Job Announcements | The History of Science Society

Vol. 42, No. 1, January 2013
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Job and Fellowship Announcements

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York STS Graduate Program Now Accepting Applications for 2013-14

The Graduate Program in Science & Technology Studies at York University, Toronto, is now accepting applications for its MA (full and part-time) and Ph.D. programs.

We are a small, personable, and research-intensive program run by an enthusiastic faculty with interests drawn from across the human and social sciences. Our courses are diverse and innovative; our students hail from around the world. York STS houses the flagship History of Science journal, Isis, and our campus is home to the one of the largest state or provincial archives in North America. Toronto's central location and status as a major North American transportation hub puts a vast array of research sites and professional gatherings within easy reach.

Deadline for applications is 30 January 2013.
Find out more at www.sts.yorku.ca, or contact our Program Director, Kenton Kroker, at kkroker@yorku.ca.

The History of Science Society Fellowship in the History of Space Science

Please click here for information on applying for the 2013-14 Fellowship.

The History of Science Society Fellowship in the History of Space Science, supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) History Division, funds a nine-month research project that is related to any aspect of the history of space science, from the earliest human interest in space to the present. The program is broadly conceived and includes the social, cultural, institutional and personal context of space-science history. Proposals of advanced research in history related to all aspects of the history of space science are eligible. Sciences of space and sciences affected by data and concepts developed in connection with space exploration include astronomy, Earth science, optics, meteorology, oceanography, and physiology. The fellowship is open to applicants who hold a doctoral degree in history or a closely related field, or students who have completed all requirements for the Ph.D., except the dissertation, in history of science or a related field.

What is Space Science?

The history of space science predates the founding of NASA. For example, the organizers of the International Geophysical Year (1957–1958) realized the important contributions spacecraft data could make to science, and the launch of Explorer I in 1958 demonstrated that feasibility with its discovery of the Van Allen radiation belts. In addition, scientific questions that motivated spaces sciences and scientific principles from which it evolved have even earlier roots.

Sciences of space and sciences affected by data and concepts developed in connection with space exploration include astronomy, Earth science, optics, meteorology, oceanography, and physiology. Space science has implications for our understanding of the moon and planets, fields and particles in space, celestial bodies beyond the solar system such as stars and galaxies, the Earth itself, and the life sciences, especially exobiology. Some works on space science are listed at the NASA History Office Web site: http://history.nasa.gov/.

Stipend and Expectations

The Fellowship term is for a period of nine months during the period 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2014. The Fellow will be expected to devote the term largely to the proposed research project. The starting and ending dates within that period are flexible. Please email info@hssonline.org for more details about the stipend. Funds may not be used to support tuition or fees. Sources of anticipated support must be listed in the application form.

The Fellow will be expected to present a paper of public lecture on the findings of the research, and he/she shall provide to the NASA History Office a copy of any publications that emerge from the research undertaken during the fellowship year. The Fellow will also be responsible for providing brief progress reports and a final report at the term's conclusion.

By accepting the fellowship, the recipient incurs no obligations to NASA or HSS as regards future publications.

Eligibility and Application

Applicants must possess a doctorate degree in history of science or in a closely related field, or be enrolled as a student in a doctoral degree-granting program and have completed all requirements for the Ph.D., except the dissertation, in history of science or a related field. Eligibility is not limited to U.S. citizens or residents. Please note that any participant receiving support under a NASA grant may not concurrently hold another Federal fellowship. To get more information about applying for the 2013-14 Fellowship, please go to: http://hssonline.org/about/society_NASAapp2013.html. All applications for the 2013-14 Fellowship are due by 1 April 2013.

The Neu-Whitrow Bibliography Prize

A new prize has been established, to be awarded for the first time in 2013 for the best bibliography or manuscript finding aid in the history of science. The entries will be judged on their content, usability, and precision. They can be either print or digital. The deadline for submission is 1 April 2013. Information about the prize can be found at the website: http://www.dhst-whso.org/blog/.

The prize commemorates the centenary of the Isis Bibliography of History of Science, which was started in 1913 by George Sarton. After Sarton, two bibliographers, Magda Whitrow at Imperial College, London and John Neu at the University of Wisconsin, carried on Sarton's legacy. This prize recognizes the efforts of those two bibliographers to support history of science scholarship around the world.

The Neu-Whitrow Bibliography Prize will be awarded to a graduate student, postgraduate fellow, independent scholar, or early career professional (professor, librarian, bibliographer, archivist, or curator). The primary goal is to encourage the development of bibliographies and archival finding aids.

The prize is administered by the Commission on Bibliography and Documentation (CBD) of the International Union of the History and Philosophy of Science (IUHPS)/Division of History of Science and Technology (DHST). The prize will be awarded every four years, during the International Congress of History of Science, Technology, and Medicine.

For details, please see http://www.dhst-whso.org/blog/. Contact Stephen Weldon (spweldon@ou.edu) or Birute Railiene (b.railiene@gmail.com) for details about this prize.

2013 Lakatos Award

Nominations can now be made for the 2013 Lakatos Award, and must be received by Friday, 19 April 2013. The 2013 Award will be for a book published in English with an imprint from 2008-2013 inclusive. A book may, with the permission of the author, be nominated by any person of recognized standing within the profession. (The Management Committee is not empowered to nominate books itself but only to respond to outside nominations.)

For further details of the nomination procedure or more information on the Lakatos Award 2013, contact the Administrator, Tom Hinrichsen, at t.a.hinrichsen@lse.ac.uk or visit http://www2.lse.ac.uk/philosophy/LakatosAward/home.aspx

Duke Fellowships

The Center for the History of Political Economy at Duke University is now accepting Fellowship Applications for the 2013-2014 academic year. For a complete description of the Fellowship Program and how to apply, please visit the Center website at: http://hope.econ.duke.edu/. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

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