GSA Technical Session & Short Course Proposal Deadline: 1 February, 2020

As we say goodbye to 2019, it’s time to plan the 2020 GSA Annual Meeting in Montréal. We encourage you to propose a Short Course and/or Technical Session that will engage your GBGM colleagues and promote dynamic discussion.

Represent your science in Montréal and inspire others to attend. The deadline to submit a proposal is Saturday, 1 February. Please visit the Montréal Proposal Page. We Hope to See You in Montréal Next Year!

PhD & Post-Doc Positions at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel

The AMGC group at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel seeks to recruit PhD students and post-doctoral researchers in paleoclimate reconstructions, clumped isotopes and cyclostratigraphy.
http://we.vub.ac.be/en/analytical-environmental-and-geo-chemistry

The Analytical-Environmental and Geo-Chemistry group at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Brussels, Belgium is a large research group composed on geologists, chemists, bio-engineers, bio-archaeologists working on a variety of topics in Earth and Environmental Sciences. The department is equipped with 4 IRMS, with automated carbonate devices, gas-bench, pyrolysis oven and elemental analysers, HR-ICP-MS, microXRF, portableXRF, and FTIR microscope, and various microscopy techniques. Through collaboration and joint purchases, AMGC also has access to MC-ICP-MS and TIMS. We are now recruiting new researchers to continue our work on paleoclimate reconstructions in recent and deep-time, using speleothems or micro-scale analyses in fossil shells, or applying cyclostratigraphy to establish robust astrochronologies to understand global change events in Paleozoic and Precambrian sequences. A key aspect, more particularly at the post-doctoral level is the development of clumped isotopes application using our new Nu-Perspective-IS IRMS. Outstanding candidate at the post-doc level may also propose their own research topic using AMGC facilities.

The PhD funding is for a duration of max. 4 years, the post-doc positions are 3 year max. Starting dates are flexible, preferentially Spring 2020. Applications will remain open until all positions are filled. Enthusiastic and motivated scientists are encouraged to apply. The salary makes it possible to live comfortably in Brussels and includes benefits (transport, medical etc.).

Questions contact: Philippe Claeys (phclaeys@vub.be) by e-mail or skype

We propose a great working environment, friendly colleagues, access to a large variety of analytical techniques, a broad international collaboration network and steady funding.

WE ARE LOOKING FOR:
Candidates with a master degree or PhD in Geology, Earth Sciences or related field with a combination of the following:

• Scientific curiosity,
• Smart, motivated & hard working,
• Quick learner with creative and pragmatic problem-solving approach,
• Skills in geochemistry, sedimentology, analytical techniques.
• Capability to work in English, team player

Start date Spring 2020, or ASAP

HOW TO APPLY: Send your CV before January 31, 2020, with a cover letter, a description of your research interest and the names of three references (all in PDF) to Philippe Claeys, phclaeys@vub.be

iDigBio Paleo Digitization Working Group Workshop

The iDigBio Paleo Digitization Working Group is now accepting applications to attend a workshop focused on georeferencing for paleo collections, to be held in Salt Lake City April 27-29, 2020. This workshop is sponsored by iDigBio and funding for travel to Salt Lake City may be available. 

To apply, please fill out this application by Friday, January 10, 2020.

About the workshop: As the paleo collections community wraps up several TCNs we recognize that a significant amount of digitization work remains to be done and that georeferencing is one of the next big roadblocks. Across all collection types, there are major issues with the quality of georeference data currently available on biodiversity data aggregators such as iDigBio and GBIF. For paleo collections, there are additional issues related to applying existing georeferencing workflows in the paleontological context, as well as to sharing georeference data publicly. This workshop will take advantage of the momentum catalyzed by ADBC funding in the paleontological collections community to address critical issues related to georeferencing workflows and georeferencing data quality. We will bring representatives from the paleo TCNs/PENs together with participants representing perspectives external to the existing ADBC community, to:

• Address the lack and poor quality of specimen georeference data shared on biodiversity aggregators, e.g. the iDigBio Portal, by determining recommendations for the paleo collections community on best practices and workflows for generating and sharing this data.
• Identify technical barriers to implementing these recommendations and discuss a strategy for communicating them to standards organizations, aggregators, collection management software solutions, and georeferencing software tools.
• Disseminate the findings of this workshop widely, both within the paleo collections community (including to collectors) and as a resource discoverable by other domains. Findings will include a “toolkit” to share the recommendations on best practices and workflows determined by this workshop.

More information can be found on the workshop wiki page.

Scholarship from the Micropalaeontological Society

The Micropalaeontological Society is granting one scholarship to attend the European School on Ostracoda. Please, register first for the school via eso@uni-jena.de with a remark for the scholarship and we will send you the form. The deadline is the 17th of January 2020. The registration form can be downloaded here.

NAS Postdoc and Senior Research Awards

The National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine administers postdoctoral and senior research awards at participating federal laboratories and affiliated institutions at locations throughout the U.S and abroad. All research opportunities are open to U.S. citizens; some are open to U.S. permanent residents and foreign nationals.

We are actively seeking highly qualified candidates including recent doctoral recipients and senior researchers. Applicants should hold, or anticipate receiving, an earned doctorate in science or engineering. Awards are contingent upon completion of the doctoral degree. A limited number of opportunities in select fields are also available for graduate students. Degrees from universities abroad should be equivalent in training and research experience to a degree from a U.S. institution.

Application deadline dates (four annual review cycles):

• February 1
• May 1
• August 1
• November 1

Awardee opportunities:

• Conduct independent research in an area compatible with the interests of the sponsoring laboratory
• Devote full-time effort to research and publication
• Access the excellent and often unique facilities of the federal research enterprise
• Collaborate with leading scientists and engineers at the sponsoring laboratories

Awardee benefits:

• One-year award, renewable for up to three years
• Stipend ranging from $45,000 to $83,000; may be higher based on experience
• Health insurance (including dental and vision), relocation benefits, and professional travel allowance 

Applicants should contact prospective Research Adviser(s) at the lab(s) prior to the application deadline to discuss their research interests and funding opportunities.

For detailed program information, visit www.nas.edu/rap or e-mail rap@nas.edu.

GSA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct Update

As we approach the end of 2019, we wish to share an update on GSA’s ethics program. Over the past year, GSA’s ethics & compliance officer, Nan Stout, has spearheaded initiatives to build on GSA’s longstanding commitment to integrity and excellence. Read on for a summary of our accomplishments. For more information, sign up for GSA’s ethics webinar on 5 December 2019 at 12:00 p.m. mountain time.




Thanks to the invaluable input from many GSA members and staff, we are pleased to announce GSA’s new Code of Ethics & Professional Conduct. The new Code includes standards we deem critical to the professional success of our members and profession, including expectations to guard against research misconduct, discrimination, harassment, and bullying. The GSA Council approved the new ethics policy to help ensure that all of us, as GSA members, adhere to ethical standards in all of our professional activities—regardless of location or whether the conduct takes place at GSA events.

GSA has established policies and procedures to implement the new Code, which are available on the Ethics homepage. Notably, the Policy & Procedures for Handling Potential Ethical Violations explains the rules GSA uses to process ethics complaints alleging that one of our members has violated the Code. These procedures include safeguards for individuals who report violations and they protect members through the use of reasonable due process procedures to guard against patently false, malicious, or groundless allegations. “We have worked hard to create a fair process that gives individuals with bona fide complaints a way to come forward and also gives individuals accused of wrongdoing a meaningful opportunity to be heard,” said GSA’s executive director, Vicki McConnell.

We are proud of the steps GSA is taking to promote an ethical, professional culture in the geoscience profession, where all people are welcomed, supported, and positioned for success. We are confident our new Code and ethics resources will make a positive difference to our members and profession as a whole.

To learn more about GSA’s ethics initiatives, visit GSA’s Ethics homepage or register for the 5 December webinar from 12–1 mountain time.

Sincerely,

Don Siegel
GSA’s President

Robbie Gries
GSA’s Past President

Association of Applied Paleontological Sciences Scholarship

The Association of Applied Paleontological Sciences (AAPS), is a non-profit organization of primarily professional commercial paleontologists that promote science. Each year, the AAPS offers two $1,000.00 scholarships to graduate level students in paleontology attending universities world wide. The two scholarships are given in the names of the James R. Welch Scholarship (for studies in macro invertebrate fossils), and the Charles Sternberg Scholarship (for studies in macro vertebrate fossils). These scholarships are awarded by a majority vote of the membership attending our annual meeting in Tucson every February.

These scholarships are awarded to students who qualify and meet the approval of the board of directors, and the membership. Because a majority of our members are active collectors, a major requirement of acceptance is that the applicant must be active in field research and collecting. In other words, we want the applicant to get out and do work in the field. These funds should thus be primarily used for the collection and preparation of macro fossils.

If you are interested, you may apply by sending a letter of application from you explaining the focus of your studies, your thesis subject, what you need the money for, and what you plan on doing as a career.

You must also submit the following with your letter of application;

1. A letter of recommendation from one or more of your professors or advisors
2. A current Curriculum Vitae or Collage Transcript.

All scholarship application materials must be in our offices no later then December 1st to be considered for the award. Any applications that are incomplete, or not in our offices by December 1st, will not be accepted.

Potential candidates must submit the required information along with the letter from their primary advisor to:

Neal Larson, Scholarship and Grant Chairperson
ammoniteguy@gmail.com
C/O Larson Paleontology
P.O. Box 1313
Hill City, SD 57745
USA


visit https://www.aaps.net/scholarship.htm for more details