Frequently Asked Questions
Click on a question for the answer.
- Who can attend?Registration for the NASW annual workshops portion of ScienceWriters 2009 is open to members and a limited number of non-members. Registration for the New Horizons portion of the meeting is open to NASW members and registered members of the press. Close
- How is the content chosen?The NASW professional development workshops are chosen by a committee of members from proposals submitted by members in March of each year and organized by volunteers. The scientific sessions for the New Horizons in Science Briefings are chosen solely by program director Paul Raeburn. The program draws speakers from around the country, including a portion from the host institution. Close
- What does it cost?We’re trying to subsidize your attendance as much as we can. Here’s a snapshot of the projected costs for ScienceWriters 2009:
- NASW Workshops Registration: Early bird rate of $150 before September 1. $175 September 1-Close of Registration on October 1
- CASW’s New Horizons in Science Briefings, hosted by The University of Texas at Austin: Free!
- Annual Awards Dinner: $50
- Optional Wednesday field trip to Enchanted Rock "Preserving Global Landscapes Field Trip: Seed Collecting in Precambrian Granite of Central Texas": $20
- Optional multimedia boot camp "All-day Multimedia Workshop: Succeeding in the Web 2.0 World": $25
- Hotel Rooms at the The AT&T Education and Conference Center: $159/night + tax. Block opens on August 3.
Close - Why do I have to pay for one part of the meeting but not the other?The NASW portion of ScienceWriters is solely funded by NASW. While a registration fee is charged to offset some of NASW’s costs, that fee covers only a portion of the total NASW annual meeting costs. New Horizons is hosted each year by different universities, which provide funds to cover the meeting. Close
- How do I register for ScienceWriters 2009?All registration is handled securely online. Mail or phone in registrations are not accepted. Registration begins August 3. Close
- Where can I locate a roommate to share travel expenses?
- How do I register for the Annual Awards Dinner?Advance registration is required for the Annual Awards Dinner. Registration begins online on August 3. The cost is $50. Join your colleagues to congratulate the winners of NASW’s Science in Society Awards, the Victor Cohn Prize for Excellence in Medical Science Reporting, and the Evert Clark/Seth Payne Award for Young Science Journalists. Close
- What do I see on The University of Texas Campus Tour?The New Horizons in Science® Campus Tours at The University of Texas at Austin are free and open to NASW members or registered members of the press. Advance reservations are required and be made during online registration. Attendees will see The Science of History, Texas–sized Science, Brackenridge Field Laboratory, and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Close
- I am a student. How do apply to volunteer at ScienceWriters 2009?Are you an NASW student member? If you're interested in volunteering to help out at the meeting in exchange for free registration, email workshops@nasw.org. Close
- How can I apply for a Traveling Fellowship?
Three types of travel fellowships are available:
NASW Freelance Travel Fellowship
Eligibility: Open to NASW members who are freelance writers
Description: Provides up to $900 to cover the costs of attending ScienceWriters 2009. These fellowships are supported by the Authors Coalition of America funds. Note: Before receiving reimbursement, fellows must submit a short report of one or more aspects of the workshops, suitable for publication on the NASW Web site and potentially in ScienceWriters. Assignments will be made prior to the meeting and must be filed within 48 hours after the assigned session. More information will be available after grants are awarded.
Send a short (less than 500 words) statement of interest and a copy of your CV to Tinsley Davis, director@nasw.org
Application deadline: Friday, Aug. 14, 2009
NASW Graduate Travel Fellowship
Eligibility: Open to current NASW student members enrolled in a science writing program
Description: Provides up to $900 to cover the costs of attending ScienceWriters 2009. These fellowships are supported by the Authors Coalition of America funds. Note: Before receiving reimbursement, fellows must submit a short report of one or more aspects of the workshops, suitable for publication on the NASW Web site and potentially in ScienceWriters. Assignments will be made prior to the meeting and must be filed within 48 hours after the assigned session. More information will be available after grants are awarded.
To apply: Send a short (less than 500 words) statement of interest and a copy of your CV to Tinsley Davis, director@nasw.org
Application deadline: Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2009
CASW Traveling Fellowship
Eligibility: The fellowships are intended primarily for journalists from publications and broadcast outlets that do not routinely cover major science meetings or employ a full-time science writer.
Description: The fellowships offer up to $1,200 to cover the costs of attending ScienceWriters 2009.
To apply: Submit three collated sets containing each of the following: 1) a brief (no more than 500-word) expression of interest; 2) a resume (with home and office telephone numbers); 3) no more than 3 clips or broadcast transcripts (on any topic); 4) a nominating letter from a senior editor, news director or producer. Mail submissions to: CASW New Horizons Fellowships, P. O. Box 910, Hedgesville, WV 25427
Application deadline: Friday, Aug. 14, 2009
Close - What optional events will be on Wednesday, October 21?
We’ve arranged two events: a field trip to Enchanted Rock and a multimedia workshop.
Preserving Global Landscapes Field Trip: Seed Collecting in Precambrian Granite of Central Texas 8:00 am- 4:00 pm
Texas is second only to California in plant biodiversity, and five ecoregions converge at Enchanted Rock, a 400-foot-tall expanse of exposed, Precambrian rock not far from Austin. Among the plants are dozens of species collected as part of the Millennium Seed Bank project, an international effort to collect thousands of seeds from each of thousands of species around the world that define native landscapes.
Learn about the geologic history of the Llano Uplift that includes this granite outcrop, which Native Americans believed had spiritual powers. Hear from the Wildflower Center’s Michael Eason and Minnette Marr, leaders of the Texas collections for the seed bank project, about why it’s important to set aside native plants for the future. They will discuss representative Texas native plants they have collected near Enchanted Rock State Natural Area and elsewhere in Texas, and show how they identify plants and select seeds to freeze for potential use hundreds of years later.
An extended lunch in Fredericksburg, a historic German town in the heart of Texas Hill Country, will include time for browsing antique shops and the National Museum of the Pacific War ($7 admission fee required).
Departure from hotel: 800AM sharp! Return 4-6:00PM Cost: $20 advance registration. Bring money for lunch on your own in Fredericksburg and museum admission if desired.
Limit: 36
Provisions: Sun hat, water bottle, and shoes with good traction recommended. Participants should be able to hike 1 hour uphill on uneven ground.
Organizer: Barbra Rodriguez, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at The University of Texas at Austin
Tentative schedule:
8 :00-10:00AM: Drive to Enchanted Rock from Austin (77 miles to Fredericksburg, then 20 miles to Enchanted Rock)
10:00AM-Noon: Hike to top of Enchanted Rock and learn along the way about its natural history, plants on it and the general scope of the Millennium Seed Bank project (1 hour to reach top).
Noon- 1:00PM: Lunch in Fredericksburg. Recommendations include the Peach Tree, Navajo Grill and Alfendorf. Advance reservations recommended.
1:00 – 2:00PM: Visit shops and/or National Museum of the Pacific War.
2:00 – 4:00PM: Back to Enchanted Rock for more in-depth questions about Seed Bank project, review of plants near Sandy Creek and other locations at the base of the Rock.
4:00 – 6:00PM: Return to Austin.
All-day Multimedia Workshop: Succeeding in the Web 2.0 World 8:30AM – 6:00PM
In this session, you will learn how to...
- Set up your own (good, user-friendly) Website
- set up a (good, readable) blog
- Blog (effectively)
- Write for the Web (instead of print)
- Write for SEO (and learn what “SEO” stands for)
- Create and use visuals for...visual effect
- Become familiar with tools for creating podcasts and Web video.
Presenters: Mose Buchele, reporter, KUT-FM Susan Etlinger, vice president, The Horn Group, San Francisco
Moderators and Organizers: Peggy Girshman, executive editor, online, Kaiser Health News (KHN) Emily Willingham, PhD, science writer and editor
Space limited. Advance registration required. Participants should bring their own laptops.
Cost: The multimedia workshop is being heavily subsidized by NASW; as a result, cost to members is just $25. The workshop be held at the conference center and include a break to purchase lunch on your own.
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If your question was not answered here, contact ScienceWriters 2009 at workshops@nasw.org or 510-647-9500
