News Roundup - 1/17

Below is a collection of various news items of interest to AAEA members. Have something you would like included? Either mention it in the comments below, or e-mail Adam@aaea.org and we'll include it in a future News Roundup.

Call for Papers: International Consumer Sciences Research Conference on "Consumer Behavior for a Sustainable Future"
The Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Bonn, Germany hosts the 5^th International Consumer Sciences Research Conference” (ICSRC) from July 18–July 20, 2011 with the focus on: “Consumer Behavior for a Sustainable Future.” The purpose of the 5th ICSRC is to provide a platform for studies from the broad areas of consumer sciences and education, agricultural and home economics, market research, and household and appliance technology. This year the aim of the conference is to explain the determinants of consumer behavior towards a sustainable future. The deadline to submit abstracts is January 31, 2011.

Call for Papers: Emerging Issues in Agricultural Economics, an International Workshop
The Center for Agricultural Economic Research, it cooperation with the Department of Agricultural Economics and Management of the Hebrew University, will host an international workshop on “Emerging Issues in Agricultural Economics”. The workshop will take place on the campus of the Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment in Rehovot, Israel, during May 29–31, 2011. The workshop organizer is Professor Ayal Kimhi. The deadline to submit abstracts is January 31, 2011.

Call for NAREA Selected Papers and Symposia Proposals at 2011 Joint Annual Meeting
The Northeast Agricultural and Resource Economics Association (NAREA) will hold its 2011 annual meeting in Pittsburgh, PA July 24-26, 2011 in conjunction with AAEA. NAREA will sponsor selected paper sessions, symposiums, and workshop papers (for a pre-conference workshop on the Economics of Child Nutrition Programs). Selected Paper sessions are an opportunity for individual NAREA members to share their current research. Symposium sessions are an opportunity for members to organize a group of three or four papers on a specific area that is of interest to the membership. The deadline to submit abstracts is February 1, 2011.

Call for Papers: NAREA Workshop on Economics and Child Nutrition Programs
With recent economic events, larger and larger numbers of children receive support via food assistance programs. Moreover, the current administration has shown a willingness to use behavioral tools to reach nutritional goals within these programs, encouraging healthier eating. The goal of the workshop is to showcase the emerging issues and creative policy solutions in nutrition and food programs such as the National School Lunch Program, Women Infants and Children, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and how these programs relate to child nutrition. The workshop will include presentation of both invited and selected papers. Papers for this workshop are due February 1, 2011.

Call for Applications: Graduate National Need Fellowships at Iowa State
The Department of Economics at Iowa State is pleased to announce the establishment of three Graduate National Need Fellowships in the economics of bioenergy, funded by USDA NIFA, starting in summer 2011. These fellowships are available to domestic students pursuing a PhD in Economics, with a research focus on the economics of bio-renewable energy. In addition to substantial financial support, fellows will have the opportunity to interact with academic, government and industry leaders in the areas of agricultural, environmental, and energy economics.The research and training undertaken by the fellows have to be related to the economics of bio-renewable energy, dealing with the energy sector, the environment, or agricultural or other dimensions of bio-renewable energy. ISU is a world leader in these economic fields and offers a strong academic environment in all aspects of bio-renewable energy. The fellowship would be part of a four-year funding commitment (conditional on normal progress) to complete the PhD program. For further information contact John Beghin or Jim Bushnell.

Applicants should apply to the Ph.D. program following the procedures detailed on the department’s website, mention their interest in the NNF fellowship in their online application under "Research interests," and discuss their background and interests in the economics of bio-renewable energy in their Statement of Purpose. Deadline for applications: February 1, 2011.

For more information on the PhD program, contact the Economics Graduate Programs Office, Iowa State University, 260 Heady Hall, Ames, IA 50011-1070. (515) 294-2702. Fax (515) 294-0221. grad@econ.iastate.edu

Call for Applications: National Needs Graduate Fellowships at Oklahoma State University
Oklahoma State University is pleased to announce three National Needs Graduate Fellowships in Bioenergy Economics for PhD students available in 2011 and 2012. The fellowships will carry a yearly stipend of $24,500 for three years, a tuition waiver, and health insurance.

Fellows will have the opportunity to work with a dynamic faculty on the cutting edge of disciplinary and applied research in agricultural economics. Three current Oklahoma State faculty members have received the prestigious AAEA Graduate Teaching Award. Fellows will be encouraged to pursue publication opportunities that will make them competitive for academic positions. In addition to the usual educational opportunities within the department, Fellows will have the opportunity to work with personnel of the Oklahoma Bioenergy Center, a consortium that supports bioenergy research at Oklahoma State University, the University of Oklahoma, and the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation. Fellows may participate in innovative internships and cross-institutional interdisciplinary research and earn a PhD in agricultural economics.

To be eligible for the fellowships, candidates should be citizens or nationals of the United States and have a demonstrated interest in pursuing a career in the area of agricultural economics. For questions regarding procedures and requirements, contact Anna Whitney, agecgrad@okstate.edu or (405) 744-6084. For questions about program content and research opportunities, contact the project director, Francis Epplin, f.epplin@okstate.edu or (405) 744-6156. Oklahoma State University is an equal access/equal opportunity University.

National Needs Graduate Fellowships are supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture Competitive Programs, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Agreement No.2011-38420-20069.