Thursday, November 30, 2017

Science Policy Group Debate

Friday, Dec 1
4pm
TCC 227

Join us for SPG's last event of the semester, a Science Policy Debate Friday, Dec 1 at 4pm in TCC 227!

Teams of 2-3 people will square off in quick (5 minute) bracket-style challenges. Anyone interested in science, policy, or with any debating history is encouraged to spectate or participate!

Topics range from technology policy to medical and education policy, and lots in between! Feel free to suggest your debate topics, too!

This event will be fun and there will be refreshments provided!

Please join us for a lively debate!


Monday, November 27, 2017

Research Initiative and Student Research Initiative Concept Paper

Deadline: Monday, December 11, 2017, by 4:00 pm PST

The JPL Strategic University Research Partnership (SURP) Program is soliciting one-page concept papers for the FY 2019 funding cycle.  This call is one of the avenues the SURP program uses to strengthen the link between the Laboratory and its most strategically important academic partners:

Arizona State University
University of Arizona
Carnegie Mellon University
University of California, Los Angeles
Cornell University
University of Colorado, Boulder
Georgia Institute of Technology
University of Michigan
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
University of Southern California
Princeton University
University of Texas, Austin
Stanford University

Responses to the call should identify collaborative research ideas in the forefront of Earth and space science or associated technology development. Proposals should initiate, or significantly strengthen, collaborations in support of JPL’s strategic vision. Concept papers should show how funding will provide benefits to the Lab that go beyond the technical accomplishments of the proposed effort, emphasizing the long-term value of the partnership.

Proposed activities come in two types:
1) Research Initiatives are for collaborative basic and applied research. Proposals are for one year only, up to a cap of $100k to be shared between JPL researchers, partner faculty, and students. Research Initiatives must have a JPL PI and a university faculty collaborator. They are encouraged to have one or more students or postdocs, but it is not required.

2) Student Research Initiatives should also be for collaborative basic and applied research, but with an emphasis on significant student engagement. They can be for up to three years, with a cap of $60k/year, to be shared between JPL and the partner. They can be focused research tasks for individual graduate students, they can be undergraduate and/or graduate student group research projects, or they can support JPL collaboration in university classes.  Student Research Initiatives must have a JPL PI, a university faculty collaborator and one or more students.  The Student Research Initiative funding cap has been increased this year with the aim of generating research concepts that support half of a graduate student’s time per year over an extended period (up to three years), leading to significantly enhanced research outcomes.  Concept papers should describe how undergraduate and/or graduate student involvement would support building a strong partnership based on the faculty’s research interests and alignment with JPL strategic goals.  While there are no restrictions on funding levels, provided that they stay within the cap, in the past undergraduate class projects have been funded at the $25k - $35k level, and such projects are still encouraged.

Additional Elements: Concepts containing additional enhancing elements are strongly encouraged.  For instance, we encourage proposers to seek out and highlight contributions from our partners that are synergistic with JPL’s investment.  Example contributions may be reduced overhead, in-kind funding of students or faculty, or the provision of unique capabilities. Another way that proposals can be enhanced is by exchange of personnel. While proposed research efforts can include activities to be performed at JPL or at the partnering university, concepts that employ the exchange of personnel, such as students working at JPL under the co-supervision of the JPL PI and university faculty, JPL investigators working at the strategic partner university, or faculty working at JPL (including sabbatical), are encouraged. A third enhancing element is diversity. The SURP program seeks to be a positive force in creating a more diverse population at JPL. An effective way of doing this is through participation of students from under-represented groups in SURP Initiatives. Proposers are encouraged to make note of any enhancing elements in their concept papers.

If you have any questions about the SURP Program or this Call, please contact Jordana Blacksberg, (Jordana.blacksberg@jpl.nasa.gov, 626-390-9121) or Neil Murphy (Neil.Murphy@jpl.nasa.gov, 818-354-8718).

Sunday, November 12, 2017

AIBS Emerging Public Policy Leadership Award

Applications now being accepted for the AIBS Emerging Public Policy Leadership Award.

Each year, the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) recognizes graduate students in the biological sciences who have demonstrated initiative and leadership in science policy. Recipients obtain first-hand experience at the interface of science and public policy.

The deadline to apply is January 17, 2018.

Learn more here.

Rockwell Dennis Hunt Scholastic Award Application

The Rockwell Dennis Hunt Scholastic Award honors USC graduate students whose undergraduate degree is from USC. The $5,000 award is bestowed at the USC Honors Convocation in April. Applicants must meet the following criteria:

Earned a bachelor’s degree at USC within the last five years (2013 - 2017);
Completed at least three years of undergraduate work at USC;
Currently working towards a master’s or doctoral degree at the University of Southern California during 2017-2018

Applications are due through to the Graduate School by Friday, December 8, 2017. The online application is available here: https://app.wizehive.com/appform/login/USCRDH