In Brief
(Feb. 20, 1997, Gazette)
APICS conference coming to Memorial
Sure 1997 marks the 500th anniversary of John Cabot's arrival in Newfoundland, but there's
another good reason to come to the province this year. The fourth Atlantic Provinces Council on
the Sciences (APICS) Science Education Conference will be held on Memorial's St. John's
campus from Aug. 13-16. The conference will deal with all aspects of science education, from the
primary level to university teaching. While emphasis may be placed on Atlantic curriculum --
especially in the common Atlantic science programs -- topics will be kept as broad as possible.
For more information about the conference, or to make suggestions about topics, contact
associate professor Fred Smith, Room C-2001, Chemistry-Physics Building, Memorial University
of Newfoundland, St. John's, Nfld., A1B 3X9; telephone 709-737-4314; fax 709-737-3316; or
e-mail frsmith@morgan.ucs.mun.ca.
Deadline for applications approaching
Applications are invited by March 28 for the Margaret Williams Trust Fund Award, which has
been established to promote the development of librarianship in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Funds are awarded on a competitive basis to applicants seeking funding for library related projects
or assistance in pursuing graduate studies in library science. This year's award will be worth up to
$1,000. For details and an application form, contact Richard Ellis, chair, Board of Trustees,
Margaret Williams Trust Fund, Queen Elizabeth II Library, Memorial University of
Newfoundland, St. John's, Nfld., A1B 3Y1.
New on the Net!
Wondering what's new in your area of interest at the library? The library's Recently Catalogued
Titles list gives all titles catalogued in the last month for each discipline. This can be accessed
from Memorial's home page, under Library, or directly, at: http://info.library.mun.ca/
newacq.html.
Physics News, a weekly bulletin from the American Institute of Physics, gives concise coverage
of new developments in physics. A searchable archive of articles back to September 1990 is
available from the University of Exeter. Find this information at http://newton.ex.ac.uk/aip/.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) provides information about the
refugee situation in individual countries, along with select documents from UNHCR's Refworld
Database, background studies, refugee statistics, and updated news reports: http://
www.unhcr.ch/.
Questions about accessing these items? Contact Janice Adlington, Information Services Division,
Queen Elizabeth II Library, 737-7427.
Canada-Taiwan scholarships available
The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada has announced the Canada-Taiwan
(Republic of China) Scholarship Program 1997-98. Ten scholarships will be awarded for the
academic year 1997-98 to students interested in Mandarin language training. Return airfare to
Taiwan, tuition, monthly allowance and health insurance are provided under the scholarship. To
be eligible, candidates must be Canadian citizens who are now full-time students at a Canadian
university or who were within the past three years. The deadline is March 31. Applications and
guidelines are available at the International Programs Office, Spencer Hall. Call Dr. Tony
Dickinson or Colleen Clarke, 737-4356, 737-4053.
Interested in Chinese studies?
The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada recently announced the 1997-98 Chinese
Studies: Faculty Research Award Program for Canadians. The applicable fields of study are in the
social science and humanities areas, as identified by the Canada-Taiwan Higher Education
Conferences. The award provides return airfare to Taiwan and a weekly allowance of $1,000.
Eligible awardees must be Canadian citizens currently employed as full-time members of the
academic staff at a recognized institution of higher education or equivalent degree-granting
institute. Apply by March 31. Pick up applications and guidelines from the International Programs
Office, Spencer Hall, or call Dr. Tony Dickinson or Colleen Clarke at 737-4356 or 737-4053.
HSSFC lobbying for research funding
The Humanities and Social Sciences Federation of Canada (HSSFC) is developing a proposal to
establish Community and Information Crossroads (CRICs) at Canadian universities, which would
help transfer knowledge in the social sciences and humanities to meet the needs of communities.
Inspired by the Science Shops which have operated at Dutch universities for over 20 years,
CRICs would involve students and faculty, and would raise the profile both of the university and
of the research itself. At the same time, CRICs would afford easier access to university resources
and allow community groups to be more effective in meeting social needs. These centres would be
linked to each other and to centres in the Netherlands, the United States and the U.K. Occasional
workshops and conferences would be held to build on experience and evaluate progress. The
HSSFC is currently lobbying intensively to convince the federal government to allocate $15
million to establish some 25 crossroads at Canadian universities over the next five years. Copies
of the CRICs report are available from the HSSFC office at 151 Slater St., Suite 415, Ottawa,
Ont., K1P 5H3; phone 613-238-6112; and on the HSSFC website, at http://www.hssfc.ca.