Given the overwhelming response to our first round of Career Grants last summer, the National Association of Science Writers is embarking upon two more rounds to disburse another $50,000 worth of professional development funds this year. Instructions for the winter round, with a due date of February 2 and disbursement of funds in March, are below. The next round will occur in late spring.
News
Join your fellow NASW members for food, fellowship, and an important vote. On Saturday, February 20, at 4 p.m. in Room 16A of the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, Calif., we will vote on the NASW Constitution and Bylaw updates. In addition to the scintillating process of updating the document from its 1954 legalese to present requirements, these bylaw updates have the potential to save money, streamline decision-making, and lead to more transparent governance.
See the results of the survey conducted with attendees of the World Conference of Science Journalists in London at the end of June.
In keeping with our commitment to transparency and free exchange of information, NASW has joined with the Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ), the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) and others in urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to rescind a policy that currently requires notification and official approval before FDA officials are allowed to speak with journalists.
Announced this morning in London: The Arab Science Journalists Association, in a historic first co-bid, has, together with NASW, landed the bid for the next World Conference of Science Journalists to be held in spring 2011 in Cairo. Our two associations will work together to build exciting programs, reporting opportunities, and field trips for science journalists from all over the world. Over 900 science writers from approximately 70 countries are currently attending the 2009 World Conference of Science Journalists in London. Stay tuned for developments, specific dates, and ways to get involved.
This summer, the National Association of Science Writers will award grants of up to $2,500 each to support education, training or other activities that help established science writers continue or advance their careers in today's rapidly changing media environment. The size and number of the grants will depend on specific proposals received; NASW will award up to $25,000 of our Authors Coalition funds for this purpose.
News about the ScienceWriters2009 meeting, a vote on amending the NASW Constitution, recipients of travel fellowships, and more in the new NASW Update (members login required).
As had been announced, Diane McGurgan leaves NASW in June, after 30 years of dedicated service. At a luncheon at the ScienceWriters 2008 meeting, a couple hundred attendees gathered to honor her. The sunny patio of the Crowne Plaza hotel, in Palo Alto, was filled with longtime friends and new members, alike in their appreciation of Diane's monumental contributions to our organization. Inside the hotel, friends viewed a slideshow and wrote fond wishes in an overflowing scrapbook.
NASW dues for 2009 must be paid or postmarked by Jan. 31, 2009, to avoid a $20 late fee.
We are pleased to welcome Cathy Dold on board as the new editor of the NASW freelance pages. Cathy is a freelance writer and editor from Boulder.