Education Office Seeks Hosts for Summer 2010 Interns

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(Photo credit: NOAA.)

NOAA's Office of Education is seeking NOAA offices and programs nationwide to host undergraduate scholarship recipients in the Educational Partnership Program and Hollings Scholarship Program. Internship opportunities are sought for 150 scholarship recipients to participate in a 10-week Office of Education paid internship in NOAA mission-related research, technological, policy, management and education activities starting June 1, 2010.

Host offices are requested to identify a project that the undergraduate scholar can complete within a 10-week timeframe. To access the on-line Student Scholarship Internship Opportunity form, go to https://ssio.iso.noaa.gov or to http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/Hollings_info.html or http://www.epp.noaa.gov and click on the Student Scholarship Internship Opportunity. Potential mentors are asked to complete the form as soon as possible because the scholars will seek summer internship positions starting October 13 through March 31, 2010. NOAA's undergraduate scholarship programs help realize the vision and achieve the goals of NOAA's Strategic Plan and support NOAA's priority of promoting environmental literacy.

For assistance in hosting an undergraduate scholar please contact the NOAA Office of Education, Student Scholarship Programs, at 1315 East-West Highway, Room 10703, Silver Spring, Md. 20910 or e-mail StudentScholarshipPrograms@noaa.gov.

Interim NOAA Ocean Policy Report Released

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(Photo credit: White House CEQ)

Senior officials of President Obama’s Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, including NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco, released their Interim Report to the President on Sept. 17.

The report provides proposals for the first-ever, comprehensive national approach to uphold the nation’s stewardship responsibilities and to ensure accountability for our actions regarding ocean issues. It includes recommendations for a national policy, an improved governance structure and actions for implementation.

“Our concerted efforts over the past three months and the recommendations in this report say loudly and clearly that healthy oceans matter,” said Dr. Lubchenco. “They matter because they are vital to our individual and national prosperity, our health, our security and our quality of life.”

The full report is available online for public review and comments by October 17.

World Climate Conference-3 Agrees to Establish Global Framework

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(Photo credit: With permission from Eric Bridiers, U.S. Mission.)

On Sept. 3, delegates to the World Climate Conference-3 in Geneva reached an agreement to establish a roadmap for developing and delivering objective, authoritative and reliable climate information to users when and how they need it. The so-called Global Framework for Climate Services will facilitate international cooperation to disseminate critical climate information.

More than 150 countries participated in the conference, with representatives from nearly every socioeconomic sector:  environment, food and agriculture, water, health, disaster preparedness, tourism and energy. Approximately 20 heads of state, 60 ministers and 2,300 experts participated. The U.S. delegation, lead by NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco, represented eight agencies, the White House and the U.S. Senate.

Fish-Killing Toxin Might One Day Treat Cancer

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(Photo credit: NOAA)

Preliminary research conducted by NOAA and the Dept. of Agriculture has indicated that a powerful fish-killing toxin, known as euglenophycin, has a molecular structure similar to a toxin from fire ant venom known to inhibit tumor development.  Previous laboratory tests have shown that euglenophycin is capable of significantly decreasing cancer cell growth and killing cancer cells. The collaborative research, published in the July 15 online issue of Toxicon, was led by NOAA chemist Peter Moeller and USDA microbiologist Paul V. Zimba.