February 2013 Edition

Statistical Outreach & News 

ACROSS THE BOARD FEDERAL BUDGET CUTS IMMINENT

The across the board federal budget cuts delayed by the New Year’s deal, The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, are set to take effect at the end of this month. The 6% cuts will result in significant reductions to the number of grants NIH and NSF can fund. NSF estimates 1000 fewer research grants in fiscal year 2013. The federal statistical agencies will also be significantly impacted. The ASA is still asking members to communicate to their U.S. Senators and Representative the importance of the budgets for the NIH, NSF and the federal statistical agencies. For more information, see the following ASA Community blog entries and the links therein: 12/5/12 and 1/10/13.

To receive updates about ASA science policy activities or news, follow us on Twitter: @ASA_SciPol. See recent Tweets at http://www.amstat.org/policy/.

Meetings, Education, & Events

ASA CONFERENCE ON STATISTICALS PRACTICE– New Orleans, LA – February 21–23

Join us for the Conference on Statistical Practice, where you can look forward to short courses, tutorials, concurrent sessions, exhibits, and practical computing expos. This year’s conference will be held in the heart of New Orleans. Pre-registration is closed, but you can still register onsite beginning Thursday, February 21, at 7 a.m.

MAXIMIZING THE USE OF SAS PROC TABULATE - Webinar – February 27

This webinar explores core syntax options for up to 26 key summary table structures, including mixing both continuous and categorical data with ODS. By applying the simple SAS examples provided throughout the webinar, you can master SAS Proc Tabulate in your daily programming environment. Each participant receives the companion SAS e-guide. Register.

2013 CONFERENCE OF TEXAS STATISTICIANS – Rice University – March 22–23

This conference affords Texas statisticians the opportunity for social and intellectual exchange on a yearly basis. It also stimulates increased chapter membership and visibility of the statistical profession in Texas. There will be a student poster competition with cash prizes of $500 for 1st place, $200 for 2nd place, and $100 for 3rd place. Students are encouraged to attend and submit a poster.

CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY SYMPOSIUM ON BIG DATA AND ANALYTICS: 44TH SYMPOSIUM ON THE INTERFACE OF COMPUTING SCIENCE AND STATISTICS – Chapman University – April 4–6

This joint Chapman-Interface symposium welcomes scientific contributions dealing with Big Data to advance core scientific and technological means of managing, analyzing, visualizing, and extracting useful information from large and diverse data sets.

THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA 6th ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON STATISTICAL ISSUES IN CLINICAL TRIALS: DYNAMIC TREATMENT – Philadelphia, Pa – april 17

The 2013 conference will bring together leading scientists, who will make presentations and lead open discussions about state-of-the-art and developing methods in new designs for evaluating treatment strategies when regular time-varying adaptive changes in treatment are expected. People from academic institutions, industry, and governmental agencies with an interest in contributing to these discussions are encouraged to register. Registration ­deadline is April 4. For further information, contact Marissa Fox at (215) 573-2728.

CHICAGO CHAPTER WORKSHOP: PROBABILITY MODELS FOR CUSTOMER ANALYTICS – Northwestern University – April 26

This workshop, presented by Peter S. Fader and Bruce Hardie, aims to bring practitioners up to speed on the basic methods that may underlie many of their current or future research activities. The program will benefit all analytics professionals, as well as more senior managers who want to gain a firmer grip on these concepts and methods. For more information and to register, visit the website.

DELEGATION TO CUBA – May 19–24

The ASA is organizing a delegation to Cuba to develop an improved understanding of the roles played by statistics and statisticians in Cuba in academe, business, and government, as well as the efforts under way to train statisticians and build capacity for the profession. 2013 ASA President Marie Davidian will lead the delegation. Participants will learn about how statisticians are trained in Cuba and share information about statistical work force development in the United States. Please RSVP to Professionals Abroad or (877) 298-9677.

7th INTERNATIONAL TOTAL SURVEY ERROR WORKSHOP (ITSEW 2013)-Ames, IA – June 2-4

ITSEW is an annual workshop to discuss emerging research on multiple survey errors. Topics focus on research that explores or analyzes the trade-offs of two or more sources of survey error within the context of relatively recent methodological or statistical approaches. The 7th ITSEW will take place fromJune 2–4 at the Gateway Hotel in Ames, Iowa, near the Iowa State University campus. For more information, visit http://www.stat.iastate.edu/itsew2013.

30TH ANNUAL QUALITY AND PRODUCTIVITY RESEARCH CONFERENCE – Niskayuna, NY – June 4–7

The goal of the QPRC is to stimulate interdisciplinary research among statisticians, scientists, and engineers in quality and productivity, industrial needs, and the physical and engineering sciences. Statistical issues and research approaches drawn from collaborative research will be highlighted. The conference will be held at GE Global Research Headquarters. Please visit our website for program and registration information.

2013 GRAYBILL CONFERENCE – Colorado State University – June 9–11

The Department of Statistics at Colorado State University will host Graybill 2013: Modern Survey Statistics in Fort Collins. The conference program consists of a short course, 26 invited plenary talks, and a contributed poster session focusing on new developments in survey statistics and related areas.

JSM 2013 – Montréal, Québec, Canada – August 3–8

This year’s meetings will celebrate the International Year of Statistics. Learn more about Montréal’s European charm and extensive cultural happenings. Registration and housing will open May 1. In an effort to accommodate recent developments of great interest in which statistical issues are relevant, there are two invited session slots reserved for late-breaking issues, and any member of the sponsoring organizations or partner societies can propose such a session. Propose your late-breaking session today!

RSS 2013 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE – Newcastle, UK – September 2–5

Submissions for contributed talks and posters are welcomed for the Royal Statistical Society’s International Conference this September. The deadline for submissions is March 25. The conference will include keynote speakers, invited sessions, professional development workshops, and networking opportunities, as well as the society’s annual awards ceremony.

2013 ASA BIOPHARMACEUTICAL SECTION FDA-INDUSTRY STATISTICS WORKSHOP – Washington, DC – September 16–18

The 2013 FDA-Industry Statistics workshop will be held September 16–18 in Washington, DC. Roundtable discussions will take place during lunch on September 17. Each table will accommodate 8–10 participants. Roundtable discussion topic proposals will be accepted through March 1.

2013 FCSM RESEARCH CONFERENCE – Washington, DC – November 4–6

Abstract submission for the 2013 Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology (FCSM) Research Conference will be open until April 8. The conference provides a forum for experts from around the world to discuss and exchange current research and methodological topics relevant to statistical programs.

EVENTS CALENDAR

Statistical events are happening around the country and the globe. View our Upcoming Events Calendar.

Off the Press

AMSTAT NEWS

2012 SALARY SURVEY OF BIOSTATISTICS AND OTHER BIOMEDICAL STATISTICS DEPARTMENTS AND UNITS

The results from the fall 2012 Salary Survey of Biostatistics and Other Biomedical Statistics Departments and Units are now in! Read more.

SIGNIFICANCE MAGAZINE ONLINE WEB EXCLUSIVES

LANCE ARMSTRONG, OPRAH, SEVEN IN A ROW, AND THE WEATHER: WHEN SHOULD WE GET SUSPICIOUS

After Lance Armstrong’s stunning confession about how he actually won seven consecutive Tour De France competitions, this article explores the possibilities of one’s chances of actually winning seven tours without doping and gives an interesting view of the history of winners compared to Armstrong. Read more.

Read more web exclusives from Significance. 

TECHNOMETRICS CALL FOR PAPERS

The Editor-elect of Technometrics is organizing a special issue on system informatics. The issue is scheduled to appear in February 2015. Find out more. 

Member Opportunities

GIVE THE GIFT OF SIGNIFICANCE TO YOUR LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL!

Help your local high school introduce the power of statistics to our children through a tax-deductible gift subscription to Significance magazine. Significance articles are nontechnical, appealing to everyone interested in statistics and the analysis and interpretation of data. The magazine communicates and demonstrates, in an entertaining and thought-provoking way, the practical use of statistics in all walks of life and shows how statistics benefit society. Provide your local high school with a subscription today.

SCHOLASTIC CHALLENGE OFFERS NEW RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS

An educational resource for students or anyone wanting to learn more about stochastic processes may be found at www.stochasticchallenge.org with social presence on www.facebook.com/stochasticchallenge. It was developed as part of an NSF-TUES grant and contains an online encyclopedia, video tutorials, and calculators for common calculations.

CALL FOR CONTRIBUTED PAPERS AND POSTERS: 6TH ANNUAL INNOVATIONS IN DESIGN, ANALYSIS, AND DISSEMINATION: FRONTIERS IN BIOSTATISTICAL METHODS

Cerner Corporation, the Kansas-Western Missouri Chapter of the American Statistical Association, and the University of Kansas Medical Center Department of Biostatistics are cosponsoring this conference, to be held April 18–19 on the campus of Cerner Corporation in Kansas City, Missouri. The deadline for abstracts for contributed oral presentations is March 1, and the deadline for abstracts for contributed poster presentations is April 10. For more information, visit http://community.amstat.org/KWMChapter/AnnualSymposium.

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE TO THE ASA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The ASA solicits nominations for candidates for International Representative to the Board of Directors. Nominees must reside outside the United States and have been members of the ASA continuously since January 1, 2009. Please send your suggestions to Pam Craven.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS IN IMMIGRATION RESEARCH

The National Center for Border Security and Immigration (BORDERS), headquartered at the University of Arizona, is pleased to announce a competitive research opportunity to address current challenges in immigration studies. Each project will be funded at approximately $100,000. The performance period is one year and will begin on June 1. Proposals are due March 1. This effort, sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of University Programs, invites qualified researchers to propose projects that will provide DHS stakeholders, policymakers, and the public with contemporary and innovative research that addresses current research challenges in immigration studies. View the full RFP and application materials.

SPAIG COMMITTEE WANTS TO KNOW YOUR SALARY 

The SPAIG committee of the ASA will be conducting the biannual salary survey of members employed with business, industry, and government (B/I/G). As in the past, the premise of this survey is that there is no other salary information for this or a comparable group. The ASA has contracted with Georgia Regents University’s Biostatistics Consulting and Survey Center to conduct the survey. An invitation to participate will be emailed in a few weeks to B/I/G ASA members. If you have any comments or suggestions for the survey, please contact SPAIG committee chair Barry Nussbaum or GRU-BCSC director James Dias as soon as possible.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY SUMMER RESEARCH PROGRAM FOR MSIS

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is offering faculty and students at minority-serving institutions an opportunity to participate in a 10-week summer research team experience at university-based DHS centers of excellence as part of its DHS Summer Research Program for Minority Serving Institutions. At the end of the summer, faculty participants are encouraged to apply for up to $50,000 in funding to continue the research collaboration at their home academic institutions during the following academic year. More information, including eligibility guidelines and application forms, can be found at http://www.orau.gov/dhseducation/faculty/index.html.

2013 POSTER AND PROJECT COMPETITIONS

Introduce K–12 students to statistics through the annual poster and project competitions directed by the ASA/NCTM Joint Committee on Curriculum in Statistics and Probability. The competitions offer opportunities for students to formulate questions and collect, analyze, and draw conclusions from data. Winners will be recognized with plaques, cash prizes, certificates, and calculators, and their names will be published in Amstat News. Posters (grades K–12) are due every year on April 1. Projects (grades 7–12) are due on June 1. For more information, visit www.amstat.org/education/posterprojects.

INFORM NEW ACTIVITIES, PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT K–16 MATHEMATICS, STATISTICS EDUCATION

The National Science Foundation (NSF), in cooperation with the U.S Department of Education, is interested in input that can inform new activities and programs to support and improve K–16 mathematics education.The working group is viewing mathematics to broadly include pure and applied math, statistics, and the computational sciences. For more information and to provide input regarding K–16 mathematics and statistics education, see the NSF Dear Colleague letter and survey.

ASA ACCREDITATION PROGRAM CONTINUES TO GROW

ASA accreditation is a portfolio-based credential available to only ASA members. It is completely voluntary and intended for those who think such a credential would be meaningful in their professional lives. Benefits include free LearnStat on Demand access, a 20% discount on regular Continuing Education courses, and special recognition. The ASA would like to congratulate the following newly accredited members for the month of January: Bhojnarine Rambharat of Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and Yufan Zhao of Boston Scientific Neuromodulation. View the full list of accredited members.

AWARDS, FELLOWSHIPS, & CONTESTS

ASA AWARDS AND DEADLINES –Deadline: Various

INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF STATISTICS: VIDEO CONTEST  – Deadline: February 28

CAUSALITY IN STATISTICS EDUCATION AWARD – Deadline: February 28

THE KARL PEARSON PRIZE – Deadline: March 10

2013 MU SIGMA RHO WILLIAM D. WARDE STATISTICAL EDUCATION AWARD – Deadline: March 18

2013 ZELLNER AWARD COMPETITION – Deadline: March 31

ROGER HERRIOT AWARD – Deadline: April 1

JEANNE E. GRIFFITH MENTORING AWARD – Deadline: April 5