AGI Offers Congressional Science Fellowship
The American Geological Institute (AGI) is offering a new Congressional Science Fellowship for the geosciences. The successful candidate will spend a year (September 1998 - August 1999) in Washington working as a staff member for a congressperson or congressional committee. The fellowship is a unique opportunity to make practical contributions to the effective and timely use of geoscientific knowledge on issues relating to the environment, resources, natural hazards, and science policy.Minimum requirements are a master's degree with at least three years of post-degree work or a Ph.D. The fellowship carries a stipend up to $42,000. Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and a curriculum vitae with three letters of reference to AGI Congressional Science Fellowship, 4220 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22302-1502. For further details, visit the AGI Web site: http://www.agiweb.org; call (703) 379-2480; or e-mail: govt@agiweb.org. Applications are due February 1.
RFF Offers Summer Internships
Resources for the Future (RFF) provides several paid summer
internships for graduate students. Each intern works with one or more
RFF researchers in one of three research divisions: the Center for
Risk Management, the Energy and Natural Resources Division, or the
Quality of the Environment. All three divisions seek candidates in
their first of second year of graduate training in the social or
natural sciences. Specific information about the research interests of
each division can be found on the RFF home page:
http://www.rff.org.
Students wishing to apply for a 1998 internship should send a cover letter describing their interests and enclose a resume and recent transcript (there is no application form). The cover letter should be as specific as possible regarding research interests. In addition, one letter of recommendation from a faculty member should be sent directly by the professor to RFF. Applications are due March 16, and should be sent to Marilyn Voigt, Center for Risk Management, RFF, 1616 P Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20036; (202) 328-5077; fax: (202) 939-3460; e-mail: voigt@rff.org - or - Pauline Wiggins, Energy and Natural Resources and Quality of the Environment, same address; (202) 328-5045; fax: (202) 939-3460; e-mail: wiggins@rff.org.
Survey Offers On-Line Registration of NEHRP Proposals
The U.S. Geological Survey recently announced solicitation of 1999
National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) research
proposals (see DR#243). To make that process faster and easier, the
Survey also recently announced that the External Research Program now
offers on-line registration of proposals via a Web site:
http://erp-web.er.usgs.gov/register.htm
The service will be available February 2. For details, visit the Web
site; or e-mail Keith Estes at
kestes@usgs.gov; or fax: (703) 648-
6642. For more information about the NEHRP External Research Program,
see: http://erp-web.er.usgs.gov.
The Earthquake Hazard Mitigation Program in the National Science
Foundation's Hazard Reduction Cluster (EHM/HR) recently announced new
competition for research proposals related to the mitigation of urban
earthquake hazards as part of its U.S.-Japan Cooperative Research in
Urban Earthquake Disaster Mitigation Program. The research will
involve structural, geotechnical, and social systems and their
interface and integration, and it is expected that projects supported
under this NSF initiative will involve significant collaboration with
Japanese researchers. The foundation is prepared to invest $1.5
million per year over five years, starting in fiscal year 1998, and
about 10 to 15 grants are expected to be made each year. Proposals for
the initial cycle must be received by March 15, 1998.
Extensive background information, descriptions of the priority areas
for research, guidelines for submitting proposals, and contact
information regarding this opportunity can be found on the World Wide
Web at:
http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf9836.
Individuals can also contact the Earthquake Hazard Mitigation Program,
Hazard Reduction Cluster, Room 545, National Science Foundation, 4201
Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22230; (703) 306-1361; e-mail: Dr.
S.C. Liu, sliu@nsf.gov; Dr. Cliff
Astill, castill@nsf.gov; or Dr.
William Anderson, wanderso@nsf.gov.
It is anticipated that the total cost of each project will not exceed
$10,000, including expenses and a modest honorarium. At the conclusion
of a project, the authors will be expected to submit for peer review
and publication a report that documents their observations and
conclusions. EERI expects to approve approximately four or five
projects during the spring of 1998, with the projects to be completed
within five months of approval.
Proposals should focus on lessons that have emerged since the
earthquake under study. Interested researchers should submit a three-
to four-page proposal, including a one-page budget, describing the
proposed project, the purpose, the value of the information, how the
proposed research activity will satisfy one of more of the above
criteria, and the anticipated product.
The deadline for proposals is February 27. For additional information,
contact Susan Tubbesing, Executive Director, EERI, 499 14th Street,
Suite 320, Oakland, CA 94612-1934; (510) 451-0905; fax: (510) 451-
5411; e-mail:
skt@eeri.org; WWW:
http://www.eeri.org.
This new degree program fills a vacuum in the academic world in the
United States. It is a unique program with a focus on relief and
development in the world. Participants will learn and contribute to
innovative theory, research, and policy in this expanding field.
Already, the traditional ways of looking at relief and development are
being challenged in the context of Afghanistan, Bosnia, Burundi,
Haiti, Rwanda, Somalia, and Sudan. There is growing appreciation both
of humanitarian assistance in and of itself, not just as a part of
development studies, and of the need for innovative analysis and
research on new models for effective assistance at the time of complex
emergencies and other disasters.
The M.A. in Humanitarian Assistance consists of two semesters of
academic work, totaling eight semester courses approved by SNSP and
Fletcher. Students are expected to complete the following core
courses: 1) Humanitarian Aid in Complex Emergencies, 2) Applied
Nutrition for Humanitarian Crises, 3) Independent Seminar in
Humanitarianism, 4) One course selected from the other core courses
offered by the program. The remaining four courses can be chosen from
SNSP/Fletcher offerings. Students are required to write a masters
thesis as part of the second semester requirement. Typically the
thesis applies theory and analytical skills learned in the program to
the professional's previous experience.
This program is available to mid-career professionals and officials
from government, international, and private aid/consulting agencies.
It expects to attract professionals with varied backgrounds and from
different countries to enhance learning from each other's experiences.
The candidate must have an undergraduate degree, have demonstrated
leadership qualities, and have a potential to make a substantial
contribution in the field of humanitarian assistance.
The program work will be administered academically by a joint
Fletcher-Nutrition Academic Affairs Committee. Prospective students
must apply to this committee through the Feinstein International
Famine Center, whose director also directs this program. The degree
will be a combined School of Nutrition Science and Policy and the
Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy degree.
For further information, contact: Admissions Committee for Masters in
Humanitarian Assistance, Feinstein International Famine Center, Tufts
University, 96 Packard Avenue, Medford, MA 02155; (617) 627-3423; fax:
(617) 627-3428; e-mail:
jhammock@infonet.tufts.edu.
Regional Workshops: To improve understanding of the national-scale
consequences of global change, the USGCRP is sponsoring a series of
regional workshops to examine the vulnerabilities of various regions
of the United States to climate variability and climate change and to
aggregate information across regions to support national-scale
scientific assessment. Workshops were conducted in several regions of
the country in 1977 and additional workshops are scheduled for 1998.
These include:
For more information on the USGCRP and the Regional Climate Change
Workshops, see: http://www.usgcrp.gov/.
Critical Incident Stress Management Workshops. Offered by:
International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF) and Liberty
Hospital. Kansas City, Missouri: February 5-8, 1998. Contact: ICISF,
10176 Baltimore National Pike, Suite 201, Ellicott City, MD 21042;
(410) 750-9600; fax: (410) 750-9601.
First Pan American Congress of Emergency and Disaster Medicine:
"Developing Strategies to Mitigate the Health Effects of Disasters in
the Americas." Sponsors: World Association for Disaster and Emergency
Medicine (WADEM) and the Safar Center for Resuscitation Research of
the University of Pittsburgh, in partnership with the College of
Physicians and Surgeons of Costa Rica, and others. San Jose, Costa
Rica: March 2-6, 1998. Deadline for abstracts: January 31, 1998. In
the U.S, contact: Dr. Ernesto A. Pretto, Associate Director, Safar
Center for Resuscitation Research, University of Pittsburgh; (412)
383-1960; fax: (412) 624-0943; e-mail:
pretto@smtp.anes.upmc.edu.
In Costa Rica: Dr. Daniel Rodriguez Guerrero, General Coordinator,
Colegio de Medicos y Cirujanos de Costa Rica, P.O. Box 548-1000, San
Jose, Costa Rica; tel: 506-232-3433; fax: 506-231-2084; e-mail:
medicos@sol.racsa.co.cr.
1998 [North Carolina] Governor's Hurricane Conference. North Carolina
Division of Emergency Management, American Red Cross, and others.
Morehead City, North Carolina: March 15-17, 1998. Contact: Chris
Coudriet, American Red Cross, 690 Coliseum Drive, Winston-Salem, NC
27106; (919) 733-0796.
North American Snow Conference. Sponsors: American Public Works
Association (APWA) and others. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada: April 19-22,
1998. Contact: APWA, P.O. Box 27-296, Kansas City, MO 64180-0296;
(816) 472-6100; e-mail:
snow@mail.pubworks.org.
12th Annual [Florida] Governor's Hurricane Conference. Sponsors:
Florida Office of Community Affairs, Florida Emergency Preparedness
Association, and the American Red Cross. Tampa, Florida: June 1-5,
1998. Contact: Lynn Daines, Governor's Hurricane Conference, P.O. Box
279, Tarpon Springs, FL 34688-0279; (813) 944-2724 or 1-800-544-5678;
WWW:
http://www.state.fl.us/comaff/DEM (click on "News").
Eighth World Conference on Disaster Management: "Real Events . . .
Real Leaders . . . Real Solutions". Hamilton, Ontario, Canada: June
14-17, 1998. A $100 Early Bird discount is now available, as is a
preliminary list of speakers and topics. The program advisory
committee is still accepting proposals. Contact: Canadian Centre for
Emergency Preparedness, P.O. Box 2911, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8N
3R5; 1-800-965-4608, (905) 546-3911; e-mail: ccep@netaccess.on.ca;
WWW: http://nas.net/ccep
- or -
http://www.netaccess.on.ca/~ccep/ccep/index.shtml.
Second Annual Millennium 2000 HazMat Expo. Sponsor: Nevada Emergency
Response Commission in cooperation with the Nevada State Firefighters
Association. Las Vegas, Nevada. Pre-conference training: June 22-23,
1998; Conference: June 24-26, 1998. Three tracks are targeted -
Industry, Emergency Planners, and First Responders. Contact: Clark
County Local Emergency Planning Committee; Girard Page, e-mail:
gwp@co.clark.nv.us; (702)
455-5710.
FEMA 1998 Technology Partnerships for Emergency Management Workshop
and Exhibition. Sponsors: Federal Emergency Management Agency and
others. Chicago, Illinois: July 20-23, 1998. Contact: FEMA Workshop
Information Line: 1-800-752-6367; WWW:
http://fema.dis.anl.gov/ -
and -
http://fema.dis.anl.gov/info.html
U.S. Committee on Large Dams (USCOLD) Annual Meeting and Lecture.
Buffalo, New York: August 10-14, 1998. Contact: USCOLD, 1616
Seventeenth Street, Denver, CO 80202; (303) 628-5430; fax: (303)
628-5431; e-mail:
stephens@uscold.org; WWW:
http://www2.privatel.com/~uscold.
Climate and History: Past and Present Variability - A Context for the
Future. Norwich, U.K.: September 7-11, 1998. Contact: Susan Boland,
Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ,
U.K.; tel: 01603 456161; fax: 01603 507784; e-mail:
s.boland@uea.ac.uk; WWW:
http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/cru/conf.
California Emergency Services Association (CESA) State Conference.
Clear Lake, California: September 22-29, 1998. Contact: Henry
Renteria, (510) 238-3938; fax: (510) 238-7761; e-mail:
hrrenteria@aol.com.
Society for Risk Analysis-Europe (SRA-E) 1998 Annual Conference: "Risk
Analysis: Opening the Process." Organizers: Institut de Protection et
de Surete Nucleaire. Paris, France: October 11-14, 1998. Contact:
Philippe Hubert, Conference Director, IPSN DPHD SEGR "SRA Paris
Conference," BP 6 92265 Fontenay aux Roses Cedex-France; tel: +33 (0)1
46 54 79 11; fax: +33 (0)1 46 54 88 29.
Second European Conference on Applied Climatology. Vienna, Austria:
October 19-23, 1998. Contact: Zentralanstalt fur Meteorologie und
Geodynamik, Postfach 342, A-1191 Vienna, Austria; tel: +43 1 36 0 26
2201; fax: +43 1 36 0 26 2672; e-mail:
ecac@zamg.ac.at; WWW:
http://www.zamg.ac.at/~ECAC98.
First China-Japan Conference on Risk Assessment and Management
(CJCRAM'98). Organizers: Beijing Normal University, Society for Risk
Analysis-Japan, and others. Beijing, China: November 23-26, 1998.
Includes sessions on risk analysis of natural disasters. Contact: Dr.
Huang Chongfu, CJCRAM'98 Secretary-General, Institute of Resource
Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; tel: +86-
10-62208144 or +86-10-62207656; fax: +86-10-62208178; e-mail:
cjcram98@bnu.edu.cn
- or - Professor Saburo Ikeda, CHCRAM'98 Secretary
of Japan Section, Institute of Policy and Planning Sciences,
Universtiy of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305, Japan; tel: +81-298-53-
5380; fax: +81-298-55-3849; e-mail:
srajapan@ecopolis.sk.tsukuba.ac.jp.
Speaking of Earthquake Research Proposals . . .
NSF Announces Opportunities for U.S.-Japan Cooperative Research
in Urban Earthquake Disaster Mitigation
EERI Seeking Proposals to Re-Evaluate Past
Earthquakes
Realizing that some lessons may not become apparent until years after
an earthquake or that some lessons should be re-evaluated in light of
new knowledge, the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI)
has created a new program to assess long-term recovery and reassess
knowledge gained from past earthquakes. The program will fund
engineers, social scientists, earth scientists, and others to revisit
earthquake sites to carry out brief investigations. The projects are
intended to further the state of earthquake knowledge by
A New Masters Program in Humanitarian Assistance
Beginning in September 1998, the Tufts University School of Nutrition
Science and Policy (SNSP) and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy
will offer a one-year degree in Masters of Arts in Humanitarian
Assistance for mid-career professionals with significant field
experience in the areas of famine, conflicts, and complex emergencies.
(Final approval of this program by the Trustees of the university is
expected in early February, 1998.)
A Quick Classified Ad
Looking for resource for Natural Disaster Hazard Analysis and
Vulnerability Assessment. Large research and industrial complex (plant
value $2.5 billion) on the Chesapeake Bay is interested in support for
performing a hazard analysis and vulnerability assessment of weather-
related phenomena. Please contact William Schroeder at
bschroeder@ccmail.aot.com.
Regional Climate Change Workshops Continue
The U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) was established by
the President in 1989 and codified by Congress in the Global Change
Research Act of 1990. The program's fundamental purpose is to increase
understanding of earth system vulnerabilities and thus provide a sound
scientific basis for national and international decision making on
global change issues. The USGCRP is currently focused on four key
areas of earth system science: Seasonal to Interannual Climate
Variability; Climate Change over Decades to Centuries; Changes in
Ozone, UV Radiation, and Atmospheric Chemistry, and; Changes in Land
Cover and Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecosystems.
Organizing Coordinating
Region Institution(s) Site Dates Agency(s)
------ -------------- ---- ----- ------------
Rocky Mountains Utah State Salt Lake February DOI
and Great Basin University City, UT 16-18
Gulf Coast Southern Baton February EPA
University Rouge, LA 25-27
Southwest Border University of El Paso, March 2-4 NASA
Texas at El Paso TX
Hawaii and Pacific CARE, Honolulu, March 3-6 FEMA,
Islands University of HI NOAA, DOI
Hawaii
California University of Santa March 9-11 NSF
California, Barbara, CA
Santa Barbara
Metropolitan Columbia New York March 23-24 NSF
East Coast University City, NY
Southern Great Texas A&M TBD Late March USDA
Plains University
Upper Great Lakes University of Ann Arbor, May 5-7 EPA
Michigan MI
Appalachians West Virginia Morgantown, May 26-29 USFS
University WV
Caribbean/Southern Florida State TBD Spring NOAA
Atlantic Coast University
Eastern Midwest Indiana TBD Spring USDA
University
Conferences and Training
Public Private Partnership 2000 (PPP 2000) January Forum: Cities and
Megacities at Risk. Washington, D.C.: January 21, 1998. For more
information on this forum or the PPP 2000 project generally, contact
the Institute for Business and Home Safety, 73 Tremont Street, Suite
510, Boston, MA 02108-3910; (617) 722-0200; fax: (617) 722-0202; WWW:
http://www.ibhs.org.
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