EurekAlert!, the global science news service operated by AAAS, in cooperation with the National Association of Science Writers in the United States under its partnership with the Arab Science Journalists Association, is happy to announce the recipients of the 2010 AAAS Fellowships for Science Reporters from North Africa. By recognizing these accomplished North African science journalists, the fellowships fulfill the goal of supporting excellence and expansion in communicating science worldwide.

The recipients of the 2010 fellowships are:

• Dalia Abdel Salam El Dessouky, <i>Al-Ahram Hebdo</i> newspaper environment editor, Egypt; and
• Nadia El-Awady, President, World Federation of Science Journalists.

The award will give the two fellowship recipients a front-row seat at the unveiling of exciting new research and the opportunity to mingle with their fellow science writers from around the world at the AAAS Annual Meeting 18-22 February in San Diego.

The fellowship pays for travel, lodging and meals at the AAAS Annual Meeting.

The fellowships were launched in 2004 with a seed grant from the William T. Golden Endowment Fund for Program Innovation. It brought 10 reporters from China to the 2004 AAAS Annual Meeting in Seattle. Subsequent fellowships have sponsored more reporters from the Middle East and China, as well as Africa, Central and South America.

“Attending the AAAS Annual Meeting is a great opportunity to learn about the science happening in the top institutions in the U.S. It's also an excellent chance for me to mingle with fellow science journalists,” fellow Nadia El-Awady commented. “And I'll be announcing at the AAAS annual meeting that the U.S.-based NASW and the Arab Science Journalists Association will be jointly organizing the 7th World Conference of Science Journalists in Cairo in 2011. So I am very excited about coming for many reasons.”

The National Association of Science Writers (NASW), a leading voice for science journalists and communicators in the United States, has an ongoing relationship with the Arab Science Journalists Association, facilitating mentoring opportunities between experienced science writers in the United States and their colleagues in the Arab world.

The fellowship program for science writers is important to the mission of both AAAS and EurekAlert!, as they seek to promote international scientific dialogue and advance the communication of science news to the global public.

“EurekAlert! is excited to be able to sponsor these reporters and bring them to the 2010 AAAS Annual Meeting. They will be able to report on breaking news about discoveries across a broad array of scientific disciplines, taking advantage of a level of access they can only get by attending the AAAS Meeting,” said EurekAlert! Director Patrick McGinness. “It is a wonderful opportunity for the reporters, and a wonderful opportunity for EurekAlert!.”


Meeting coverage by each 2010 fellowship recipient will be published on EurekAlert!'s Multi-Language portal.

Learn more about the AAAS Fellowships for Science Reporters in Developing Regions.