ASciNA (Austrian Scientists & Scholars in North America) is the first and only independent network of Austrian scientists and scholars in North America, including the USA, Canada, and Mexico. The main focus of ASciNA is on its currently 17 local Chapters both in North America, as well as several strong ASciNA Alumni Chapters across Europe, which have become a “home away from home” for many of our members. Our main ASciNA-wide activities are the ASciNA Awards, which are awarded annually in the “PrincipaI Investigator” and “Young Scientist” category, and our ASciNA Mentoring Program, that connects early career ASciNA members with accomplished ASciNA members who are successful scientists or scholars in their respective field.
Having been established in 2002, our members include scientists from a diverse range of educational backgrounds, spanning from economics to physics, from life sciences to marine biology and the arts. We offer information, help newly arrived scientists orient themselves in their new surroundings, provide career development support and networking opportunities, organize events, and representation of the interests of Austrian scholars and scientists.
ASciNA maintains a strong cooperation with official Austrian institutions such as the Federal Ministries, Universities, and Funding Agencies.
ASciNA’s leadership consists of its Chapter chairs and the ASciNA officers. Our Past Presidents provide continuity and help define the long-term ASciNA strategy. In the past 20 years of ASciNA’s existence, we awarded several honorary memberships. We would also like to acknowledge the generous and continuing support of our partners. For media-related inquiries please contact us at media@ascina.at, and for general questions including membership-related questions at contact@ascina.at.
The Austrian intellectual landscape shall not end at its national borders! Through a vibrant network of scientists and scholars in North America, who share academic and/or personal roots in Austria, it is ASciNA’s vision that personal connections and exchange within the network will enrich the careers and professional development of its members, across all career stages. ASciNA furthermore aims to create strong visibility for the scientific and scholarly excellence of its members, through communications within and outside the network.
As a non-governmental, self-governed organization of scientists and scholars, ASciNA is committed to providing a platform to support and represent the interests of Austrian scientists and scholars in North America towards relevant stakeholders including the Austrian governmental bodies as well as the Austrian public.
Approved by the ASciNA Board – November 10, 2023
Austrian Scientists and Scholars in North America (ASciNA) is committed to maintaining a positive, professional and respectful environment at its conferences, events, and gatherings. We expect participants to engage in constructive and professional discussion, in which all participants are valued for their scientific contributions and work.
As an organization, we value diversity, equity and foster inclusion. We commit to treating all ASciNA members, business and organizational partners and other stakeholders with dignity and respect at all times. We do not tolerate any type of harassment, including physical, sexual, verbal or other harassment or any discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, sexual orientation, marital status, disability or any other protected class.
Any type of harassment, including physical, sexual, verbal or other, is not tolerated and can result in disciplinary action up to, and including expulsion from ASciNA.
Harassment can include actions, spoken or written language, gestures or objects that create an intimidating or hostile environment, such as:
To this end, we expect all members, participants and attendees to adhere to these values, to assist in ensuring that events organized or co-sponsored by ASciNA are free from discrimination and harassment of any kind, including reporting any instances of discrimination and harassment directly to president@ascina.at or reach out directly to any of ASciNA’s leadership team members (https://ascina.at/leadership/).
Persons who act contrary to these values and expectations will be warned or asked to leave the event in which the behavior occurred, may be excluded from access to future conferences and/or other events organized or co-sponsored by ASciNA, and/or may be subject to expulsion from ASciNA per ASciNA bylaws.
Members of ASciNA are also expected to exhibit integrity in their research and to adhere to the practices of responsible research conduct. These practices include, but are not limited to: honesty in proposing, conducting and reporting research, fair peer review, collegiality, transparency in conflicts of interest. Scientific misconduct includes the fabrication or falsification of data, or plagiarism. Unscientific conduct and scientific misconduct may result in the expulsion from ASciNA per ASciNA bylaws.
Approved by the ASciNA Board on October 8, 2023
ASciNA recognizes the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with our travel activities. We are committed to promoting sustainable travel practices and reducing our carbon footprint. We encourage our members to use virtual meeting technologies such as video conferencing whenever possible. When air travel is unavoidable, we will prioritize direct flights and the use of fuel-efficient airlines. In addition to these measures, we implement a CO2 offsetting program for our travel activities. This means that we will calculate the carbon emissions associated with our travel and purchase carbon credits to offset these emissions by at least a factor of 1.5. For every ton of CO2 produced, we will offset 1.5 tons or more. We will prioritize carbon offset projects that have a direct impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, such as renewable energy projects or forest conservation initiatives.
For the calculation of CO2 emissions there are various online tools. For supporting carbon offset projects, we recommend Gold Standard, a non-profit organization that was established in 2003 by a group of NGOs, including the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), to ensure that carbon offset projects are of the highest quality and deliver real and verifiable benefits for the environment and local communities. The Gold Standard certification is considered one of the most rigorous and respected standards for carbon offsetting. The organization has developed a set of guidelines that ensure that carbon offset projects meet strict criteria for sustainability, and impact. Examples include wind and solar power projects or energy efficient cooking stoves in the global south.
By implementing these measures and offsetting our carbon emissions, we aim to minimize the environmental impact of our travel activities and contribute to global efforts to address climate change. We will monitor and report on our progress towards reducing our greenhouse gas emissions associated with travel, including our CO2 offsetting efforts, on an annual basis.
