The Elsevier Foundation has announced the 2009 grant recipients, committing a total of $600,000 to twelve institutions from around the world to support the work of libraries and scholars in science, technology and medicine. The grant recipients were selected from 250 applicants worldwide for their innovation and potential for impact in the developing world, academic workplace and nursing community.
Innovative Libraries
Six new grants have been awarded under the Innovative Libraries in Developing Countries program. The award recipients include institutions across Africa and Asia, and demonstrate how information resources can be used to address a variety of development issues - emergency management, the environment, boosting authorship and research skills and the distribution of clinical care information:
Developing a Service-Oriented Database of Cases of Emergency Management, JINAN University, China
'Librarians Without Borders®' E-Library Training Initiative Grant, Medical Library Association
Transformation of ICIMOD's Traditional Library into a Mountain Learning and Information Center, International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Nepal
Supporting Research Communities in Writing, Publishing and Sharing their Works in Thai Nguyen University, Thai Nguyen University, Vietnam
Enhancing Access to Current Literature by Health Workers in Rural Uganda and Community Health Problem Solving, Makerere University, Uganda
Increasing access to relevant health information for primary healthcare providers through Kenyan public libraries, Book Aid International
New Scholars
Within the New Scholars program, the Elsevier Foundation has awarded four new grants to a range of international institutions pioneering new approaches to childcare, mentoring, networking, and policy advocacy in order to support scholars during the early stages of their demanding careers in science and technology:
Women Scientists in the Developing World Awards, Third World Organization for Women in Science (TWOWS)
STEM Family Travel Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Enhancing the Academic Climate for STEM Women Scholars through Family-Friendly Policies, UCLA Los Angeles
Special Childcare Program, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
The International Summit on Nurse Faculty Migration
An additional Elsevier Foundation grant has been awarded to the International Council on Nurses (ICN) and the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) to hold "The International Summit on Nurse Faculty Migration," a three day 2010 policy summit on the economic and health ramifications nurse faculty migration has had on both developing and developed countries. The summit will host thirty internationally recognized global nurse leaders who will commit to using the outcomes from the summit to advance the issue at the global level, consult with local entities on implementation, and coordinate and disseminate the results of local initiatives.
"Learning from past lessons, we know that nurse faculty migration may pose a high risk problem for many countries," said David Benton, Chief Executive Officer, International Council of Nurses, "ICN and STTI welcome Elsevier's contribution to ensuring sound understanding of faculty migration so as to proactively manage the looming crisis and improve healthcare delivery by preparing sufficient numbers of nurses to meet the needs of the future."
"We are delighted by the breadth of the 2009 Foundation grant awards which promise to make both immediate and long term contributions to our science and health communities," said Y.S. Chi, Vice Chairman of Elsevier and CEO, Elsevier Science & Technology. "We view each of these projects as an opportunity to partner with innovative organizations around the world, supporting their critical efforts to address the global nursing shortage, the role of women in science and the developing world access to research and clinical health information. Each year the Elsevier Foundation strives to identify projects and regions where we can help make the most difference."
Source: Ylann Schemm
Elsevier