05/17/04
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This newsletter is available to the public at the following locations:
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“In order to open published scholarly content for the first time to free, full-text interpublisher searchability, a group of nine leading journal publishers are participating in a CrossRef Search Pilot.
This Pilot is initially limited to the content of nine of the more than 290 CrossRef publishers who collaborate to provide scholars with cross-publisher reference linking.
Through a special, reciprocal arrangement between Google and CrossRef, this Pilot launches a typical Google search but filters the result set to the scholarly research content from participating publishers, with the intent of reducing the noise produced by general web searches.
Google has indexed the full text of scholarly journal articles on the publishers' websites through a CrossRef gateway. Users may submit searches from CrossRef Search Pilot boxes on participating publishers' sites. Results are returned from Google using the Google search and ranking algorithms, and using the article's DOI whenever possible to link from the search results to the published article.
The purpose of the Pilot, which will run during 2004, is to determine the value to the scholarly community of a free, federated, full-text, interdisciplinary, interpublisher search focussed on the peer-reviewed scholarly literature.
During the Pilot, the publishers will solicit feedback from end users, while reviewing the quality and functionality of the service itself. Additional publishers are expected to join the Pilot but no schedule for adding publishers has yet been set.”
The publishers currently participating are:
This is a really neat effort on the part of these publishers. Give it a try.
“U.S. Losing Dominance in the Sciences Says NY Times
‘The United States has started to lose its worldwide dominance in critical areas
of science and innovation’ as ‘foreign advances in basic science now often
rival or even exceed America's, apparently with little public awareness of the trend or
its implications for jobs, industry, national security, or the vigor of the nation's
intellectual and cultural life,’ writes reporter William J. Broad in a front page,
May 3 article in the New York Times. In addition to fewer Nobel Prizes going to
Americans and a downturn in the number of scientific papers published, the number of
American patents is also down, with a quarter of all U.S. patents awarded each year to
foreign researchers working outside the U.S.
While scientific accomplishments in Europe and Asia are on the rise, but largely go unnoticed in the United States, ‘China represents the next wave, experts agree, its scientific rise still too fresh to show up in most statistics but already apparent.’ In addition, the drop in the number of foreign students in the U.S., the ‘apparently declining interest of young Americans in science careers,’ and the graying of the technical workforce is a perilous combination of developments, says Shirley Jackson, president of AAAS, who asks ‘who will do the science of this millennium?’
On May 5, the New York Times headline ‘National Science Panel Warns of Far Too Few New Scientists’ reports on the Science and Engineering Indicators 2004 study released May 4 by the National Science Board. Although 38 percent of the nation's current crop of scientists and engineers with doctorates are foreign born, the NSB predicts the U.S. will soon face a shortage of scientists because too few Americans are entering technical fields, visa restrictions are preventing more foreigners from working in the United States, and more skilled foreigners in countries committed to gains in science and technology are opting not to relocate to the United States. Says NSB Chair Warren M. Washington, ‘The United States is in a long-distance race to retain its essential global advantage in S&E human resources and sustain our world leadership in science and technology. For many years we have benefited from minimal competition in the global S&E labor market, but attractive and competitive alternatives are now expanding around the world. We must develop more fully our native talent.’
A USA Today May 6 article also picked up the NSB study (‘Report: U.S. Losing Ground in Science Education’) and a May 5 Boston Globe editorial ‘Slipping in Science’ says ‘Jackson calls the attrition in scientists a ‘quiet crisis.’ The federal government, state governments, and local school districts have to start making noise about it.’
The article ‘U.S. Is Losing Its Dominance in the Sciences’ can be found at http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/03/science/03RESE.html. The USA Today article is at http://www.enc.org/redirect/ehn/?ehn_id=32108, and the NSB study can be found online at http://www.nsf.gov/.” (From NSTA Express)
29th Annual Forum on Science and Technology Policy
http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2004/0422debateIntro.shtml
Program
http://www.aaas.org/spp/rd/forum.htm
AAAS S&T Forum Opens With Lively R&D Budget Debate
AAAS President Shirley Ann Jackson, president of Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute (RPI), welcomed some 600 attendees to a lively debate 22 April,
the first day of the 29th Annual AAAS Forum on Science and Technology.
In his opening remarks, U.S.
Presidential Science Advisor John H. Marburger III cited President George
Bush's science and technology accomplishments. But, Sen. Tom Daschle
(D-SD) accused the current Administration of favoring “vending-machine
science,” focused on quick, low-cost results. Marburger said that the
President's proposed FY 2005 budget would represent a 44-percent increase
in federal R&D over the past four-year term. Kei Koizumi, director of the AAAS
R&D Budget and Policy Program, said that the President's proposed FY 2005
budget, combined with his plan to cut the deficit in half within five years,
would mean cuts in R&D funding for all but three federal agencies by 2009.
Includes texts of speeches by Jackson, Marburger, and Daschle and supporting documents.
High schoolers lacking in math, science courses
http://washingtontimes.com/national/20040428-104800-1077r.htm
The High School Transcript Study
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2004455
“American students are not taking
enough science and math courses in
preparation for college or the work
force, say education officials responding
to yesterday's release of a federal
study of high school transcripts.”
Finland Committs to Open Access
http://www.managinginformation.com/news/content_show_full.php?id=2670
House of Commons Hearings on Scientific Publishing
http://www.biomedcentral.com/openaccess/inquiry/
Wellcome Trust Reports on Publishing Costs
http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/en/1/awtprerel0404n318.html
Statement and Recommendations on Visa Problems Harming America's Scientific, ...
http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2004/0512visa.pdf (pdf)
“There is increasing evidence that visa-related problems are discouraging
and preventing the best and brightest international students, scholars, and
scientists from studying and working in the United States.”
More than 20 organizations have signed a joint statement calling for change in the U.S. visa system to ensure continued free flow of scientific knowledge. Signers include the Assn. of American Universities, the National Academy of Science, the American Chemical Society, the AAAS, the American Physical Society, FASEB, and more . . .
Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Internship Program
http://www7.national-academies.org/internship
The National Academies' Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Internship
Program is now accepting applications from graduate and postdoctoral students for
its fall 2004 session. The program is designed to engage science, engineering,
medical, veterinary, business and law students in the analysis and creation of
public policy and to familiarize them with the interactions of science, technology
and government. The application deadline is Tuesday, June 1.
Nanotechnology and Health
http://www.iom.edu/event.asp?id=19608
Nanotechnology and health is the topic of a daylong discussion beginning
at 8 a.m. EDT Thursday, May 27 in Room 100 of the National Academies'
Keck Center, 500 Fifth St. N.W., Washington, D.C. The daylong workshop,
which is being held by the Institute of Medicine's Roundtable on
Environmental Health Sciences, Research and Medicine, will discuss the
health benefits as well as toxicological risks of nanotechnology.
Admission is free and open to the public, but advance registration is
required.
Micro/Macroscapes
http://www7.national-academies.org/arts/exhibitions_schedule.html
Kysa Johnson's exhibition, “Micro/Macroscapes,” will be on display
during a three-hour reception beginning at 5 p.m. EDT Thursday, May 20
on the first floor of the National Academies' Keck Center, 500 Fifth St.
N.W., Washington, D.C. Johnson's work includes images of subatomic
decay patterns, sound waves, neurons and galaxies. The event is free
and open to the public.
Science and Engineering Indicators 2004.
NSF, 2004.
http://www.nsf.gov/pubsys/ods/getpub.cfm?nsb0401
AAAS Report XXIX: Research and development, FY 2005.
AAAS, 2004.
http://www.aaas.org/spp/rd/rd05main.htm
High School Transcript Study, 2000.
NCES, 2004.
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2004455
Costs and Business Models in Scientific Research Publishing.
Wellcome Trust, 2004.
http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/en/images/costs_business_7955.pdf
Handbook of Federal Librarianship.
FLICC, 2004.
http://www.loc.gov/flicc/pubs/federalhandbook.pdf
Selection, Appraisal and Retention of Digital Scientific Data.
ERPANET final report, 2004.
http://www.erpanet.org/www/products/lisbon/LisbonReportFinal.pdf
U.S. Academic R&D Continues to Grow as More Universities and Colleges Expand Their R&D Activities.
NSF, 2004.
http://www.nsf.gov/pubsys/ods/getpub.cfm?nsf04319
Employment Outcomes of Recent Science and Engineering Graduates Vary by Field of Degree and Sector of Employment.
NSF, 2004.
http://www.nsf.gov/pubsys/ods/getpub.cfm?nsf04316
The Role of Community Colleges in the Education of Recent Science and Engineering Graduates.
NSF, 2004.
http://www.nsf.gov/pubsys/ods/getpub.cfm?nsf04315
Federal Obligations for Research by Agency and Detailed Field of Science and Engineering: Fiscal Years 1970-2002.
NSF, 2004.
http://www.nsf.gov/pubsys/ods/getpub.cfm?nsf04313
Federal Obligations for Research to Universities and Colleges by Agency and Detailed Field of Science and Engineering: Fiscal Years 1973-2002.
NSF, 2004.
http://www.nsf.gov/pubsys/ods/getpub.cfm?nsf04314
Bush Administration Science & Technology Accomplishments: Promoting Innovation for a Stronger, Safer America.
OSTP, 2004.
http://www.ostp.gov/html/AdministrationS&TAccomplishmentsApril2004.pdf
Electronic Scientific, Technical, and Medical Journal Publishing and Its Implications: Report of a Symposium.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10969.html?do_se108
Evaluation of the National Aerospace Initiative.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10980.html?do_se108
The Mathematical Sciences' Role in Homeland Security: Proceedings of a Workshop.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10940.html?do_se108
A Patent System for the 21st Century.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10976.html?do_se108
Review of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Upper Mississippi-Illinois Waterway Restructured Feasibility Study: Interim Report.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10873.html
Review of NASA's Longitudinal Study of Astronaut Health.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10903.html
Newton, Isaac. Principia Mathematica, 1687, 1713 and 1726 editions.
http://dibinst.mit.edu/BURNDY/Collections/Babson/OnlineNewton/Principia.htm
Learning from SARS: Preparing for the Next Disease Outbreak -- Workshop Summary.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10915.html
NIH Extramural Center Programs: Criteria for Initiation and Evaluation.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10919.html
Review of the Desalination and Water Purification Technology Roadmap.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10912.html
Implementing Randomized Field Trials in Education: Report of a Workshop.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10943.html
Steps to Facilitate Principal-Investigator-Led Earth Science Missions.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10949.html
Endangered and Threatened Species of the Platte River.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10978.html
Evaluation of the National Aerospace Initiative.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10980.html
Monitoring Metabolic Status: Predicting Decrements in Physiological and Cognitive Performance.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10981.html
Eliminating Health Disparities: Measurement and Data Needs.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10979.html
Plasma Physics of the Local Cosmos.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10993.html
Digital People: From Bionic Humans to Androids.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10738.html
Overcoming Impediments to U.S-Russian Cooperation on Nuclear Non-Proliferation: Report of a Joint Workshop.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10928.html
University Research Centers of Excellence for Homeland Security: A Summary Report of a Workshop.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10984.html
A Review of the FBI's Trilogy Information Technology Modernization Program.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10991.html
Public Financing and Delivery of HIV/AIDS Care: Securing the Legacy of Ryan White.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10995.html
Progress in the Study of the X-Ray Background
http://mitworld.mit.edu/video/197/
Riccardo Giacconi, Research Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy,
The Johns Hopkins University, 2002 Nobel Prize in Physics,
“Progress in the Study of the X-Ray Background”.
Dr. Giacconi discusses the challenges in x-ray astronomy and the quest for
improved instrumentation.
Magnetic Storm
http://www.pbs.org/nova/magnetic
“On March 13th, 1989, the lights went out all across Canada and the
eastern seaboard of the United States as far south as New York. The
most serious power grid failure in American history was caused by a
magnetic storm in the Earth's upper atmosphere, itself triggered by
the eruption of a huge flare from the surface of the Sun. Unusual as
this event may seem, many scientists today are beginning to worry
that it may be a harbinger of things to come, and that changes to
the planet's magnetic field could make us ever more vulnerable to
deadly radiation from space. This film explores one of the least
known but most serious threats to life on Earth.” This companion
website to the Nova PBS program includes auroras, a simulated reversal
of the magnetic field, and more!
Exploring Search Engine Overlap
http://searchenginewatch.com/searchday/article.php/3344081
“Chris Sherman writes, ‘Search engine guru Greg Notess has long studied
search engine overlap -- the number of pages found by more
than one search engine. Greg's findings have consistently
shown that there is very little overlap in the web page
databases of the major search engines, meaning you'll likely
get very different results depending on the engine....The
results for most queries confirm Greg Notess' research: there is
very little overlap in search engine results for most of the tests
I ran. And in most cases, even the top ten results vary
significantly from engine to engine.’ A perfect resource to use
in demos when you need to show that results vary amongst
major web engines.” (From ResourceShelf)
Highveld.com
http://www.highveld.com/f/findex.html
“Highveld.com is an Internet Directory of Molecular Biology and
Biotechnology. It provides a guide to molecular biology databases,
molecular biology protocols, molecular biology journals, molecular
biology news, molecular biology information, and all molecular biology
resources. The web site is full of links and information on all aspects
of molecular biology and biotechnology.” (From Infomine)
Two on Animal Encounters
Fruit Fly Fight Club
http://labworks.hms.harvard.edu/
The Kravitz Lab Movie Page
http://www.hms.harvard.edu/bss/neuro/kravitz/moviepage.html
“Conflict and violence, regrettably, seem to be a commonplace element of the
human condition, with certain epochs bearing witness to more of these two
phenomena and, some bearing witness to a relatively absence of these
behaviors. In an attempt to explain the biological factors behind such
behaviors, Professor Edward Kravitz and his colleagues at Harvard University
have created this witness which features fruit flies in intense combat in
order to study these types of behaviors. On the first site, visitors can
watch fruit flies in combat, listen to Professor Kravitz talk about the
impetus and reasoning behind such experiments, and learn more about these
extremely compelling studies. The second site leads to another set of
dramatic short films that document lobster fights and lobster ‘martial arts.’
Of course, information on the various fights are ‘scored’ is also
provided, along with video clips demonstrating the different phases of each
encounter. [KMG]” (From the Scout Report)
The Cicadas Are Here!
Periodical Cicada Page
http://insects.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/fauna/michigan_cicadas/Periodical/Index.html
Periodical Cicadas
http://biology.clc.uc.edu/steincarter/cicadas.htm
Cicada Recipes from NPR
http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1866011
International Education Indicators
http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/international/IntlIndicators/
“International Education Indicators is a compilation of indicators from a multitude of
data sources which provides a rich array of information on the current state of
education internationally. They are intended to provide snapshots of the U.S.
education system in comparison to systems in countries around the world. New
indicators are always being added.”
Engineering Conference International
http://services.bepress.com/eci/
“Engineering Conferences International is pleased to team with The Berkeley
Electronic Press to provide conference organizers with a highly visible, rapidly
disseminated publication outlet for conference materials. The ECI Symposium
Series electronically publishes presented papers, peer-reviewed articles, and
other materials (presentations, data sets, video files, etc.) associated with ECI
conferences.” Free, full text access to participating engineering conference
proceedings.
The IDE Virtual Design Museum
http://www.io.tudelft.nl/public/vdm/
“Many of the common objects in our everyday world (such as kitchen timers,
telephones, and answering machines), seem to go unnoticed until someone
wonders out loud: ‘I wonder who designed that?’ Fortunately, the good people
at the Delft University of Technology's Faculty of Industrial Design have
created this virtual design museum to answer that exact question, and to
take visitors on a tour of some intriguing designs created by European and
American designers over the past decades. Visitors are free to browse
through the Famous Designers section which features the work of such icons
as Raymond Loewy, Ferdinand Porsche, and Mario Bellini. Each entry includes
a selection of images of some of the most celebrated designs, and in several
cases a short biographical sketch is available. Visitors may also elect to
look through the Famous Companies area, which brings together work by such
companies as Bang & Olufsen, Braun, Grundig, and IBM. Those with only a few
minutes will want to peruse such objects as Dieter Rams' design for a table
top cigarette lighter for the Braun Company in 1970 and Aldo Rossi's 1995
coffee pot from the table service ‘il Faro.’ [KMG]”
(From the Scout Report)
Golden Gate Bridge
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/goldengate/
“This site is a companion to a Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)
American Experience documentary about ‘the construction of what
was then [1937] the longest suspension bridge in the world, built
hundreds of feet above the dangerously churning waters of the
entrance to San Francisco Bay.’ The site features a timeline,
photos of bridge construction, information about people and
events, and a discussion of mathematical principles. Also includes
video clips, a teacher's guide, and related material.”
(From Librarian's Index to the Internet)
Engineering Is a Dream Career
http://www.engineergirl.org/nae/cwe/egedu.nsf/(weblinks)/NKAL-5YBL2N?Ope
Read the winning essays from the recent contest, “Engineering is a Dream
Career,” on the National Academy of Engineering's EngineerGirl! Web
site. The top three essays in each category -- fourth through eighth
grade and ninth through twelfth grade -- received prizes.
GISS: Goddard Institute for Space Studies
http://www.giss.nasa.gov/
NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) presents its work in the
prediction of climatic and atmospheric changes in the 21st century. Users
can learn about GISS's many research projects in Global Climate Modeling,
Planetary Atmospheres, Atmospheric Chemistry, and more. The website provides
news releases of its work for the general public. Visitors can download many
software packages including the latest GISS coupled atmosphere ocean model,
called ModelE. Researchers can find a wide range of data sets of earth
observations, climate forcing, global climate modeling, and radiation. The
Publications link offers almost 1500 citations and abstracts as well as over
four hundred online publications. Students can discover how to become
involved with GISS's research activities. [RME] This site is also reviewed
in the May 14, 2004 _NSDL Physical Sciences Report_. (From the Scout Report)
Molecular Origami
http://www.stolaf.edu/people/hansonr/mo
“ ‘Molecular Origami refers to the detailed folding and arrangement of
atoms in molecules and network solids.’
There are two types of resources at this site:
Throughout the page there are links to textual-information drawn from the book Molecular Origami by Robert M. Hanson (University Science Books). That book discusses molecular crystal-structures. It covers how to build data-driven paper models of small organic and inorganic structures. The examples shown are based on actual electron- and X-ray diffraction data (including exact scale for interatomic distances and bond-angles). Models are discussed in terms of molecular orbital theory.
Downloadable IBM PC software is provided to draw molecular origami structures onscreen from PDB Protein Data Bank files. The site provides information on software capabilities (such as coordination with Chime and Rasmol), software commands, and student exercises.” (From Infomine)
NOAA Arctic Theme Page
http://www.arctic.noaa.gov/
A well-presented portal to information on the Arctic region.
Included in the NOAA Arctic theme page are:
Caveman Challenge
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/cavemen/
Play some simple games to determine how well you might have survived 10,000
years ago. Would you know how to use tools? Could you develop language? A
fun website from the BBC.
The Portable Antiquities Scheme
http://www.finds.org.uk/
“The Portable Antiquities Scheme is a voluntary recording
scheme for archaeological objects found by members of the
public. Every year many thousands of objects are
discovered, many of these by metal detector users, but also
by people whilst out walking, gardening or going about their
daily work. Such discoveries offer an important source for
understanding our past.” An intriguing UK website!
Black Ships and Samurai
http://www.blackshipsandsamurai.com
“The MIT OpenCourseWare project published this online exhibition as part
of the ‘Visualizing Cultures’ course. ‘The major entry on this website
is a Core Exhibit featuring some 200 Japanese and American graphics
depicting the 1853-1854 mission by Commodore Matthew Perry that led to
the opening of Japan to the outside world.’
The exhibit details how this cultural collision manifested itself in the
visual culture of the Americans and Japanese. An annotated list of
sources accompanies the exhibition.
Also featured are:
Interactive Black Ship Scroll” (From Infomine)
The following items are from Edupage. To subscribe to Edupage: send mail to: listproc@educom.unc.edu with the message: subscribe edupage Anonymous (if your name is Anonymous; otherwise, substitute your own name). To unsubscribe send a message to: listproc@educom.unc.edu with the message: unsubscribe edupage. (If you have subscription problems, send mail to: manager@educom.unc.edu.)
U.K. LIBRARIANS AND ACADEMICS DISAGREE OVER PUBLISHING CRISIS
http://www.infotoday.com/newsbreaks/nb040503-3.shtml
At a British Parliamentary hearing, academics and librarians from
higher education in the United Kingdom presented conflicting opinions
about whether the country is experiencing a crisis in access to
scientific publications. The hearing was held by the U.K. Parliament's
Science and Technology Select Committee, which is conducting an inquiry
into pricing and availability of such materials. The consensus among
the librarians at the hearing was that there is a very real crisis,
both in pricing and availability. Members of the library community
supported Open Access (OA) publishing, which requires payment from
authors for publication. Many of the academics at the hearing, however,
denied there is a crisis in academic publishing and rejected OA, saying
it raises a range of problems, not least of which is the required
upfront payment from authors. Some academics complained that the
committee's selections of speakers at the hearing unfairly favored
publishers, who agree with librarians that the academic publishing
industry is not flawed.
Information Today, 3 May 2004 via Edupage.
U.K. OFFICIALS END VIRTUAL UNIVERSITY
http://chronicle.com/prm/daily/2004/05/2004050606n.htm
The Higher Education Funding Council for England has decided to
discontinue a virtual university set up in 2001 due to low numbers of
students enrolled. U.K. eUniversities Worldwide (UKeU) had hoped to
draw 5,600 students in its first year, but three years later, the
program only has 900 students enrolled. The British government had
allocated $111 million for the program, of which about $63 million has
been spent. Other anticipated sources of funding, including
partnerships with businesses, never materialized at acceptable levels.
According to members of the funding council, the crash of the dot-com
economy at about the same time as the founding of UKeU led to the lack
of interest from most corporations. Others believe that UKeU was flawed
in its design, relying on faculty without adequate experience in online
education, and that developers of the program spent their resources
building an educational platform rather than using tools available on
the market.
Chronicle of Higher Education, 6 May 2004 (sub. req'd) via Edupage.
FEDS REVAMP SUPERCOMPUTING PROJECT, OVERSIGHT
http://chronicle.com/prm/daily/2004/05/2004051404n.htm
The Bush administration this week announced its support of the
High-Performance Computing Revitalization Act of 2004, which would
coordinate national supercomputing resources and expand access to them
for various research programs. Currently, oversight of supercomputing
efforts is spread among the Energy Department, the National Science
Foundation, and eight other federal agencies. Under the proposed
legislation, the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy
would have authority to manage all federal supercomputing systems,
implementing a plan that would “provide for sustained access by the
research community ... to high-performance computing systems that are
among the most advanced in the world.” The measure would also provide
support for federal efforts to develop associated software technology
and to promote graduate and undergraduate studies in several areas,
including engineering, computer science, library and information
science, and applied mathematics.
Chronicle of Higher Education, 14 May 2004 (sub. req'd) via Edupage.
ASSOCIATIONS CALL FOR EASING OF STUDENT VISA RESTRICTIONS
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB108440195338910027,00.html
A group of 25 organizations has called on the federal government to
modify security rules put in place after the September 11 attacks,
saying that the new procedures are hurting U.S. research efforts.
Because many international students are looking elsewhere for academic
training, especially in the sciences, the United States risks becoming
“isolated,” according to Alan Leshner of the American Association for
the Advancement of Science, one of the organizations that signed the
statement. A study by the Association of American Universities, which
also signed the statement, found that 50 percent of students affected
by visa delays are from China, which, with India, sends the most
students to the Unites States. A separate study by the Council of
Graduate Schools found that international applications to U.S. graduate
schools were down by 32 percent from 2003 to 2004. The groups called on
the federal government to streamline the visa application process,
which currently takes an average of more than four months, and to grant
security clearance to foreign students for the duration of their time
in the United States.
Wall Street Journal, 13 May 2004 (sub. req'd) via Edupage
FEDS NO LONGER RECOGNIZING BOGUS DEGREES
http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2004/0510/web-creds-05-14-04.asp
Following an investigation by the General Accounting Office (GAO), the
federal government's Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has
announced a new policy of not recognizing degrees from diploma mills.
The GAO report identified several hundred federal employees, including
some high-level officials, who had reported earning degrees from
unaccredited institutions. Kay Coles James, director of OPM, sent a
memo to all federal managers stating that diplomas from degree mills
cannot be used in applying for any federal job, obtaining salary
increases, or receiving tuition reimbursement. The memo stated, in
part, “You may not send employees to diploma mills for degree training
or any other form of education.... You may not use your authority to
repay student loans if the degree is from a diploma mill.” According to
the OPM, diploma mills are institutions that are unaccredited or that
award degrees with little or no coursework.
Federal Computer Week, 14 May 2004 via Edupage.
APPLE OFFERS HARDWARE FOR BIOINFORMATICS RESEARCH
http://www.internetnews.com/dev-news/article.php/3354081
In an effort to get more researchers to use Macintosh technology, Apple
Computer is offering workgroup clusters to five bioinformatics research
projects in the United States. According to the company's Web site,
Apple will choose five projects based on “the applicant's scientific
record, the likelihood that this project will discover something novel
using the award, and the likelihood that this research focus would
yield methods or discoveries applicable to the broader life science
community.” Each winner will receive an Apple Workgroup Cluster for
Bioinformatics, including server hardware, bioinformatics applications,
and three years of service and support. Apple has been working with
researchers to encourage wider use of its products in scientific
pursuits, such as an initiative at Virginia Tech to combine 1,100 Apple
computers in a cluster configuration. That project resulted in one of
the fastest computing systems in the world.
Internet News, 14 May 2004 via Edupage.
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