Research Corporation for Science Advancement (RCSA) is the country’s first and oldest philanthropic foundation dedicated to fundamental science. But it’s not as well known as, say, Kavli or Simons, maybe in a small part because of its somewhat confusing name. Why this seemingly inappropriate nickname “corporation”? When the founder was established in 1912, modern American foundation law was not yet fully developed. Even so, for the past 110 years, RCSA has remained the most unwavering advocate of fundamental research through philanthropy.
RCSA was founded by Frederick Gardner Cottrell (1877-1948), professor of chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, who among his many achievements invented an electrostatic precipitator, a device that uses an electrostatic charge to remove contaminants from exhaust gases emanating from industrial chimneys. The technology is still in use today. Cottrell manufactured and sold electrostatic precipitators with great success, if not on a tycoon level. Apparently a born philanthropist decided to use the profits of business to advance science and scientists. This was the genesis of RCSA.
Today, with assets of approximately $ 216 million, the RCSA cannot compete in terms of dollars with more famous multi-billion dollar science foundations. But he stuck to his mission, and despite relatively modest funding, over the years he had contributed to the transformation of many researchers at a point in their careers, when a little support and recognition meant a lot.
RCSA currently operates two major programs as part of its mission to advance high-potential basic research: Cottrell Scholars and Scialog.
Cottrell Scholars supports aspiring faculty scientists in the years leading up to their term of office. The program provides $ 100,000 for three years, with high discretion to the researcher; typically, the award goes to around 24 scientists a year. Scialog is a one-year, interdisciplinary program aimed at solving key problems in fundamental science fields by bringing researchers together at annual meetings, aimed at further fostering long-term partnerships and collaborations.
We recently spoke to RCSA president Daniel Linzer to better understand the foundation’s work and goals for the future. Here are five takeaways.
The Cottrell Scholars program supports researchers in astronomy, chemistry and physics.
Researchers with faculty appointments in these three main areas of interest may be Cottrell fellows; they can hold duplicate positions in different departments as long as one of these positions is in astronomy, chemistry or physics. However, through its Scialog program, RCSA collaborates with scientists from many disciplines outside of their three main areas of interest.
The emphasis is on researchers starting their careers.
Both of the founder’s major programs, Cottrell Scholars and Scialog, are designed to help newer lead researchers in the years leading up to their tenure, but still need to demonstrate achievement in terms of creativity and success. Researchers cannot apply for admission to the Cottrell program, for example, until the end of their third year at the faculty. “While your doctoral and postdoctoral achievements are important,” Linzer said, “what we are looking for is:” What have you done as an independent principal investigator? How did you set up your research group? Are you in a new science? Are you going in interesting directions? “
Importantly, to encourage the search for new research ideas, Cottrell Scholars funding is flexible – much more so than, for example, the NIH and other government research grants that, for better or for worse, have become stricter. “When I was an assistant professor,” Linzer said, “it was allowed to use the NIH grant to start a new line of research. And today you get arrested for it. Unfortunately, this restriction makes it difficult for scientists to pursue new ideas, he said. Therefore, the RCSA also provides additional small grants beyond Cottrell’s core support to encourage the search for new research ideas.
RCSA considers teaching as important as research.
Departments in research institutions often view teaching as something of a necessary evil, a duty that must be tolerated in order to pursue its primary research goal. This is a view that the RCSA would like to change. “The first thing we read in Cottrell’s conclusion is not a scientific proposition,” Linzer said. “It’s an educational proposition.” RCSA reviewers want to know that applicants think about student learning – and about innovations that solve teaching and learning challenges in their fields. “A lot of scientists are perplexed about this,” Linzer said. “But we expect successful candidates to follow the same teaching approach they do in research – explore the literature, get ideas on where you can have an impact, design an intervention that you think will work, measure the result, if it doesn’t work, try something else. We are looking for such a commitment to teaching ”.
DEI is getting baked into RCSAs more and more, but it’s still a work in progress.
Academia has long recognized that racial and ethnic minority groups are under-represented in scientific fields, but diversity has grown slowly and only marginally. For their part, RCSA executives are working to develop initiatives that drive diversity, equality, and inclusion in the physical sciences such as chemistry, physics, and astronomy, areas that have historically been predominantly white and male. “We’re embedding it in our existing programs,” said Linzer. “For example, when building the Scialog cohorts, we achieved 50% gender parity, which was not the case five years ago. But we are still far behind the under-represented minority share. ‘
RCSA aims to develop a culture of academic research by fostering interdisciplinary collaboration.
RCSA launched its Scialog program in 2010, largely to address the unique professional stresses faced by researchers, especially early stage lecturers who need to balance research, teaching and service for their departments and schools. “Science has become very competitive when it comes to funding and getting publications, and people were concerned about creating their own name on the way to tenure,” Linzer said. “RCSA has been trying to find ways to make science fun again, to make it a collaborative, discovery-based activity, not a competitive and protective activity.”
Scialog brings together dozens of junior departments in a series of long-term initiatives, interrupted by personal conferences on important sub-topics or problems in wider fields. Scialog’s current topics include bioimaging, microbiome and neurobiology, and zoonotic threats, among others. “These sub-topics would be areas where there were real obstacles that had to be overcome to advance the field,” said Linzer. “By discussing them from different perspectives, with people from different disciplines and methodologies, scientists can gain perspective on opportunities that they might not have seen if they had worked alone. People have to sit down and talk to each other for a while to learn each other’s scientific language. “
Overall, through Scialog, RCSA supports and engages hundreds of researchers annually from all disciplines to build interdisciplinary communities that can solve problems through complementary knowledge and methodology. RCSA is working with other leading science sponsors to mount Scialog, including the Heising-Simons Foundation, Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Walder Foundation, Kavli Foundation, and public entities such as the US Department of Agriculture.
Why is STEM important for the future?
STEM Teaches Critical Thinking and Innovation Focusing on logical thought processes and problem solving allows students to develop mental habits that will help them succeed in any field. On the same subject : There are many reasons for climate denial, but science is the solution. STEM classes force students to think critically and come up with their own solutions.
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Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math: Studying STEM disciplines in schools can help children build confidence, improve critical thinking and problem-solving, and develop soft skills that will be essential to them in adulthood.
Why STEM is the most important?
STEM education creates critical thinkers, increases knowledge of science, and enables a new generation of innovators. Innovation leads to new products and processes that sustain our economy. To see also : U.S. science agencies would see budgets rise under draft budget bills. This innovation and understanding of the sciences depend on a solid knowledge base in STEM areas.
What is the purpose of STEM education?
STEM education gives people the skills that make them more diligent and ready to meet current job needs. It covers a whole range of experiences and skills. This may interest you : President Biden nominates Dr Arati Prabhakar to head the Office of Science and Technology Policy. Each component of STEM makes a valuable contribution to comprehensive education. Learning gives students a thorough understanding of the world around us.
What is STEM strand and why is it important?
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. These four domains share the emphasis on innovation, problem solving, and critical thinking. And together they form a popular and rapidly growing industry. Most STEM employees use computers and other technologies in their daily work.
What is a STEM thread? STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Through the STEM band, high school students are exposed to the complex theories and math and scientific concepts that will serve as the foundation of their college courses.
Why do we need to study STEM strand?
The academics, technology, engineering, and maths play a key role in the sustained growth and stability of the US economy and are a key component in helping the US win the future. STEM education creates critical thinkers, enhances science literacy, and empowers a new generation of innovators.
Why STEM is the most important?
STEM education creates critical thinkers, increases knowledge of science, and enables a new generation of innovators. Innovation leads to new products and processes that sustain our economy. This innovation and understanding of the sciences depend on a solid knowledge base in STEM areas.
