Elsevier Foundation awards $555,000 in new grants.
Funds support innovative libraries in developing countries, science scholars and a new programme to address the global nursing shortage.
The Elsevier Foundation has awarded grants to 10 institutions from around the world whose initiatives promote the work of libraries and scholars in science, technology and medicine. The winning proposals for 2008 were selected from over 165 applicants worldwide for their innovation and potential for impact in the developing world, nursing community and academic workplace.
“This year’s Foundation grant recipients have proposed extremely promising programs that will have both immediate and long-lasting impacts on different parts of the research and scientific communities,” said YS Chi, Vice Chairman of Elsevier. “Guided by our mission to make genuine contri-butions to science and health communities, Elsevier is proud to partner with these organizations and support their efforts.”
The ten awards are dispersed between the Nurse Faculty Mentoring, Innovative Libraries Prgramme and New Scholars Programme.
Nurse Faculty Mentoring
The newly launched Nurse Faculty Mentored Leadership Development Program is a three-year partnership. The program seeks to create a new model for mentoring new nurse faculty in partnership with the Honor Society of Nursing Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI), the leading global professional nurse organization. Mentoring has been found to be a critical factor in the retention and advancement of nursing faculty (for both mentors and mentees). The program will focus on the Assistant Professor level and strive to establish new standards and competencies for nurse leaders.
Innovative Libraries Programme
Four grants have been awarded under the Innovative Libraries in Developing Countries programme.
The winners include institutions across Africa and Asia, dedicated to improving access to scientific information, developing information resources, and training librarians and researchers on how to use and deploy information for patient care, HIV/AIDS research, and agricultural development:
Shanghai Jiao Tong University: “Collaborative Digital Reference Service System (CDRSS) for University Libraries in China: An Exploratory Study.”
George Washington University Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library, Washington, DC: “Information and Library Needs Assessment to support the Orotta School of Medicine, Physicians for Peace and GWU Medical Center training project in Eritrea (Northeast Africa)”
Centre International de Reference “Chantal Biya” (CIRCB), Republic of Cameroon: “Building on an operational health network to develop a health information library network in Cameroon.”
Aysha Abed Library, BRAC University, Bangladesh: “Creating an Integrated Library System (ILS) Using Open Source Software KOHA...”
New Scholars Programme
Five grants have been awarded under the New Scholars Programme.
This program helps scholars balance child care and family responsibilities during the early stages of their careers in science and technology. The five winners represent a range of international institutions pioneering new approaches to child care, mentoring and networking: the Association for Women in Science (AWIS); the American Physical Society; the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, and the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa; the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO); and the Maternal and Childcare Union in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Image: Lenny Rhine, who was a reviewer for the Foundation’s 2008 Innovative Libraries program and a 2007 grant winner, provides Research4Life training in Gambia, helping researchers and medical professionals access scientific and health information online.
For more information visit www.elsevierfoundation.org