Dear Friends,

Happy Thanksgiving Day weekend (at least to those of you in the US)! Below are several items of news and information from NCKRI on behalf of several of our friends:

· International Congress of Speleology: abstract deadline extended

· UIS Bulletin: important issue for UIS delegates

· Southwestern Region of the NSS Winter Technical Meeting

· Cave Conservancy Foundation 2017-18 Graduate and Undergraduate Fellowship Awards

· Questions on South African karst groundwater project

· Karst Waters Institute Wilson Student Scholarship

· Groundwater and Cave Challenge Grant Crowd Funding Campaign

· Karst-related data collection job opening

· III International Symposium of Speleology

· List of upcoming cave and karst meetings

If you have questions, please contact the people and organizations listed below, and feel free to share this message with anyone who may be interested.

George

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International Congress of Speleology: abstract deadline extended

The abstract deadline for the 17^th International Congress of Speleology has been extended to 19 December 2016 to allow requested time for more papers to be submitted. This is the absolute final deadline for abstracts. Keep in mind that the deadlines for the full papers to accompany the abstracts has not changed and remains at 1 February 2017.

For all current information on the Congress visit https://www.speleo2017.com/. Information for authors can be found here and accessed from the on-line submissions page.

The Congress organizers understand that some people are having difficulties submitting their abstracts and registering. They apologize for the inconvenience and are working has fast as possible to improve the system. If you find problems that you can’t solve, you are encouraged to contact the organizers at https://www.speleo2017.com/ContactUs.html. They will be happy to help you.

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UIS Bulletin: important issue for UIS delegates

We have the pleasure of announcing the Volume 58-2 of the UIS Bulletin.

The PDF Interactive format can be downloaded by clicking on the link:

http://www.uis-speleo.org/downloads/uis-bulletins/uisb582.pdf

This is a special issue focused on the important business of improving the guiding documents of the UIS so the Union can be stronger and more productive at supporting speleology for many years to come.

In July 2017 in Sydney, Australia, the UIS General Assembly will meet to vote on approving these proposed revised and new documents.

The 74 pages of this issue bring the following topics:

Editorial: BIG STEP AHEAD - Your contribution is a Must

Preparation of the General Assembly of the UIS

A Summary of Revisions and New Documents:

- Statutes

- Internal Regulations

- Voting Procedures and Guidelines

- UIS Symbols Flag and Anthem Guide

- Visual Identity Guide

- Internet Facilities Guidelines

- Speleological Event Support Guidelines

- New procedure to apply for positions on the UIS Bureau

Minutes UIS Bureau Meeting 2016

UIS Bureau 2013-2017

Active Nation Members List

Annual Contributions and Bank Account

Please send it to the whole speleological community in your country and to your entire contact list.

Previous issues of the UIS Bulletin are also available by clicking on the link:

http://www.uis-speleo.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=81&Itemid=408

Visit the UIS Website

www.uis-speleo.org

Best regards

Nivaldo COLZATO

Adjunct Secretary (Brazil)

UIS-Union Internationale de Spéléologie

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Southwest Region of the NSS Winter Technical Meeting

This year’s Winter Technical meeting will be held at NCKRI Headquarters in Carlsbad, New Mexico, on 3 December 2016. Following the region’s business meeting, a full program of papers on the latest in exploration and science will be offered. For those registering on-site, the price of dinner is $15/person. Carlsbad unfortunately has lost its recycling program recently. Please reduce waste by bringing your own water container to quench your thirst during the day. Bottled water will not be provided. The meeting is being organized by the White Sands and Pecos Valley grottos. For more information, visit http://caves.org/region/swr/activities.html. For NCKRI’s location, check out http://nckri.org/about_nckri/contact_nckri.htm.

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Cave Conservancy Foundation 2017-18 Graduate and Undergraduate Fellowship Awards

The Cave Conservancy Foundation will award a $6,000 Undergraduate, a $7,000 Master and a $20,000 Doctorate Graduate Fellowships in Karst Studies for the 2017-2018 Academic Year. Any study of caves and karst in any field, including but not limited to archeology, biology, engineering, geography, geology, and social sciences will be considered. The research can involve any cave and karst areas, including those outside the United States. Applicants must be full-time students at a U.S. college or university.

Undergraduate Fellowship ($6,000)

Applicant for the undergraduate fellowship must include a letter of intent, a research proposal not exceeding 5000 words, a letter of support from the undergraduate advisor, and undergraduate transcripts. E-mail application, with “request receipt” notation and “CCF-UG Fellowship Application” in the subject line to: and . The complete application must be received by May 2, 2017. The award will be announced by June 1, 2017. For more information contact Dr. Daniel W. Fong, via e-mail at .

Graduate Fellowships (Master ($7,000), and Doctorate ($20,000))

Applicant for the graduate fellowships (Master and Doctorate) must include a letter of intent, a curriculum vita, a thesis research proposal not exceeding 5000 words, graduate transcripts, and two letters of recommendation, one being from the thesis advisor. E-mail application, with “request receipt” notation and “CCF-MS Fellowship Application” or “CCF-PhD Fellowship Application” in subject line as appropriate to: and . The complete application must be received by May 2, 2017. The award will be announced by July 1, 2017. For more information contact Dr. Annette S. Engel, via email at .

Appreciation – Dr. Horton H. (Beep) Hobbs

The Cave Conservancy Foundation acknowledges and appreciates the outstanding contribution of the late Dr. Horton H. (Beep) Hobbs. “Beep” as part of his life time devotion to karst research and conservation, for over 20 years conducted the CCF Undergraduate Fellowship program. He was a biologist, student mentor, caver and friend to most who are interested in the underground. He will be missed and fondly remembered.

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Questions on South African karst groundwater project

The attached BID 20161021 Final.pdf describes a proposed water management project in part of the South African dolomite karst. This country of over 32 million people is geologically complex and water-poor in many regions. NCKRI was contacted from people concerned about the potential environmental karst and other impacts of the proposed project. The attached file, 712-5387-3-PB.pdf, was sent to NCKRI as an example of some of those impact. NCKRI has not studied the proposal to render an opinion, but encourages anyone interested to review the attached files, and register their positions and offer constructive comments as interested parties. You do not need to live in South Africa to register.

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The William L. Wilson Scholarship in Karst Science

Administered by the Karst Waters Institute

www.karstwaters.org

The William L. Wilson Scholarship in Karst Science was established in 2002 to recognize the significant karst science contributions of the late William (Bill) L. Wilson. Bill Wilson used a variety of techniques, and unusual creativity, to tackle some of the most difficult karst science questions in Florida and elsewhere. He developed a leading karst consulting company in the United States, Subsurface Evaluations, Inc. To stimulate the development of new, energetic, motivated, and creative karst scientists, and to remember Bill Wilson and his dedication to karst science, the scholarship has been established in his memory. The scholarship includes recognition at the KWI spring banquet, a plaque naming the awardee, and a one-time award of $1,000.

To apply for the William L. Wilson Scholarship, the following conditions exist:

1) The applicant must be currently enrolled in, or have been accepted into, a master’s degree program at an institution of higher education in the United States. PhD students are not eligible.

2) A written proposal of the planned karst study must be submitted. The research topic should focus on karst science, broadly defined, including subfields of geochemistry, geology, geophysics, and/or hydrology. Applicants are requested to not recycle master’s thesis proposals as applications. The proposal narrative is limited to 1000 words, not including figure captions, references, or budget explanation. Although funds are unrestricted and do not have to provide complete support of the project, a simple budget and short justification should be included to reflect how the award may further the proposed work.

3) Academic transcripts of undergraduate, and any graduate work, should be submitted. Copies issued to the student by their institution are preferred.

4) Two letters of recommendation, with one of them from the student’s advisor or mentor, should be submitted. It is requested that these letters be emailed directly to by the letter writers.

5) Applications are due by February 1, 2017. They should be submitted electronically as a single pdf file that includes the proposal, budget, and all transcripts to:

Dr. Jonathan B. Martin

Professor, Geological Sciences, University of Florida

Questions regarding the scholarship should be addressed to Dr. Martin.

Applicants will be notified in early March of the decision of the Scholarship Committee.

Publications and presentations derived from supported research should acknowledge the Karst Waters Institute and the William L. Wilson Scholarship.

For more information, go to: http://karstwaters.org/scholarship/

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Groundwater and Cave Challenge Grant Crowd Funding Campaign

Hello NCKRI community,

This is to alert you of the ongoing challenge grant crowd funding campaign “groundwater and caves“ which was launched last week: https://experiment.com/grants/groundwater/

The initiative features 11 projects, most of them in the United States. Challenge grants offer prizes to supplement existing crowdfunding campaigns. Partway through the campaigns, the project with the highest number of backers will receive an additional $500. There are two runners-up prizes of $200 each. So if you feel strongly for one of the projects you can help by even modest amounts of contributions, simply by boosting the backer numbers. Of course, as much as you can do for science will be greatly appreciated by any of the projects.

Any further questions can be directed to:

Dr. Markus Friedrich
Department of Biological Sciences
Wayne State University
5047 Gullen Mall
Detroit, MI 48202
office: BSB 3117

office phone: 313 577 9612

lab phone: 313 577 5120
http://friedrichlab.googlepages.com/home

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Karst-related data collection job opening

The Edward Aquifer Authority is looking to hire someone to supervise and coordinate the data collection and data management activities that support scientific investigations and technical analyses of the karstic Edwards Aquifer and its contributing watersheds. The application deadline is 2 December 2016. See below for more details:

EDWARDS AQUIFER AUTHORITY

JOB POSTING PVA#: 20-16

POSITION: Data Collection Supervisor

REPORTING SUPERVISOR: Director

DIVISION: Aquifer Management Services

DEPARTMENT: Modeling & Data Management

ANNUALIZED SALARY: $59,118.12

WORKING HOURS: 8:00AM-5:00PM (M-F)

BASIC FUNCTION:

Supervises and coordinates the data collection and data management activities that support scientific investigations and technical analyses of the Edwards Aquifer and its contributing watersheds.

DESCRIPTION:

Coordinates development, automation, and integration of environmental and meteorological data collection systems that include aquifer water level and water quality measurements, rain gauges, weather stations, stream flows, and spring flows; interfaces with other departments to support their data collection needs; installs, programs, and maintains data loggers, instrumentation, and associated data telemetry systems; supervises and trains staff on the use and maintenance of data collection equipment, telemetry systems, and entry of data into databases; assists in developing data collection procedures and ensures staff adherence to data quality protocols; assists data management team linking of telemetered data feeds to databases and development of data queries used to generate reports and make data available to the public through web-based applications.

EDUCATIONAL/EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, Engineering, Geology, Hydrology, Meteorology, Computer Science, Data Administration, or a closely related field plus a minimum of three years of experience in developing and maintaining automated of data collection systems of which at least one year must be in a supervisory or program management capacity; or Master’s degree plus a minimum of two years of experience in data collection systems, of which one year must be in a supervisory or program management capacity; experience with developing interfaces between database systems and web-based applications is preferred; some familiarity in SQL, scripting languages, using APIs, and data integration tools will be a strong plus; must possess excellent written, oral, time management and organizational skills and the ability to exercise initiative, independent judgment and responsibility; a valid driver’s license; and ability to operate a motor vehicle.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Job performance may require: listening, seeing, sitting, talking, reaching, pulling or pushing; frequent lifting, balancing, carrying, grasping, handling of items and equipment weighting up to 50 pounds; occasional walking, standing, stooping, bending and crawling in rough terrain requiring a high level of physical exertion; some irregular hours and long workdays, and moderate levels of stress. Job may consist of up to 60% work in an office environment and 40% work outside that includes exposure to extremes in weather, rough terrain, such as brush, rocks, and hills, and may also include exposure to hazardous chemicals, insects, and snakes. Performance may also include work around construction sites, work along roadways, or other similar work sites.

Applications will be accepted through 4:30 p.m. Friday, December 02, 2016. Completion of an application is required. Applications may be obtained from our website, www.edwardsaquifer.org, at the Edwards Aquifer Authority located at 900 E. Quincy, San Antonio, TX 78215 or by calling (210) 222-2204. EOE/Drug Test Required.

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III International Symposium of Speleology

This third symposium will be held in Varenna, Italy, on 29 April – 1 May 2017. Information is included in the attached circular. Contact information will be provided soon.

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List of upcoming cave and karst meetings:

1) American Geophysical Union, 12-16 December 2016 (San Francisco, California, USA), http://fallmeeting.agu.org/2016/

2) Karst Waters Institute Awards Dinner for James Reddell, 4 March 2017 (San Marcos, Texas, USA), http://karstwaters.org/save-the-date-march-4th-2017-karst-award-to-james-reddell/

3) Hypogea 2017: International Congress of Speleology in Artificial Cavities, 6-10 March 2017 (Cappadocia, Turkey), www.hypogea2017.com

4) US Geological Survey Karst Interest Group Meeting, 16-18 May 2017 (San Antonio, Texas, USA). Website to be posted soon.

5) III International Symposium on Speleology, 29 April – 1 May 2017 (Varenna, Villa Monastero – Lake Como, Italy). Contact information to be available soon.

6) Climate Record: The Karst Record VIII, 21-24 May 2017, (Austin, Texas, USA), http://sites.uci.edu/kr8conference/

7) 25^th International Karstological School “Classical Karst”: Milestones and challenges in Karstology, 19-23 June 2017 (Postojna, Slovenia), http://iks.zrc-sazu.si

8) National Speleological Society Convention, 19-23 June 2017 (Rio Rancho, New Mexico, USA), http://nss2017.caves.org/

9) National Association of Mining History Organisations Conference 2017, 23-26 June 2017 (Godstone, Surrey, UK), http://namho2017.info/

10) 17^th International Congress of Speleology, 23-30 July 2017 (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), http://speleo2017.com/

11) Biospeleology Conference, 21-23 September 2017 (Seville, Spain), http://bioespeleologia.blogspot.com.es/2016/11/v-encuentro-iberico-de-biologia.html

12) National Cave and Karst Management Symposium, 16-20 October 2017 (Eureka Springs, Arkansas, USA), http://nckms.org/

13) International Conference on Geomorphology, 6-11 November 2017 (New Delhi, India), karst session: http://www.icg2017.com/session.php

14) The Sinkhole Conference, joint with the 3^rd Appalachian Karst Symposium, 2-6 April 2018 (Shepherdstown, West Virginia, USA), http://www.sinkholeconference.com/

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George Veni, PhD

Executive Director

National Cave and Karst Research Institute

400-1 Cascades Avenue

Carlsbad, New Mexico 88220-6215 USA

Office: 575-887-5517

Mobile: 210-863-5919

Fax: 575-887-5523