Biophysical Newsletter - September 2014

14

BIOPHYSICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER

2014

SEPTEMBER

International Affairs

African Countries Form Partnership for STEM

Grants and Opportunities 2015 Vannevar Bush Award Objective: To honor truly exceptional life- long leaders in science and technology who have made substantial contributions to the welfare of the Nation through public service activities in science, technology, and public policy. Nomination Deadline: October 1, 2014 Website: http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/awards/ bush.jsp Collaborative Research in Computation- al Neuroscience (CRCNS) Objective: To support collaborative activities that will advance the understanding of ner- vous system structure and function, mecha- nisms underlying nervous system disorders, and computational strategies used by the nervous system. Who Can Apply: Scientists, engineers, or educators in the United States and United States citizens, universities, colleges, non- profits, for-profits, and state and local govern- ments in the United States. Deadline: October 28, 2014 Website: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2014/ nsf14504/nsf14504.htm

Less than 25 percent of students attending univer- sity in Africa are enrolled in science, engineering, and technology programs, an issue that several Af- rican governments are coming together to address, in hopes of boosting economic development on the continent. In June, representatives from twelve African countries participated in a forum call- ing for greater government investment in applied sciences, engineering, and technology. Representa- tives from Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethio- pia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, and Zambia attended the forum, which also in- cluded representatives from institutions in Brazil, China, and Korea, nations whose economies have been improved in recent years due to an increased investment in science and math education. The forum was part of a new World Bank-sup- ported partnership called the Partnership for Skills in the Applied Sciences, Engineering, and Tech- nology (PASET). PASET will help to establish postgraduate scholarship programs and to support the creation of regional technical and vocational education centers, in hopes of creating a more competitive workforce. The hope is that PASET will also enable systematic knowledge sharing amongst the involved nations, in order to assess and further develop the program.

Submit Your Networking Event Proposal Do you have an idea for a networking event and want to host one in your area? BPS will be ac- cepting 2015 networking event proposals until October 30. If selected, you can receive up to $500 through the Membership Committee’s mini-grant program to host your event. For more informa- tion about networking events and proposal requirements, visit the Meetings section of the Society website at www.biophysics.org.