March 2011 Edition

Statistical Outreach & News

CONGRESS AND ADMINISTRATION CONSIDERING BUDGETS FOR TWO FISCAL YEARS 

As a recap on the status of the FY11 budgets, the federal government is operating on a continuing resolution (CR) through March 18. Under the CR, the federal government is (mostly) operating under its FY10 budget. As most know, the House has pledged to roll the FY11 budget back to the FY08 budget levels, creating the potential for huge cuts to science budgets. The House proposed its first round of cuts to reach the FY08 levels. Meanwhile, the president has been highlighting the importance of research investment as part of his broader innovation push. Links to FY11 and FY12 budget developments and related material. 

TWO SCIENCE POLICY COLUMNS THIS MONTH ADDRESS JOBS AND ECONOMIC GROWTH

In Stimulating Economic Growth Through Technological Advance, Gordon Reikard explores the connection between investment in technology and economic growth, a topic brought to the forefront by President Obama’s State of the Union address that focused on “winning the future” through investment in research, development, and technology. Reikard explains how research and development once dominated the contributions to technological advance and how information technology has become a greater influence in the last few decades.

In Putting Americans to Work: The Essential Role of Federal Labor Market Statistics, Andrew Reamer discusses why a strong federal statistics system is needed to enable labor market participants and policymakers to make well-informed decisions in today’s difficult job market. Reamer provides practical steps to address disconnections between labor market demand and supply that add to unemployment, underemployment, and unfilled jobs.

CREATE A VIDEO TO PROMOTE STATISTICS AND WIN CASH

Enter the 2011 ASA Promoting the Practice and Profession of Statistics Video Competition. Cash prizes will be awarded to the winning entries: First place: $1,000; Second place: $350; Third place: $150. The deadline for submission of videos is July 15. Winners will be announced at JSM 2011 in Miami Beach, Florida.  

U.S. CENSUS AT SCHOOL PROGRAM SEEKING CHAMPIONS

The ASA and Population Association of America launched the U.S. version of Census at School, an international classroom project that engages students in grades 4–12 in statistical problemsolving. This is a wonderful opportunity for statisticians and statistics educators to perform outreach in their communities. For more information about how you can get involved, email Martha Aliaga and copy Rebecca Nichols. 

Meetings, Education, & Events

NEW BIOPHARMACEUTICAL SECTION WEBINAR - March 24, 2011

Introduction to Bayesian Statistics will be presented by Dr. Joseph Ibrahim on Thursday, March 24, from noon to 2:00 p.m. Eastern time.

MEETING IN MEMORY OF JULIAN BESAG – Bristol, England – April 1–2, 2011

This two-day meeting will celebrate the life and work of the late Julian Besag. All are welcome to attend. There will be a memorial gathering for Besag on April 1, preceded by refreshments and followed by a reception and early evening dinner. A one-day scientific symposium covering some of the many areas of statistical science to which Julian made major contributions during his distinguished career will take place on April 2. Email for more information. 

KANSAS-WESTERN MISSOURI CHAPTER SYMPOSIUM AND SHORT COURSE – Kansas City, MO – April 7–8, 2011

The symposium Innovations in Design, Analysis, and Dissemination: Frontiers in Biostatistical Methods will take place at the Cerner Vision Center on Cerner Corporation’s World Headquarters campus in Kansas City, Missouri, April 7–8. The symposium will be preceded by the short course Regression Modeling Strategies, presented by Frank Harrell Jr. the morning of April 7.

WORKSHOP: REGRESSION MODELING WITH MANY CORRELATED PREDICTORS – Chicago, IL – April 8, 2011

To be presented by Jay Magidson of Statistical Innovations and Tony Babinec of AB Analytics on April 8 at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois. This workshop is sponsored by the Chicago Chapter of the American Statistical Association. Register.

CONFERENCE ON STATISTICAL ISSUES IN CLINICAL TRIALS – Philadelphia, PA – April 13, 2011

The University of Pennsylvania Annual Conference on Statistical Issues in Clinical Trials will take place on April 13, bringing together leading scientists who will make presentations and lead open discussions about state-of-the-art and developing methods. The topic will be Emerging Statistical Issues in the Conduct and Monitoring of Clinical Trials. Participants from academic institutions, industry, and governmental agencies with an interest in contributing to these discussions are encouraged to register. Email for more information. 

SHORT COURSE: BAYESIAN INFERENCE, PREDICTION, AND DECISION MAKING II – San Francisco, CA – April 16, 2011

This short course to be presented by David Draper on April 16 at the Airport Marriott Waterfront in San Francisco, California. This event is sponsored by the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the ASA.

NEW WEBINAR FROM THE QUALITY AND PRODUCTIVITY SECTION - April, 21, 2011

Graphical Analysis of Designed Experiments will be presented by Veronica Czitrom on April 21.

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR PUBLIC OPINION RESEARCH (AAPOR) 66TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE - Phoenix, AZ - May 12-15, 2011

Register today for AAPOR’s 66th Annual Conference at the Arizona Grand Hotel in Phoenix. This year’s theme is Public Perception and Societal Conflict. Join us for, cutting-edge short courses and four days of provocative sessions; distinguished speakers; presentations that span survey methodology, election polling, the social sciences, and the conference theme; networking and social opportunities; and an exhibit hall featuring the leading organizations in the industry.

13th BIENNIAL CDC SYMPOSIUM ON STATISTICAL METHODS – Decatur, GA - May 24–25, 2011

Statisticians, social and behavioral scientists, epidemiologists, economists, policy analysts, and other health researchers are invited to participate in the 13th Biennial Symposium on Statistical Methods, to be held at the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Decatur, Georgia, May 24–25. The symposium is sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Statistical Association. Registration is open. Register now. 

THE GRAYBILL CONFERENCE ON MODERN NONPARAMETRIC METHODS - Fort Collins, CO - June 22-24, 2011

Cosponsored by the Section on Nonparametric Statistics, the Graybill Conference will be held in Fort Collins, Colorado, June 22–24, 2011. The focus of the conference is on nonparametric and semiparametric modeling and functional estimation methods. The program consists of a short course, invited plenary talks, and a contributed poster session. Student travel support is available through the student poster competition.

2011 Joint Statistical Meetings - Miami Beach, FL – July 30-August 4, 2011 

JSM 2011 will be held this summer in Miami Beach, Florida. Meeting activities include oral presentations, panel sessions, poster presentations, continuing education courses, an exhibit hall (with state-of-the-art statistical products and opportunities), career placement services, society and section business meetings, committee meetings, social activities, and networking opportunities. Registration will open April 28, 2011.

58th WORLD STATISTICS CONGRESS OF THE ISI – Dublin, Ireland – August 21–26, 2011

Ireland’s Central Statistics Office invites you to participate in the 58th World Statistics Congress of the International Statistical Institute, which will be held in Dublin from August 21–26. This biennial meeting brings together statisticians from across the disciplinary spectrum to share experiences, expertise, and challenges.

9th INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON HEALTH POLICY STATISTICS – Cleveland, OH – October 5–7, 2011

The 2011 ICHPS, organized by the ASA’s Health Policy Statistics Section, will take place October 5–7 in Cleveland, Ohio, and focus on advancing methods to improve health care through various studies and the quantitative analysis of data. The conference will include invited and contributed sessions and workshops intended to provide research training and career development in the methods, resources, and applications at the forefront of contemporary health policy research.  Abstract submission is open until April 4. 

ASA CONFERENCE ON STATISTICAL PRACTICE – Orlando, FL – February 16–18, 2012

ASA proudly announces the inaugural ASA Conference on Statistical Practice. This early 2012 conference aims to 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. The opening address will be delivered by Dr. Robert N. Rodriguez, a 27-year SAS veteran, ASA's current President-Elect.

EVENTS CALENDAR

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

Off the Press

THE JOURNAL OF COMPUTATIONAL AND GRAPHICAL STATISTICS CELEBRATES ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY!

JCGS turns 20 this month! To celebrate, each issue in the 20th volume will include pieces bringing the past to the present in computational and graphical statistics innovations and ideas. There also will be two invited papers: Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of JCGS: Highlights at the Interface and Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks: Parallel, Adaptive, and Automated Monte Carlo Methods Appearing in JCGS. The 20th anniversary brings one more benefit: All ASA members now have free online access to JCGS as part of their regular ASA membership benefits. Simply log in to ASA Members Only and select My Publications.

ASA BOARD OF DIRECTORS CANDIDATES

The ASA announces the selection of candidates for the 2011 election. The winning candidates’ terms will begin in 2012. Make sure to look for your ballots in your email inbox and to vote early. Voting began at midnight EDT on March 15 and will end at 11:59 p.m. PDT on May 3. Paper ballots will only be mailed to those without email addresses on file with the ASA. Read more and see the full list of candidates.  Visit Amstat News online.

SIGNIFICANCE MAGAZINE ONLINE WEB EXCLUSIVES

Census 2011: A New Hope? "With the 2011 UK Census just over three weeks away, attention for one of the largest data collection ventures in the world is mounting. How big will London have grown over the last decade? Will the number of single-parent households have increased? And, maybe even more important, has the (British) empire overthrown the Jedi?” Read more web exclusives.

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS WEBSITE LAUNCHES

This month, the ASA launched STATtr@k, a website geared toward young professional statisticians (individuals who are in a statistics program, recently graduated from a statistics program, or who recently entered the job world). STATtr@k provides a central location to access career information and resources, as well as to learn more about the ASA and the statistics profession.

FREE ASA JOURNAL ARTICLE DOWNLOADS

Free articles are available from all ASA jounals, including JCGS, Technometrics, and Statistics in Biopharmaceutical Research. Login through ASA Members Only and look for articles marked “free.”

Member Opportunities

ACCREDITATION

The ASA's accreditation program is modeled after programs in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Accreditation is a portfolio-based rather than an examination-based credential, and is renewable every five years. Accreditation is also voluntary; applicants seek accreditation because they believe the credential is worthwhile to them, but it is not a requirement for practice. The ASA has accredited over 80 members since beginning the program. Find out what our Accredited Professional Statisticians are saying about the PStat.

AWARDS ANNOUNCEMENTS

Listing of Awards and Deadlines for March 2011

Deadlines and contact information for ASA national awards, special lectureships, and COPSS awards can be found by visiting the following links: ASA awards, ASA scholarships, and COPSS awards.

JUDGES SOUGHT FOR ASA PROJECT COMPETITION

The ASA/NCTM Joint Committee on Curriculum in Statistics and Probability is seeking judges for the ASA Project Competition. Judging takes place via email during the summer and requires about four hours of your time. If interested, please email Jamis Perrett.

NIH SEEKS INPUT ON ITS EARLY INDEPENDECE AWARD PROGRAM Deadline: March 18, 2011

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to collect input on its Early Independence Award program. The NIH director’s Early Independence Award (EIA) is an NIH Common Fund program intended to support exceptional junior investigators who wish to “skip the post-doc” and directly pursue independent research after completing a terminal research degree or clinical residency. Several experimental aspects have been incorporated into this, the pilot year, of the program. The information gathered in response to this RFI may be used to make adjustments to the EIA program for the next funding opportunity announcement. Read the RFI, which includes information about how to submit responses. Responses must be submitted by March 18, 2011.

SIAM WINTER BOOK SALE Deadline: March 31, 2011

Look on the SIAM website for discounts of up to 60% on titles in the ASA-SIAM Series on Statistics and Applied Probability. Sale ends March 31.

VOTE IN THE ASA ELECTION Deadline: May 3, 2011

You have until midnight May 3, 2011 (PDT) to vote in the 2011 ASA election of officers. For those of you who do not have email addresses on file with the ASA you will be sent a paper ballot. Review candidate biographies and election statements.

2011 POSTER AND PROJECT COMPETITIONS - Deadlines: April 1 and June 9, 2011
 
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. Also, their names will be published in Amstat News. Posters are due every year on April 1. Projects for all grades are due on June 9.