NEWS OF THE WEEK

U.S. CONGRESS Physicist Wins Open Seat

Developmental biologist Donald Brown of the “The combination of my scientific and that Foster “brings people together.” Volk and Carnegie Institution of Washington in Balti- business backgrounds … spells problem others braved the bitter weather “to collect sig- more, Maryland, doesn’t get many fundrais- solver,” says Foster, who ranks the economic natures and knock on doors to get out the ing calls from candidates for Congress. But downturn and pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq as vote,” he says. when experimental physicist called his highest priorities and says more funding for The community also dug into its pockets, Brown in January, he gave the Illinois basic science is a problem he also wants to giving roughly $160,000 according to cam- Democrat his ear, and soon after, $1000. tackle. “Bill’s background as a scientist not paign documents. Amounts ranged from from Washington helped him,” says his cam- $250 from former Department of Energy offi- paign manager, Tom Bowen. cial and Massachusetts Institute of Technology During his 22-year career at Fermilab, physicist Mildred Dresselhaus to $2000 from Foster, 53, also was part-owner of a prosperous Fermilab Director Pier Oddone. Foster was his lighting firm. Unhappy with the cancellation of own biggest contributor, spending $1.4 million, a particle physics project he led and bitten by and the Democratic National Committee put in the political bug, Foster left the lab in 2006 to a similar amount to help Foster capture what work on the successful congressional cam- had been a traditional Republican stronghold. paign of another neophyte, Democrat Patrick Brown says he’s proud of his role in helping Murphy, for a seat in suburban Philadelphia. Foster win the Democratic primary last month Calling himself the campaign physicist, Foster and then defeat Republican Jim Oberweis on learned the ropes—and devised software to 8 March by a margin of 53% to 47%. “It’s a

Bigger science. Bill Foster (center) will join two organize the efforts of volunteers knocking on great omen for the Democrats,” he says. “This on April 9, 2008 other physicists in Congress. some 140,000 doors. Administration has been terrible for science.” Foster’s lab ties helped him jump-start his Despite being the newest member of Congress, Last weekend, Foster, a former researcher at own campaign. Nobelist and former Fermilab Foster won’t be able to leave the campaign trail. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermi- director Leon Lederman introduced Foster to That’s because he faces Oberweis again on lab) in Batavia, Illinois, won a special election power brokers and assembled a list of 4 November in a race for a full 2-year term. to fill the seat held by former House Majority 28 Nobelists who publicly endorsed Foster. And scientists such as Fermilab physicist Leader in a race that attracted After work hours, Fermilab physicist and Michael Church, who contributed $400, say national attention. And hundreds of scientists county alderman James Volk recruited col- Foster can count on their support again. “It’ll be around the country gave their time and money leagues to get involved. Lab engineer Thomas a tough election, and he’d need all the help he www.sciencemag.org to help put Foster over the top. Peterson told voters in a campaign commercial can get,” says Church. –ELI KINTISCH

SCIENTIFIC WORKPLACE Indian Government Offers Helping Hand to Women Scientists Downloaded from NEW DELHI—In 2000, when Vijayalakshmi “fledgling steps to … empower women to Trust in Hyderabad and chair of a science Ravindranath was appointed director of the have their rightful role in science,” including ministry task force assessing the status of National Brain Research Centre in Gurgaon, new regulations to allow women with young women in science in India. The panel will the neuroscientist made history. Ravin- children to work more flexible hours. release its findings later this year. dranath became the first woman to lead any The statistics are sobering. Although At the conference, Sibal announced that of the 65 institutes under India’s Ministry of women have earned 37% of all science Ph.D.s his ministry’s 65 institutions would provide Science and Technology—and today she is awarded by Indian institutions, they hold flexible working hours for women scientists one of only two women who have broken the fewer than 15% of science faculty positions. with children younger than 3 and establish ministry’s glass ceiling. When it comes to Out of India’s 114,000 or so government sci- crèches in all institutions. In addition, Sibal promoting women scientists in India, she entists, fewer than 16,000 are women. Only said, some of the 33 female members of the says, “our record is dismal.” one of the Indian Council of Agricultural Indian National Science Academy (which It may be surprising that women scientists Research’s 175 institutes has a female direc- has a fellowship of 774) will receive are struggling in the nation that elected Indira tor: the National Research Centre for Women research grants of up to $25,000 a year Gandhi prime minister in 1966. But at a con- in Agriculture in Bhubaneswar. over 5 years. ference in New Delhi to mark International The hurdles women scientists face are Women scientists applaud the meas- Women’s Day on 8 March, more than 1000 not unique to India. “Women are unable to ures. But in the long run, as India’s first scientists spoke of barriers to advancement cope with the triple burden of home, work, woman president, Pratibha D. Patil, argued and debated how to attract more women into and societal prejudices, including gender- at the conference, gender parity will come research careers. At the meeting, science related nepotism,” says Mahtab S. Bamji, a only when discrimination against women minister Kapil Sibal announced what he calls nutritionist with the Dangoria Charitable has stopped. –PALLAVA BAGLA CREDIT: ASSOCIATED PRESS ASSOCIATED CREDIT:

1470 14 MARCH 2008 VOL 319 SCIENCE www.sciencemag.org Published by AAAS