Noticeboard

Please contact us if you wish to announce an event, a university course, a vacancy etc.

• Invitation to urban forestry professionals to participate in a process of developing data standards for urban forest data collection and recording: please visit RG 6.07.00 – Activities
  
  
• New interactive database on indicators of sustainable forest management in Europe (UNECE, FAO), New interactive database on indicators of sustainable forest management in Europe at http://w3.unece.org/pxweb/Dialog/
  
  

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

GENERAL

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FAO

• Nineteenth Session of the African Forestry and Wildlife Commission and the Third African Forestry and Wildlife Week; Windhoek, Namibia, 30 September – 4 October 2013. Homepage
  
  
• ECE/FAO Forestry and Timber Section: As part of the review of its work, the Economic Commission for Europe has changed the name of the Timber Committee to "Committee on Forest and Forest Industry" in order to better reflect the Committee’s current focus and tasks.
  For more information, please visit, http://www.unece.org/index.php?id=32718 
  
  
• INFOSYLVA is an information service of news clippings provided by the FAO Forestry Information Centre with news on forests and forestry issues in English, French and Spanish. The articles are in their original language and compiled every two weeks. INFOSYLVA keeps readers informed of the latest news, research articles, publications, upcoming meetings and other events, as well as job postings, on forests and forestry related issues.
  
  English: http://www.fao.org/forestry/infosylva/en/
  French: http://www.fao.org/forestry/infosylva/fr/
  Spanish: http://www.fao.org/forestry/infosylva/es/
  
  
• 21 March: International Day of Forests: The United Nations General assembly has proclaimed 21 March the International Day of Forests. From 2013, the day will be observed each year to celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of forests and trees to all life on earth. Watch a video on http://www.fao.org/news/audio-video/detail-video/en/?uid=9697 and find out how you can take part in the celebrations and help sustain the world's forests, http://www.fao.org/forestry/international-day-of-forests.
  
  
• UNECE/FAO outlook study: possible scenarios for the future of European forests. – Europeans have high expectations of their forests which must meet increasing and sometimes conflicting environmental, social and economic demands. Policy makers must balance the conservation of biodiversity, the need to sequester and store carbon, adaptation to a changing climate and the provision of opportunities for recreation and leisure, while also supplying wood for energy and raw material use. The European Forest Sector Outlook Study II (EFSOS II), which covers the EU 27, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, provides pictures of the consequences of today's policy choices for the forest of tomorrow. "Policy makers do have choices to make. We trust this study will help them to make the best informed decision for the future of European forests". The study is available at: http://live.unece.org/forests/outlook/welcome.html
  
  
• FAO launched its bimonthly Urban and Peri-urban Forestry newsletter in May 2011. The archives of Forest and Trees for Healthy Cities Newsletter are available at http://km.fao.org/urbanforestry/repository/newsletter/en/.

ICSU

• ICSU's new Executive Director appointed: http://www.icsu.org/news-centre/news/top-news/icsu2019s-new-executive-director-appointed
  
  
• Press Releases from the 30th General Assembly:
  Nobel Prize winning scientist is new President of ICSU
  Responsibilities of scientists underlined by scientific community
  Research solutions for sustainability in a rapidly changing world
  New Global science initiative on Urban Health
  

CBD

• The CBD Secretariat has supported open access to an article in the journal 'Biological Conservation' entitled 'A framework for integrating biodiversity concerns into national REDD+ programmes'. The article is posted in English, French and Spanish as an information document for CBD SBSTTA 16 (document UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/16/INF/22). It is available at http://www.cbd.int/doc/?meeting=SBSTTA-16: http://www.cbd.int/doc/meetings/sbstta/sbstta-16/information/sbstta-16-inf-22-en.pdf
  
  
• United Nations Decade on Biodiversity (UNDB): The promotional video outlining the goals of the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity (UNDB) is now available in English on the UNDB website at: http://ww.cbd.int/2011-2020.
  
  
• The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) invites you to submit your views on what should be in the revised and updated Strategic Plan (SP) for the Convention for the period beyond 2010. To make the SP relevant to everyone dealing with the CBD and other Biodiversity-related Conventions, and to all other sectors that use or affect biodiversity, kindly access the electronic forum at http://www.cbd.int/sp/post2010forum/ (also available in French and Spanish) and share your views.  You can either contribute to the discussion as individual scientist or in your function as IUFRO Research Unit officeholder.
  
  
• The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has partnered with ECOLEX, the Gateway to Environmental Law, to provide readily accessible information on biodiversity-related laws and policies. ECOLEX is a web-based information service operated jointly by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). ECOLEX is the most comprehensive global source of national and international environmental and natural resources law and policy. Visit https://www.cbd.int/ecolex/ and learn more!
  
  

POSITION ANNOUNCEMENTS

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IUFRO MEETINGS

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Please note that this is just a selection. >>> All IUFRO Meetings

UNIVERSITY COURSES, SUMMER SCHOOLS AND WEBINARS

• New at Universidad Politecnica de Madrid: EIFORNAT-UPM : School of Forest Engineering and Natural Environment (Escuela de Ingeniería Forestal y del Medio Natural) at (Escuela de Ingeniería Forestal y del Medio Natural). New Courses at EIFORNAT-UPM

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FELLOWSHIPS/SCHOLARSHIPS/RESEARCH FUNDING

• Funded PhD Position in Edinburgh, Scotland: Applications are invited for one fully funded three-year PhD studentship within the Forest Products Research Institute and the School of Engineering and the Built Environment at Edinburgh Napier University. The studentship will cover tuition fees to home/EU level, and will provide a standard living allowance (stipend). The theme of the studentship will be to evaluate the growth commercial potential of non-mainstream conifer species in Great Britain as a response to biotic and abiotic threats to monoculture forestry. More information can be found at http://www.napier.ac.uk/aboutus/vacancies/Pages/Jobdetails.aspx?GUID=ca0e1b7c-256d-4a42-b41d-7c42f787f882
  
  
• MSc European Forestry: The MSc European Forestry is a top class taught masters programme in the field of forest sciences. The quality of the programme was acknowledged by the European Commission in 2004 when MSc European Forestry was awarded the Erasmus Mundus status. The MSc European Forestry programme provides academic education in forestry focusing on the international dimension of sustainable forest management issues. The programme is an extra dimension to the already existing educational markets in forestry and nature management in Europe. In this programme, European forestry universities collaborate intensively to offer joint courses as well as their existing curricula, based on the knowledge and experience of forest management for which European forestry was the cradle already centuries ago. 
  The two-year 120 ECTS taught masters degree is carefully organised and students are supported throughout their studies by the MSc European Forestry secretariat with regard to practical arrangements. Our graduates are amongst the most sought after in the field by national and international employers alike.
  The MSc European Forestry is now open for late applications and warmly welcomes talented and enthusiastic students from all over the world to apply. The minimum eligibility criteria are a good command of English language and a BSc degree in forestry or a related field.
  For further information on the programme and how to apply, please visit our web pages: http://www.europeanforestry.eu or ask a question: secretariat(at)europeanforestry.eu
  
  
• Fred M. van Eck Scholarships: The Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center (HTIRC) at Purdue University is seeking outstanding candidates interested in working toward M.S. or Ph.D. degrees. Areas of research include the chemically-mediated host colonization and mating behavior of wood-boring insects affecting hardwood trees.
  Ideal students should be highly motivated and enthusiastic about working in the areas of chemical and behavioral ecology. Candidates should have well-developed quantitative skills, knowledge and experience in the biological sciences, a GPA of at least 3.2 and a top-tier GRE score.
  For admission for fall semester 2013, applications must be received by November 16, 2012 (M.S. and Ph.D). Interested individuals should contact me directly via email (mginzel(at)purdue.edu) to discuss their background, qualifications, and research interests. Please also provide a short (one page) letter of interest and a CV that includes cumulative GPA, GRE scores and contact information for at least three references. More information on this scholarship opportunity can be found at http://www.htirc.org.
  
  
• The NSERC-CREATE funded initiative TerreWEB (Terrestrial Research on Ecosystem & World-wide Education & Broadcast), at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, has funding opportunities for Masters, PhD and post-doctoral fellows available.
  National and international Students and post-docs from diverse academic backgrounds with interest in research and communication of global change / climate change issues are encouraged to apply. Deadlines are bi-annual (May 1, and December 1st).  For further information visit http://www.terreweb.ubc.ca
  

Fellowship Programs

• WFI International Fellowship Program – Term: 6-12 months throughout 2013 – Applications accepted year-round. 
  The award-winning WFI Fellowship program brings professionals in natural resources to conduct a practical research project at the World Forestry Center.  In addition to projects, Fellows participate in weekly field trips, interviews and site visits to Northwest forestry organizations, research labs, universities, public and private timberlands, trade associations, mills, and corporations.  The Fellowship is a unique opportunity to learn about sustainable forestry from the Pacific Northwest forestry sector, and to work with colleagues from around the world.  Fellowships are open to any country, including U.S. citizens. The Fellowship program offers partial scholarships through the Harry A. Merlo Foundation, but all applicants must be able to cover at least 50% of the program fee. Over 100 Fellows from 30 countries have participated to date.  Applications are accepted year-round.  For more information and how to apply, please visit:  http://wfi.worldforestry.org/index/international-fellowship.html
  
  
• 2012 Abdou-Salam Ouédraogo Fellowship: The Abdou-Salam Ouédraogo (ASO) Fellowship is awarded annually by Bioversity International to a young forest genetic resources scientist in Sub-Saharan Africa. The purpose of the Fellowship is to give talented African scientists working on forest genetic resources an opportunity to develop their capacity through interaction with, and mentorship by a scientist at Bioversity International.  The Fellowship, of an amount up to US$ 10,000, should address a topic announced in this call and be completed within 12 months. The 2012 Fellowship is targeting research on the following priority topics: 1. Understanding status of and threats to genetic resources of priority forest tree species. 2. Methods and approaches for conserving genetic resources of important tree species. For more information, please visit: http://www.bioversityinternational.org/training/research_fellowships/a_history_of_the_abdou_salam_ouedraogo_fellowship.html.
  
  
• Vavilov Frankel Fellowships 2013 – Call for Research Proposals: Two Fellowships, for up to US$ 20,000 each, will be available for 2013 to carry out research from 3 to 12 months on a wide range of topics related to the conservation and use of plant genetic resources in developing countries. Applications may be submitted in English, French or Spanish to  VFF-2013(at)cgiar.org. The Call, Application Form and Guidelines can be downloaded from: http://www.bioversityinternational.org/index.php?id=4754.
  Deadline for applications extended to 18 November 2012.
  
  
• USGS Mendenhall Research Fellowship Program -- Center of Excellence for Geospatial Information Science: 49 post doc opportunities for FY 2012 (starting Oct 1, 2011) have just been announced via the Mendenhall Research Fellowship program, see http://geology.usgs.gov/postdoc/. All positions are 2-year opportunities paid at the GS-12 level with benefits. Most positions are available in the field of geology but there are others, including a GeoWeb opportunity with CEGIS: http://geology.usgs.gov/postdoc/2012/opps/opp35.html
  
  
• The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program: Leaders for a Global Society: The HHH Fellowship Program provides a year of professional enrichment in the United States for experienced professionals from designated countries throughout the world. Fellows are selected based on their potential for leadership and their commitment to public service in either the public or private sector. This year’s competition is in the fields of: (...) Agricultural Development/Agricultural Economics and Natural Resources, Environmental Policy and Climate Change. For details, visit: http://www.humphreyfellowship.org/page/97339/
  
  

AWARDS

IUFRO Awards:

Scientific Achievement Award (SAA) – More info
Outstanding Doctoral Research Award (ODRA) – More info
IUFRO Student Award for Excellence in Forest Sciences (ISA) – More info

Furthermore, the Congress will also offer:
Best Poster Award (BPA) – More info
IUFRO World Congress Host Scientific Award – More info

!NEW! Call for Nominations for Awards, IUFRO World Congress 2014, Salt Lake City, USA !NEW! 

Non-IUFRO Awards:

• European Young Urban Forester of the Year Award 2013: Applications are now open for the award of European Young Urban Forester of the Year.  The award is made annually at the European Forum of Urban Forestry, this year in Milano, Italy, http://www.emonfur.eu/pagina.php?sez=91&pag=554&label=EFUF+2013.  The award is intended to recognise excellence by a young person in either (i) urban forestry practice and/or (ii) urban forestry research. Nominations can be made through the application form and be returned to Cecil Konijnendijk, cck(at)life.ku.dk. Deadline for nominations to be received: 1 May 2013.
  
  
• 2013 BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Awards: The awardsseek to recognize and encourage world-class research and artistic creation, prizing contributions of broad impact for their originality and theoretical significance. The name of the scheme is intended to encapsulate both research work that successfully enlarges the scope of our current knowledge – pushing forward the frontiers of the known world – and the meeting and overlap of different disciplinary areas. Nominations for the 2013 awards are now open. For further details, please see: http://www.fbbva.es/awards. Closing date: 1 July 2013, 23.00h GMT.
  
  
• Schweighofer Prize: Endowed with € 300,000, it addresses visionary people with spirit of research who want to present their innovative ideas for a sustainable and competitive Forest Based Sector in Europe. The scope of topics covers the whole Forest-Wood-Chain, including cooperation, services and training. Pulp and paper issues are excluded. Specific emphasis is put on the European dimension of the candidate’s achievements and focuses on applied research and development projects. An interdisciplinary co-operation between science and industry is also advantageous.
  Submissions can be made online only at https://ssl.schweighofer-prize.org/submission/index.php?lang=EN. Deadline for submissions: 4 February 2013, 14:00 CET.
  
  
• CPF Wangari Maathai Award: The Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) has launched its inaugural Wangari Maathai Award to honour and commemorate an extraordinary woman who championed forest issues around the world. The USD20,000 award will be given in recognition of outstanding contributions made by an individual to preserve, restore and sustainably manage forests and to communicate the key role forests play in rural livelihoods and the environment across generations. More information: http://www.cpfweb.org/77034/en/; Nomination guidelines: http://www.cpfweb.org/download/32445-070ad8aa7ec1eb1cb8e6665002356acfe.pdf. Deadline for nominations: 15 June 2012.
  
  
• Marcus Wallenberg Prize: Research on airborne laser scanning for forest inventory is awarded the 28th Marcus Wallenberg Prize. More information at http://www.mwp.org/index.cfm?PageAction=ReadMore&id=37. IUFRO is entitled to nominate candidates! Nominations are accepted by e-mail or airmail at any time of the year!
  
  
• The Forest Products Society presents four awards at the International Convention each year. The prestigious Fred W. Gottschalk Memorial Award honors exceptional service to the Society by an individual member. The L.J. Markwardt Wood Engineering Award encourages research and promotes knowledge of wood in the engineering field. The Wood Engineering Achievement Award recognizes excellence in the discipline of wood engineering. The Forest Products Society's Wood Award recognizes outstanding research in the field of wood and wood products conducted by graduate students. For details see http://www.forestprod.org/ic65/awards.html
  
  
• Mahathir Science Award: The Academy of Sciences Malaysia in its 53rd Council Meeting decided to establish the ASM Award for Scientific Excellence in Honour of Tun Dr Mahathir Award in conjunction to the Academy's 10th Anniversary Celebration. This award is to be Malaysia's most prestigious Science Award for tropical sciences and it will be bestowed on any scientists, institution or organization worldwide in recognition of contributions and innovations towards solving problems in the tropics through science and technology and to be awarded to the most deserving based on merit.
  
  
• The Japan International Biodiversity Award (JIBA): established to mark the twentieth anniversary of the establishment of the AEON Environmental Foundation and to celebrate the 2010 International Year on Biodiversity
  
  
• Prince of Asturias Awards
  
  
• CFA Young Forester Award: the Award provides a grant and placement in order to give work experience to young foresters.
  
  
• The Young Scientist Publication Award  – Commonwealth Forestry Association