• Several collections of UMBC faculty papers in the University Archives
• The Baltimore Sun photographs collection, featuring approximately 750,000 photographs produced for the Baltimore Sun and Evening Sun between the 1930s to 1990s
• Several additions to the Science Fiction Manuscripts collection, including manuscripts of works from notable authors including Isaac Asimov and Roger Zelazny

Science Communication Fellow

The Duke Initiative for Science & Society invites applications for the 2016-2017 Science Communication Fellowship Program. This fellowship is intended for individuals with a doctoral degree (PhD, MD, JD) who are interested in an academic or policy career in science communication.

Science & Society:

The Duke Initiative for Science & Society (“Science & Society”) examines the wide-ranging and integral role of science in social institutions and culture. Science & Society integrates and fosters innovation in related research, education, and engagement at Duke by adopting an interdisciplinary approach to understanding how science and human endeavors intersect with a specific focus on ethical, legal, and social implications for science. For more info: http://www.scienceandsociety.duke.edu.

The Fellowship:

The Science & Society Fellowship is a residential one-year fellowship, with a possibility for renewal for a second year in limited circumstances. Fellows dedicate approximately two thirds of their time supporting the activities of Science & Society and one third of their time on self-directed research in science communication, education, and/or outreach. Fellows are provided with office space, a competitive stipend, and benefits.

Fellowship Responsibilities:

Support Science & Society activities:

• Help plan, coordinate, and conduct the Science Communication Fellows Program, which provides an opportunity for Duke faculty and postdocs to develop communication skills and put those skills into action.
• Teach or co-teach one to two classes
• Support the Broader Impact Resource Center (BIRC), a project which assists members of the Duke research community in their efforts to develop, implement, and assess programs focusing on the broader impacts of their research.
• Help plan and implement Science & Society workshops and events
• Complete other tasks as requested

Scholarship at the intersection of science and society:

• Complete at least one mentored research project which culminates in a manuscript of publishable quality
• Participate in bioethics conferences, workshops, and seminars as appropriate

The Application Process:

Applicants should submit a CV, contact information for three references, a writing sample, an explanation of interest and experience in science communication, and a research proposal (in 2,000 words or less) to Mary Jo Smith (mary.jo.smith@duke.edu). The subject line of the email application should read “Application 2016 Science Communication Fellowship Program” and must be received no later than 5 p.m. on March 5, 2016. Fellows will be chosen based on demonstrated academic merit, on likelihood of future success in academia or science communication, and on the strength of their research proposals. Finalists will be notified by April 30, 2016.

Duke University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual’s age, color, disability, genetic information, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

The NIA Intramural Research Program, through its Diversity in Aging Research Pipeline Program (DARPP), has two postdoctoral fellowship openings. The goal of DARPP is to enhance diversity within the workforce of aging researchers and to provide training opportunities in aging research for underrepresented minorities and students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. The deadline to apply for the positions is February 1, 2016.  Below is a document, containing detailed information regarding the positions and the requirements to apply.

Postdoctoral Position Openings

The Winter Dissertation House is coming to UMBC (January 19-22, 2016). Graduate students who plan to participate should follow the application procedures on the application webpage for the Dissertation House (below).

Open application period: December 8, 2015– January 6, 2016 

(Please note that there are only 12 to 15 slots for this event, consider applying early) 

Applications received after January 6, 2016 will be considered for the DH waiting list. More information about the Dissertation House: https://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/about/

• The Dissertation House runs from 9 AM – 5PM, for four days, Tuesday, January 19 through Friday, January 22.
• Students must plan to attend the full session, for each of the 4 days. 
• Daily schedule includes 2 mini-lectures, and 5 hours of writing per day.
• Breakfast, Lunch, and a snack will be served daily.
• The Dissertation House is free for UMBC’s graduate students.
• There are 15 to 18 spaces available for the Dissertation House. 
• Details regarding eligibility can be found on the application page of the website for the Dissertation House.

Read about The Dissertation House in UMBC’s Alumni Magazine: Byrne, R.  (2011, Fall) “The Write Stuff”, UMBC Magazine. p. 12

Please login to MyUMBC (http://my.umbc.edu/groups/promise/events/36837), click “I can attend” below, *AND* follow the application procedures on the main website for the Dissertation House: https://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/apply/

Dissertation House Application Procedures
Both the on-campus setting and the retreat setting provide Dissertation House participants with productive and rewarding scholastic engagement.  Students who participate in this program will spend each day thinking, writing, and sharing ideas about their doctoral dissertations.  Students will learn effective time-management skills; learn how to set small manageable goals, and will meet with a dissertation coach in one-on-one consultations to discuss and address obstacles that might prevent them completing their degrees.

The Dissertation House period can span either a Tuesday – Friday (9 a.m. – 5 p.m., non-residential) or a Friday – Sunday weekend (includes evening sessions) commitment to focus on the doctoral dissertation.  The Dissertation House activities focus on areas where students typically have difficulty: conceptualizing a topic, writing a literature review, transitioning from a proposal to a dissertation, analyzing data, writing the last chapter, and editing.
Students may apply to attend the next Dissertation House during open application enrollment, by submitting two parts of an application.

PART I:

I. Submit a brief description (maximum 2 pages, font size 11-12 point 1 inch margins) that describes the project that you wish to accomplish during the Dissertation Houseperiod.  Applications will neither be reviewed nor accepted outside of the application enrollment period.

PART II:

II. Please use the following guidelines  for the application:

(1) Summary of the project, including research question(s), data or texts, and method

(2) Amount completed on the project to date

(3) Any obstacles that you are encountering that hinder completion of the dissertation.

(4) Include the following header information with the description:

• Name
• Address
• Telephone numbers (home, office, and fax)
• E-mail address
• Academic Program and Year in the program

Dates/Location: January 19 to 22th (Tuesday – Friday), 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Dissertation House will be held in COMM 329 (for Dissertation House) and COMM 332 (for one-on-one sessions).

Application Enrollment Period: Application can be submitted within a designated 2-week period, usually scheduled 1-2 months prior to the next Dissertation House session.  Email applications to promisestaff@gmail.com.  Please use the words “Dissertation House” in the subject line of your email.

Selection Process: Eighteen participants will be selected for participation in the Dissertation House.  The following applicants will have priority:  (1) Applicants who plan to finish the Ph.D. within the next 6 months; (2) Individuals who are working on dissertations and theses rather than a proposal; (3) Applicants who submit earliest; and (4) Individuals who appear most able to benefit from the services offered at the Dissertation House.

If your application is accepted, you will receive an acceptance notice via email and additional details about the Dissertation House.  All students, including those who have not applied or those who are not selected, have the option to participate in the next online challenge, a virtual version of the Dissertation House: https://dissertationhouse.wordpress.com/blog-online-challenge/winter-2016-challenge/