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A Quarterly Newsletter of the National Research Council Research Associateship Programs
Summer Fall 2001
The RAP Sheet
This is the first issue of The RAP Sheet, a quarterly newsletter from the National Research Council Associateship Programs. The purpose of this newsletter is to keep our Advisers and Associates up-to-date on various aspects of the program. It is also an opportunity to profile some of our program participants. We welcome your input in the form of topics you would like to see addressed or the names of Advisers or Associates who you would like to have us feature in future issues. Please contact us at rap@nas.edu with your suggestions.
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State of the NRC Associateship Programs
The mission of the NRC Research Associateship Programs is to provide a high quality career-enhancing experience to the Associate, while at the same time, contributing to the overall research excellence of the sponsoring laboratories.
Sponsors of Research Associateship Programs include the Departments of Commerce, Defense, Energy, Health and Human Services, Interior, and Transportation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Prospective Associates can apply for an award at over 120 research locations throughout the United States and abroad with over 4500 Advisers.
Since inception of the current programs in 1954, over 10,000 scientists and engineers have received awards. Many of these awardees have chosen careers with the federal government and now serve as Advisers to new Associates. One of these Associate/Advisers, Dr. Phil Clapham, is featured in this issue of The RAP Sheet.
For the 2000 program year, 278 new Associates received awards. In combination with Associates who received awards in previous years, a total of 672 Associates were on tenure during the year 2000. Of those Associates completing tenure in 2000, over 25% remained at the host laboratory, while 54% took positions in academia (24%), industry (16%), or another branch of government (14%).
To meet our program objectives, the Associateship Programs Office is striving to meet the needs of our prospective awardees, our Associates on tenure, and our sponsoring laboratories and centers. In doing so, we are constantly looking for ways to improve our processes. Some of our "new" initiatives will be highlighted in this and future issues of The RAP Sheet.
Research Advisers Can Team Up with NRC Staff to Recruit Applicants
Research Advisers, how can you utilize the NRC to gain more exposure for your research opportunities? The NRC staff would be happy to announce and highlight your research in an advertisement in a professional publication such as Science, Chemical and Engineering News, or even a more specialized publication such as Environmental Science and Technology. The cost for the ad placement is included in the NRC contract indirect cost, so there is no additional charge to you, the Adviser, or to the laboratory. Such ads or notices placed in selected publications or newsletters can be a very effective way of attracting applicants.
Another means of identifying potential applicants is to recruit at the national meetings of professional scientific societies, such as the American Chemical Society or the American Geophysical Union. In another location in this newsletter, we have listed the meetings that the NRC staff attends annually to recruit applicants for all of our sponsoring laboratories. At your request, the staff can prepare a flyer according to your specifications to be distributed at the NRC exhibit booth at any of these meetings. If you are attending a meeting where the NRC is distributing your flyer, we can arrange a time for you to meet with interested individuals at the exhibit booth. You can then discuss the scope of your opportunity face-to-face with prospective applicants.
Jane Dell’Amore is the NRC point of contact for both ads and flyers. She can be contacted by telephone at 202-334-2768 or by e-mail at jdellamo@nas.edu. We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity.
NRC Summer Faculty Programs
The Associateship Programs recently initiated two new programs for Summer Faculty at the request of our federal sponsors. These programs allow academic faculty, holding research or teaching appointments, to conduct a focused research project for 8-14 weeks during the summer months in a federal laboratory. The first of these programs began with the Air Force in the summer of 2000, and a second program with the Environmental Protection Agency began in 2001.
The objectives of the Summer Faculty Programs are 1) to provide a unique research experience for academic faculty, 2) to benefit the host laboratories by bringing in new ideas, 3) to build collaboration between academic institutions and the agency, and 4) to contribute to the national education effort. The NRC selection process for Summer Faculty takes into consideration not only the research the applicant proposes to conduct in the federal laboratory, but also the benefit of the program to the individual in his/her academic role.
For 2001, there were 70 applicants for the Air Force Summer Faculty Program resulting in about 55 academic faculty becoming guest researchers in 12 Air Force laboratories. Faculty awardees come from a wide range of home institutions, varying from small colleges to large research universities.
Based on comments we have received both Summer Faculty awardees and sponsoring agency Advisers have found the program to be a rewarding and productive experience. A Summer Faculty program can be an important complement to traditional postdoctoral and visiting scientist programs, such as the NRC Research Associateship Programs, by contributing to the development of research collaborations between federal laboratories and academic scientists and their students.
Program Promotion and Professional Meetings
As mentioned elsewhere in this newsletter, the NRC staff attends more than twenty annual meetings of professional scientific societies to disseminate information about the Associateship Programs and to recruit applicants. At each of these meetings, the NRC has an exhibit booth where we discuss the program with potential applicants. At some meetings, we also participate in the job placement centers, where we can make brief presentations to small groups of potential applicants followed by question-and-answer sessions. Additionally, a link to the NRC Associateship Programs web site appears on the web sites of most of the professional scientific societies.
The meetings to be attended for the remainder of 2001 and for early 2002 are listed here, as well as under "Program Promotion" on our web site at www.national-academies.org/rap.
2001:
+ Society for the Advancement of Chicanos & Native Americans in Sci |
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+ Florida Education Fund/McKnight Fellows Conference |
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+ Science & Engineering Alliance Student Technical Conference |
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+ Geological Society of America |
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* Society for Neuroscience |
Nov 11 - 14 San Diego, CA |
+ Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry |
Nov 11 - 14 Baltimore, MD |
+ American Society for Tropical Medicine & Hygiene |
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** Materials Research Society |
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* American Society for Cell Biology |
Dec 9 - 12 Washington, DC |
* American Geophysical Union |
Dec 10 - 14 San Francisco, CA |
** American Astronomical Society |
Jan 6 - 10 Washington, DC |
+ American Institute for Aeronautics & Astronautics |
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* Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers |
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** Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry & Applied Spectroscopy |
March 17 - 22 New Orleans, LA |
* American Physical Society |
March 18 - 22 Indianapolis, IN |
* both exhibit booth and job placement
** job placement only
+ exhibit booth only
If you have specific recruitment needs in any of the areas covered by these meetings, please contact Jane Dell’Amore at 202-334-2768 or jdellamo@nas.edu. If you have any suggestions of meetings to add to this list, please contact your NRC Program Administrator.
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Adviser Profile - Dr. Phil Clapham
Dr. Phil Clapham in his office at Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole
In late 1994, I was at Cambridge University in England, completing postdoctoral work in genetics. I had successfully avoided lining up subsequent employment due, in part, to immersion in what I was doing, but also due to a deeply rooted superstition that if I actually planned something, it stood absolutely no chance of happening.
That fall, I attended a conference where a colleague essentially announced to me that I was going to be working for him as a National Research Council Associate and asked if that would be okay. It took me at least 2.5 seconds before I said yes, which was related more to recovery from surprise than to any hesitation about the offer. In response to a question about what exactly he wanted me to do, the colleague (Dr. Bob Brownell of the National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) told me to “just do something that interests you.” Spending possibly three years with this sort of latitude in my research seemed unthinkably generous. Would the NRC actually permit such carte blanche?
Astonishingly, it appeared that they would. In the end, I spent those three years working on a series of research projects relating to the management and conservation of large whales. I have never bothered to retrieve my original NRC proposal from the back of the filing cabinet where it has long been enshrined, but I suspect that what I proposed and what I actually ended up doing bear only a vague resemblance to each other. Ideas came and went, present work led to new approaches and methods, and papers were periodically churned out as I happily went from one interesting project to the next. Although I forget how much I published during those years, some of the topics were conservation management of whales, extraction of DNA from museum specimens of baleen, inter-specific competition, molecular studies of the mating system of humpback whales, and an analysis of California whaling records from the 1920's.
The NRC Research Associateship Program lists as one of its principal objectives “to provide postdoctoral scientists and engineers of unusual promise and ability opportunities for research on problems, largely of their own choice.” I don’t know if the diversity of projects which I took on during my NRC tenure is typical of other Associates (and I have no idea where they got the notion that I was unusually promising), but the latitude which I was permitted was truly gratifying. It allowed me to follow ideas and paths that might well have gone unexplored in different circumstances, and I have no doubt that the science that resulted was greatly improved as a result.
These days, I am so occupied by the daily responsibilities of my job that the idea of taking an entire week to just read the scientific literature, or to think creatively about a study, is essentially a non-starter. Accordingly, it is with a fair degree of wistfulness that I look back on my NRC tenure and all the opportunities it gave me to simply ponder. I submit that pondering - the ability to read, process, and just think, all at considerable leisure - is a major ingredient in good science. While it is now difficult for me to find such “pondering time,” the three years that I spent as an NRC Associate provided me with a richness of experience and knowledge that continues to influence my work today. In my new role as an NRC Adviser, I am very happy to pass on these superb opportunities for professional growth to a new generation of young scientists.
(Dr. Phil Clapham directs research in large whale biology for the NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. He was an NRC Associate at NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla, California, from 1995 to 1997.)
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Associate Profile - Dr. Paul DiGiacomo
Dr. Paul DiGiacomo standing on UCLA’s research vessel “Sea World UCLA,” out in Santa Monica Bay, California, and holding a Conductivity–Temperature-Depth (CTD) recorder.
Paul DiGiacomo’s association with NASA began while he was a graduate student in Marine Biology at UCLA. There he received a NASA Graduate Student Researchers Program (GSRP) pre-doctoral fellowship, which allowed him to spend part of his time at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, CA. It was at JPL where Dr. DiGiacomo met Dr. Ben Holt and learned about the NRC Resident Research Associateship Programs.
He submitted a proposal entitled “An Examination of Small-scale Coastal Eddies and Hazards off California Using an Integrated Multi-sensor/In-situ Approach” and subsequently received an NRC award. Dr. DiGiacomo began tenure as an NRC Resident Research Associate in September of 1999.
At JPL, Dr. DiGiacomo has used high-resolution, multi-sensor satellite (SAR, ocean color, AVHRR) and field data to examine small-scale, ephemeral (and thus poorly described) coastal ocean bio-geophysical phenomena (e.g., eddies, fronts, storm water plumes, oil seepage) off southern California, as well as to quantify larger-scale interannual (e.g., El Niņo, La Niņa) bio-geophysical variability in the California Current System. He has high praise for his experience at JPL. "I love being at JPL, as it is a preeminent research and technology center and affords me opportunities that most likely I would not be able to find elsewhere. In particular, I have been able to interact with several JPL scientists and engineers on developing new technology, including both satellite and in situ sensors. For example, I am currently working with Dr. Kevin Delin and Dr. Yi Chao on adapting JPL Sensor Web Technology for use in the oceans. To date, it has only been used in terrestrial applications. I have also been participating in JPL Global Carbon Cycle meetings, looking forward to a proposed NASA carbon cycle initiative."
From his research activities Dr. DiGiacomo has several papers published, in press, or under revision. With his NRC Adviser, Dr. Ben Holt, he wrote and submitted a proposal to NASA that was funded, enabling them to continue and expand upon their coastal oceanographic research activities off southern and central California. As part of this project, Dr. DiGiacomo is collaborating with Professor Libe Washburn of the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Currently, Dr. DiGiacomo is in the process of trying to obtain a permanent, full-time position as a scientist at either a research or academic institution. "I really enjoy being an oceanographer and hope to make a valuable contribution to the field as my career progresses."
Dr. DiGiacomo feels that being an NRC Resident Research Associate has been a most productive and enjoyable experience. "It has opened doors for me that previously I did not even know existed! I am fortunate in that I have met and been able to interact with many outstanding scientists at JPL and elsewhere (e.g., UCLA, USC, Scripps) on various projects. I expect to continue these professional relationships for years to come and look forward to many fruitful and exciting collaborations. My Resident Research Associateship has allowed me to forge a solid foundation for a career as an oceanographer and for that I am most grateful. All the people at NRC and JPL that support the program have been most friendly, helpful, and supportive of my career. I wholeheartedly support the NRC Resident Research Associateship Programs and think this is an invaluable institution for developing the next generation of scientists and engineers."
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Associate Profile - Dr. Catherine Weitz
Dr. Catherine Weitz takes a break from her work at NASA headquarters to view the cherry blossoms.
Catherine Weitz learned about the NRC Resident Research Associateship Programs while she was a graduate student at Brown University. Several recent Brown graduates had become NRC Associates, which prompted her to look at these programs as an option for her post-graduate studies. Dr. Weitz applied, and her proposal, "A Study of Martian Explosive Volcanism and its Effect on the Climatic History of Early Mars" won an NRC award. She began her tenure at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA in the summer of 1998.
Dr. Weitz’s Adviser at JPL was Dr. Steve Saunders, the Project Scientist on the Mars 2001 Odyssey mission. When she arrived at JPL, the Mars 2001 mission consisted of both a lander and an orbiter. She worked with Dr. Saunders to search for viable landing sites for the lander and to assist him with Project responsibilities on the mission. "I thought it was very productive because I came to JPL hoping to get involved in Mars research and Mars missions and that was exactly what happened."
During her time at JPL, Dr. Weitz co-organized a workshop on the 2001 mission that was attended by members of the science community. The workshop provided a forum to get scientists interested and informed about the mission. Unfortunately, after the loss of Mars Polar Lander, the 2001 lander was cancelled and only the orbiter was approved for launch in 2001. Nevertheless, many of the instruments that were to be on the 2001 lander are now on the Mars Exploration Rover mission, scheduled for launch in 2003.
While at JPL Dr. Weitz became aware of another NRC Associateship Program, called the Research Management Associateship Program (RMA). An extension of the NRC-NASA Resident Research Associateship Program, the RMA program allows Associates to spend 1-3 years at NASA headquarters managing the agency’s scientific activities. Dr. Weitz’s proposal for the RMA program entitled "Future Exploration of Mars" was funded by the NRC and she moved to NASA Headquarters in November of 1999.
At Headquarters, Dr. Weitz worked with Dr. John Grant and later Dr. Dave Senske. "I came to Headquarters to work with John on the Mars Sample Return mission, but within a month, Mars Polar Lander failed and soon thereafter the Mars Program was put on hold. So my first 6 months were rather unusual while I waited for new managers to arrive at HQ. Once the management was in place, I supported science activities to develop the new Mars Program. Eventually I was given the responsibility for science management on the Mars Exploration Rover mission, and at the end of my RMA I was hired as a visiting scientist to be the Acting Program Scientist for this mission."
Her mentoring while an RMA extended beyond a single Adviser. "Probably everyone at Headquarters was and still is a mentor for me. In particular, though, Harley Thronson, Mike Meyer, and John Grant were wonderful helping me learn about and then assume responsibilities in science management on Mars missions while I was a NRC Associate."
Dr. Weitz is enthusiastic about both of her experiences in the NRC-NASA Associateship Program. "These were very productive experiences! I fulfilled my goal to work on Mars missions, both from a scientist and a management role. I have met many members of the science community and have attended numerous meetings and workshops through my involvement in both programs. I am now the Program Scientist on the Mars Exploration Rover mission and I’m very grateful that I was given this opportunity to work on such an exciting, inspiring mission."
Two New Application Procedures for 2001-2001
We currently have a new application procedure in place called a “self-managed” process. The application package can be found on our web site (www.national-academies.org/rap) under Application Forms/Lists. The forms are in both Word and PDF format. Using this self-managed process, the applicant is responsible for preparing, collecting, and submitting all documents by the published deadlines.
Electronic submission of the application package is under development and will be available in the near future. The applicant will go to our web site, complete the application package and submit it electronically to the NRC. Under this process, the applicant will also be responsible for submitting certain support documents in hard copy like Reference Letters, and in the case of Postdoctoral applicants, all academic transcripts.
A new feature to our application process will be the ability to notify the applicant immediately when documents are received.
The Associateship Programs office and participating Laboratories and Agencies strictly observe all deadline dates. No allowances or exceptions are made for late submissions.
Panel Review Schedule - 2002
Application Postmark Deadlines:
January 15 (February Review)
April 15 (June Review)
August 15 (October Review)
Laboratory/Center Review forms due in our office:
February 15 (February Review)
May 9 (June Review)
September 6 (October Review)
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Booklet Information
This is just a reminder that every February the Research Opportunity Booklet manuscripts are sent to the Laboratory Program Representatives for their annual revision. For the 2003 program year, they will be sent the week of February 11 with revisions due back April 26. This is also the perfect opportunity to update phone, email, and if applicable, mail stops that are published in the booklets. More detailed information will be provided in upcoming issues.
Our web site, which is updated regularly throughout the year, includes the most current information on available Research Opportunities.
Ask Dr. J
For future issues, we invite your comments about this newsletter and questions about the Associateship Programs. You may send comments or questions to "Ask Dr. J" at: rap@nas.edu Submissions may be edited for brevity.
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