Biomaterials Day 3/27

Biomaterials Day features cutting edge research in the biomaterials, biomedical, and biotechnology fields conducted by rising and established faculty and medical professionals in addition to recent industrial advancements and technologies. The goal of Biomaterials Day is to grow and foster a stronger biomaterials community in the South East, motivate and inspire students to lead the next major technological breakthroughs, and promote interdisciplinary research and collaboration between engineering, medicine, and industry. One of our speakers this year is Dr. Miller from UF Chemistry who works with converting biomass into polymeric/chemical feed stocks among other research.

Biomaterials Day features academic talks, student led talks and poster competitions, and an industry information session. Registration for the event is free, and we encourage all students to submit abstracts for our two presentation competitions. More information about the event can be found at our website. http://www.uflbiomaterials.org/

Date: March 27th, 2015

Time: 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.

Location: University of Florida, Reitz Union Grand Ballroom

 

USDA Fellowships

The USDA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program for 2015 will support three fellowship types under the Food, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Human Sciences Education and Literacy Initiative (ELI). The guidelines for these fellowships was recently announced by the USDA, with the following AFRI foundational priority areas: 1) plant health and production and plant products; 2) animal health and production and animal products; 3) food safety, nutrition, and health; 4) bioenergy, natural resources, and environment; 5) agriculture systems and technology; and 6) agriculture economics and rural communities. Six challenge areas for this RFP have also been identified: 1) Agricultural and Natural Resources Science for Climate Variability and Change; 2) Childhood Obesity Prevention; 3) Food Safety; 4) Food Security; 5) Sustainable Bioenergy; and 6) Water Resources.

Three types of fellowships will be awarded in 2015:
Predoctoral fellowships of up to $79,000 total over two years, including institutional allowance for tuition, which prospective fellows may apply for directly;
Postdoctoral fellowships of up to $150,000 total over two years, which prospective fellows may apply for directly; and
Undergraduate Research and Extension Experiential Learning Fellowships of up to $300,000 total to support up to 30 undergraduate fellows, which faculty members may apply to administer at UF.

While the predoctoral and postdoctoral fellowships are not limited, UF is limited to a maximum of three total proposals for the Undergraduate Research and Extension Experiential Learning Fellowships from UF faculty. The UF Office of Research will coordinate the internal selection for the three proposal to go forward to USDA. Internal Letters of Intent for the Undergraduate Research and Extension Experiential Learning Fellowships are due to Jeevan Jyot at limitedprograms@research.ufl.edu by Friday, January 30. 

For UF’s announcement, internal coordination details and a link to the full solicitation, please visit: http://my.research.ufl.edu/ProgramDevelopment/FundingOpportunities/ArticleDetail.aspx?id=40012

Startup Quest for Entrepreneurs

CareerSource NCFL is hosting Startup Quest - a free, hands on, 10-session training using UF curriculum where participants are divided into teams that are led by local CEOs and successful entrepreneurs to learn valuable business skills like creating business, financial and marketing plans, employability skills, and networking. RSVP for this event at SQGNV.eventbrite.com! This event will be held at the Best Western Gateway Grand (4200 NW 97th Blvd. Gainesville, FL 32606) on February 24, 2015 at 2:00pm. For questions, contact Tanya Kell at tkell@careersourcencfl.com. You must have a B.S or B.A to participate.

Application and Implementation of a Fulbright Award - 2/3/15

What makes a good Fulbright proposal? What might cause it to be rejected? How can you apply your career to Fulbright?

Find out at…
Application and Implementation of a Fulbright AwardTuesday, February 3, 2015
4:30 p.m.
Room G001 McCarty Hall D
Featuring Dr. Eileen Ariza
Dr. Eileen N. Whelan Ariza is a professor in the College of Education at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton.  Her involvement in Fulbright programs include a 2008/2009 Fulbright award as García Robles Scholar at La Universidad de las Americas in Puebla, Mexico; Fulbright Ambassador for Fall 2013 - Summer 2015; Fulbright Peer Reviewer (TEFL) 2014-2015; Senior Specialist Roster Reviewer 2008- 2010; and candidate on the Fulbright Specialist Roster, 2010-present.

For more information, please e-mail Professor Charles Guy at clguy@ufl.edu.

Register by 1/22/15 for UF Global Health Case Competition

The 2015 Global Health Case Competition invites University of Florida students from all disciplines and levels of study to apply for participation in this year’s event.

The GHCC is a multidisciplinary competition in which student teams present an innovative solution to a complex global health problem.

The online registration period runs from Wednesday, January 14, 2015 through Thursday, January 22, 2015. Qualified team members will be selected and the case presented at the kick-off event on Wednesday, January 28, 2015. Team members will have 48 hours to prepare a presentation that will be given at the day long competition on Saturday, January 31st.

Winning teams will be selected by a panel of expert judges and cash prizes will be given to the top three teams.

For more information on the event or to register as a participant or volunteer, click on this online link: http://www.ufic.ufl.edu/GHC/GHCaseCompetition.html.

We are currently seeking case writing volunteers.

GSAC Open House 1/27

Service Day 1/19 at Ashton Biological Preserve

U.S. Borlaug Summer Institute & Research Grant

From the Purdue Center for Global Food Security - CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

 U.S. Borlaug Summer Institute on Global Food Security
 Application Deadline: Monday, March 9, 2015

The U.S. Borlaug Fellows in Global Food Security Program will hold its fourth annual Summer Institute on Global Food Security Sunday, June 7- Saturday, June 20, 2015 on the campus of Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. This two-week learning program is for graduate students who are interested in developing a holistic understanding of the conceptual challenges around global food security with a focus on cross-disciplinary problem solving of real-world development challenges. Applicants must have completed at least one semester of graduate study and be enrolled in a U.S. institution at the time of application. U.S. citizenship is not required.

Applications and information on previous Summer Institutes are available at the program website.


U.S. Borlaug Fellows Graduate Research Grant
Application Deadline: Monday, April 13, 2015

The U.S. Borlaug Fellows in Global Food Security graduate research grant supports exceptional graduate students who are interested in developing a component of their graduate research in a developing country setting and in collaboration with a mentor from an International Agricultural Research Center (IARC) or a qualifying National Agricultural Research System (NARS) unit. U.S. citizenship is required, and applicants must be enrolled in an accredited U.S. graduate program at the time of application. A list of previous recipients is here.

Applications are available at the program website.

Questions may be sent to borlaugfellows@purdue.edu.

Florida Crystals Irrigation Research position

Florida Crystals is looking for a recent B.S. or M.S. graduate for a new position in irrigation management in the Everglades Agriculture Area with them. Traditionally sugarcane has been cultivated using seepage irrigation, but they are now interested in expanding overhead and drip systems, both on organic and sandy soils. This would be an excellent opportunity for someone with a solid ag background, and they are willing to come to GNV to interview. If interested contact Jorge Bastanzuri directly.

Jorge.Bastanzuri@FloridaCrystals.com

Scholarly Communications Workshops – Spring 2015

The following scholarly communications workshops will be offered in Library West Room 212 and online via Adobe Connect. Registration at least 24 hours in advance is REQUIRED for online workshops. Registration is requested, but not required, for in person workshops. Register at http://apps.uflib.ufl.edu/Registration/public_workshops_scheduled.aspx.

For more information, contact Christine Fruin at christine.ross@ufl.edu or (352) 273-2710

Copyright for Online Teaching
Whether you are preparing an online course for UF students or getting ready to launch a course through Coursera, this workshop will assist faculty, instructional designers and others in navigating the copyright issues that arise when delivering course content online. The workshop will cover the law of fair use and the various alternatives available to delivering copyrighted content through the eLearning and Coursera platforms. Special focus will be on incorporating images, audio, and video in online courses. 

Library West 212: January 14, 2015 11:45-12:45
Online (Adobe Connect): January 15, 10:30-11:30

How to Use the IR@UF: Uploading Content and Rights Management (with Christy Shorey, IR Manager)

The Institutional Repository (IR@UF) is a library sponsored digital archive for the scholarly works generated at the University of Florida by faculty, staff and students. This workshop will introduce the kinds of materials housed in IR@UF and demonstrate the process for uploading content into the IR via the self-submittal tool. Further, this workshop will explain the use and application of the new rights management statements incorporated into the IR@UF as well as UF’s greater Digital Library. Usage of appropriate rights management statements better inform users of UF’s digital collections of the copyright status of items that have been uploaded and shared as well as inform uses as to how that content may be reused.

Library West 212: January 30, 1:30-3:00

Sharing Scholarship and Reaching Research: Open Access 101
Traditionally, scholarly research has been available only through expensive journal subscriptions. However, the open access movement promotes that high quality, peer-reviewed research and journals should be available to everyone online for free immediately after publication. In this workshop, participants will learn more about the ideals of open access, the major statements of open access, the varieties of open access, and legislation for public access to federally funded research. This workshop is for anyone at UF who has never heard of or knows very little about the open access initiative and wishes to learn more.

Library West 212: February 24th 11:45-12:45
Online (Adobe Connect): February 26th 11:45-12:45

Copyright Essentials for the Graduate Researcher
Working on your thesis or dissertation and including copyrighted works of others in your paper? Confused about the publication and deposit options available to you for your dissertation and wondering what impact these options will have on later publication of your work? This workshop will answer these common copyright questions that graduate students encounter as they write and prepare to publish their own thesis or dissertation. This workshop is a must for all graduate students working on a thesis or dissertation!

Library West 212: April 8th 11:45 – 12:45
Online (Adobe Connect): April 9th 10:30-11:30

Reminder...Travel Grant Applications Open!

The UF Graduate Student Council (GSC) is now accepting travel grant applications for travel during these dates:
(1) Domestic travel from February 15, 2015 through March 14, 2015.
(2) International travel from March 1, 2015 through April 30, 2015.
The application is available on the GSC Grants website at ufgsc.org under the Grants page. The deadline for grant applications is December 31 for both domestic and international travel. Applications submitted late or in the incorrect application window will be denied.

http://ufgsc.org/index.html

Please remember the following when applying for travel grants:

(1) A representative of your department must attend all GSC general body meetings, the dates of which may be found here: gsc.sg.ufl.edu
(2) No purchase made on a department PCard may be reimbursed by a GSC travel grant.
(3) Funding is not guaranteed, and awards are made on a competitive basis. For information regarding application evaluation criteria, please our webpage: http://ufgsc.org/faqs.html
(4) Applications submitted late or in the incorrect application window will be denied.

Please email questions to gscgrants@gmail.com.

CALS Career Expo – Jan. 28

 Jan. 28, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., J. Wayne Reitz Union, Grand Ballroom

Students can expect to find opportunities for both internships and full-time employment at the CALS Career Expo. In addition, students will find representatives from several UF professional and graduate schools. All students are encouraged to attend, from freshmen exploring career options and internships to seniors and masters’ students seeking permanent employment. Business casual or business professional dress is preferred. Visit www.cals.ufl.edu/careerexpo for preparation tips and a list of participating employers/organizations.

Resume CD -- CALS students are invited to submit their resumes for a CD that will be distributed to all registered employers. This is not a substitute for attending the CALS Career Expo, but is intended as an additional way to get your name in front of recruiters. Resumes should be no more than two pages and must be emailed to chcarr@ufl.edu by Jan. 15 in Word of PDF format. Emailing your resume for inclusion on the CD indicates permission to share it with registered employers. Students who need assistance with their resumes can visit the CRC Library (J. Wayne Reitz Union) on weekdays between 9 am and 4 pm or request a career planning appointment.

Apply for a 2015-2016 CALS Scholarship

The CALS graduate student scholarship application is available at http://cals.ufl.edu/students/graduate-travel-awards.php. Completed packets should be dropped off in 2002 McCarty Hall D no later than April 15.

 All ABE graduate students are eligible for these scholarships.

Delegates wanted for Global Food Security Symposium

The Chicago Council on Global Affairs is accepting applications from students to participate in the Global Food Security Symposium 2015 Next Generation Delegation. The deadline for applications is January 15, 2015.

This is a wonderful opportunity for undergraduate (3rd-4th year) and graduate students who may be interested in participating in Washington, DC on April 16, 2015. More details regarding the meeting and application process are provided below and on The Chicago Council on Global Affairs website:
 Global Food Security Symposium 2015

AWIS Meeting 1/8/15

For anybody interested in becoming a member of the Association for Women in Science (AWIS), the local chapter is having a meeting this Thursday near downtown Gainesville. This is a great opportunity to get to know the local women in science involved in the community. Remember, membership to AWIS is now free for UF students !

January Meeting:

Our next meeting will be held this Thursday, January 8th, from 5:30-6:30pm at the Santa Fe CIED Center located at 530 West University Avenue. This is our new location for 2015, and is conveniently located on the corner of University Ave. and 6th street.

This month's meeting will feature an excellent talk by Catherine Schein from the Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution (Ffame) about "21st Century Plagues". Nominations for AWIS Leadership board positions will be finalized at this time.

There will be a Networking Social immediately following the meeting at Half Cork'd located a few blocks from the CIED Center at 116 Southeast 1 Street, Gainesville, FL 32601. Come have a chance to relax and socialize with other AWIS members!

Peace Corps Now at UF

The International Center is pleased to announce Bobbi Stienmetz as the new University of Florida (UF) Peace Corps campus-based recruiter. Ms. Stienmetz is a counselor by training and worked extensively with youth in Costa Rica where she served as a Peace Corps volunteer from 2006-2008. She joins the UFIC team in order to continue advancing the global competency of UF campus.

Graduate students are encouraged to visit Bobbi and learn about how to enrich their career and academics by incorporating overseas service after graduation.

As the preeminent international service organization of the United States, the Peace Corps sends Americans abroad to tackle the most pressing needs of people around the world. Peace Corps Volunteers work at the grassroots level toward sustainable change that lives on long after their service—at the same time becoming global citizens and serving their country. When they return home, Volunteers bring their knowledge and experiences—and a global outlook—that enriches the lives of those around them.

The UF Peace Corps office is located at the UF International Center in the Hub (1765 Stadium Road, Suite 170). Bobbi will be on campus Tuesday through Thursday (9am-4pm), and will have office hours Tuesdays from 10am-12 noon, and by appointment. To contact Bobbi, please call 352-294-2267 or peacecorps@ufic.ufl.edu To learn more: peacecorps@ufic.ufl.edu and www.peacecorps.gov

Training-of-Trainers workshop series