[CML #17326] Fwd: Cave and karst news and announcements from NCKRI

Dear Friends,

Below is the list of news and announcements for this message, starting with NCKRI’s Sinkhole Conference. The abstract deadline is coming soon on 15 July 2019! Send your abstracts now!

The Sinkhole Conference

· The 16^th Sinkhole Conference: Call for Abstracts and Registration

· The 16^th Sinkhole Conference: Special Sessions Announcement

· The 16^th Sinkhole Conference: Beck Student Scholarship Call for Applications

· The 16^th Sinkhole Conference: Beck Student Scholarship Call for Donors

Student, Job, and Research Grant Opportunities

Doctoral Study Program in Karstology: Slovenia
M.S. Opportunity on Karst and Mineral Springs Hydrogeology and Geochemistry: USA
White-nose Syndrome Research Grants
Tenure-track Professorship for Geology: Germany

Various News

·       EuroSpeleo Newsletter, June 2019

Announcements for the US National White-nose Syndrome Response Team

Conferences and Meetings

25^th International Cave Bear Symposium: 2^nd Circular Now Available
The 8th Triennial U.S. Geological Survey Karst Interest Group Workshop: USA
2019 National Cave and Karst Management Symposium, USA
List of Upcoming Cave and Karst Meetings

Please contact the people and organizations listed below for more information, and feel free to share this message with anyone who may be interested.

George

-----------------------

The 16^th Sinkhole Conference: Call for Abstracts and Registration

The Multidisciplinary Conference on Sinkholes and the Engineering and Environmental Impacts of Karst, generally called “The Sinkhole Conference,” is the longest-running international conference of its type. Since 1984, engineers, geologists, hydrologists, land managers, biologists, and many others have gathered at these meetings to exchange cutting-edge information on karst and its many benefits and challenges.

The call for abstracts is now open for the 16^th Sinkhole Conference. Abstracts may be submitted until 15 July 2019, after which will be the time to submit your papers to accompany your abstracts. The papers of past Sinkhole Conferences have made those proceedings highly sought and widely cited. We expect the proceedings of the upcoming meeting will be the best yet.

The 16^th Sinkhole Conference will occur on 20-24 April 2020 in fabulous San Juan, Puerto Rico! Puerto Rico offers a tropical karst landscape and a vibrant historical and cultural venue unlike anything seen in rest of the United States. Many people are already talking about attending the conference as part of a vacation, and we are helping to make that possible.

The conference will be held in the lovely Sheraton Old San Juan Hotel, located in the historic heart of the city. Unlike previous conferences, your registration will include your breakfasts and lunches, in addition to the other usual amenities. Also, your discount conference room rates will extend to three days before and after the conference, in case you want to stay longer and enjoy a vacation.

For all of the details on the conference, including information on how to prepare and submit your abstracts, visit http://www.sinkholeconference.com/. Remember, the deadline is 15 July 2019.

The Sinkhole Conference is managed by the National Cave and Karst Research Institute and with tremendous assistance from a diverse team of karst experts from around the country who join us to form the Organizing Committee. On behalf of the 16^th Sinkhole Conference Organizing Committee, we look forward to receiving your abstracts and seeing you in San Juan next year!

George Veni

Sinkhole Conference Co-chair

NCKRI Executive Director

-----------------------

The 16^th Sinkhole Conference: Beck Student Scholarship Call for Applications

The Sinkhole Conference was created in 1984 and led for many years by Dr. Barry Beck. In his memory, the conference now offers the Beck Student Scholarship. Students awarded a Beck Scholarship will receive free registration to the conference and up to $1,000 reimbursement for travel expenses, as well as certain special recognitions and other benefits. Scholars from the previous Sinkhole Conference are recognized at http://www.sinkholeconference.com/Beck-scholarship. To apply for the scholarship, visit http://www.sinkholeconference.com/how-to-apply-for-the-beck-scholarship.

-----------------------

The 16^th Sinkhole Conference: Beck Student Scholarship Call for Donors

The Sinkhole Conference funds one Beck Student Scholarship for each conference, but more than one scholarship can be offered with your support. Six were awarded last time! Attending The Sinkhole Conference can be a life-changing experience for students by opening their eyes to state-of-the-art knowledge, and important professional contacts and opportunities. To help change a student’s life for the better, we ask and encourage you to donate to the Beck Scholarship. All donations are tax deductible. For details on how to donate, visit http://www.sinkholeconference.com/How-to-sponsor-the-scholarship.

-----------------------

Doctoral Study Program in Karstology: Slovenia

The Doctoral study program in Karstology is a world-wide unique program which provides a comprehensive study of karst science, combining the study of the karst landscape, karst caves, karst hydrogeology, biology and ecology of karst in one course of study. It was designed for students who wish to gain a deeper insight into this broadly integrated system of karst sciences. The fundamental objective of the program is to produce two types of karstologists. The first is the karstologist-researcher who can conduct independent research on karst and karst phenomena from multiple aspects. The second type is the karstologist-manager who can apply the full knowledge of karst conveyed by narrowly specialized experts for different applications (economy, education, protection). The program was developed with researchers of the Karst Research Institute at Research Centre of the Slovene Academy of Sciences and Arts (ZRC SAZU) and is carried out by professors and researchers from Karst Research Institute and invited foreign professors, and is coordinated and managed by the University of Nova Gorica. Lectures and research take place in the premises of the Karst Research Institute in Postojna where students are provided all necessary professional and scientific support for their own research work. The successful functioning of doctoral study program Karstology resulted in naming it in 2014 as the UNESCO Chair on Karst Education.

www.ung.si/en/

www.ung.si/en/study/graduate-school/study/3KR/

For further information contact:

Associate professor dr. Martin KNEZ, univ. grad. eng. geology
Director of Doctoral study program in Karstology Graduate School,
University of Nova Gorica, Slovenia

Karst Research Institute
Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts
P.O.Box 59, SI-6230 Postojna, Slovenia
Tel: ++386 5 700 1915, ++386 5 700 1900
Fax: ++386 5 700 1999
Email:

-----------------------

M.S. Opportunity on Karst and Mineral Springs Hydrogeology and Geochemistry: USA

The Indiana Geological and Water Survey (IGWS) in collaboration with the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (DEAS) at Indiana University, have immediate support for a Masters of Science Research Assistant opportunity to work under the direction of research scientist Tracy Branam at the IGWS. The graduate student project is part of a larger program to establish a springs observatory for hydrogeology and geochemistry in support the aims and missions of the Center for Rural Engagement at Indiana University.

The student will collect field data and water samples at spring locations primarily across the karstic Mitchell Plateau of south-central Indiana, and analyze water samples in facilities at the IGWS, DEAS, and collaborating institutions. The opening is available to start in August 2019. Please apply through the IU’s Graduate School admissions site at http://graduate.indiana.edu/admissions/index.shtml. More information for prospective students is at http://geology.indiana.edu/education/proGrad.html. You may also contact Dr. Simon Brassell, Director of Graduate Studies at DEAS, , 812-855-3786, Research Scientist Tracy Branam at the IGWS, , 812-855-8390, and Dr. Lee Florea, Assistant Director for Research at the IGWS, , 812-855-1376.

-----------------------

White-nose Syndrome Research Grants

Dear Colleagues.

I am happy to share that the US Fish and Wildlife is now accepting applications for Research Grants to conduct critical research for the National Response to White-nose Syndrome.

The Notification for Funding Opportunity is posted on grants.gov: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=316744

Notice of Funding Opportunity Number: F19AS00231

Opens: June 5, 2019

Closes: August 6, 2019

Priorities for this funding opportunity will fall into the following main categories:

Address important gaps in knowledge of ecological needs of bat species known or anticipated to be susceptible to WNS to inform management strategies
Understand patterns of survival and population dynamics within and between bat species, including sublethal effects of Pd infection and vulnerability to WNS. Underlying mechanisms may involve environmental, physiological, behavioral, genetic and/or other factors affecting host or pathogen.
Develop and implement strategies to improve survival and persistence of species impacted by or likely susceptible to WNS. These efforts should consider quantifying non-target effects of implementing the strategies.

We look forward to receiving your proposals.

Jonathan D. Reichard, Ph.D.

National Assistant Coordinator for White-Nose Syndrome

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

-----------------------

Tenure-track Professorship for Geology: Germany

Job description: The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology is looking for a person who represents the field of geology in research and teaching with enthusiasm and places emphasis on innovative research. A focus on sediments and sedimentary rocks is desirable. Knowledge of karst is not the focus of this position, but are welcome if an application has the primary skills and qualifications.

You will join the academic staff at Institute of Applied Geosciences (AGW) in working together across disciplines. Furthermore, you have didactic skills, look back on internationally visible scientific achievements, and are able to raise third-party funds. You will be responsible for teaching tasks in the areas of geology, sedimentology, and geological field training. Within the framework of the W1 professorship, you will teach four semester periods per week (referred to as SWS) up to the interim evaluation, followed by six SWS. You are able to teach in German, or will acquire the required language skills.

Qualification: A completed university degree, pedagogical aptitude, which as a rule must be demonstrated by experience in teaching or training, and a special aptitude for scientific work, which as a rule is demonstrated by the outstanding quality of a doctorate, are required.

Contract duration: The employment is for six years as a civil servant on a temporary basis or as an employee. In the fourth year of service, an interim evaluation takes place. If the final evaluation is positive, you will be appointed to an open-ended professorship (W3). This tenure-track professorship (W1) is funded by the "Bund-Länder Program for the Promotion of Early-career Researchers".

Starting date: as soon as possible

Application up to: 19th July, 2019

Contact person in line management: For specific enquiries regarding this position please contact Prof. Dr. Frank Schilling, E-Mail: .

Application: Kindly send your application, including your five most important publications preferentially in electronic form to Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT), Dekan der KIT-Fakultät für Bauingenieur-, Geound Umweltwissenschaften (Dean of the KIT Department Civil Engineering, Geo- and Environmental Sciences) Prof. Dr. Frank Schilling, Kaiserstr. 12, 76131 Karlsruhe, E-Mail: .

KIT is an equal opportunity employer. Women are especially encouraged to apply. Applicants with disabilities will be preferentially considered if equally qualified.

Karlsruher Institut für Technologie

Personalservice (PSE)

Kaiserstraße 12

76131 Karlsruhe

http://www.pse.kit.edu

-----------------------

EuroSpeleo Newsletter, June 2019

English version (version Française ci-dessous)

It is with great pleasure that the European Speleological Federation (FSE) publishes its second EuroSpeleo Newsletter in year 2019. This Newsletter will be exclusively available in electronic form and it will be distributed through the FSE mailing lists, website and Facebook page. It will be edited by the FSE Bureau and will inform member countries and individual speleologists about important events nationally and internationally as well as new developments and the initiatives of the FSE and its member countries. This Newsletter will be released on an occasional basis.

Please spread this newsletter on the broadest way possible among caving clubs and individual speleologists and all those interested.

You can download the English version of the June 2019 Newsletter here:

http://www.eurospeleo.eu/images/stories/docs/europeleo-news/EuroSpeleo%20Newsletter%20June%202019%20EN.pdf

With cordial regards,

The FSE Bureau, June 2019

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Version Française

C'est avec grand plaisir que la Fédération Spéléologique Européenne (FSE) publie le Bulletin d'Information EuroSpeleo, juin 2019. Ce bulletin sera exclusivement disponible sous forme électronique, et il sera distribué à travers les listes de diffusion FSE, le site Web et la page Facebook. Il sera édité par le Bureau de la FSE et informera les pays membres et spéléologues individuels sur des choses importantes à l'échelle nationale et internationale ainsi que de nouveaux développements et des initiatives de la FSE et ses pays membres. Ce bulletin sera publié sur une base occasionnelle.

S'il vous plaît diffuser ce bulletin d'information sur la manière la plus large possible parmi les clubs spéléologiques et spéléologues individuels et tous ceux qui s'intéressent.

Vous pouvez télecharger la version Française du Bulletin d”Information de juin 2019 ici:

http://www.eurospeleo.eu/images/stories/docs/europeleo-news/EuroSpeleo%20Newsletter%20June%202019%20FR.pdf

Cordialement,

Le Bureau de la FSE, juin 2019

With best regards

RNDr. Alena Gessert, PhD.
FSE General secretary

-----------------------

Announcements for the US National White-nose Syndrome Response Team

National WNS Webinars

Thank you to all the presenters who shared your work during the National WNS Webinars this month. It is always great to hear first hand from you about the tremendous progress you are making with your efforts. Abstracts for the presentations are avialable here: https://www.whitenosesyndrome.org/static-page/sharing-information

***Recordings of the presentations MAY become available for some talks in the future, but are not currently available.

WNS Funding Opportunities

- The USFWS is now accepting proposals for WNS Research Grants

Closing Date: August 6, 2019

Funding Opportunity Number: F19AS00231

- The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is now accepting proposals for the 2019 Bats for the Future Fund

Closing Date: September 19, 2019

*** See BFF webpage sign up for a webinar for applicants to be held on July 12.

Upcoming meetings

- NASBR (National Symposium on Bat Research) is open for registration: www.nasbr.org/welcome19

Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA, October 23-26, 2019

- Save the date for the next National WNS Meeting: Week of June 8, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jonathan D. Reichard, Ph.D.

National Assistant Coordinator for White-Nose Syndrome

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

300 Westgate Center Drive

Hadley, MA 01035 USA

office: 413.253.8258

mobile: 413.335.2886

www.whitenosesyndrome.org

-----------------------

25^th International Cave Bear Symposium: 2^nd Circular Now Available

Dear Cave Bear Friends,

Please find as attachment the second circular of the Cave Bear Symposium in Croatia. We prolonged the deadlines for registration and abstracts, so feel free to forward the circular to your colleagues!

We are looking forward to see you soon in Paklenica.

Kind regards,

The Organizing Commitee

Nadja Kavcik-Graumann

Department of Cognitive Biology

Althanstrasse 14

1090 Vienna

Tel: +431427776101

-----------------------

The 8th Triennial U.S. Geological Survey Karst Interest Group Workshop: USA

Time and Place

May 13-15, 2020, Nashville, Tennessee, USA

KIG Website

Those interested in attending and/or presenting at the USGS Karst Interest Group (KIG) workshop can visit the KIG 2020 website. The website contains registration, lodging, and abstract submittal information. The website will be update as the workshop draws closer with additional lodging options, an agenda for the workshop, and details about the field trip to the Cumberland Plateau.

Mission of the Karst Interest Group

The Karst Interest Group’s (KIG) mission is to encourage and support inter-disciplinary collaboration and technology transfer among U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists working in karst areas. Additionally, the KIG encourages the exchange of karst-related information between USGS scientists and scientists from various other entities.

Purpose of the workshop

The purpose of the workshop is to bring together scientists from different offices of the USGS, Department of the Interior, other Federal and state agencies, research institutes, and universities to present the results of scientific work in karst areas or discuss karst related programs in their bureaus or offices.

Tennessee State University (TSU) is hosting and providing the meeting space. This workshop represents an excellent opportunity for attendees to learn the latest in karst science and experience the stunning karst terrain of central Tennessee. Technical sessions will be held Wednesday and Thursday, May 13 and 14, 2020. The optional field trip to karst in the Cumberland Plateau is scheduled for Friday, May 15, 2020. General inquires and questions about the upcoming KIG workshop may be sent to .

Sincerely,

Allan K. Clark, P.G.

Hydrologist

USGS

5563 De Zavala Rd., suite 290

San Antonio, Tx 78249

(210)691-9228

(210)275-2025 cell

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0099-1521

-----------------------

2019 National Cave and Karst Management Symposium, USA

Dear Members of the Cave and Karst Conservation Community,

The 2019 National Cave and Karst Management Symposium, Oct 7 -11 in Bristol, Virginia, USA - is an event not to be missed. How so, you ask? Well check out the website and see for yourself:

www.nckms2019.org

Now that you've had a look, I'm sure you'll want to invite all your friends as well! So spread the word. And don't those pre-conference field trips look fun? Visit up to six wild caves under conservation management...AND...(drum roll)...go on a field trip revealing the latest and greatest about an old friend, the aquatic isopod genus Lirceus with none other than Dr. Jerry Lewis. Better sign up before those field trips fill up.

And talk about an easy way to add something to your CV or resume, just submit an abstract by August 2, and if you get us a short paper by September 9 and it makes the proceedings it will even qualify as peer-reviewed (at least to most of us.)

Early registration deadline isn't until Sept 20, but please help us out here and register now!

Poor? Cheap? There are even scholarships - http://nckms.org/scholarships

Thanks and I hope to see you in Bristol in October.

Wil Orndorff

Chair, 2019 National Cave and Karst Management Symposium

-----------------------

List of Upcoming Cave and Karst Meetings

1) Karst Field Studies 2019: Five courses offered, 2 June – 3 August 2019 (Florida and Kentucky, USA), www.karstfieldstudies.com

2) National Speleological Congress of Switzerland, 9-12 August 2019 (Interlaken, Switzerland), https://sinterlaken.ch/en/

3) 4th Summer School on Speleothem Science, 11-17 August 2019 (Cluj-Napoca, Romania), https://www.speleothemschool.com/.

4) German Annual Speleo Meeting,15-18 August 2019 (Nesselwang, Bavaria, Germany), www.vdhk.de

5) 13^th Balkan Cavers Camp, 2-8 September 2019, (Antalya, Turkey), http://bsuturkey.com/index.html

6) TransKarst 2019: The 3^rd Asian Trans-Disciplinary Conference, 7-10 September 2019 (Bohol, Philippines), http://www.transkarst2019.com/.

7) ArmConference 2019: Caves as Natural and Cultural Monuments, 11-13 September 2019 (Yerevan, Armenia), http://armconference2019.com/

8) 25^th International Cave Bear Symposium, 18-22 September 2019 (Paklenica National Park, Croatia),

9) Geological Society of America Convention, 22-25 September 2019 (Phoenix, Arizona, USA), http://www.geosociety.org/GSA/Events/Annual_Meeting/GSA/Events/gsa2019.aspx

10) 13^th EuroSpeleo Forum, 23-26 September 2019 (Sofia, Bulgaria), https://esf2019.speleo-bg.org.

11) 46^th IAH Congress “Groundwater Management and Governance Coping with Water Scarcity” (Topic 7: Karst Hydrogeology), 23-27 September 2019 (Malaga, Spain), http://www.iah2019.org/topics-and-sessions/

12) 6^th Texas Hydro-Geo Workshop, 4-6 October 2019 (Boerne, Texas, USA), https://hydrogeoworkshop.org/

13) Sustainable Management of Show Caves, 7-9 October 2019 (Skocjan Caves Park, Slovenia), https://izrk-sci-mtg.zrc-sazu.si/en/

14) National Cave and Karst Management Symposium, 7-11 October 2019 (Bristol, Virginia, USA), http://nckms.org/2019-symposium

15) 13th European Cave Rescue Meeting, 15-17 November 2019 (Istanbul, Turkey), https://caverescue.eu/13th-european-cave-rescue-meeting/

16) International Congress: 80^th Anniversary of the Cuban Speleological Society, 19-23 February 2020 (Caibarién, Villa Clara, Cuba), for information contact .

17) 16^th Multidisciplinary Conference on the Engineering and Environmental Impacts of Karst, 20-24 April 2020 (San Juan, Puerto Rico), www.sinkholeconference.com

18) US Geological Survey Karst Interest Group Meeting, 13-14 May 2020 (Nashville, Tennessee), for information contact

19) UNESCOkarst 2020: Conservation of Fragile Karst Resources, 18-22 May 2020 (Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA), https://unescokarst2020.com/

20) 19^th International Symposium on Vulcanospeleology, 29 August – 5 September 2020 (Catania, Italy), http://www.19isvetna.com/

21) 18^th International Congress of Speleology, 23-29 July 2021 (Lyon, France), http://uis2021.speleos.fr/

********************

George Veni, PhD

Executive Director, National Cave and Karst Research Institute (NCKRI)

and

President, International Union of Speleology (UIS)

NCKRI address (primary)

400-1 Cascades Avenue

Carlsbad, New Mexico 88220 USA

Office: +575-887-5517

Mobile: +210-863-6919

Fax: +575-887-5523

www.nckri.org

UIS address

Titov trg 2

Postojna, 6230 Slovenia