Call for 2023 Golden Goose Award Nominations

Please share this with your broad community. The deadline to submit, December 16th, 2022, is coming quickly. This is a great time to "think outside the box."

What is the Golden Goose Award?
The Golden Goose Award honors federally funded researchers whose work may sound silly, odd, obscure, wasteful of taxpayer funding, or serendipitous, but has had a major positive impact on society. Learn more about our 2022 awardees and their stories.

How do I submit a nomination?
Follow this link; the form is easy! Tell us who you are nominating, why their work sounds odd or obscure, what impact the research has had, and which U.S. federal agency funded the work. Anyone can submit a nomination.

Is there a nominations deadline?
We accept nominations on a rolling basis throughout the year, but for the best chance to be considered for the 2023 award, submit by December 16, 2022. Nominations received after that date will be considered in future years.

How else can I help?
Glad you asked. Forward this notice far and wide, add a blurb about the Golden Goose Award to your organization’s newsletter or email list, share in a social media post, and/or consider a donation or sponsorship to support the award in 2023. We want to raise awareness about this honor in as many science, engineering, and science enthusiast communities as possible. Every share, post, write-up, or donation makes a difference.

Where can I learn more?
Contact us here or visit our website www.goldengooseaward.org for more information.

New Requirements For DOE Research Grants

The Council of Scientific Society Presidents (CSSP) wants to make you aware of the new requirement when submitting grants for research to the Department of Energy (DoE). See details below. 

Everyone has a Role to Play in Making Science More Equitable and Inclusive 

  • Beginning in FY 2023, the Office of Science is adding a new requirement to our solicitation processes: applicants must now submit a plan for Promoting Inclusive and Equitable Research, or PIER Plan, along with their research proposals.
  • Beginning in FY 2023, proposals requesting funding to support a conference will require that the host organization of the conference have an established code of conduct or policy in place that addresses discrimination, harassment, bullying, and other exclusionary practices. It must also include processes for reporting and addressing complaints. Applicants will also be required to submit a recruitment and accessibility plan for speakers and attendees. This plan will need to include discussion of the recruitment of individuals from groups historically minoritized in the research community.

The Office of Science will be holding a community webinar on October 17th at 2pm ET to review the new PIER requirements. Register to join: https://science-doe.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_1Z2feF1jSgKdL9d4Y7ZKFA

Oviedo High School Shares Experimental Science Yearbook

In December 2020, CSSP had the honor of hearing from an incredible group of students from Oviedo High School in Seminole County, FL. They shared the scientific research that they were submitting, and had earned awards from scientific competitions, at the local, regional, state and national levels. As we listened to this group, who we engaged as the Next generation of leaders in science we were awed by what they were accomplishing through their research. With the guidance of their teacher, Mr. William Furiosi who developed and has grown the Experimental Science, program at the high school, we were able to confirm that these students definitely had (and many still have) the drive and skills to be the next generation of leaders in science.

Mr. Furiosi shared the most current Experimental Science Yearbook (PDF), which includes details about both current and past students and the ongoing science focus and growth they are achieving. We are proud to share that yearbook with you. How fantastic would it be to have programs like this in high schools around the country? Thank you, Mr. Furiosi, and congratulations to those students who spoke to CSSP members. Here are their names and their grades at the time.  

  • Kalash Patel, Junior, Oviedo High School
  • Laboni Santra, Senior, Oviedo High School
  • Brian Scalf, Freshman, Oviedo High School
  • Grace Thompson, Sophomore, University of South Florida

DOE Office of Science Now Accepting Applications for SCGSR Awards

The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science is pleased to announce that the Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) program is now accepting applications for the 2022 Solicitation 2 cycle. Applications are due 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Wednesday, November 9, 2022.

SCGSR application assistance workshops will be held on September 19, 2022 and October 20, 2022. The first workshop will provide a general overview of the program; register here.

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How Psychology Can Help Fight Climate Change—And Climate Anxiety

Scientists and activists have deployed many tactics to help combat climate change: expanding technologies like wind and solar power, building better batteries to store that renewable energy, and protecting forests, all the while striving to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

On Aug. 4, during the American Psychological Association’s Convention in Minneapolis, nearly a dozen experts turned the spotlight on another more surprising tool: psychology.

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NSF Announces Four New Engineering Research Centers

Engineering discoveries and advances have the power to make transformational positive impacts on society. For decades, the U.S. National Science Foundation has been a steadfast supporter of research centers that integrate engineering with other disciplines, foster partnerships and champion innovation to create value and address national needs.

NSF announces the launch of four new Engineering Research Centers with an investment of $104 million over five years. The centers will transform technology for sustainable solutions that will impact agriculture, manufacturing, health and urban planning.

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NSF Selects James. L. Moore III to Head the Education and Human Resources Directorate

The U.S. National Science Foundation has selected James L. Moore III to head the Directorate for Education and Human Resources, or EHR, which supports research that enhances learning and teaching, and broad efforts to achieve excellence in STEM education at all levels and in all settings.

Since 2018, Moore has been vice provost for diversity and inclusion and chief diversity officer at The Ohio State University. In this role, he has managed a robust diversity and inclusion portfolio, serving more than 6,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students and a myriad of faculty, postdocs, and staff throughout the university. Simultaneously, he served as the first executive director of the Todd Anthony Bell National Resource Center on the African American Male and is a Distinguished Professor of Urban Education in the College of Education and Human Ecology.

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August Office Hours - Darrell Fisher, Nuclear-Medicine Physicist for Versant Physics

During the August CSSP Office Hours we are honored to have Dr. Darrell Fisher, Past-President of the Health Physics Society and former member of the CSSP Board, where he served as both a member-at-large and as Secretary. Dr. Fisher, a Nuclear-Medicine Physicist works with Versant Physics. He will be available and ready to share his extensive knowledge and experience with attendees on Wednesday, August 10th between 2 - 3 pm Eastern. Office Hours are open to members of CSSP member societies.

Register here.

September Chat - Thomas Connelly, CEO of the American Chemical Society (ACS)

CSSP is honored to announce that Tom Connelly, the CEO of the American Chemical Society (ACS) has accepted our invitation to guide the CSSP Chat on Mergers, Collaborations, and Strategic Alliances/Partnerships - Which One, When on Thursday, September 15th from 12:30 - 1:30 pm Eastern. This session is free for members of CSSP member societies. There is a nominal fee of $25 US for non-members.

Register here.

DOE Expands Program for Faculty Historically Underrepresented in STEM

DOE's Office of Science Expands Program for Faculty Historically Underrepresented in STEM Research

Applications are currently being accepted for the Spring 2023 term of the DOE Office of Science’s Visiting Faculty Program (VFP)

  • As part of Office of Science’s RENEW initiative, the program is expanding to offer extended opportunities for faculty to engage in research and build collaborations at the National Laboratories
  • This opportunity will strengthen partnerships between DOE national laboratories and two-year colleges, minority-serving institutions (MSIs), and other colleges and universities nationwide
  • VFP seeks to increase the research competitiveness of faculty members and their students at institutions historically underrepresented in STEM to expand the workforce vital to DOE mission areas
  • As such, VFP especially attracts faculty members from MSIs, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
  • Typically, about 50% of the participants are from MSIs, one-third of which are HBCUs. Selected college and university faculty members collaborate with DOE laboratory scientific research staff on research projects of mutual interest.  Each participating faculty member may invite one or two students (one of whom may be a graduate student) to join the research team during a summer term
  • The program will focus on faculty only in non-summer terms
  • The application deadline is October 5, 2022

Read more at the U.S. Department of Energy.

ACSESS Welcomes New CEO Jim Cudahy

CSSP Member Alliance of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Science Societies (ACSESS), which is comprised of - American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), and Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) - welcomed their new CEO, Jim Cudahy on May 30, 2022. 

Read more at the Soil Science Society of America.

Lisa Schulte-Moore Presented with CSSP’s 2022 Citation for Leadership and Achievement

Lisa Schulte-Moore, Iowa State University, presented with CSSP’s 2022 Citation for Leadership and Achievement for improving natural resource management and engaging the public to better value the science that benefits our environment.

The CSSP Citation for Leadership & Achievement honors those who merit special recognition for outstanding leadership and achievements in the last year in support of scientific research

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Smithsonian Partners With IF/THEN To Display the Largest Collection of Statues of Women Ever Assembled

Smithsonian Launches New 'Women's Futures Month' With National Mall Debut of 120 Statues Celebrating Women in STEM

The Smithsonian will shake up Women's History Month in March with a new Women's Futures Month, a forward-looking celebration of the power of women and girls in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) to shape a better world. To kick off the month, the Smithsonian will present "#IfThenSheCan - The Exhibit," a collection of 120 statues of women in STEM. On display in Smithsonian gardens and in and around select Smithsonian museums March 5–27, the exhibit is the largest collection of statues of women ever assembled together.

Read more at The Smithsonian.

CSSP & ISR: Call to Wildfire Researchers

As a collaborator with the International Science Reserve (ISR), the Council of Scientific Society Presidents (CSSP) is extending the call to wildfire researchers to join this expanding science community.  Established in 2022 with the support of IBM, Google, and UL, the International Science Reserve (ISR) is a network of open scientific communities, bringing together specialized resources from across the globe to prepare for and help respond to complex and urgent global crises. Wildfires have been chosen as the ISR's pilot crisis. 

What is the ISR 

As was learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, science in a time of crisis is not "science as usual."  During a crisis, scientists need unfettered and rapid access to resources and collaborators. Preparing before a crisis incident occurs is critical to shortening response times, improving coordination, and reducing the impact of the crisis. The ISR works in collaboration and partnership with the existing crisis response ecosystem, augmenting and accelerating efforts by governments and global organizations through all three stages of a crisis – preparation, response, and recovery. The goal of the ISR is to be ready with tested and proven procedures, and the means to match human and material resources to research needs, when a real disaster strikes.  

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CSSP Announces New Board Members for 2022

The Council of Scientific Society Presidents (CSSP) is pleased to announce the results of its election of new Board members which was held during the Winter CSSP Leadership Workshop, December 4-6, 2021.

Donna J. Nelson, Ph.D., a pro­fessor of organic chemistry at the University of Oklahoma, will fill the position of 2022 Chair-Elect. G. Warfield “Skip” Hobbs, the managing partner of Ammonite Resources, has been elected as a Member at Large.

Dr. Nelson has held several leadership positions in academia (such as Faculty Fellow in the OU Pro­vost’s Office) and in professional societies (such as 2016 Ameri­can Chemical Society President, focusing on and guided by communities in chemistry). Nelson served as science advisor to the AMC television show Breaking Bad.

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CSSP Chair Lisa Keefe’s IMCA-CAT Lab Helps Pfizer Create New COVID Treatment

Pfizer’s Novel COVID-19 Oral Antiviral Treatment Candidate Reduced Risk of Hospitalization or Death by 89% in Interim Analysis of Phase 2/3 EPIC-HR Study

Friday, November 05, 2021 - 06:45am
  • PAXLOVID™ (PF-07321332; ritonavir) was found to reduce the risk of hospitalization or death by 89% compared to placebo in non-hospitalized high-risk adults with COVID-19
  • In the overall study population through Day 28, no deaths were reported in patients who received PAXLOVID™ as compared to 10 deaths in patients who received placebo
  • Pfizer plans to submit the data as part of its ongoing rolling submission to the U.S. FDA for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) as soon as possible

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) today announced its investigational novel COVID-19 oral antiviral candidate,PAXLOVID™, significantly reduced hospitalization and death, based on an interim analysis of the Phase 2/3 EPIC-HR (Evaluation of Protease Inhibition for COVID-19 in High-Risk Patients) randomized, double-blind study of non-hospitalized adult patients with COVID-19, who are at high risk of progressing to severe illness. The scheduled interim analysis showed an 89% reduction in risk of COVID-19-related hospitalization or death from any cause compared to placebo in patients treated within three days of symptom onset (primary endpoint); 0.8% of patients who received PAXLOVID™ were hospitalized through Day 28 following randomization (3/389 hospitalized with no deaths), compared to 7.0% of patients who received placebo and were hospitalized or died (27/385 hospitalized with 7 subsequent deaths). The statistical significance of these results was high (p<0.0001). Similar reductions in COVID-19-related hospitalization or death were observed in patients treated within five days of symptom onset; 1.0% of patients who received PAXLOVID™ were hospitalized through Day 28 following randomization (6/607 hospitalized, with no deaths), compared to 6.7% of patients who received a placebo (41/612 hospitalized with 10 subsequent deaths), with high statistical significance (p<0.0001). In the overall study population through Day 28, no deaths were reported in patients who received PAXLOVID™ as compared to 10 (1.6%) deaths in patients who received placebo.

At the recommendation of an independent Data Monitoring Committee and in consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Pfizer will cease further enrollment into the study due to the overwhelming efficacy demonstrated in these results and plans to submit the data as part of its ongoing rolling submission to the U.S. FDA for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) as soon as possible.

“Today’s news is a real game-changer in the global efforts to halt the devastation of this pandemic. These data suggest that our oral antiviral candidate, if approved or authorized by regulatory authorities, has the potential to save patients’ lives, reduce the severity of COVID-19 infections, and eliminate up to nine out of ten hospitalizations,” said Albert Bourla, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Pfizer. “Given the continued global impact of COVID-19, we have remained laser-focused on the science and fulfilling our responsibility to help healthcare systems and institutions around the world while ensuring equitable and broad access to people everywhere.”

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Paul Anastas Wins the Volvo Environment Prize 2021

Paul Anastas, a Yale professor and pioneer in developing non-hazardous chemicals, wins the 2021 Volvo Environment Prize, one of the world's most respected scientific environmental awards. The research of Paul Anastas "is revolutionizing the chemical industry, a key contribution to meeting the sustainability challenge," says the Prize Jury.

Everything we touch, see and feel is chemical, whether it's furniture, clothes we wear, medicines we take, or electronics that we use. For the past two centuries, chemistry has been creating technological miracles, increasing the human quality of life. But its performance has also led to unintended consequences of pollution, waste, and toxicity.

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Inaugural Meeting of The Strategic Council for Research Excellence, Integrity, and Trust

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are pleased to share with you information about the first meeting of the newly convened Strategic Council for Research Excellence, Integrity, and Trust. You are cordially invited to attend the Council’s first meeting virtually on Monday, October 25, 2021 from 12:00-1:00 PM U.S. Eastern Time.
 
Co-chaired by Dr. Marcia McNutt (President, National Academy of Sciences), Dr. David Allison (Dean, Distinguished Professor, and Provost Professor, Indiana University School of Public Health – Bloomington), and Dr. France Cordova (President, Science Philanthropy Alliance and former Director, National Science Foundation), the Strategic Council will serve as a venue for multiple stakeholders to advance collectively the integrity, ethics, resilience, and effectiveness of the research enterprise while at the same time preparing it for tomorrow’s challenges.

The Strategic Council is charged with:

  • Identifying, anticipating and prioritizing key challenges to research ethics, integrity and trustworthiness,
  • Articulating principles, policies and best practices to address them,
  • Catalyzing progress by coordinating collaborative actions, and
  • Breaking barriers where needed to accelerate solutions, be they conceptual, technological, cultural, or procedural.

The project is supported by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the National Academy of Sciences – Ralph J. and Carol M. Cicerone Endowment for NAS Missions.

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Malcolm Butler Appointed Dean For Cato College of Education

Malcolm Butler will join UNC Charlotte’s Cato College of Education as dean in January 2022. He will arrive from the University of Central Florida where he is professor and director of the School of Teacher Education and coordinator of the Ph.D. program in Science Education in the College of Community Innovation and Education. He holds a secondary appointment with the Learning Sciences Faculty Cluster.  

Currently, Butler leads an academic unit of more than 50 full-time faculty members and more than 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students within the Hispanic-serving metropolitan doctoral research university. He has secured more than $7 million in funding to support his research and scholarly initiatives and has co-authored and co-edited three books and numerous book chapters and journal articles. Butler is one of the authors of the K-5 science curriculum, National Geographic Science.

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Day One Talent Hub Announces Two New Impact Fellowships

Since its inception, the Day One Talent Hub has been working to create pathways for scientists, technologists, and talented policy entrepreneurs to enter the federal government to work on the Administration’s most pressing policy priorities. Today, we’re thrilled to announce two new Impact Fellowships for S&T experts seeking to advance smart policy: the Energy Innovation Fellowship at the Department of Energy and the Education Data Science Fellowship at the Department of Education.

Impact Fellows in these two cohorts will join the Day One Project for a three-month-long fellowship before a year-long assignment at their respective federal agencies. The fellowship will prepare Impact Fellows for success in the federal government, offering tools to become better policymakers and providing opportunities to expand professional networks.

Applications for both Impact Fellowship Cohorts are now open and will close on September 28th at 11:59 PM ET. If you or anyone in your network is interested in joining an Impact Fellowship Cohort, please visit our website for more information or contact [email protected] with any questions.