights some of what the council calls "promising practices" that might reduce attrition rates and average time-to-degree. The report draws on data from more than 20 universities that have taken part in the council's Ph.D. Completion Project, a seven-year study of doctoral-program attrition—especially the attrition of women and underrepresented minorities.
The practices described in the report include:
- Improving advising and mentorship.
- Increasing financial support.
- Improving students' early research experiences.
- Improving support and supervision during the dissertation phase.
Click here for the full article:
http://chronicle.com/article/Help-to-the-Finish-Line-Wa/64879/
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