Pre-Meds: this one's for you

A little bird just flew into my office with the following pre-med advise:

Every pre-med student should visit the American Association of Medical Colleges website: http://www.aamc.org/students/applying/about/start.htm and seriously consider buying their book Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR™). $25 buys you specific information about the schools you are considering, including detailed admission requirements (coursework, experiences). 

Going to the source makes sense, don't you think?

Emory University 2009 Research Job Fair

Friday, 03/27/2009
09:00 AM to 04:00 PM
Location: Emory University Clairmont Campus Student Activity and Academic Center
MUST REGISTER HERE: https://www.hr.emory.edu/Fair09.nsf/appreg?openform

Whether you are a new graduate, soon to graduate (Spring-Summer 2009) or an experienced researcher, this job fair is for you! Between 30 and 40 faculty scientists will interview for current and/or anticipated laboratory openings.

This Job Fair will only focus on hiring candidates who have degrees or experience in one or more of the following areas:

Animal Care/Behavior
Bacteriology
Biochemistry
Bioinformatics
Biology
Biostatistics
Chemistry
Epidemiology
Genetics
Microbiology
Molecular Biology
Neuroscience
Physics
Public Health
Virology
Zoology

Explorations in Statistics: An Undergraduate Summer Program

Explorations in Statistics: An Undergraduate Summer Program
University of California, Berkeley
June 13-20, 2009
http://www.stat.berkeley.edu/~summer
Deadline to apply: April 6, 2009

Over the course of our seven-day program, we will explore scientific questions using statistical approaches ranging from simple summaries to more sophisticated modeling approaches.

Through computer labs, students will receive a basic introduction to statistical computing, providing them with the skills to perform fundamental data manipulations, conduct exploratory analyses and create informative visualizations.

All program participants' round-trip travel to Berkeley and their room and board will paid by the program. Explorations in Statistics is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

Student applications available at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/explorations_in_statistics_research

Reference forms available at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/explorations_in_statistics_research_reference

All undergraduates are eligible. Women and underrepresented minorities are strongly encouraged to apply. Students entering the junior or senior year in Fall 2009 will be given preference.

Recovery Act Funds for Administrative Supplements Providing Summer Research Experiences for Students and Science Educators

Researchers with active NIH funding may request supplements to support research experiences for high school students, undergraduates, and teachers.

Please visit the complete announcement at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-09-060.html.

A list of NIH centers participating in recovery act awards appears here http://grants.nih.gov/recovery/ic_supp.htm. Please review your Center's statement, as some may not be participating in summer supplements, and contact your program administrator before you begin your application:

“Inquiries and discussion of plans for responding to this Notice are strongly encouraged. For scientific or technical questions relating to research that would be supported by this solicitation, contact the Program Administrator assigned to the parent grant. For administrative questions related to this solicitation, contact the Grants Management Specialist noted on the Notice of Award for the parent grant.”

Note that these funds do not carry the usual limitations of NIH supplements (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-08-190.html), i.e., awards are limited to participants from low income, socially, culturally, or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds.

Postgraduate Research Participation at the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research

Description: opportunities to participate in research concerning biologics

Discipline(s): bioengineering; biostatics; life sciences; medical sciences; physical sciences; related scientific disciplines

Eligibility: No Citizenship Requirements. Must have completed graduate degree within last three years; others considered on a case-by-cast basis

See full program description at http://see.orau.org/ProgramDescription.aspx?Program=10200

Nanoscholars Abroad Program - South Africa (June 7- July 31, 2009)

Deadline extended to Friday, March 20, 2009!

The Center for Functional Nanoscale Materials, a NSF Center for Research Excellence for Science and Technology, is inviting applications for the 2009 Nanoscholars Abroad Program.   The 2009 Nanoscholar Abroad Program begins June 7, 2009 at the CFNM, Atlanta Georgia, and continues through July 31, 2009 with the return of the participants from Cape Town, South Africa.  Participants will spend two weeks at the CFNM in Atlanta before departing for the iTHEMBA LABS in Cape Town, South Africa for the remaining six weeks of the program.  Each participant will work on a personal project, which is concerned with some aspect of an ongoing collaboration between CFNM researchers and iTHEMBA LABS scientists.  While in South Africa participants will be supervised by senior scientists at the iTHEMBA LABS and will also have a senior scientist from the CFNM as local counselor.

Participation in this program is open to undergraduate students, who are majoring in one of the science or mathematics disciplines and who plan to attend graduate school after graduation.  Applicants should be rising sophomores, juniors or seniors with a major in the sciences or mathematics and should be in good academic standing at their home institution.  Interested students should apply as early as possible by completing the application found on http://www.cfnm.cau.edu/applications.html.  

Each participant will be provided with round trip transportation from their point of origin to the CFNM in Atlanta as well as round trip transportation between Atlanta and Capetown, South Africa.  While in Atlanta participants will be provided with room and board and while in South Africa participants will be provided with housing and a per diem allowance.  In addition, participants will receive a stipend of $3,200 dollars (US) for their participation in the program.

Please ikhan@cau.edu or cfnm@cau.edu if you have additional questions.

Biotechnology careers

Speaking of biotech, www.biolink.com has info on biotechnology employers by region. Here's their listing of biotech companies in Georgia (you can search by any state or region): http://www.bio-link.org/centersGA.htm
and here's a series of scenarios of jobs available in this industry: http://www.bio-link.org/students.htm

Along those lines, Georgia Bio highlights Georgia's life science industries, and this page http://www.gabio.org/content.aspx?pageid=89 includes a listing broken down by area (e.g., Food, Agricultural, & Nutrition; Biofuels & Bioenergy; Bioinformatics, etc.)

Biotech research opportunity for *some* North Carolina laboratories

See the full item here: http://www.ncbiotech.org/undergrad_biotech/

Any public or private four-year college or university in North Carolina may apply, except Duke University, North Carolina State University, and UNC-Chapel Hill. $5000 research award, with work to be completed by May 1, 2010.

Application deadline is March 11, 2009, at NOON.

Summer Research @ Univ. Alabama, Birmingham

Deadline: Applications must be postmarked by March 13, 2009

Available projects in these areas: Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Center, and the Departments of Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Environmental Health Sciences, Genetics, Medicine, Microbiology, Pathology, Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Physiology and Biophysics.

The Summer in Biomedical Science (SIBS) Undergraduate Research Program will provide the opportunity for young people who are sophomore or junior level college undergraduates to be instructed in the techniques of modern biology while becoming integrated members of a vibrant clinical and scientific community. Ten (10) students who have finished their sophomore or junior year of college will be accepted into the 8-week paid summer program (June 1, 2009 - July 24, 2009) to work with UAB faculty members on mentored research projects. SIBS students will receive a stipend of $2,000 for their participation in the program. Campus housing will be provided, but travel expenses will not be covered.

For more info: http://peir.path.uab.edu/sibs/cat_index_19.shtml

Motherload of scholarship opportunities for individuals

This listing is hosted at Michigan State University and some items are likely state-specific. Still, worth a look.
A giant THANK YOU to Jon Harrison, who maintains it (lovingly, I'd argue: each item has a freshness date).

http://staff.lib.msu.edu/harris23/grants/3subject.htm

Who woulda thunk it? Science internships attract students to research careers

This article highlights what we know: that hands-on research draws students into science careers.

Researchers observed that, during the first 2 weeks of the internship, most of the students were hesitant to participate or to touch instrumentation in the laboratory. After completing the training the students developed the confidence to carry out a semi-independent project involving the isolation and characterization of a known gene.

None of the students had science as a career choice before the internship; after participating, however, many decided to pursue careers in science. To date, more than 60 students have been provided with internships and 20 students have entered graduate schools, most in molecular biology-related fields, including 10 at the doctoral level in molecular environmental science. Notably, most were first-generation college students.

See the whole item here: http://www.genengnews.com/news/bnitem.aspx?name=50251596

NASA Summer Research Program at Carnegie Mellon University

NASA Summer Research Program at Carnegie Mellon University, June 6-August 1, 2009

Program Title: NASA Summer Research Program
Program Dates: June 6- August 1, 2009
Program Coordinator: Nancy Klancher
Email: klancher@andrew.cmu.edu

This program is designed to introduce undergraduate students majoring in engineering, math and science to research opportunities in space-related sciences, both theoretical and experimental. Applications from women and minorities are especially encouraged. Participants in the program receive research experience and mentoring from CMU research faculty, a stipend of approximately $3,000, and housing in a CMU dormitory. To complete the program, participants must submit a written report on their research project. The program must be completed to receive the total amount of the stipend. Applicants may choose from two space-related research projects. Please review the project descriptions below to see if one fits with your interests and/or any related coursework you have completed.

Projects:
Wetting of Hydrogels by Surfactant Solutions
Principal Investigator, Professor Stephen Garoff, Department of Physics and the Center for Complex Fluids Engineering

“Snake Robots”
Principal Investigator, Associate Professor Howie Choset, Robotics Institute, and the Medical Robotics Technology Center, the Center for Robotic and Synthetic Performance, and the Space Robotics Initiative.

Application Process:
The program is intended primarily for undergraduates who are in their junior year at the time of application. However, all undergraduates currently enrolled in a U.S. college or university are eligible. Applicants must be U.S. Citizens or holders of a Green Card indicating their intention to become a citizen.

The deadline for receipt of all materials relating to your application is March 6, 2009.

Awards will be announced after March 15, 2009. Selected applicants will be notified by telephone.

To apply, you must print out the application at
http://www.cmu.edu/uro/NASA%20Summer%20Rsrch%20Pgm%20APPLICATION%20FORM_2009.pdf

Fll it out and mail it to:
Office of Graduate Education
Carnegie Mellon University
Warner Hall, Room 530B
5000 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

10 awesome summer internships in science (WIRED magazine)

Some have early March deadlines, check it out!

http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/02/researchexperie.html

Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC): Minority Undergraduate Summer Internship

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md., Feb. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC), the premier national resource for chemical and biological defense, is currently accepting applications for a new summer internship program established in response to a recent decline in the number of minorities pursuing careers in science and engineering.

The Minority Undergraduate Summer Internship Program (MUSIP), established by the ECBC's Diversity Advisory Committee in 2008, aims to provide undergraduate students with the opportunity to enhance their education by working with top scientists and engineers on challenging research projects in support of the nation's defense...

African-American, Hispanic, Asian-American and Native-American college sophomores and juniors majoring in biology, chemistry, engineering, environmental science, occupational safety, physical science, physics or related disciplines at four-year colleges are all eligible to submit a MUSIP application for the 2009-2010 academic year. Those accepted into MUSIP are eligible to receive up to $2,400 a month depending on their level of education.

Visit the press release for additional information and a link to the application, which is due March 2, 2009.

Work-Study: Using your financial aid to support research and other hands-on learning

Are you aware that your work-study funds can support research as well as other hands-on learning opportunities in a variety of areas?

Emory's Financial Aid Office (thanks, Ms. Mary Hicks!) has shared the following list of Atlanta-area institutions that support our work-study students. Street addresses are offered for your information and refer to headquartersi; concrete information about work site would be available via work-study agreement.

American Cancer Society
(various Atlanta locations)

Arthritis Foundation
2970 Peachtree Road NW, Suite 200, Atlanta, GA 30305

Ben Franklin Academy
1585 Clifton Road, NE, Atlanta, GA 30329

CARE
151 Ellis St NE # 1, Atlanta, GA 30303

CDC
1600 Clifton Rd. Atlanta, GA 30333 (but note that some positions may be at the Buford Hwy. location)

Community Advanced Practice Nurses
458 Ponce De Leon Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30308

DeKalb Volunteer Lawyers Foundation
315 W. Ponce de Leon Avenue, Suite 561, Decatur, GA 30030

Federal Defender Program
100 Peachtree St NW # 1700, Atlanta, GA 30303

Fund for Theological Education
825 Houston Mill Rd NE # 250, Atlanta, GA 30329

Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church: Glenn After School Program
1669 N Decatur Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30322

Global Health Action
1902 Clairmont Rd., Decatur, GA 30033

Hands ON Atlanta
600 Means Street Northwest, Atlanta, GA 30318

Health Students Taking Action Together, Inc. (HealthSTAT)
1561 McLendon Ave, NE, Atlanta, GA 30307

Hillels of Georgia
(Emory Hillel is at 732 Gatewood Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30329; other locations are likely available?)

Marcus Autism Center, Children's Health Care of Atlanta
1920 Briarcliff Road Atlanta, GA 30329

Medical Education Cooperation with Cuba
1902 Clairmont Rd., Decatur, GA 30033

Truancy Intervention Project
395 Pryor St SW # 4122, Atlanta, GA 30312

Summer Research: Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics

Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics (IPAM).

The Research in Industrial Projects (RIPS) Program provides an opportunity for high-achieving undergraduate students to work in teams on a real-world research project proposed by a sponsor from industry or a national lab. RIPS recruits its students from all over the world. Each RIPS team is comprised of four students, a faculty mentor, and an industrial sponsor. The research problem is developed by the industrial sponsor in consultation with IPAM; it is always a real problem of serious interest to the sponsor and that offers a stimulating challenge to students. The students, with direction from their faculty mentor and industrial sponsor, spend nine weeks learning about the problem, mastering the latest analytical approaches and techniques to solve it, and developing report-writing and public-speaking skills to be able to make professional presentations about the progress and results of their work to a scientific audience. Industry mentors provide regular contact between the team and the sponsor, monitoring and helping to guide student work. Ultimately, RIPS provides valuable real-world technical and managerial experience for students as well as valuable R&D for sponsors.

http://www.ipam.ucla.edu/programs/rips2009/?CFID=6055869&CFTOKEN=57587344
Deadline: 2009-02-15

Marine Biology Summer Research: Bodega Marine Lab

Bodega Marine Laboratory is seeking 8 motivated undergraduate students interested in marine science careers to participate in a Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates Program, supported by the National Science Foundation. Over eight weeks (June 21 - August 15, 2009, deadline for receipt of application is Feb. 15, 2009), students will develop confidence and independence in doing research and communicating science. The program gives a priority to students early in their career and without significant prior research experience.


University of California Davis, Bodega.
Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) in Marine Science
http://www.bml.ucdavis.edu/student-info/researchexp.html?CFID=6055869&CFTOKEN=57587344
Deadline: 2009-02-15

Marine Education Internship in Southeast Florida

The Smithsonian Marine Ecosystems Exhibit in Fort Pierce, Florida is located on the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), the most diverse estuary in the U.S., and less than one mile from the Atlantic Ocean. This unique educational facility provides a window into these underwater worlds, offering a variety of hands-on experiences to daily visitors, as well as programming opportunities. Our focus is on displaying ecosystems as complex communities of organisms interacting in their environments. The six main exhibits are models of local Florida ecosystems (seagrass bed, mangrove forest, coral reef, etc) and vary in size from 500 to 3000 gallons. We also have a touch tank and a variety of smaller displays. With the help of our dynamic displays we strive to provide the public with a better understanding of the fragile marine ecosystems of the IRL and surrounding area and the impact humans are having on these fragile ecosystems. The responsibilities of the Education Intern are to interpret to visitors in the gallery and at the touch tank, lead educational programs for school and community groups, assist education staff with three weeks of summer day camp, and create educational displays. The education intern may also assist aquarium husbandry staff with routine duties, such as tank monitoring, feedings and specimen collection, as needed. Additional objectives can be developed with education staff based on intern’s personal interests, strengths and/or experience.

QUALIFICATIONS
Experience working in an informal education setting (preferred) and/or coursework in science education, a demonstrated ability in effectively communicating with others, a strong interest in marine science, and a willingness/ability to maintain a flexible schedule, including weekends and some holidays. Must be currently enrolled in college
courses or a recent graduate.

TIMETABLE
12-week, full-time (May – Aug)
AWARD PACKAGE
$4200

CONTACT
Laura Diederick
Education Specialist
Smithsonian Marine Station
701 Seaway Drive
Fort Pierce, FL 34949
772.465.3271
diederick@si.edu
www.sms.si.edu/smee

Taxes and the (paid) undergraduate researcher

The IRS has a document to help you report income received as part of a research program.
See http://www.irs.gov/individuals/students/article/0,,id=96674,00.html for details and examples.

Darwin's Legacy: Evolution's Impact on Science and Culture

In light of the difficult economic climate, the organizers of the "Darwin's Legacy:  Evolution's Impact on Science and Culture" conference want to make it as feasible as possible for students to attend -- so admission to the conference (except the banquet, which is $25) is now free!  Those wishing to present a paper need to act fast, though:  abstracts are due on January 30, 2009.  Here, again, are the details of the conference.

The Evolution Learning Community at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, will be hosting "Darwin's Legacy:  Evolution's Impact on Science and Culture" -­ a multidisciplinary student conference to be held March 19-21, 2009.  The conference will be a unique opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students in the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and arts who are conducting research or creative endeavors related to evolution to present their research, investigate graduate study opportunities, network, enhance their CVs, and enrich the body of knowledge surrounding evolution.  Abstracts are due on January 30, 2009; authors will be notified of acceptance by February 12, 2009.

Abstracts may be submitted to any of the following theme sessions:  evolution and the social sciences; evolution and religion; evolution and human uniqueness; economics of evolution and its consequences; the biodiversity crisis and conservation; Darwin's impact on art, music, and literature; sex and evolution; genomes, race, and medicine; evolution and ethics; the future of humanity; species in space and time; speciation and the species problem.  Note that papers need not be submitted to a theme session; presentations on any topic related to evolution are welcome.  In addition to the student presentations, there will be addresses by keynote speakers:  Kevin Padian, David Mindell, David Buss, and Peter Carruthers.

For further details, visit:
http://library.uncw.edu/web/outreach/evolution/conference.html