Abstract: The recent return of the American Far Right to the political center and the concurrent normalization of White nationalism has left many in mainstream America wondering how our country arrived at this moment. Many leftist and centrists Whites have even assumed that this political phenomena is new and novel. This presentation is an effort to correct much of this misunderstanding by using right-wing attacks on Black academics as an apparatus for connecting histories of racial violence in this country to the current White backlash against perceived Black advancement. Through an anatomy of these anti-Black attacks on academics—of which the author herself was targeted– this discursive essay explores two processes: First, what these attacks do to Blackness and, second, what this violence does for Whiteness. In the former, this work explains that attacks on Black academics are first and foremost anti-Black attacks, not dissimilar to innumerable attacks on visible and high-achieving African-Americans in other arenas. The intention is to terrorize Black progress on the whole by targeting individually high-achieving African-Americans. Regarding the latter position, the author explains the generative nature of these attacks in producing and reproducing collective White identities across region, age, and newly digitized spaces. In a current moment in which a widely propagandized narrative posits that Whites are losing footing in the American racial hierarchy, the digitized mob violence of these attacks provide social rituals for reaffirming white hegemony. This discussion concludes with an explanation for why the author believes these attacks will continue with regularity.

The University of Washington (UW) Center for Cannabis Research (CCR) in conjunction with the Office of Research is pleased to announce a Request for Proposals to support basic or translational cannabis research and development by UW faculty. Grants, up to $250,000 each, will be awarded to support research and development in any field of science, engineering, economics, public policy or health, clinical practice, ecology, or sociology. The purpose of this opportunity, funded by Washington State tax revenue from the retail sales of cannabis, is to enhance the scientific understanding of cannabis cultivation and its effects on individuals and society at large.

Eligibility

The investigator must be a member of the UW faculty or professional staff eligible to serve as a Principal Investigator (PI) as determined by the unit of the UW School or College in which s/he is appointed. The research to be conducted may be basic or translational, but must be relevant to cannabis and conducted at the University of Washington.

Award Mechanism

The award mechanism will be an internal (to UW) grant administered by the Office of Research. Because the source of funds is a State of Washington proviso budget, the grant performance period will be July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018.  Confirmation of funding may not occur until, or very close to, July 1, 2017.

Criteria for Selection

A committee of faculty acquainted with various aspects of cannabis and cannabis-related research and the effects of cannabis on individuals and society will conduct a peer review of all eligible proposals received. Based on recommendations of the peer review committee and approval by the Office of Research, awards will be made by the CCR. The peer review committee will consider the following criteria in making its recommendations:

• Strength of the science as described in the research proposal
• Relevance and significance of the proposed research to understanding cannabis
• Likelihood of the proposed research generating innovative results of interest to the science, policy or sociology of cannabis
• Relevant experience of the proposed research team as evidenced by their biographical sketches; multiple-PI proposals are encouraged
• Feasibility of completing the proposed research in the 12-month time frame, including availability of key personnel

Expectations

Within 90 days following the termination of the grant, the PI will submit to the CCR a detailed technical report of progress made and results obtained on the grant. The report will also include an abstract of the research written in lay language. In addition, all research publications (including abstracts of presentations) resulting from the grant and related research will be forwarded to the CCR as they become available. Appropriate acknowledgement of the Washington State funding, through the CCR, must accompany all publications. PIs may be requested to speak with Washington State legislators about their research. All information pertaining to the award and the research, including all results, will be made publicly available following the protection of intellectual property generated by the research and presentation of the research to the scientific community.

Allowable Costs

Any costs directly attributable to the research as described in the proposal may be paid from the grant. The University will not charge facilities and administrative (indirect) costs to these grants, nor will it allow such charges from departments or external entities. The awardee department is reminded that only direct costs incurred within the project period (July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018) will be allowed.

Proposal Requirements

The following materials must be received electronically as separate Word, Excel, Adobe Acrobat, or PowerPoint files attached to a single e-mail to research@uw.edu on or before noon PDT, Friday, April 7, 2017:

• Biographical Sketch or CV as it relates to the proposed research for the PI and key members of the research team
• Abstract of the proposed research in lay language (200 word maximum)
• Research Plan, not to exceed five (5) pages; to include Title, Context and Significance, Hypothesis, Specific Aims, Methodology (including statistical analysis, time line, and available facilities and resources), and Anticipated Results/Problems/Solutions
• For research involving the handling of cannabinoids, provide a discussion of how federal Schedule 1 requirements either do not apply or will be met
• Line item budget for the amount being requested, not to exceed $250,000; any format may be used for the budget
• Appendices, if any (such as literature references or letters of collaboration from co-investigators), may be submitted, but should not be relied upon as a means of exceeding the page limitations

Timeline

Before Friday, April 7, 2017              Optional, but appreciated:  Email Letter of Intent

to submit proposal to research@uw.edu

(Subject Line: LOI – Cannabis Research Proposal)

Friday, April 7, 2017                          Proposals due via email to research@uw.edu

by noon PDT

Friday, June 2                                     Notification of selections made

July 1, 2017                                         Anticipated start date

June 30, 2018                                      Award termination date

Questions and Further Information

Questions and requests for further information may be addressed to research@uw.edu.

Abstract: Social scientists want to discover how the features of high dimensional interventions—such as messages, images, and videos—influence outcomes. We introduce a new experimental design and statistical method that demonstrates how machine learning methods can be unified with causal inference techniques to both discover interventions of interest and credibly estimate their effect. We first prove that existing techniques are ill-equipped for discovering and credibly estimating causal effects. We then prove conditions that identify the effects of high dimensional interventions and introduce new machine learning models to uncover their effect. We apply our procedure to an intervention designed to assess the characteristics of candidates voters prefer and observational data describing how an agency responds to the public.

Lake Superior State University is currently accepting applications for an Assistant Professor of Environmental Science & GIS.

Position Description:
Lake Superior State University’s School of Physical Sciences seeks applicants for a tenure track position as an Assistant Professor in Environmental Science beginning Fall semester 2017.

We seek an enthusiastic, highly motivated, and broadly trained faculty to teach Environmental Science. The successful candidate will teach environmental science and other courses within the School of Physical Sciences. Primary teaching responsibilities will likely include undergraduate environmental science courses, such as introductory environmental science, environmental law or environmental health or environmental systems and/or environmental chemistry depending on the successful candidate’s background. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to teach undergraduate introductory and/or advanced Geographic Information Systems (GIS) courses and/or part of other courses within the physical sciences depending on the candidate’s expertise. The LSSU Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science has a strong record of student-faculty research and the successful candidate will have the opportunity to conduct research with undergraduates. Qualifications to teach additional courses offered by the School of Physical Science and successful undergraduate teaching experience are a plus, as is experience using GIS for research or in public or private sector applications.

The School for Global Inclusion and Social Development (SGISD) at the University of Massachusetts Boston invites applications for an educator in Vision Studies with expertise in preparing teachers of students with visual impairment (TVI) and orientation and mobility specialists (O&M). While both areas of expertise are preferred, we will consider a strong candidate with credentials in one area who will pursue the missing credentials as soon as reasonably possible. Experience with organizational behavior and a research and practice focus that addresses inclusion at the local, national and global levels are also required. The successful candidate will fill a tenure-track Assistant Professor position, to begin September 1, 2017.

University of Maryland University College (UMUC) seeks adjunct faculty to teach, on site in Hagerstown, MD or Waldorf, MD in the Behavioral and Social Sciences program.  Specifically, we are seeking faculty for the following courses:
Disability Studies (BEHS 320): An interdisciplinary study of disability issues that focuses on understanding and evaluating traditional and current interpretations of the meaning of disability. The goal is to interact and communicate effectively and appropriately in situations relevant to issues of disability. Topics include the construction of images of people with disabilities; attitudes and actions toward those with disabilities; approaches taken by major social institutions (e.g., law, education, religion, the arts) toward disability; distinctions between different models of disability; and current issues in disability studies.
Parenting Today (BEHS 343): An overview of critical issues of parenthood in the United States today using an interdisciplinary perspective. The objective is to apply research and theory in family development to practical decision making. Topics include characteristics of effective parenting styles, disciplinary strategies, the role of diverse family structures, and the social forces that cause changes in parent/child relationships.
Alcohol in U.S. Society (BEHS 364): An interdisciplinary examination of the use and abuse of the drug alcohol from the perspectives of psychology, physiology, sociology, medicine, counseling, law, and public health. The aim is to examine current research and trends in the treatment of alcohol abuse and dependence (including prevention, assessment, and intervention) and to explore the history, etiology, effects, and current treatment practices. The effects of alcohol throughout the lifespan are explored in relation to gender, families, race, age, the workplace, and public safety.
Domestic Violence (BEHS 453): An examination of the complex phenomenon of domestic violence from a multidisciplinary perspective that integrates individual, social, political, cultural/ethnic, economic, legal, and medical viewpoints. The aim is to evaluate research and theoretical models of domestic violence; assess institutional, community, and individual responses to domestic violence; and locate effective resources. Topics include neglect and the physical, emotional, and sexual abuse of children, partners, and the elderly. Discussion also covers response systems and mechanisms to prevent and treat violence.

Visit the link below for a variety of funding, employment, and training opportunities open to graduate students across UW campus.

Migration, displacement and human trafficking have become staples of headline news. Reactions range – and sometimes change – from outrage over abuse and sympathy for individuals and groups seen as victims, to open hostility towards those perceived as alien intruders or threats to security, political, cultural and business interests.

Where international instruments of varying age and origin provide a set of at times overlapping categorizations, policy-makers and public discourse often look for clear classifications and impose mutually exclusive labels on groups and individuals, whose circumstances are complex, diverse and not always well understood. Such categorical overlaps, however, may be exploited at the expense of the individuals concerned. It is hardly surprising then that persons caught in this legal and conceptual web prove at times wary of the labels offered to or imposed upon them.

Further, aid agencies and organizations working in the areas of migration, displacement, and human trafficking cannot avoid the contest over categorizations and classifications either. Legal definitions help shape opportunities for and conditions of assistance while public perceptions associated with different terms impact on available funds. Donors of aid programs expect accountability, which requires clear classifications of those provided with assistance. But actual needs for assistance may cut across rigid differentiations between economic migrants, refugees or victims of human-trafficking.

Finally, in receiving communities these people may face hostility because they are seen as illegal migrants, economic refugees, or queue jumpers.

The response to migration, displacement, and human trafficking is thus in part contingent upon conceptual schemes and classifications and at the same time impacts upon them. It is this interdependence and the challenges resulting from it that are the focus of the workshop. We invite

• conceptual studies,
• reports on empirical research,
• and reflection papers by practitioners

in the areas of migration, displacement, human-trafficking and related forms of exploitation in the wider Southeast Asian region.

Papers may address, but are not limited to, the following questions:

• How do individuals respond to labels such as migrant, refugee, victim of human trafficking or slave applied or available to them? What motivates these responses?
• How and to what extent can individuals assert their own agency and express their own views of their circumstances in the face of categorizations and classifications by public discourse, state authorities, or aid agencies?
• How are public perceptions shaped and articulated in relation to these labels?
• How are government and non-government service providers impacted by such categories in their ability and willingness to extend services to different populations?
• To what extent, and in what ways, are advocacy and assistance efforts shaped, enhanced or limited by categories in international and national law, or the labels – and changes therein – dominant in public discourse?
• How do problems of, and contests over, classifications impact the compilation of data on migration, displacement, human trafficking and related forms of exploitation?

Proposals including paper abstracts (c. 200 to 400 words) and the CVs of presenters are due by 31 March 2017.

With support from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, the Institute of Behavioral Science, the University of Colorado Population Center (CUPC), and the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population (IUSSP), are hosting the 3rd annual workshop on Climate, Migration and Health.  This year’s sub-theme is focused on refugee movements.

The two-day workshop, held at the University of Colorado Population Center, in Boulder, Colorado, will bring together approximately 10 researchers and policy communicators to discuss, and move forward, research on this important intersection.

Key is that researchers need only possess expertise in at least one aspect of the workshop.  We aim to introduce scholars of migration-climate, to scholars of climate-health, and refugee scholars to each!

Applicants must have a current research project related to the workshop theme.  We will spend much of the workshop brainstorming about knowledge gaps and beginning papers/proposals designed to fill those gaps.

Researchers from social and natural sciences are encouraged to apply.

Funds are available for partial reimbursement only for domestic travel (within the United States) and lodging.

Applicants must be post-PhD and we aim for an interdisciplinary mix of junior and senior scholars.

To be considered for this workshop, please send a CV and a complete paper, working draft, or an extended abstract (including data description, methods, and preliminary results) by March 17th 2017.  Decisions will be made by March 24th.