College of the Environment

E-Newsletter, November 20, 2009

Vol. 1, No. 2


Announcements

Holiday tree sale - The UW School of Forest Resources student organizations are in the middle of their annual holiday tree sale. All proceeds will benefit the following UW student organizations: the University of Washington Forest Club, The Society of American Foresters UW chapter, and the Dead Elk Society. The deadline for orders is Friday, December 4th. You can find more information and an order form on the SFR website.

Save the date - Conservation in Practice: A University of Washington Colloquium (Wednesday, March 3, 2010, 1:00 – 5:00 pm). Please join us for an exciting look at the exceptional breadth of conservation-related activity being conducted at the University of Washington. Our emphasis is on pro-active, solution-based approaches to critical conservation problems world-wide. The Colloquium will foster a sense of community among our conservation scholars, display our existing connections, and build new ties between units and individuals. Come celebrate, learn, and get connected with the diversity of conservation efforts at UW. Everyone is invited to attend; registration is required but there is no charge. The registration form is available on the Colloquium website:.

Dean search - The search committee for the deanship of the College of the Environment is actively meeting and is seeking applications, nominations, and comments. A Catalyst site has been set up so you can provide your suggestions, nominations, and thoughts to the committee. Only the committee will be able to view your comments. You can view the job description and committee charge on the search website.

National science update - The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) has just completed a Final Design Review (FDR) of the plan for a continental-scale observatory, the final major planning milestone in the design and execution of the project. Sponsored by NSF, NEON will collect data across the United States on the impacts of climate change, land use change and invasive species on natural resources and biodiversity. The project now awaits formal approval from the FDR review panel and construction is expected to begin in late 2010. NEON has partitioned the United States into 20 ecoclimatic domains and the Wind River Experimental Forest is the NEON candidate core site for the Pacific Northwest Domain that includes portions of California, Oregon, and Washington. Significant investment by NSF in this program is expected and UW scientists are encouraged to explore opportunities that leverage the Wind River Canopy Crane Research Facility as well as other NEON-related infrastructure across the country.

Funding


Federal funding opportunities

  • Applications for the Postdoctoral Fellowships at the National Center for Atmospheric Research are due January 5, 2010. The postdoctoral program provides an opportunity for recent Ph.D. scientists to continue to pursue their research interests in atmospheric and related science. The program also invites postdoctoral physicists, chemists, applied mathematicians, computer scientists, engineers, and specialists from related disciplines such as biology, geology, science education, economics, and geography, to apply their training to research in the atmospheric sciences.
  • Applications for the NOAA Climate and Global Change Postdoctoral Fellowship Program are due January 15, 2010. The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) announces the 2010 recruitment for the NOAA Climate and Global Change Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. UCAR manages this NOAA-sponsored program, which pairs recently graduated postdoctorates with host scientists at U.S. institutions to work in an area of mutual interest. The program aims to create the next generation of climate researchers. It endeavors to attract recent PhDs in sciences that address studies with relevance to the NOAA Climate and Global Change Program.
  • Applications for the Mendenhall Research Fellowship Program are due January 15, 2010. The Mendenhall Research Fellowship Program provides an opportunity for postdoctoral fellows to conduct concentrated research in association with selected members of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) professional staff. The program is envisioned to bring current scientific expertise to assist in the implementation of the USGS Strategic Plan and the science strategy of its programs. Research Advisors are appointed for each Mendenhall Fellowship position to direct project work. (Applications for Research Opportunities 63–73 will be accepted until January 15, 2010. Research opportunities 1-62 are now closed.)

Private funding opportunities

Please note that many corporations and foundations have requested that UW Advancement facilitate their relationship with University of Washington faculty, staff and students. As such, all solicitations, applications, or requests for private giving from foundations or corporations must be developed in partnership with UW Advancement. Please contact a member of the College Advancement Team before submitting a proposal to the organzations below or any other corporation or foundation.

  • The Russell Family Foundation is committed to improving protection of the environment in western Washington, with an emphasis on the waters of Puget Sound. The foundation focuses its grantmaking in this program on Puget Sound, Environmental Education, and Green Business. The foundation works with its grantees and others to implement strategies that raise awareness and understanding of the environment and the importance of protecting it. Increased understanding will in turn lead to actions--individual, corporate, governmental, and societal--that will provide lasting and effective protection for the environment. Letters of Inquiry for 2010 must be postmarked by Monday, January 4, or Monday, July 12.
  • The Compton Foundation seeks a balanced and healthy relationship between humans, other life, and the planet. The foundation believes it is possible to pursue a holistic and sustainable vision that blends concern for environmental conservation and economic viability, links urban and rural priorities, and views humans as one part of the natural world. The foundation has chosen three focus areas in which it feels it can make a meaningful contribution to realizing this vision in the U.S.A. The goals are to advance ecologically healthy, economically sustainable, and socially just visions for the management and use of fresh water in the western U.S.A, reduce the United States contribution to global climate change, and promote community-based strategies to support healthy ecosystems and thriving rural communities. Proposals are due March 7, 2010, and September 7, 2010.

Colleagues in the News

(Nov 6 - Nov 19, 2009)

Value of clam digging to state keeps climbing (Dan Huppert/SMA, Nov 19, 2009)

Big Algal Bloom Lingering Along Coast...but Less Deadly For Now (Julia Parrish/SAFS, Nov 17, 2009)

New studies put potential megaquake closer to Seattle (John Vidale/ESS, Nov 17, 2009)

Study redefines inland impacts of coastal megaquake (John Vidale/ESS, Nov 17, 2009)

The Future of Human Evolution: What Will We Become? (Peter Ward/ESS, Nov 16, 2009)

Dirt Gets its Due at Bainbridge Environmental Conference (David Montgomery/ESS, Nov 13, 2009)

Beyond the Forecast: The unpredictability of NW weather (Nathan Mantua/JISAO-CIG and SAFS, Nov 12, 2009)

Cocaine, Spices, Hormones Found in Drinking Water (Richard Keil/Ocean, Nov 12, 2009)

Spider silk used as artificial muscle (Adam Summers/FHL and SAFS, Nov 9, 2009)

Gravel quarry near landslide ordered to halt mining (David Montgomery/ESS, Nov 6, 2009)

Upcoming Events

Check out the College events calendar for a comprehensive list of upcoming seminars, conferences, lectures, and other public events.

You can also subscribe or unsubscribe to the weekly update of upcoming events.

If you have a suggestion for additional information that should be included in the College of the Environment bi-weekly announcements, please submit it to Becca Baughman.