SEB Bulletin March 2005
2nd Postgraduate Science Communication Bursary
The Society is offering a bursary for a postgraduate student to gain 4 weeks' training in its Education & Public Affairs (EPA) Office during the period 20 June to 15 July 2005. The placement will be suitable for a postgraduate student who is seeking a career in science journalism, scientific administration, or as a publicity officer. Applicants with some experience of non-academic science writing will be given priority. Working under the guidance of the EPA officer, the main activities will be:
4 weeks' experience with the EPA office in Lancaster (3 weeks) and at our Annual Main Meeting (1 week). Accommodation and travel costs are included in the bursary.
To write press releases for the SEB's Annual Main Meeting in advance of the Meeting (11 - 15 July). You will be expected to review the meeting abstracts, talk to session convenors and interview speakers in order to produce interesting, eyecatching press notices.
To send out the press releases to the media using Alphagalileo and email.
To act as a communications officer at the Meeting. To attend talks and visit posters to write additional news for release during the meeting, meet visiting journalists, organise interviews etc.
To assist with the EPA Programme of events.
To write an overview article on a topic presented at the meeting for the SEB's news bulletin.
To write a short post-meeting report.
To register your interest for the post please email the EPA officer with your CV and why you are applying: s.blackford@lancaster.ac.uk.
Closing date: 22 April 2005
Obituary for Professor A G Morton (1910 - 2003)
We have recently been informed of the death, in 2003, of a former long-standing member of the Society, Professor Alan Gilbert Morton. Amongst the many achievements in his life, Professor Morton was Head of the Plant Physiology Laboratory at Akers Research Laboratories (ICI), Reader and Head of the Botany Department at Chelsea College of Science and Technology, becoming Professor of Botany in 1966 when Chelsea became a constituent college of London University. In 1970, he became a Fellow of the Institute of Biology and in 1971, Senior Editor of Transactions of the British Mycological Society. When he retired from Chelsea in 1973, he was given the title of Emeritus Professor.
After this he moved to Edinburgh where he devoted his time to editing the TBMS and to writing. In 1981 he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
Professor Morton died on 19th March 2003, after a short illness, leaving three children, John, David and Alison, and five grandchildren.
The SEB has made a recent decision to introduce a new rate for our early-career scientists. It has been noted that a jump from £10 to £45 (student to full rate) is a little hard on the pockets of some junior postdocs so we are now offering a rate of £25 for a period of three years postgraduation.
If you are a new postdoc or you know of any postdocs in your lab who would like to take advantage of this new rate let them know.
They can join us on-line via our website and will receive all of our benefits including access to travel grants, our e-newsletter and a discounted registration fee for SEB meetings.
