[Ecoed] New NSF-Funded Opportunity for Undergrad Bio Faculty

[Jason Taylor]

BEN Scholars Applications Now Available for Download

The National Science Digital Library (NSDL) Biological Sciences Pathway,
of which the Ecological Socoiety of America (ESA) is a founding member,
invites undergraduate faculty in the biological sciences to apply to
become BiosciEdNet (BEN) Scholars. The BEN Scholars Program is one of
the grassroots outreach activities of the BEN Collaborative. BEN
Scholars will promote the use of digital libraries and inquiry-based
learning in higher education biological sciences lecture and laboratory
courses.

BEN Scholars will receive training in leadership and effective use of
digital libraries; resources to use in their own classrooms and to share
with colleagues through presentations, workshops, and one-on-one
mentoring; integration into the BEN Scholars Network; recognition from
the participating organizations; travel support; and a small stipend.
The first NSDL BEN National Leadership Training Institute is scheduled
for Dec. 7-10, 2006, in Washington, D.C. The session will begin on the
7th at 6 p.m. and will conclude at noon on the 10th. 

Interested parties may download application materials and a preliminary
agenda from the BEN site at
http://www.biosciednet.org/portal/scholarApp.php. The application
deadline is October 22.

The primary funder of the BEN Pathway and NSDL is the National Science
Foundation (NSF), which created the digital library to provide organized
access to high quality resources and tools that support innovations in
teaching and learning at all levels of science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics education. The development, project management, and
daily operations of the NSDL is facilitated though the collaborative
efforts of UCAR, Cornell University, and Columbia University. 

Questions about the BEN Scholars Program may be directed to Kirstin
Fearnley, BEN outreach manager at AAAS, at 202-326-6777 or
kfearnle at aaas.org.