ASA Member News Archive
ASA Member News April 2013
April 2013 Edition
Statistical Outreach & News
FY13 BUDGET FINALIZED: 2%–8% CUTS FOR NIH, NSF, MOST FEDERAL STATISTICAL AGENCIES
Six months into the fiscal year, Congress finalized the FY13 budget for the federal government. Most agencies were cut by at least the sequestration amount of 5.1%. The NIH and NSF cuts were less—4% and 2%, respectively—because they were given additional funding. The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) received a 5% increase for its quinquennial Census of Agriculture, but NASS will still have to suspend 10 programs for FY13. The U.S. Census Bureau, with an 8% cut, also will have to make significant cuts since it is ramping up its 2020 decennial census work and is at the peak of its quinquennial Economic Census cycle. See more on the FY13 budgets at these three ASA Community blog entries: FY13 NSF and NIH Budget Developments, FY13 Statistical Agency Budget Developments, and Sequestration Impacts on NSF, NIH, and Statistical Agencies.
PRESIDENT’S FY14 BUDGET REQUEST FOR NSF, NIH, AND STATISTICAL AGENCIES SEEKS INCREASES THAT GO BEYOND RESTORING FY13 BUDGET CUTS
The president’s FY14 budget request contained good news for NIH, NSF, and the statistical agencies. For the most part, the budget proposed increases that went beyond the FY13 budget cuts. If enacted, NIH would see a 7% increase over FY13 and NSF would see an 11% increase. Many statistical agencies are seeing requested double-digit percentage increases. The Energy Information Administration, for example, has a requested increase of 18%, and the Bureau of Economic Analysis, 10%. The road toward realizing these increases will be difficult, and recent experience suggests the FY14 budget won’t be decided until well after the start of the fiscal year on October 1. See these ASA Community blog entries, FY14 NSF and NIH Budget Request and FY14 Statistical Agency Budget Request, for more information and watch Amstat News for a more in-depth discussion of the FY13 and FY14 budgets.
WHITE HOUSE SCIENCE ADVISOR ISSUES MEMORANDUM ON PUBLIC ACCESS TO RESEARCH FINDINGS; CONGRESS ALSO LOOKING AT THE DATA-SHARING COMPONENT
A recent memo from White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Director John Holdren to the heads of all executive departments and agencies laid out new guidance to make federally funded research and data more accessible to the public. The six-page document "directed federal agencies with more than $100M in R&D expenditures to develop plans to make the published results of federally funded research freely available to the public within one year of publication and requiring researchers to better account for and manage the digital data resulting from federally funded scientific research." In early March, a House science committee panel held a hearing on data sharing. Read more about both at this ASA Community blog entry.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY FOR UNCERTAINTY QUANTIFICATION METHODOLOGIES FOR ENABLING EXTREME-SCALE SCIENCE
The Department of Energy Office of Science just announced a funding opportunity for uncertainty quantification methodologies for enabling extreme-scale science with pre-applications required and due April 24. The funding opportunity announcement (FOA) summary states they invite "applications for basic mathematical, statistical, and computational research that significantly advances uncertainty quantification methodologies for enabling extreme-scale science." For more information, see this ASA Community blog entry.
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
CHICAGO CHAPTER WORKSHOP: PROBABILITY MODELS FOR CUSTOMER ANALYTICS - Northwestern University, Chicago, IL - 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.
THE UNITED STATES CONFERENCE ON TEACHING STATISTICS (USCOTS) - Raleigh-Durhman, NC - May 16-18
This conference was designed to model good teaching in its sessions, social activities, and hallways. As with previous USCOTS, it will consist of plenary sessions, hands-on breakout sessions, and “poster and beyond” sessions for participants to share and demonstrate their own teaching and learning innovations. The conference banquet, hosted by SAS on their nearby campus, will feature statistical “edutainment.” This is a fun, interactive conference at which you will have the opportunity to meet other statistics teachers from a wide range of institutions. Register today.
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.
PHARMACEUTICAL & REGULATORY SCIENCE WORKSHOP: REVITALIZING THE CLINICAL TRIAL METHODOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL STATISTICS – Boston, MA – May 23–24
This workshop will focus on revitalizing clinical trial methodology and translational statistics and bringing together experts from academia, industry, and government agencies to discuss how to improve current statistical and regulatory practice for optimizing drug development and approval. A more detailed description of the workshop and registration information can be found on the workshop website. On May 24 at 11:00 a.m., the workshop presentations will be followed by the annual Marvin Zelen Leadership Award Lecture. This annual award was established to honor Marvin Zelen's long and distinguished career as a statistician and his major role in shaping the field of biostatistics. This year’s award recipient is John J. Crowley, president and CEO of Cancer Research and Biostatistics (CRAB). You also are invited to the luncheon at 12:00 p.m., following the lecture. Detailed information about the award is available.
7th INTERNATIONAL TOTAL SURVEY ERROR WORKSHOP – 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. Early registration is now open.
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, Fort Collins, CO – 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. Online registration is available until June 2.
JSM 2013 – Montréal, Québec, Canada – August 3–8
This year’s meetings will celebrate the International Year of Statistics. Statistician Nate Silver, the founder of the award-winning FiveThirtyEight.com political website, will be the President's Invited Address speaker. Registration and housing will open May 1. Visit the JSM website often for deadlines and updates.
RSS 2013 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE – Newcastle, UK – September 2–5
Registration is now open for the Royal Statistical Society’s International Conference this September. The early registration deadline is May 31. Information about registration can be found here at www.rssconference.org.uk/registration.The conference will include the usual mix of keynote speakers, invited sessions, professional development workshops, and networking opportunities, as well as the society’s annual awards ceremony. The draft program can be viewed at www.rssconference.org.uk/programme.
ASA BIOPHARMACEUTICAL SECTION FDA-INDUSTRY STATISTICS WORKSHOP – Washington, DC – September 16–18
The ASA Biopharmaceutical Section FDA-Industry Statistics Workshop is sponsored by the ASA Biopharmaceutical Section in cooperation with the FDA Statistical Association. Each year, the conference offers two days of invited sessions co-chaired by statisticians from industry, academia, and the FDA. In addition, short courses on related topics are offered the day prior to the workshop. Conference attendance will be limited to 800 participants. Make sure to check the website for updates and deadlines.
10TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON HEALTH POLICY STATISTICS - Chicago, IL – October 9–11
ICHPS provides a unique forum for discussing research needs and solutions to the methodological challenges in the design of studies and analysis of data for health policy research. A limited number of travel awards are available to students who are presenting a talk or poster as part of the conference program. For further information about how to apply for one of these travel awards, visit the website. Application deadline is May 15.
2013 FCSM RESEARCH CONFERENCE – Washington, DC – November 4–6
The 2013 Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology (FCSM) Research Conference will provide a forum for experts from around the world to discuss and exchange current research and methodological topics relevant to statistical programs.
2014 ASA CONFERENCE ON STATISTICAL PRACTICE – Tampa, FL – February 20-22, 2014
Statistical Practice 2014 will bring together hundreds of statistical practitioners—including data analysts, researchers, and scientists—who engage in the application of statistics to solve real-world problems on a daily basis. The conference will provide an opportunity to learn about the latest statistical methodologies and best practices in statistical design, analysis, programming, and consulting. Do you have a full or half-day short course or a two-hour tutorial you would like to teach? Proposals touching on any one of four broad themes are being accepted until May 13.
EVENTS CALENDAR
Statistical events are happening around the country and the globe. View our Upcoming Events Calendar.
Off the Press
AMSTAT NEWS
RECOGNIZING THE ASA’S LONGTIME MEMBERS
The American Statistical Association would like to thank its longtime members by continuing its tradition of honoring those who joined the association 35 or more years ago. This year, we recognize a number of members for their distinguished and faithful membership. Read more.
SIGNIFICANCE MAGAZINE ONLINE WEB EXCLUSIVES
MARGARET THATCHER: PRIME MINISTER WHO TOOK SCIENCE SERIOUSLY
Margaret Thatcher was prime minister of Great Britain from 1979 to 1990. A controversial figure, her life and career will doubtless be reported at greater length in many other outlets. But, here, we should record one important fact about her: She had a degree in chemistry from Oxford. She was Britain’s first woman prime minister. She also was our first, and so far only, prime minister whose initial training was in science. Read more.
Read more web exclusives from Significance.
ASA & SIAM LAUNCH JOURNAL ON UNCERTAINTY QUANTIFICATION
The newest journal from the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics and the American Statistical Association, the SIAM/ASA Journal on Uncertainty Quantification, launched on March 27. JUQ publishes research articles presenting significant mathematical, statistical, algorithmic, and application advances in uncertainty quantification, and is dedicated to nurturing synergistic interactions between these and related areas. Learn more and access the inaugural issue. Authors are encouraged to submit their uncertainty quantification work for publication consideration. ASA members will enjoy open access to this new journal throughout 2013.
INFORMATIONAL SLIDES ABOUT THE ASA
As part of its continuing efforts to keep members informed about the activities of the American Statistical Association, a set of informational slides have been developed on a set of eight important topics, including accreditation and continuing education. There is also a set of slides to help you understand how to use the slides (“How to use these In Reach presentations”). The slides have been developed and tested to be used “out of the box.” That is, the slides also include notes so the user can give a brief presentation on a topic without having much background on it. To download the slides, log in to ASA Members Only, click on the “My Volunteer Activities” tab, and then click on “Informational Slides about the ASA.” We hope you will use these slides to communicate to your local chapter, section, workplace, etc., about how the ASA promotes the practice and profession of statistics. As you use them, please send us feedback so we can make them better, and let us know what additional topics you would like to see.
Member Opportunities
INGenIOuS PROJECT TO THINK STRATEGICALLY ABOUT FUTURE MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS PROFESSIONALS
The increasingly complex scientific and social problems faced by the nation demand innovative solutions and require a work force that is trained to meet these challenges. To best position mathematics and statistics departments and students to meet 21st-century needs, the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) and the American Statistical Association (ASA), in partnership with the American Mathematical Society (AMS) and the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematicians (SIAM), are bringing together thought leaders to develop strategies for future investments in training at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Via the INGenIOuS project, we plan to establish a community of stakeholders from academic institutions, professional societies, government agencies, and industry to think strategically about enhancing recruitment, retention, and job placement in the mathematics and statistics communities. The INGenIOuS project, which is pending funding from the National Science Foundation, will be facilitated with a team from Knowinnovation. With a series of online activities, including live virtual panels and forum discussions, the project will culminate in the publication of six white papers and a three-day workshop at the ASA headquarters in the Washington, DC, area this July. Those interested in participating can sign up at www.ingeniousmathstat.org.
EDITOR SOUGHT FOR CHANCE MAGAZINE
Nominations and applications are being sought for the next editor of CHANCE magazine. Working with the editorial board and the ASA’s magazine staff, the editor will provide direction and vision for the magazine, which has been published by the ASA for more than 20 years. The editor’s term will be from 2014 to 2016. Along with a curriculum vitae and the names of two references, the applicants should provide a statement of vision for CHANCE. Nominations and applications should be submitted by June 24 to Megan Murphy, ASA communications manager, at megan@amstat.org.
CALL FOR PAPERS: STATISTICAL ANALYSIS AND DATA MINING
The emerging availability of Big Data in health care—ranging from genomics and clinical trials to observational data from administrative claims and electronic health records through social media—offers unprecedented opportunities to advance health care. This special issue seeks to capture the current state of the art in large-scale health care data sciences. We welcome contributions that focus on methodology for health care data and original research that demonstrates the application of statistics to problems in public health. For more information and to submit a paper, visit the website. Papers are due by July 1.
UPCOMING ASA WEBINARS
The ASA will hold various webinars during April, with topics ranging from “Design and Analysis of Studies of Health-Related Quality of Life” to “Mixed Models for Longitudinal Categorical Outcomes.” These web-based lectures are part of our Continuing Education offerings. For more information and to register, visit http://www.amstat.org/education/weblectures/index.cfm.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ASA MEMBERS TO PARTICIPATE IN NATIONAL LAB DAY
President Obama announced the establishment of National Lab Day, a nationwide movement to bring together stakeholders in communities of support where science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) professionals and teachers work together to provide high-quality, hands-on, discovery-based lab experiences for students. The ASA is participating in this program and offering ways for members to become involved in their communities. To learn more, visit the ASA-NLD resource page.
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.
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. View the full list of accredited members.
AWARDS, FELLOWSHIPS, & CONTESTS
ASA AWARDS AND DEADLINES –Deadline: Various
JANET L. NORWOOD AWARD – Deadline: June 28
Feedback, comments, or suggestions are welcome please email asamail@amstat.org with your ideas.