From HollisK at si.edu Fri Nov 1 13:45:56 2019 From: HollisK at si.edu (Hollis, Kathy A.) Date: Fri, 1 Nov 2019 17:45:56 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Smithsonian NMNH - USGS Denver fossil collection transfer and research visitors through 2020 Message-ID: Dear friends and colleagues, The Smithsonian NMNH Department of Paleobiology is pleased to announce that the care of the USGS Core Research Center Denver fossil collection has been transferred to the Smithsonian NMNH National Fossil Collection. The USGS Denver fossil collection represents over 100 years of USGS Paleontology and Stratigraphy Branch research. The transfer of custody from Denver to the Smithsonian Museum Support Center in Suitland, MD is underway and will be completed in late 2020. Primary collections include: ? Lower Paleozoic trilobites and graptolites ? Upper Paleozoic brachiopods ? Upper Cretaceous ammonites and inoceramids ? Triassic and Jurassic ammonites ? Cenozoic Non-marine molluscs ? Mesozoic and Cenozoic vertebrates ? Paleozoic fusulinids In addition to the 1.2 million fossils, the collection includes a vast amount of metadata consisting of locality and taxonomic cards, ledgers, supplementary identification reports, field notes and maps. The Smithsonian and the USGS are partnering to convert this analog data into digital data, georeference the fossil localities, and prepare searchable databases for each fossil collection. Learn more about the collections coming to NMNH here: https://www.usgs.gov/core-science-systems/nggdp/core-research-center/paleontology Due to the volume of this acquisition, the Smithsonian NMNH Department of Paleobiology will have a reduced capacity to host all research visitors through 2020. We expect that staff will not be able to accommodate every visit request and researchers may be asked to adjust the timing of their visit and/or visit duration. To submit a research visit request, please see here: https://naturalhistory.si.edu/research/paleobiology/collections-access We thank you in advance for your patience and cooperation. Please send questions about the USGS transfer to Kathy Hollis at hollisk at si.edu Kathy Hollis Paleobiology Collections Manager Department of Paleobiology w 202.633.1357 c 330.634.6505 hollisk at si.edu SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY Facebook | Twitter | Instagram The National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) complies with all U.S. export and sanctions laws, as well as fish, wildlife and other regulations applicable to the importation and exportation of specimens and research materials. Please consider the country of origin and nature of any specimen, sample, object or material shipped to NMNH, and if applicable, ensure that it is properly licensed and otherwise compliant with U.S. law prior to shipment. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From emily.braker at colorado.edu Fri Nov 1 13:54:36 2019 From: emily.braker at colorado.edu (Emily M. Braker) Date: Fri, 1 Nov 2019 17:54:36 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Nov 12 Webinar - Data Linkages in the Arctos Ecosystem Message-ID: Please join us November 12th for a webinar entitled, "The Arctos Ecosystem: Using standardized, predictable data to form resolvable, reciprocal links to related internal and external data objects" Abstract: Arctos is a community and museum collection management solution providing research-grade open data for 31 museums holding 193 collections. Arctos is based on a deeply relational, highly-normalized data model developed as fundamental research infrastructure for curators, collection managers, investigators, educators, and anyone interested in natural and cultural history. This structure creates data that are inherently more discoverable due to their predictability. Standardized, predictable data shared between institutions may be used to form resolvable, reciprocal links to related internal and external data objects, such as hosts to parasites, specimens to GenBank sequences, cited specimens to journal articles, and specimens shared between institutions. Reciprocal linkages allow for powerful cross-resource questions, such as "What parasites of Canis are documented in Arctos?" or "Show all specimen records in family Canidae that are hosts of parasites in family Taeniidae." Arctos was the first collection management solution to develop reciprocal linkages between specimens and GenBank sequence data, thereby establishing the current standard for specimen-specific unique identifiers. Additionally, Arctos leverages external web services to extend capabilities. Taxonomic tables may be curated individually or shared with other collections and classifications can be created manually or through import from various resources accessed via GlobalNames. Collections can opt to use the integrated WoRMS taxonomy which includes all aphiaID's and is continually updated. Integrated GeoLocate provides semi-automated georeferencing in Arctos and also allows transformation of coordinates into standardized descriptive searchable text via reverse georeferencing services. Specimens and media in Arctos have an inline "thumbnail map" dynamically generated via Google Enterprise tools. CrossRef and PubMed web services provide semi-automated publication creation in Arctos. Stable URLs or IDs allow linking from Arctos specimen records to MorphoSource, Barcode of Life, BugGuide.net, GBIF, iDigBio, InvertEBase and iNaturalist. In this presentation, we will share the benefits and challenges of linking data as well as suggestions for connecting data via stable URLs and identifiers. Presenter: Mariel Campbell (Collection Manager, Division of Genomic Resources, Museum of Southwestern Biology) When: Tuesday, November 12, 2019 at 3pm ET Where: https://idigbio.adobeconnect.com/room Can't Make It?: View archived recordings here https://arctosdb.org/learn/webinars/ Hope to see you there! Emily Braker Vertebrate Collections Manager, Zoology Section University of Colorado Museum of Natural History 265 UCB, Bruce Curtis Building Boulder, CO 80309-0218 Phone: 303-492-8466 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Leanne.Elder at Colorado.EDU Fri Nov 1 14:30:57 2019 From: Leanne.Elder at Colorado.EDU (Leanne Elder) Date: Fri, 1 Nov 2019 18:30:57 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Invertebrate zoology recruiting masters students for Museum Studies program at CU Boulder Message-ID: Please share the below advertisement with students and professionals working in your collections that are interested in furthering their careers in Museum studies, specifically working with invertebrates. The Invertebrate Zoology Division at the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History (UCM) is recruiting students for the 2020 masters in Museum and Field studies program https://www.colorado.edu/cumuseum/mfs. This is a two year masters in science program for those interested in collections management, field and collections research, and curatorial work. The program is designed to provide academic training in all aspects of museology and specifically the candidate?s chosen discipline with an emphasis on how to collect, catalogue, and care for museum collections. Students completing this program will be prepared for a variety of occupations, including: collections managers, curatorial assistants, registrars, museum educators, exhibit developers, and administrators. The Invertebrate Zoology Division is looking for candidates that are specifically interested in specializing in non-insect invertebrate collections management. Training would include best practices in museum curation, digitization, data dissemination, and invertebrate specimen anesthetization, preparation and fixation for taxonomic work. The UCM invertebrate collection is diverse, covering almost every phyla, with particular strengths in mollusks, crustaceans and myriapods. The deadline for domestic applicants is January 15 2020. For international applicants the deadline is December 30, 2019. Interested applicants can direct inquiries about the Invertebrate Zoology Division to the curator Dr. Jingchun Li, Jinghun.li at colorado.edu https://jingchunli.weebly.com/. Questions about how to apply and the Museum and Field Studies program itself can be directed to Janet Bensko, the graduate program coordinator, janet.bensko at colorado.edu. ~~~~~~~~~~~ Leanne Elder, PhD. Collections Manager Invertebrate Zoology CU Museum of Natural History University of Colorado 265 UCB Bruce Curtis Building (MCOL) Boulder, CO 80309-0265 Office Phone: 303-735-5262 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From abentley at ku.edu Mon Nov 11 11:33:58 2019 From: abentley at ku.edu (Bentley, Andrew Charles) Date: Mon, 11 Nov 2019 16:33:58 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] FW: Science Policy News from AIBS In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. AIBS Public Policy Report AIBS Public Policy Report, Volume 20, Issue 23, November 11, 2019 * US Begins Withdrawal from Paris Climate Agreement * Senate Passes First Spending Package as Stopgap Funding Nears Expiration * Report Addresses Political Interference in Government Science * Brexit?s Impact on UK Science Funding and Researchers * Call for Community Input: NSF RFI on Data-Focused Cyberinfrastructure * Short Takes * Cancer Expert Nominated to Lead FDA * NSF Funding Opportunity on Reintegrating Biology * NASEM Seeks Research Applications to Determine Red Wolf Taxonomy * NIH Seeks Input on Proposed Data Management and Sharing Policy * Enhance Your Interdisciplinary and Team Science Skills * From the Federal Register ________________________________ The AIBS Public Policy Report is distributed broadly by email every two weeks to the AIBS membership. Any interested party may self-subscribe to receive these free reports by email or RSS news feed, by going to www.aibs.org/public-policy-reports. With proper attribution to AIBS, all material from these reports may be reproduced or forwarded. AIBS staff appreciates receiving copies of materials used. If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, please contact the AIBS Director of Public Policy, Robert Gropp, at 202-628-1500 x 250. ________________________________ US Begins Withdrawal from Paris Climate Agreement The Trump Administration has formally started the process of withdrawing the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement. In a November 4, 2019, letter to the United Nations (UN), Secretary of State Michael Pompeo stated the United States? intention to opt out of the global climate agreement. He expressed concern with the ?unfair economic burden imposed on American workers, businesses, and taxpayers by U.S. pledges made under the Agreement.? This starts a year-long process of withdrawal from the accord, with the U.S. officially leaving the agreement on November 4, 2020, one day after the 2020 U.S. Presidential election. President Trump first announced his intent to withdraw from the pact in June 2017. However, under the rules of the climate agreement, November 4, 2019 was the earliest date that a country could formally notify the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) of its intent to withdraw from the accord, exactly three years after it went into effect. Once a country leaves the Paris agreement, it can rejoin the pact 30 days after notifying the UNFCC of their intentions. All Democratic candidates for President have vowed to rejoin the accord if elected. The global climate agreement currently has 195 signatories, out of which 187 members have ratified or acceded to it, including Russia, China, India, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, and Syria. The U.S. is the only country to withdraw from the deal. Meanwhile, members of a worldwide coalition of more than 11,000 scientists representing 153 countries have published a Viewpoint article in BioScience warning that the planet ?clearly and unequivocally faces a climate emergency.? With a focus on future action to reduce climate-change-related harm, the Alliance of World Scientists describes graphical indicators or ?vital signs? related to climate change and areas requiring immediate global action. Senate Passes First Spending Package as Stopgap Funding Nears Expiration On October 31, 2019, the U.S. Senate voted 84-9 to pass a four-bill spending package that includes fiscal year (FY) 2020 appropriations for Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies. The spending measure provides funding increases for most science and environmental agencies and programs relative to FY 2019 enacted levels, including a 3 percent increase for the National Science Foundation. Although, the Senate and House have passed some appropriations bills, negotiations between the two chambers on spending numbers will not begin until an agreement is reached on the topline allocations for each of the 12 appropriations bills. A second spending package containing the FY 2020 Defense and Labor-Health and Human Services-Education spending bills failed to get enough votes to advance in the Senate, as a result of disagreements over funding allocations for the U.S.-Mexico border wall. The government is currently funded by a continuing resolution (CR) that is set to expire on November 21, 2019. This stopgap spending measure was passed last September to avert a government shutdown when the new fiscal year began on October 1. With the budget impasse and the impeachment inquiry underway, it is unlikely that FY 2020 appropriations will be completed before the November deadline. Lawmakers are considering passing another stopgap measure which might fund the government through the end of the year or possibly even well into 2020. Report Addresses Political Interference in Government Science The National Task Force on Rule of Law and Democracy (Task Force), a nonpartisan group of former public servants and policy experts at the Brennan Center, recently released a report outlining ways to restrict political interference in government science and fix the process for appointing senior government officials. According to the report, ?In recent years, the norms and expectations that once ensured that our government was guided primarily by the public interest rather than by individual or partisan interest have significantly weakened. There are now far fewer constraints to deter abuse by executive branch actors.? The report points to instances of ?violations of previously respected safeguards? under President Trump, such as when the acting White House Chief of Staff reportedly ordered the Commerce Department to have the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issue a statement in support of President Trump?s false claim that Hurricane Dorian would impact Alabama and contradicting forecasters at the Birmingham office of the National Weather Service. Other examples highlighted in the report, include the U.S. Department of Agriculture?s decision to relocate its research agencies outside of Washington, DC, and the Environmental Protection Agency?s (EPA) directive to exclude agency-funded scientists from service on its advisory panels. The Task Force also warns of the breakdown of the process for appointing key government officials, with recent Administrations nominating unqualified candidates or those with conflicts of interest and lawmakers deciding to approve them or ignore them based on partisan interests. Under the current Administration, ?less than half the senior roles at the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security are filled; at least a dozen agencies ? including two cabinet departments ? are run by non-Senate-confirmed acting officials two years into this administration.? The report warns about the potential damage from these trends and offers proposals to remedy them. ?Government research that is guided by politics, not the facts, can lead to ineffective and costly policy, among other harms, and a dysfunctional appointments process risks stymieing vital government functions.? Recommendations offered by the Task Force include, creating scientific integrity standards and protocols for agencies to follow; barring politically motivated manipulation or suppression of research; ensuring the proper functioning of scientific advisory panels; and increasing public access to government research. To address the broken nominations process, the report offers proposals to ?encourage the appointment of qualified and ethical people to key government posts, make it harder for presidents to sideline the Senate during the process, streamline the confirmation process for executive branch nominees, and protect national security by fixing the vulnerable White House security clearance process.? The report highlights some other factors that contribute to government dysfunction, including the ?broken campaign finance system, the President?s expansive emergency powers, the weakening of Congress as a check on the Executive, and the politicization of the judiciary,? and stresses the importance of checks and balances in protecting a democracy. Co-Chairs of the Task Force, Preet Bharara, the former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Christine Todd Whitman, President of the Whitman Strategy Group, former EPA Administrator, and former Governor of New Jersey, called on Congress to protect government scientists and their work from political interference in an Op-Ed for the Washington Post. ?To ensure accountability and deter corruption, Congress should pass legislation that makes it unlawful for government officials to tamper with or censor federally funded scientific research or data for personal, financial, or partisan political gain. Congress should also prohibit officials from disseminating scientific information that they know is false or misleading, and legislators must bar retaliation against government researchers for doing their work.? Brexit?s Impact on UK Science Funding and Researchers The United Kingdom?s (UK) share of European Union (EU) research funding has dropped by 28 percent since the Brexit referendum vote was cast in 2015, according to a recent analysis by the Royal Society. There has been a 39 percent reduction in UK applications to Horizon 2020, EU?s flagship research funding program. The assessment also found that the number of international scientists coming to the UK through key fellowships has fallen by 179 or 35 percent since the referendum. In the same period, the number of fellowships for scientists relocating to work in Switzerland and Italy increased by 53 each. Ireland, Spain, Belgium, Norway, and Sweden also saw increases. ?We have seen a dramatic drop in the number of leading researchers who want to come to the UK. People do not want to gamble with their careers, when they have no sense of whether the UK will be willing and able to maintain its global scientific leadership,? stated Venki Ramakrishnan, President of the Royal Society. ?UK science has also missed out on around ?0.5 billion a year because of the uncertainty around Brexit. The potential paralysis of a no-deal Brexit and the current state of chaos are hurting UK science and that is hurting the national interest,? he added. In March 2019, UK science minister Chris Skidmore commissioned an external report to get independent advice on how the UK government should strengthen the country?s research enterprise after its departure from the EU. The report, published on November 5, 2019 by Adrian Smith, Director of the Alan Turing Institute in London and Graeme Reid, Chair of Science and Research Policy at University College London, suggests that UK should boost funding for basic research and create a research fellowship program similar to the European Research Council (ERC) if it no longer remains part of Horizon 2020 or its successor, Horizon Europe, after Brexit. Overall, the UK should prioritize raising R&D investments to 2.4 percent of gross domestic product by 2027, a goal that the government committed to in 2017. The UK government hopes to work out a deal with EU to become an associate member of Horizon Europe, which begins in 2021 and will likely provide close to ?100 billion in funding. However, if such a deal is not reached, the report advises the government to replenish the lost EU research funding at its current level of ?1.5 billion a year and account for additional transition funding to alleviate any disruptions and provide ?short-term stability to protect capabilities? built up previously through EU R&D programs. The authors? vision for UK research included other recommendations, such as designing fellowships and postgraduate programs to attract talented researchers from around the world and creating new funding streams to ?capture fast-moving and unexpected opportunities,? including emerging international collaborations. Skidmore has indicated that the UK government will consider the independent report?s recommendations. Researchers, however, remain wary of Brexit?s impact on science funding and research collaborations as uncertainties still remain about the prospects of reaching a withdrawal agreement with the EU. The UK Parliament failed to approve the latest agreement negotiated by Prime Minister Boris Johnson last month and voted to postpone Brexit to January 31, 2020. Call for Community Input: NSF RFI on Data-Focused Cyberinfrastructure The National Science Foundation (NSF) has issued a Request for Information (RFI) on Data-Focused Cyberinfrastructure Needed to Support Future Data-Intensive Science and Engineering Research. According to the notice, the challenges of growing volumes of scientific data ? their availability, transmission, accessibility, management, and utilization ? have become urgent and ubiquitous across NSF-supported science, engineering, and education disciplines. NSF is particularly interested in understanding how broader cross-disciplinary and domain-agnostic solutions can be devised and implemented, along with the structural, functional and performance characteristics such cross-disciplinary solutions must possess. To inform the formulation of a strategic NSF response to these imperatives, the RFI asks the research community to update NSF on their data-intensive scientific questions and challenges and associated needs specifically related to data-focused cyberinfrastructure. AIBS encourages the life sciences community to respond to this request by following the guidelines outlined here: https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf20015 Submissions must be received on or before 5:00 PM Eastern time on December 16, 2019. NSF will share the responses publicly in spring/summer 2020. Questions concerning this RFI should be directed to nsfdatacirfi at nsf.gov. Short Takes * President Trump has announced his intention to nominate cancer specialist Dr. Stephen Hahn to be the next Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Dr. Hahn currently serves as the Chief Medical Officer at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas, where he oversees clinical care. He previously worked at the National Cancer Institute and the University of Pennsylvania medical school, where he chaired the radiation oncology department for nine years. Until Dr. Hahn is confirmed by the Senate, Brett Giroir, Assistant Secretary for Health at the Department of Health and Human Services, will oversee the FDA. * The Biological Sciences Directorate (BIO) at the National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced a new funding opportunity for the Biology Integration Institutes (BII) program, which promotes teams of researchers to investigate questions that incorporates many disciplines and can exceed biology. BIO is prioritizing support for fundamental biological research that takes an integrative approach to understanding life?s key innovations and aims to strengthen the connections between biological subdisciplines and encourage a reintegration of biology through this new funding opportunity. Letters of Intent are due on December 20, 2019 and full proposals are due on February 6, 2020. More information at https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2020/nsf20508/nsf20508.htm * The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's (NASEM) Committee on Assistance to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) on Taxonomic Studies of the Red Wolf is calling for research applications to clarify the taxonomic identity of wild canid populations in southwestern Louisiana and other geographic areas where the red wolf (Canis rufus) was historically known to inhabit. At the request of USFWS, NASEM convened this expert panel to solicit applications to conduct morphological, genetic, and genomic research on unidentified canids suspected to be red wolves. Research applications are being accepted through December 3, 2019. USFWS will notify applicants of its decision in January 2020. Queries can be directed to bls at nas.edu. More information at: https://nas.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=18fe6f8f25ec0bc7509e65e97&id=e6faed2643&e=a271cda812 * The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is seeking public comment on a proposed NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing and supplemental guidance. According to NIH, the purpose of this draft policy and guidance is ?to promote effective and efficient data management and sharing to further NIH's commitment to making the results and accomplishments of the research it funds and conducts available to the public.? Deadline to submit comments is January 10, 2020. For more information, go to: https://osp.od.nih.gov/scientific-sharing/nih-data-management-and-sharing-activities-related-to-public-access-and-open-science/ Enhance Your Interdisciplinary and Team Science Skills Reports abound from professional societies, the Academies, government agencies, and researchers calling attention to the fact that science is increasingly an interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, inter-institutional, and international endeavor. In short, science has become a ?team sport.? There is a real and present need to better prepare scientists for success in this new collaborative environment. The American Institute of Biological Sciences is responding to this call with a new program for scientists, educators, and individuals who work with or participate in scientific teams. Team science is increasingly common in 21st century biological, life, and environmental sciences. Collaboration is no longer limited to sharing ideas with the biologist in the lab next door. The questions confronting science often require teams that may include a mix of computer and information scientists, physical and social scientists, mathematicians, ethicists, policy and management experts, as well as community stakeholders and citizen scientists. Adding to this complexity, teams span programs within organizations, cross organization boundaries to form institutional consortia, and often include international partners. This intensive, two-day, interactive, professional development course was designed by scientists and experts on collaboration and teamwork to provide participants with the knowledge and skills required to become productive and effective members of scientific teams. From its first offering the course has evolved to include a greater focus on team planning and teamwork, and less time allocated to university administration of interdisciplinary teams. Nothing teaches collaboration like practicing collaboration. This is not a course that asks you to learn in isolation. It is a microcosm of scientific collaboration, with extensive hands-on learning as part of a scientific team, with scientific case studies and examples. The Enabling Interdisciplinary and Team Science course is designed for anyone involved in collaborative scientific endeavors. Team leaders will find the course especially helpful. Because participants will work on ?real-world? team science concerns, we encourage multiple members of a team to attend together. We can also customize the course and bring it to your university, department, lab, or research team. This course provides the right foundation from which your team can successfully accomplish your goals. The program is periodically offered in Washington, DC, but we can also bring the course to your institution. We are able to offer a substantial discount per person from the DC workshop rate. Please contact Robert Gropp at rgropp at aibs.org or 202-340-4281 for more information. Learn more at https://www.aibs.org/events/team_science_event.html. From the Federal Register The following items appeared in the Federal Register from October 28 to November 8, 2019. For more information on these or other recent items, please visit the AIBS Federal Register Resource at www.aibs.org/federal-register-resource/index.html. Week Ending 8 November 2019 Commerce * Announcement of Hearing and Final Agenda Regarding Proposed Waiver and Regulations Governing the Taking of Marine Mammals Environmental Protection Agency * Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Committee (FRRCC) Notice of Membership Solicitation Health and Human Services * Meeting of the National Advisory Council for Healthcare Research and Quality * Request for Public Comments on a DRAFT NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing and Supplemental DRAFT Guidance Interior * Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Sighting Reporting Form and Alert Registration Form Week Ending 1 November 2019 Commerce * Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Advisory Panel Energy * Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee * President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology Meeting Environmental Protection Agency * Notification of a Public Meeting of the Chartered Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) Health and Human Services * National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; Notice of Meeting * Science Advisory Board to the National Center for Toxicological Research Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting Interior * Agency Information Collection Activities; Federal Fish and Wildlife Permit Applications and Reports--Migratory Birds National Aeronautics and Space Administration * NASA Advisory Council; Science Committee; Meeting ________________________________ * Give your society or organization a voice in public policy. See http://www.aibs.org/public-policy/funding_contributors.html. * Become an AIBS Individual Member and lend your voice to a national effort to advance the biological sciences through public policy, education, and science programs. Visit https://www.aibs.org/about-aibs/join.html to join AIBS. * Become an advocate for science, visit the AIBS Legislative Action Center at http://policy.aibs.org. * Know the news as it happens, sign-up to receive AIBS press releases and policy statements (https://www.aibs.org/mailing-lists/). The American Institute of Biological Sciences is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) scientific association dedicated to advancing biological research and education for the welfare of society. AIBS works to ensure that the public, legislators, funders, and the community of biologists have access to and use information that will guide them in making informed decisions about matters that require biological knowledge. The organization does this through informing decisions by providing peer-reviewed or vetted information about the biology field and profession and by catalyzing action through building the capacity and the leadership of the community to address matters of common concern. Founded in 1947 as a part of the National Academy of Sciences, AIBS became an independent, member-governed organization in the 1950s. Today, Today, AIBS has over 140 member organizations and has a Public Policy Office in Washington, DC. Its staff members work to achieve its mission by publishing the peer-reviewed journal BioScience and the education Web site ActionBioscience.org, by providing scientific peer-review and advisory services to government agencies and other clients, and by collaborating with scientific organizations to advance public policy, education, and the public understanding of science. Website: www.aibs.org. You received this message because you or your organization have interacted with one of our programs or initiatives. Our mailing address is: American Institute of Biological Science 1201 New York Ave., NW, Ste. 420 Washington, DC 20005 Copyright (C) 2019 American Institute of Biological Sciences All rights reserved. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From emily.braker at colorado.edu Mon Nov 11 11:37:33 2019 From: emily.braker at colorado.edu (Emily M. Braker) Date: Mon, 11 Nov 2019 16:37:33 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Reminder - Webinar TOMORROW - Data Linkages in the Arctos Ecosystem Message-ID: Please join us for a webinar entitled, "The Arctos Ecosystem: Using standardized, predictable data to form resolvable, reciprocal links to related internal and external data objects" Abstract: Arctos is a community and museum collection management solution providing research-grade open data for 31 museums holding 193 collections. Arctos is based on a deeply relational, highly-normalized data model developed as fundamental research infrastructure for curators, collection managers, investigators, educators, and anyone interested in natural and cultural history. This structure creates data that are inherently more discoverable due to their predictability. Standardized, predictable data shared between institutions may be used to form resolvable, reciprocal links to related internal and external data objects, such as hosts to parasites, specimens to GenBank sequences, cited specimens to journal articles, and specimens shared between institutions. Reciprocal linkages allow for powerful cross-resource questions, such as "What parasites of Canis are documented in Arctos?" or "Show all specimen records in family Canidae that are hosts of parasites in family Taeniidae." Arctos was the first collection management solution to develop reciprocal linkages between specimens and GenBank sequence data, thereby establishing the current standard for specimen-specific unique identifiers. Additionally, Arctos leverages external web services to extend capabilities. Taxonomic tables may be curated individually or shared with other collections and classifications can be created manually or through import from various resources accessed via GlobalNames. Collections can opt to use the integrated WoRMS taxonomy which includes all aphiaID's and is continually updated. Integrated GeoLocate provides semi-automated georeferencing in Arctos and also allows transformation of coordinates into standardized descriptive searchable text via reverse georeferencing services. Specimens and media in Arctos have an inline "thumbnail map" dynamically generated via Google Enterprise tools. CrossRef and PubMed web services provide semi-automated publication creation in Arctos. Stable URLs or IDs allow linking from Arctos specimen records to MorphoSource, Barcode of Life, BugGuide.net, GBIF, iDigBio, InvertEBase and iNaturalist. In this presentation, we will share the benefits and challenges of linking data as well as suggestions for connecting data via stable URLs and identifiers. Presenter: Mariel Campbell (Collection Manager, Division of Genomic Resources, Museum of Southwestern Biology) When: Tuesday, November 12, 2019 at 3pm ET Where: https://idigbio.adobeconnect.com/room Can't Make It?: View archived recordings here https://arctosdb.org/learn/webinars/ Hope to see you there! Emily Braker Vertebrate Collections Manager, Zoology Section University of Colorado Museum of Natural History 265 UCB, Bruce Curtis Building Boulder, CO 80309-0218 Phone: 303-492-8466 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jpandey at aibs.org Thu Nov 14 15:33:38 2019 From: jpandey at aibs.org (Jyotsna Pandey) Date: Thu, 14 Nov 2019 15:33:38 -0500 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Call for Applications: 2020 AIBS Emerging Public Policy Leadership Award Message-ID: Please share this announcement with interested graduate students. Each year, the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) recognizes graduate students in the biological sciences who are demonstrating an interest and aptitude for working at the intersection of science and policy. Recipients of the AIBS Emerging Public Policy Leadership Award receive: - *A trip to Washington, DC*, to participate in the AIBS Congressional Visits Day, an annual event where scientists meet with lawmakers to advocate for federal investment in the biological sciences, with a primary focus on the National Science Foundation. The event will be held in the spring of 2020 (likely in March or April). Domestic travel and hotel expenses are paid for the winners. - *Policy and communications training,* including information on the legislative process and trends in federal science funding, and how to engage with policymakers and the news media. - *Meetings with lawmakers *to discuss the importance of federal investment in the biological sciences. - *A one-year AIBS membership*, including a subscription to the journal BioScience and a copy of "Communicating Science: A Primer for Working with the Media." The 2020 award is open to U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents enrolled in a graduate degree program in the biological sciences, science education, or a closely allied field. Applicants should have a demonstrated interest in and commitment to science policy and/or science education policy. Prior recipients, including Honorable Mentions, are not eligible for the award. Applications are due by 05:00 PM Eastern Time on January 15, 2020. The application guidelines can be downloaded at http://www.aibs.org/public-policy/eppla.html. ___________________________________________ Jyotsna Pandey, Ph.D. Public Policy Manager American Institute of Biological Sciences 1201 New York Avenue, NW Suite 420 Washington, DC 20005 Phone: 202-628-1500 x 225 www.aibs.org Follow us on Twitter! @AIBS_Policy -- This message is confidential and should only be read by its intended recipients.? If you have received it in error, please notify the sender and delete all copies. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jgillette at musnaz.org Fri Nov 15 15:28:36 2019 From: jgillette at musnaz.org (Janet Gillette) Date: Fri, 15 Nov 2019 20:28:36 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Entomology labeling question Message-ID: Hi All, I'm posting this query for a colleague working in another department: The Museum of Northern Arizona is currently working on an entomology cataloging project. In order to easily locate individual, pinned specimens we'd like to make sure that the catalog number is clearly visible, however, many of our larger specimens completely eclipse the labels. Does anyone have any creative way of labeling these types of specimens so that the catalog number is visible? For context, the labels are rectangles, about a 1/2" long and the width of size 12 font. We're trying to avoid expanding the collection too much, since we do have limited storage space for the Cornell drawers and unit trays. As always, any advice is welcomed! Cheers, Catherine Bollich Museum of Northern Arizona Flagstaff AZ catherine_bollich at partner.nps.gov Janet Whitmore Gillette Natural Science Collections Manager Museum of Northern Arizona 3101 N. Fort Valley Road Flagstaff, AZ 86001 (928) 774-5211 ext. 265 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From colby at mpm.edu Mon Nov 18 12:48:23 2019 From: colby at mpm.edu (Colby, Julia) Date: Mon, 18 Nov 2019 11:48:23 -0600 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Job Opening: Collection Manager-Mycology/Lichenology at Milwaukee Public Museum Message-ID: The Milwaukee Public Museum is seeking a Botany Collections Manager- Mycology/Lichenology. This Collection Manager position will be filled at the Assistant level (the first of 3 possible ranks) and will be responsible for direct care and management of the approximately 200,000 specimens (~10% cryptogams) in the Milwaukee Public Museum Herbarium (75% of the time). The remainder of the time will be concentrated on assisting with and maintaining the integrity of the Museum?s Library and Informatics resources. The candidate must have experience in non-vascular plants or fungi (Mycology or Lichenology preferred) with strong management skills, and preferably with demonstrated taxonomic expertise. The Museum particularly encourages applicants with a proven dedication to collections management. Axiell EMu is the Museum's shared collection database platform and candidates should have experience either with this software or a similar relational database system. While there will be the opportunity to conduct or participate in research, this will be constrained by the management priorities of the collection. MPM Collection Managers perform within five areas of responsibility: 1) care of collections; 2) data and records management; 3) processing and preparation; 4) interpretation and access; and 5) professional service. In addition, collection managers often supervise volunteers, interns, students and others in the completion of collections-related tasks. More information and application materials can be found here: https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/jobs/ViewJobDetails?job=16730&clientkey=56DDAA3DEF95A9281CC830B46617B638 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From amiller7 at illinois.edu Wed Nov 20 11:11:06 2019 From: amiller7 at illinois.edu (Miller, Andrew Nicholas) Date: Wed, 20 Nov 2019 16:11:06 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin Message-ID: The Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin (https://iopn.library.illinois.edu/journals/inhs) has been relaunched as an open-access journal with article processing charges of $295 for up to 20 typeset pages. Published continuously since 1876, the Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin is one of the oldest scientific publications in North America. We welcome manuscripts from all biomes, taxa, disciplines, and cultures, as well as all research approaches, including experimental, theoretical, analytical, and the development of new methodologies. The INHS Bulletin publishes monographs, research papers, and conceptual reviews on all aspects of natural history and related disciplines, including biodiversity and conservation, ecology, systematics and taxonomy, and wildlife and fisheries biology and management. Becoming an open-access publication maximizes dissemination of the research published in our journal which is mutually beneficial to authors and readers, and fits our organizational mandate by promoting the advancement of knowledge. We welcome submissions (https://iopn.library.illinois.edu/journals/inhs/about/submissions) from all scientists, regardless of organizational affiliation or stage of career. Please visit our website for any other information or questions. ????????????????????????????? Andrew Miller, Ph.D. Mycologist and Director of the Herbarium/Fungarium University of Illinois Illinois Natural History Survey 1816 South Oak Street Champaign, IL 61820-6970 phone: (217) 244-0439 email: amiller7 at illinois.edu website: http://www.inhs.illinois.edu/research/pi/amiller Office address: Robert A. Evers Laboratory Room 2003 1909 South Oak Street, MC-652 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From HawksC at si.edu Fri Nov 22 13:23:56 2019 From: HawksC at si.edu (Hawks, Catharine) Date: Fri, 22 Nov 2019 18:23:56 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Fwd: Smithsonian (NMNH) Seeks Contractor for Paleobiology specimen handling and data management services In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Sent from my iPhone Catharine Hawks ________________________________ From: Hollis, Kathy A. Sent: Friday, November 22, 2019 1:16:56 PM To: Huddleston, Chris ; Hawks, Catharine Cc: Little, Holly Subject: Smithsonian (NMNH) Seeks Contractor for Paleobiology specimen handling and data management services Please see updated and re-released RFQ and forward to anyone who might be interested! Thank you! -kathy The Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History Department of Paleobiology is seeking one contractor to assist with moving collections, specimen rehousing, and specimen data collection and quality control in the Cenozoic marine invertebrate collections. These collections are being digitized as part of a multi-institution, multi-year project to digitize and web-mobilize 1.6 million fossil specimens to document ecological and evolutionary change in Eastern Pacific Invertebrate Cenozoic Communities. The NMNH project leaders are seeking contractors to perform the following tasks (see attached Request for Quotes and Statement of Work for details): ? Researching and recording data from specimen labels and archival materials according to established protocols. ? Identifying key information necessary for photography for specimen trays according to established protocols. ? Transcription of related archival materials for the creation of digital datasets. ? Data quality control services of designated spreadsheets created through the mass digitization process. ? Moving specimen drawers from the collections storage area to a cleaning station. ? Providing light cleaning and rehousing in preparation for digitization. ? Staging at least three cases of cleaned/rehoused drawers in the mass digitization area before the start of mass digitization work each day. ? Putting away specimen drawers from the mass digitization area to collections storage. Proposals will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. EDT, Friday December 13, 2019. Proposals will be reviewed on the basis of best value for the money considering multiple evaluation factors as defined in the attached RFQ. Send proposals to Kathy Hollis via e-mail at hollisk at si.edu. Follow the format set forth in section VIII of the RFQ (attached) "Information to be submitted with quotes." Kathy Hollis Paleobiology Collections Manager Department of Paleobiology w 202.633.1357 c 330.634.6505 hollisk at si.edu SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY Facebook | Twitter | Instagram The National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) complies with all U.S. export and sanctions laws, as well as fish, wildlife and other regulations applicable to the importation and exportation of specimens and research materials. Please consider the country of origin and nature of any specimen, sample, object or material shipped to NMNH, and if applicable, ensure that it is properly licensed and otherwise compliant with U.S. law prior to shipment. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From abentley at ku.edu Mon Nov 25 11:13:55 2019 From: abentley at ku.edu (Bentley, Andrew Charles) Date: Mon, 25 Nov 2019 16:13:55 +0000 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] FW: Science Policy News from AIBS In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. AIBS Public Policy Report AIBS Public Policy Report, Volume 20, Issue 24, November 25, 2019 * AIBS Shares Recommendations with House Select Committee on Climate Crisis * Second Stopgap Funding Bill Keeps Lights On * White House Research Summit Tackles Research Security * EPA Plans to Propose Supplemental to ?Secret Science? Rule Next Year * Call for Applications: 2020 Emerging Public Policy Leadership Award * Registration Open: Enabling Interdisciplinary and Team Science * Short Takes * NASEM Soliciting Nominations for Two Expert Panels * President?s Pick to Lead NOAA Withdraws Nomination * Wildlife Legislation Gains 151 Bipartisan Co-sponsors * NIH Seeks Input on Proposed Data Management and Sharing Policy * From the Federal Register ________________________________ The AIBS Public Policy Report is distributed broadly by email every two weeks to the AIBS membership. Any interested party may self-subscribe to receive these free reports by email or RSS news feed, by going to www.aibs.org/public-policy-reports. With proper attribution to AIBS, all material from these reports may be reproduced or forwarded. AIBS staff appreciates receiving copies of materials used. If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, please contact the AIBS Director of Public Policy, Robert Gropp, at 202-628-1500 x 250. ________________________________ AIBS Shares Recommendations with House Select Committee on Climate Crisis The American Institute of Biological Sciences has offered a series of recommendations to the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. The Committee was soliciting input from a broad range of stakeholders on the policies that Congress needs to develop to maintain and expand efforts to address climate change. The panel was established in the U.S. House of Representatives to ?investigate, study, make findings, and develop recommendations on policies, strategies, and innovations to achieve substantial and permanent reductions in pollution and other activities that contribute to the climate crisis, which will honor our responsibility to be good stewards of the planet for future generations.? AIBS urged the panel to make increased federal investments in the biological sciences ?to improve our understanding of how living systems are being influenced by climate change, identify novel biotechnology and management practices that promote biological resilience to and mitigation of climate change, and develop innovative strategies for improving agricultural productivity while reducing the energy required to produce food and fiber.? In addition, ten other scientific societies, including AIBS, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Geological Society of America, and American Society of Agronomy, also provided a joint statement, noting, in part: ?National Climate Assessments have been a vital tool to enable effective planning across local, state, and federal governments. We encourage more interdisciplinary integration of research in these assessments, particularly with the social, behavioral, economic, and biological sciences. Exploring connections between climate change and the loss of biodiversity and genetic diversity aids understanding implications for species conservation, human health, and agriculture.? Second Stopgap Funding Bill Keeps Lights On Congress has passed and the President has signed a second stopgap funding bill in the form of a continuing resolution to keep the government funded until December 20, 2019 at fiscal year (FY) 2019 levels. The first continuing resolution passed by Congress before the current fiscal year began on October 1, 2019 funded the government until November 21, 2019. The U.S. House of Representatives voted 231-192 on November 19 to pass another short-term measure that extends funding until the end of the year. The Senate followed on November 21, approving the measure with a 74-20 vote. Lawmakers now have another month to complete their work on FY 2020 appropriations. ?Failing to secure funding for the federal government before the end of the year is not an option,? said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). Negotiations between the chambers have been stalled due to partisan disagreements over funding for the U.S.-Mexico border wall and top-line allocations for the 12 Appropriations Subcommittees. So far, the House has passed ten and the Senate has passed four of the twelve appropriations bills. Both chambers have approved funding increases for the National Science Foundation but by different amounts. White House Research Summit Tackles Research Security The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) held a closed-door summit of the recently established Joint Committee on the Research Environment (JCORE) on November 5, 2019 to hold discussions on topics of transparency, foreign influence in research, conflicts of interest, and sexual harassment. JCORE was established by the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) in May 2019. In a September 16, 2019 letter to the U.S. research community, OSTP Director Kelvin Droegemeier announced that JCORE would focus on four major areas, namely research security, safe and inclusive research environments, research rigor and integrity, and coordinating administrative requirements for research ? with each topic handled by a separate subcommittee. The research security subcommittee was tasked with establishing government-wide guidelines for appropriate information disclosure that researchers need to follow in order to receive federal research grants. The panel?s first summit was attended by more than 100 people from industry, academia, and the Federal Government, during which attendees discussed JCORE?s ?integrative approach? to developing ?policy recommendations and best practices aimed at improving the collective safety, integrity, productivity, and security of our nation?s multi-sector research environment.? A summary report published by the White House outlined several takeaways from the discussions, such as those related to increasing transparency with respect to the processes for investigating claims related to security, harassment, and misconduct; improving research integrity and reproducibility; and harmonizing policies and processes across agencies to decrease administrative workload. The summit was the first of many discussions on research security that Dr. Droegemeier plans to hold across the country in the coming months. He has urged the research community to engage in these discussions. ?Working together, we will ensure that our research environments are safe and inclusive; operate with maximum integrity; protect our research assets in a manner balanced with the openness and international collaboration that have been so critical to our success; and do not encumber researchers, agencies, or institutions with unnecessary administrative work.? In related news, a new report by the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs has concluded that U.S. federal research agencies have been slow to respond to China?s efforts to recruit U.S.-based researchers, scientists, and experts through its talent recruitment programs and that ?American taxpayer funded research has contributed to China?s global rise over the last 20 years.? The report warns, ?These failures continue to undermine the integrity of the American research enterprise and endanger our national security.? On November 19, 2019, the panel held a hearing on research security issues and discussed the findings of the report. Lawmakers expressed support for a standardized grantmaking process across government agencies as a means to address foreign security threats and praised JCORE?s undertaking in trying to achieve that. Senator Rob Portman (R?OH), who chairs the panel stated, ?The first step is standardization?Doing that is simple, and it can be done administratively.? EPA Plans to Propose Supplemental to ?Secret Science? Rule Next Year The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is preparing to propose a supplemental addition to the proposed rule ?Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science? also referred to as the ?secret science? rule, according to a report in the New York Times. The regulation, first proposed by former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt in April 2018, would bar the use of scientific studies in crafting regulations unless the underlying data ?are publicly available in a manner sufficient for independent validation.? The proposal received more than 600,000 comments during a public comment period last year, most of them critical of the proposal or opposing it, including from AIBS and other scientific and public health groups. In response to the comments, the agency has drafted a ?supplemental proposal? intending to clarify ?certain aspects? of the proposed rule. The ?supplemental proposal? would widen the scope of the original proposal by requiring scientists to disclose all raw data before the agency could consider the study?s findings in formulating regulations. According to EPA officials, the disclosure of raw data would allow research findings to be verified independently. In the previous version of the rule, the transparency requirement was applicable only to dose-response studies in which the reactions of animal or human subjects to increasing levels of pollutants or other chemicals are measured. The revised version, however, would require raw data disclosure for other types of studies as well. ?Transparency of EPA?s science should not be limited to dose-response data and dose-response models, because other types of data and models will also drive the requirements and/or quantitative analysis of EPA final significant regulatory decisions,? the proposed rule states. In addition, an internal email obtained by the Times suggests that the proposed rule could be applied retroactively to regulations already in place. The supplemental proposal received swift criticisms from scientific and public health groups. ?The proposal is even worse than I expected?It doesn't just restrict the science that EPA can use to institute new rules ? it works retroactively, allowing political appointees at the agency to topple standards that have worked for decades to deliver clean air and clean water,? said Andrew Rosenberg, Director of the Union of Concerned Scientists? Center for Science and Democracy. ?This means the EPA can justify rolling back rules or failing to update rules based on the best information to protect public health and the environment, which means more dirty air and more premature deaths,? said Paul Billings, Senior Vice President for advocacy at the American Lung Association, according to the Times. In a press release responding to the Times? report, EPA denied that the rule could be applied to existing regulations and stated that the leaked version of the proposal was only a draft and not the latest version of the proposal that was sent to the White House Office of Management and Budget for review. The agency also refuted the report in the Times that scientists would be required ?to disclose all of their raw data, including confidential medical records? insisting that ?EPA maintains protecting confidential personal information just as other federal health agencies regularly do.? The revised proposal is expected to be published in the Federal Register sometime early next year, after which there will be a 30-day comment period accepting comments only on the supplemental portion of the proposal. EPA intends to issue the final rule in 2020. Meanwhile, 62 public health, medical, academic, and scientific groups, including AIBS, have sent a letter to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology expressing concerns about the proposed rule and urging lawmakers to ensure that EPA research is protected and that the proposed rule does not move forward. An excerpt from the letter reads: ?If EPA excludes studies because the data cannot be made public, people may be exposed to real harm. The result would be decisions affecting millions based on inadequate information that fails to include well-supported studies by expert scientists. These efforts will not improve the quality of science used by EPA nor allow the agency to fulfill its mandate of protecting human health and the environment.? Call for Applications: 2020 Emerging Public Policy Leadership Award Are you a science graduate student looking to make a difference in science policy and funding? The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) is now accepting applications for the 2020 AIBS Emerging Public Policy Leadership Award. This award recognizes graduate students in the biological sciences who are demonstrating an interest and aptitude for working at the intersection of science and policy. Recipients of the AIBS Emerging Public Policy Leadership Award receive: * A trip to Washington, DC, to participate in the AIBS Congressional Visits Day, an annual event where scientists meet with lawmakers to advocate for federal investment in the biological sciences, with a primary focus on the National Science Foundation. The event will be held in the spring of 2020 (likely in March or April). Domestic travel and hotel expenses are paid for the winners. * Policy and communications training, including information on the legislative process and trends in federal science funding, and how to engage with policymakers and the news media. * Meetings with lawmakers to discuss the importance of federal investment in the biological sciences. * A one-year AIBS membership, including a subscription to the journal BioScience and a copy of ?Communicating Science: A Primer for Working with the Media.? The 2020 award is open to U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents enrolled in a graduate degree program in the biological sciences, science education, or a closely allied field. Applicants should have a demonstrated interest in and commitment to science policy and/or science education policy. Prior recipients, including Honorable Mentions, are not eligible for the award. Applications are due by 05:00 PM Eastern Time on January 15, 2020. The application guidelines can be downloaded at http://www.aibs.org/public-policy/eppla.html. Registration Open: Enabling Interdisciplinary and Team Science Reports abound from professional societies, the Academies, government agencies, and researchers calling attention to the fact that science is increasingly an interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, inter-institutional, and international endeavor. In short, science has become a ?team sport.? There is a real and present need to better prepare scientists for success in this new collaborative environment. The American Institute of Biological Sciences is responding to this call with a new program for scientists, educators, and individuals who work with or participate in scientific teams. Team science is increasingly common in 21st century biological, life, and environmental sciences. Collaboration is no longer limited to sharing ideas with the biologist in the lab next door. The questions confronting science often require teams that may include a mix of computer and information scientists, physical and social scientists, mathematicians, ethicists, policy and management experts, as well as community stakeholders and citizen scientists. Adding to this complexity, teams span programs within organizations, cross organization boundaries to form institutional consortia, and often include international partners. This intensive, two-day, interactive, professional development course was designed by scientists and experts on collaboration and teamwork to provide participants with the knowledge and skills required to become productive and effective members of scientific teams. From its first offering the course has evolved to include a greater focus on team planning and teamwork, and less time allocated to university administration of interdisciplinary teams. Nothing teaches collaboration like practicing collaboration. This is not a course that asks you to learn in isolation. It is a microcosm of scientific collaboration, with extensive hands-on learning as part of a scientific team, with scientific case studies and examples. The Enabling Interdisciplinary and Team Science course is designed for anyone involved in collaborative scientific endeavors. Team leaders will find the course especially helpful. Because participants will work on ?real-world? team science concerns, we encourage multiple members of a team to attend together. We can also customize the course and bring it to your university, department, lab, or research team. This course provides the right foundation from which your team can successfully accomplish your goals. The next program will be held on April 27-28, 2020 in Washington DC. Learn more at https://www.aibs.org/events/team_science_event.html. Short Takes * The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) is seeking nominations for 5-7 new members of its Institute for Laboratory Animal Research (ILAR) Council with appointments beginning in early 2020. ILAR conducts activities related to advancing science to benefit human and animal health, with a focus on the responsible use, care, and welfare of animals in research and education. Nominations should be submitted by December 11, 2019. More information at https://nas.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=18fe6f8f25ec0bc7509e65e97&id=1ed6f0a5d6&e=cfc3938e72. NASEM is also accepting nominations for experts to serve on the organizing committee for a ?Use of Emerging Science for Environmental Health Decisions? workshop, Predicting Human Health Effects from Environmental Exposures: Applying Translatable and Accessible Biomarkers of Effect. This 2-day workshop, to be held on June 9-10, 2020 in Washington, DC, will explore how experience with developing biomarkers of effect can be applied to understanding the consequences of environmental exposures and improve environmental health decisions. Submit your nominations by December 5, 2019 at: https://nas.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=18fe6f8f25ec0bc7509e65e97&id=d41c7aa461&e=a271cda812. * Mr. Barry Myers, President Trump?s nominee to lead the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has withdrawn his nomination citing health reasons. Although the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation advanced his nomination to the full chamber three times in the two years since he was nominated, the Senate has not confirmed his nomination. Myers, the former CEO of AccuWeather, Inc., was considered a controversial candidate due to his lack of a science degree and potential conflicts of interest. * Legislation addressing wildlife conservation in the U.S., entitled ?Recovering America?s Wildlife Act,? (H.R. 3742) has gained 151 co-sponsors, including 113 Democrats and 38 Republicans. The bill, introduced by Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) in July 2019, would provide $1.4 billion annually to fund conservation and restoration efforts for more than 12,000 wildlife and plant species ?of greatest conservation need,? including species listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act, and their habitats. The bill would also fund a competitive grant program to catalyze innovation in recovery efforts. * The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is seeking public comment on a proposed NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing and supplemental guidance. According to NIH, the purpose of this draft policy and guidance is ?to promote effective and efficient data management and sharing to further NIH's commitment to making the results and accomplishments of the research it funds and conducts available to the public.? Deadline to submit comments is January 10, 2020. For more information, go to: https://osp.od.nih.gov/scientific-sharing/nih-data-management-and-sharing-activities-related-to-public-access-and-open-science/ From the Federal Register The following items appeared in the Federal Register from November 11 to 22, 2019. For more information on these or other recent items, please visit the AIBS Federal Register Resource at www.aibs.org/federal-register-resource/index.html. Week Ending 22 November 2019 Commerce * Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review Workshops Advisory Panel * Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee Environmental Protection Agency * Notice of Request for Nominations of Candidates to the Environmental Financial Advisory Board Health and Human Services * HHS Policy for the Protection of Human Research Subjects Interior * Public Meeting of the National Geospatial Advisory Committee National Science Foundation: * Sunshine Act Meetings; National Science Board Week Ending 15 November 2019 Energy * Environmental Management Advisory Board Environmental Protection Agency * Good Neighbor Environmental Board * Meeting of the National Drinking Water Advisory Council Health and Human Services * Office of The Director, National Institutes of Health; Notice of Meeting Institute of Museum and Library Services * 40th Meeting of the National Museum and Library Services Board * Notice of Proposed Information Collection Request: "Museums Empowered: Professional Development Opportunities for Museum Staff"--A Museums for America Special Initiative ________________________________ * Give your society or organization a voice in public policy. See http://www.aibs.org/public-policy/funding_contributors.html. * Become an AIBS Individual Member and lend your voice to a national effort to advance the biological sciences through public policy, education, and science programs. Visit https://www.aibs.org/about-aibs/join.html to join AIBS. * Become an advocate for science, visit the AIBS Legislative Action Center at http://policy.aibs.org. * Know the news as it happens, sign-up to receive AIBS press releases and policy statements (https://www.aibs.org/mailing-lists/). The American Institute of Biological Sciences is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) scientific association dedicated to advancing biological research and education for the welfare of society. AIBS works to ensure that the public, legislators, funders, and the community of biologists have access to and use information that will guide them in making informed decisions about matters that require biological knowledge. The organization does this through informing decisions by providing peer-reviewed or vetted information about the biology field and profession and by catalyzing action through building the capacity and the leadership of the community to address matters of common concern. Founded in 1947 as a part of the National Academy of Sciences, AIBS became an independent, member-governed organization in the 1950s. Today, Today, AIBS has over 140 member organizations and has a Public Policy Office in Washington, DC. Its staff members work to achieve its mission by publishing the peer-reviewed journal BioScience and the education Web site ActionBioscience.org, by providing scientific peer-review and advisory services to government agencies and other clients, and by collaborating with scientific organizations to advance public policy, education, and the public understanding of science. Website: www.aibs.org. You received this message because you or your organization have interacted with one of our programs or initiatives. Our mailing address is: American Institute of Biological Science 1201 New York Ave., NW, Ste. 420 Washington, DC 20005 Copyright (C) 2019 American Institute of Biological Sciences All rights reserved. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From rnewberry at smm.org Tue Nov 26 16:17:55 2019 From: rnewberry at smm.org (Rebecca Newberry) Date: Tue, 26 Nov 2019 15:17:55 -0600 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Paleontology Lab Manager position Message-ID: Hi all, It is with great pleasure that we announce the new position at the Science Museum of Minnesota , Paleontology Lab Manager, thanks to gracious funding for 2 years from the David B. Jones Foundation! This position is funded for our mission: "Expanded Paleontology Outreach and Education through Hands-on Lab Experiences at the Science Museum of Minnesota". We're looking for a skilled fossil preparator with experience in outreach and working with volunteers. Please send along to anyone interested. We're hoping to *review applications after Dec. 15th*. https://recruiting.ultipro.com/SCI1003/JobBoard/c166f9af-3e28-a8e2-590c-1b51cbf69a53/OpportunityDetail?opportunityId=f3cb1479-90b8-403d-8274-1533715ce6d3 Thanks, and we hope to see lots of great applications! ------------------------------ *Rebecca Newberry* *Pronouns: she/her/hers* *Conservator* e: rnewberry at smm.org o: (651) 265-9841 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jpandey at aibs.org Wed Nov 27 12:29:20 2019 From: jpandey at aibs.org (Jyotsna Pandey) Date: Wed, 27 Nov 2019 12:29:20 -0500 Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Develop the Skills to Become Effective Team Scientists In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Enabling Interdisciplinary and Team Science: A Professional Development Program from AIBS Reports abound from professional societies, the Academies, government agencies, and researchers calling attention to the fact that science is increasingly an interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, inter-institutional, and international endeavor. In short, science has become a ?team sport.? There is a real and present need to better prepare scientists for success in this new collaborative environment. The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) is responding to this call with a new program for scientists, educators, and individuals who work with or participate in scientific teams. Team science is increasingly common in 21st century biological, life, and environmental sciences. Collaboration is no longer limited to sharing ideas with the biologist in the lab next door. The questions confronting science often require teams that may include a mix of computer and information scientists, physical and social scientists, mathematicians, ethicists, policy and management experts, as well as community stakeholders and citizen scientists. Adding to this complexity, teams span programs within organizations, cross organization boundaries to form institutional consortia, and often include international partners. This intensive, two-day, interactive, professional development course was designed by scientists and experts on collaboration and teamwork to provide participants with the knowledge and skills required to become productive and effective members of scientific teams. From its first offering the course has evolved to include a greater focus on team planning and teamwork, and less time allocated to university administration of interdisciplinary teams. Nothing teaches collaboration like practicing collaboration. This is not a course that asks you to learn in isolation. It is a microcosm of scientific collaboration, with extensive hands-on learning as part of a scientific team, with scientific case studies and examples. The Enabling Interdisciplinary and Team Science course is designed for anyone involved in collaborative scientific endeavors. Team leaders will find the course especially helpful. Because participants will work on ?real-world? team science concerns, we encourage multiple members of a team to attend together. We can also customize the course and bring it to your university, department, lab, or research team. This course provides the right foundation from which your team can successfully accomplish your goals. Participants will develop and hone the skills needed to: - Explain interdisciplinary team science and characteristics of effective scientific teams - Describe how teams work - Recognize competencies and characteristics of effective team leadership - Create effective teams and team culture - Develop a shared vision, mission, plan, and key performance indicators for a scientific team - Identify and assess the right mix of competencies and people needed for a scientific team - Use team tools and processes such as quality improvement cycle and knowledge mapping - Improve team communication and trust The next program will be held on April 27-28, 2020 in Washington DC. Learn more at https://www.aibs.org/events/team_science_event.html. We look forward to hearing from you! Jyotsna Pandey, Ph.D. Public Policy Manager American Institute of Biological Sciences 1201 New York Avenue, NW Suite 420 Washington, DC 20005 Phone: 202-628-1500 x 225 www.aibs.org Follow us on Twitter! @AIBS_Policy -- This message is confidential and should only be read by its intended recipients.? If you have received it in error, please notify the sender and delete all copies. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: