Society for Neuroscience - Strategic Plan

Strategic Plan
(Updated 9/30/2010)

SfN's Strategic Plan addresses the following areas:

Message from the President
Strategic Plan
Strategic Issues:

I. SfN's Mission

1. Advance the understanding of the brain and the nervous system by bringing together scientists of diverse backgrounds, by facilitating the integration of research directed at all levels of biological organization, and by encouraging translational research and the application of new scientific knowledge to develop improved disease treatments and cures.

2. Provide professional development activities, information, and educational resources for neuroscientists at all stages of their careers, including undergraduates, graduates, and postdoctoral fellows, and increase participation of scientists from diverse cultural, ethnic, and geographic backgrounds.

3. Promote public information and general education about the nature of scientific discovery and the results and implications of the latest neuroscience research. Support active and continuing discussions on ethical issues relating to the conduct and outcomes of neuroscience research.

4. Inform legislators and other policymakers about new scientific knowledge, recent developments, and emerging opportunities in neuroscience research and their implications for public policy, societal benefit, and continued scientific progress.

II. Scientific Vision

Guided by its mission and its values, the vision of the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) is that the next ten years should be a decade of breakthrough discovery in neuroscience and breakthrough translation of scientific advances to improve the health of people everywhere.

SfN represents the entire range of scientific research endeavors aimed at understanding the nervous system and translating this knowledge to the treatment and prevention of nervous system disorders. It fosters the broad interdisciplinarity of the field that uses multiple approaches (e.g., genetic, molecular, cellular, anatomical, neurophysiological, system, comparative, evolutionary, computational, and behavioral) to study the nervous system of organisms ranging from invertebrates to humans across various stages of development, maturation, and aging. SfN facilitates the translation of this fundamental knowledge into strategies for the treatment of nervous system disorders, including neurological, neurosensory, neurodevelopmental, psychiatric, addictive, and other related illnesses. It also encourages information transfer from the clinic back to the basic research arena. In these ways, SfN contributes to the breadth of the field of neuroscience, its highly dynamic nature, and its creative use of all the tools of modern biology to understand neural function in health and disease.

Neuroscience is a rapidly evolving field that benefits greatly from, and helps to drive, the ongoing development of powerful new tools for acquiring and analyzing experimental data. The effort to make efficient use of the staggering amounts and diversity of information known about the nervous system raises challenges that have social, ethical, and technical dimensions. Some of these challenges are common to biomedical research in general and to its subdisciplines of bioinformatics and scientific ethics. Others are unique to neuroscience by virtue of the tremendous complexity of neural circuits and their role in controlling behavior. This entails opportunities as well as responsibilities for the neuroscience community to develop novel tools and approaches for integrating and advancing our understanding of the nervous system.

The Society for Neuroscience will play a key role in confronting new issues as they challenge and energize the field. This will require active dialogue between SfN and federal funding agencies (NIH, NSF, and others) to define current needs and to develop strategies for meeting them. SfN's perspective on the current nature of the field and its future trajectory permeates all the elements of this strategic plan and will guide the initiatives aimed at enhancing the key scientific functions of the SfN, including the annual meeting and The Journal of Neuroscience. This perspective will guide the ways in which SfN will strive to serve its membership and will frame the public outreach and governmental interactions of SfN.

SfN supports the open exchange of scientific information both among scientists and between scientists and the public. The Society is committed to ensuring that its published materials are scientifically accurate, and are widely accessible to interested audiences. The Society seeks to ensure that its access policies and practices for information dissemination are consistent with these goals, and with the sustainability of a system requiring careful scientific review prior to publication.

III. Organizational Values

In carrying out all of its activities, the Society for Neuroscience is committed to the following:

Identifying and serving the evolving needs of SfN members as well as the field of neuroscience.
Actively promoting the idea that progress in understanding the nervous system depends on the honest pursuit of scientific research and the truthful representation of findings.
Continuing to promote greater diversity of representation of women, minorities, and young investigators, along with geographic and specialty balance, in SfN's meetings, conferences, committees, and governance processes.
Seeking new and innovative ways to utilize technology in ongoing activities to better serve members and to help manage the problems of scale as a successful association in the 21st century.
Fulfilling its Mission in a socially, economically and environmentally responsible fashion, including minimizing SfN's environmental footprint through energy efficiency, recycling, and other initiatives, and being mindful of the broader impact of its day-to-day practices, decisions and actions.
Developing effective strategic relationships and collaborative initiatives with appropriate external partners, including other scientific societies and associations, health advocacy groups, foundations, public agencies, government entities, educational institutions, corporate entities, information technology service providers, etc.
Building a model of iterative planning into the fabric of SfN governance and management processes, incorporating regular evaluation of the impact and success of initiatives and activities and periodic revisiting of major programs and activity clusters.

IV. SfN Programs

SfN provides value to its members in fulfillment of its mission, vision, and values through its annual scientific meeting, a peer-reviewed journal, and other established programs that are summarized in SfN's annual report (available at www.sfn.org). These activities represent the culmination of previous planning initiatives that were responsible for substantial growth and broad expressions of member satisfaction. This strategic plan does not rearticulate these critically important ongoing activities or the strategic rationale behind them. Rather, this document addresses an emergent set of strategic issues that SfN will address in an ongoing, dynamic planning effort to insure the future viability of the Society, its constituents in neuroscience, and the beneficiaries of their endeavors.

V. Strategies

In the SfN planning process, a strategy is a work-in-progress having four critical elements:

the strategic issue, which provides the motive to act

a desired outcome that provides an image of what will be accomplished if the issues is addressed successfully

guiding principles that place parameters on the tactics that can be taken in achieving the outcome

a summary of the actions that will be taken

A strategy sketch provides a brief description of the initiatives that are under way to address the issues on the "radar screen." Some of these initiatives are exploratory in that the best outcome or the best means of achieving an outcome are not currently clear. In this manner, strategies can be considered learning endeavors that become more precise as they gain intelligence. The following sketches describe SfN's current efforts to address the issues on the radar screen. Members are invited to share thoughts on improving these initiatives, so that the strategies may be better tuned and refreshed over the next few years.

VI. Strategic Issues

With the continued guidance of Council, SfN maintains a radar screen of issues, opportunities, and challenges that the field of neuroscience and the Society will need to address within the coming years. The purpose of the radar screen is to build consensus on changing environmental conditions that may require new program initiatives or more resources than are currently allocated. These strategic issues are, by design, concise statements that represent an issue demanding attention without specifying what action should be taken (the latter is outlined in the associated strategies). The idea is to build alignment in increments: first agree on what needs to be addressed and then agree on the best way of addressing it.

This effort, as part of a philosophy that utilizes iterative and continuous planning by SfN's leaders, will help ensure that the benefits and potential of neuroscience research are realized for individuals and for society as a whole. The strategic issues and the preliminary action plans are described below.

A. Enhancing the Member Experience Strategy

The strategy is currently being revised by the SfN leadership.

B . International Strategy

Strategic Issue:

The continued significant growth of SfN's international membership and their expressed needs creates both an opportunity and an urgency for SfN to develop a coherent approach to meeting the needs of its international members from all regions of the world.

Desired Outcomes:

Increased professional development opportunities for international members through the development, encouragement, or funding of training programs and other activities.
Increased coordination between SfN and its international partners on advocacy initiatives carried out at national and regional levels to increase political and public support for neuroscience research and international scientific exchange.
Greater public awareness of neuroscience-related issues globally.
Increased engagement among international members in SfN’s mission, programs, and governance.
Enhanced collaborative relationships between SfN and national, regional, and international neuroscience societies through strategic partnerships and jointly sponsored activities as appropriate.

Guiding Principles:

SfN’s programs, services and governance should reflect the changing composition of its full membership, which is increasingly international.
Remain committed to supporting the development of neuroscience in developing countries, while also addressing professional development needs in developed countries.
National and regional neuroscience societies are key partners in helping to advance the interests of SfN’s international members and global neuroscience in general.
Wherever possible, seek to leverage capacities of partner organizations such as FENS, IBRO, and other international neuroscience societies in pursuing common goals.
.

Action Plan:

Professional Development

Establish a joint working group of SfN and FENS that will recommend collaborative strategies to support professional development of neuroscientists in Europe.
Task the SfN International Affairs Committee (IAC) to work with IBRO in developing recommended strategies for SfN’s continued support for neuroscience training in developing countries. Coordinate with IBRO and its regional committees to help support priority initiatives.
Increase the number of travel awards to the SfN annual meeting to accommodate the growing number of international graduate students and postdocs.
Investigate collaborative efforts with national, regional and international societies to provide professional development courses and workshops outside the annual meeting and outside the U.S.
Explore options for leveraging support for professional development activities from U.S. educational institutions that have international affiliations/presences.
Investigate third-party funding sources to support international collaboration for training in neuroscience.
Continue to partner with The Grass Foundation on the Ricardo Miledi Neuroscience Training Program, aimed at neuroscience trainees from Latin America and the Caribbean.
Ensure collaboration and coordination between the IAC and other committees in the Membership and Professional Development Cluster on professional development activities for international neuroscientists.

Global Outreach - Public Advocacy and Education

Develop an overall approach and strategies to supporting national and regional societies on advocacy-related issues, when requested.
Coordinate with the SfN Public Education & Communication Committee, FENS, IBRO, the European Dana Alliance and national neuroscience societies to support programs related to International Brain Awareness Week and other international public education activities.
Coordinate efforts of SfN’s Public Outreach Cluster (Government & Public Affairs Committee, Committee on Animals in Research, Public Education & Communication Committee), with input from the IAC, to develop tools and resources supportive of outreach efforts within countries, in coordination with national societies.

Communication and Engagement with International Members

Develop and implement a communications/messaging strategy that targets particular needs and interests of international members.
Actively seek international members for SfN committee service and further encourage the Committee on Committees to consider geographic balance in the committee selection process.
Encourage the formation of international chapters that provide a mechanism for international members to access SfN funding opportunities.
Develop mechanisms for gathering input from groups of international members, as appropriate, to identify concerns and issues to be addressed by the Society.
Conduct a follow-up survey of international members to gauge changes in satisfaction with SfN membership.

Diplomatic Relations with International Societies

Continue to hold regular meetings with the leadership of FENS, IBRO, Canadian Association of Neuroscience, Mexican Society for Physiological Sciences, Federation of Neuroscience Societies of Latin America and the Caribbean (FALAN), and Japan Neuroscience Society to maintain an open and productive dialogue on collaborative activities.
Initiate and nurture contacts with other regional and national neuroscience societies to explore opportunities for collaboration.

C. Professional Development Strategy

Strategic Issue:

Recent membership feedback confirms a continued and strong desire among members for SfN to provide greater professional development opportunities, particularly outside the annual meeting. Changing demographics and evolving professional and career development needs of members offer opportunities for SfN to build upon the achievements of the Committee on Diversity in Neuroscience (C-DIN) and Committee on Women in Neuroscience (C-WIN) in designing strategic, integrated, cohesive, and enhanced efforts that serve the full range of neuroscientists throughout their careers.

Desired Outcomes:

A professional development program that reflects the broad and evolving needs of neuroscientists throughout their professional life cycle.
Expanded and targeted training opportunities for career development and building professional skills that take into account the varying audiences, constituencies, and geographic regions being served.
Increased coordination in addressing professional development needs/concerns of women and underrepresented minorities.
A committee and staffing structure optimally organized to execute the expansion of coordinated and integrated activities, with the participation of strategic partners such as FUN and AWIS.

Guiding Principles:

Professional development applies to the full range of activities that help people enhance their professional viability and success throughout their careers.
Recognize that professional development concerns and needs of SfN members can vary by age group, gender, race/ethnicity, career setting, and geographic location.
Leverage and build upon successful approaches and models developed by C-DIN and C-WIN.
Avoid offering competing services with other organizations that already adequately address member needs; rather, seek collaboration and coordination wherever possible and appropriate.
Strive to be innovative and “think outside the box” in developing new opportunities, including those that could be fee-based and revenue generating.
Take advantage of new technologies used to communicate among a growing number of SfN members.

Action Plan:

Finalize a transition plan for incorporating the existing Committee on Diversity in Neuroscience and Committee on Women in Neuroscience members into a new committee (Professional Development Committee, PDC) with an expanded mandate and broader representation of interests, while maintaining an appropriate focus on concerns of diverse populations within the field.
Develop a three-year plan for professional development strategies for the Society, outlining resources needed and a plan to monitor and measure outcomes. Incorporate and address relevant aspects of SfN’s existing diversity strategy.
Establish a Working Group on Professional Development that includes members of SfN Council, PDC, and other relevant committees to:
1. Consider important transition points, potential constituencies, and issues faced at each point/level in a neuroscientist’s career. Include consideration of issues of particular concern to women and underrepresented minorities. Propose an improved and expanded menu of professional development options for the various segments of the membership.
2. Review and assess all current professional development activities of the Society to determine which are priorities and which should be abandoned.
3. Identify external funding opportunities to support selected program activities.
4. Develop a monitoring and evaluation plan to assess outcomes of PD activities and to enable strategic abandonment of activities as needed.
Ensure that C-WIN and C-DIN activities remain prominent and highly visible within SfN’s Professional Development Committee and PD activities through the creation of a Women in Neuroscience Sub-committee (WINS) and Diversity in Neuroscience Sub-Committee (DINS).
1. The WINS continues responsibility for C-WIN activities at the SfN annual meeting: “A Celebration of Women in Neuroscience” luncheon, mentoring event, & travel awards.
2. The DINS continues C-DIN’s responsibility for implementing all aspects of the NINDS-funded Neuroscience Scholars Program (NSP).
3. The DINS continues responsibility for C-DIN activities at the SfN annual meeting: NSP Orientation, Diversity Fellows Poster Session, Neuroscience Scholars Mentoring Breakfast, and Diversity Reception.
Professional Development Workshops
1. Develop and implement a series of Saturday morning professional development sessions at the annual meeting that are focused on specific topics/themes that rotate from year-to-year.
2. Partner with other relevant organizations (AWIS, FUN) in developing/and or providing professional development content.
3. Develop professional development resources for use by local chapters and work with chapters to initiate implementation. Materials and resources will also be made available online for use by the SfN community.
4. Work with the International Affairs Committee to develop and support professional development activities targeted at SfN’s international members.
5. Provide input and guidance to staff to strengthen and expand career development resources provided on the SfN Web site, including NeuroJobs, the online job bank.
Mentoring Program

Strengthen and expand SfN’s current mentoring program by developing online interactive mentoring tools and resources to help support effective mentoring relationships throughout the year.

Develop programs to coordinate and enhance C-WIN and C-DIN mentoring activities.

Continue to implement the symposium/mini-symposium proposal mentoring program.

Determine gaps in meeting mentoring needs and develop programs to provide additional mentoring to the full range of neuroscientists.

D. Higher Education and Training Strategy

Strategic Issue:

Members have expressed a strong desire for SfN to focus more on undergraduate and graduate teaching of neuroscience to better serve the needs of the large segment of SfN’s membership engaged in training new generations of neuroscientists. Further, as the field of neuroscience continues to attract growing numbers of trainees, the profession can benefit from greater coordinated engagement of and support for the "stewards of the discipline."

Desired Outcomes:

Increased visibility for and communication with members on issues of neuroscience education and training as an element of SfN’s mission and strategic plan.
Needs and interests of neuroscience departments and programs and their trainees are effectively met.
Increased resources (both internal and external) and programs to support training and education goals.
Availability of a comprehensive source of neuroscience teaching resources for faculty through an online educational resources portal.
Increased and coordinated participation of academic institutions, as a group, in SfN’s advocacy efforts to inform policymakers about neuroscience research and workforce needs.
Effective integration of a new class of institutional members (neuroscience depts. and programs) into SfN’s membership structure.

Guiding Principles:

Serve as a focal point for neuroscience educators and their institutions, while creating added value for members through combined and expanded resources dedicated to neuroscience education and training.
Dept. heads and training directors and their trainees, as a group, have interests and needs that go beyond the services and benefits SfN currently provides to its individual members.
Seek and engage leaders of neuroscience departments and programs who have significant history of involvement in advancing education and research training in academic neuroscience.
Leverage and build upon successful approaches and programs originally developed by the Association of Neuroscience Departments and Programs (now the SfN Committee on Neuroscience Departments and Programs) and the Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience (FUN), as well as international partners engaged in neuroscience education and training.
Effectively engage Institutional Program members to influence policy and decisions by joining voices and visibility on issues pertaining to higher education and training in neuroscience.
Maintain close collaboration and coordination and build relations with other organizations, including FUN, the Association of Medical School Neuroscience Department Chairpersons (AMSNDC) and the Network of European Neuroscience Schools (NENS), that represent the interdisciplinary domains in which neuroscience programs and departments can reside.
Ensure close coordination and synergy with SfN’s professional development and diversity strategies.

Action Plan:

Develop a three-year plan for higher education and training, outlining resources needed and a plan to monitor and measure impact of outcomes, identifying those priority areas where SfN is uniquely positioned to add value. Include the following activities:
1. Conduct a needs assessment survey of neuroscience training programs to inform the planning process.
2. Provide online resources for neuroscience education and training, including a searchable directory of neuroscience training programs in North America and around the globe.
3. Conduct a biennial survey of neuroscience education and training that provides key information on current trends in trainees, faculty and programs.
4. Conduct an annual spring meeting for neuroscience departments and programs.
5. Organize events during the SfN annual meeting that serve SfN’s Institutional Program members.
6. Recognize outstanding contributions to neuroscience education and training through an annual award to be presented at the SfN annual meeting.
Strengthen existing partnerships and identify potential new partners for collaborative activities in support of professional development needs/concerns of members engaged in teaching neuroscience.
1. Expand linkages and coordination with FUN and other relevant organizations, including those outside North America.
2. Seek to engage SfN chapters as active partners in implementing the higher education and training strategy.
3. Provide input and guidance for the development of a higher education teaching resource portal. (Tentative: pending external funding)

E. Diversity Strategy

Strategic Issue:
Diversity in neuroscience is adversely affected by inadequate numbers of women and minorities entering the field and career development outcomes that are not proportional to the mix of genders and ethnicities in the field.

Desired Outcomes:

SfN leadership and participation in SfN programs and initiatives reflect the gender and ethnic diversity of SfN membership.
Increased opportunities in support of professional development activities for women and minorities.

Guiding Principles:

The Society will make greater efforts to increase diversity within SfN's leadership and governance structures, its membership, and its professional development activities.
Through its publications and its leadership, SfN will articulate gender and ethnic diversity as a core value and highlight its importance to the profession at every level.

Action Plan:

1. Task the Committee on Committees (CoC) to increase outreach to segments of the membership that are underrepresented in the Society's committee and leadership structure.

a. Evaluate data from the 2007 membership survey, the 2009 International Programs survey, and other sources to help identify representation by gender and ethnicity in neuroscience. Add voluntary identifiers to SfN membership application, annual meeting registration, and other forms to facilitate tracking of membership in these categories.

b. Each spring when the committee replacement nominations are solicited from the membership, ensure that outreach efforts are made to invite a diverse pool of nominees.

c. Consider alumni of training programs run by SfN and other groups to develop lists of prospective committee nominees that reflect the diversity of the field.

d. Ensure that committee membership reflects the gender and ethnic diversity of overall SfN membership.

2. In light of the loss of the Minority Neuroscience Fellowship grant, charge a committee to propose activities/programs/endeavors (including training grants) SfN could implement to encourage and support increased diversity within the profession.

a. Members of SfN committees concerned with diversity and professional development should take a more active role in proposing minisymposia to the Program Committee each year showcasing talented young scientists.

b. SfN staff and committees concerned with diversity and professional development should research other funding opportunities that SfN can apply for to establish training programs for minorities.

F. Annual Meeting Strategy

This strategy is currently being revised by SfN leadership.

G. Federal Funding Strategy

Strategic Issue:

In the face of challenges to the legitimacy, priority, and value of scientific research in this post-NIH-doubling era, the Society for Neuroscience, as part of the research community, must improve the effectiveness of its advocacy efforts on behalf of funding for biomedical research, while sustaining the principles of investigator-initiated research and peer review.

Desired Outcome:

Develop and implement an advocacy strategy that features member engagement at the society leadership, coalition, and grassroots levels. Continue to broaden and strengthen unified approaches to support biomedical research that work both within and beyond the scientific community.

Guiding Principles:

Recognize that involvement in advocacy campaigns at the local and national level is essential to the success of the Society’s efforts in support of federal research funding.
Seek opportunities to advance appreciation for neuroscience and to enhance government and public understanding of the value of federal support for research.
Remain committed to a unified coalition on issues related to science and research funding.
Build and maintain strategic relationships with thought leaders and political leaders who have the ability to project issues onto the national public policy agenda.

Action Plan:

Member Advocacy and Engagement – Increase SfN member engagement in advocacy both in Washington and in members’ home states to leverage the importance of localized messages and outreach. Develop new tools, resources, and methods that encourage and facilitate member-lawmaker relationships.
1. Build an advocacy network comprised of SfN members who commit to developing substantive communications and relationships with their members of Congress and staff. Provide network members with regular Washington updates. Use network members to target specific legislators on key votes and issues.
2. Engage chapters in advocacy activities with the intent that they mobilize locally, and train fellow chapter members to communicate with legislators the importance of federal research funding. Offer advocacy training at the local level by traveling to specific chapters and teaching interested neuroscientists how to effectively educate the public and advocate to policy makers on behalf of neuroscience.
3. Involve members in hands-on advocacy, using activities including the annual SfN Capitol Hill Day, hosting lab visits for members of Congress, and participation in briefings or other Capitol Hill meetings and events.
4. Continue to urge the membership at-large to contact policymakers on crucial issues and votes via the e-mail advocacy service.
5. Educate and mobilize SfN leaders to deliver key messages to political leadership.
Continue to work with biomedical research groups and other coalitions to maximize the Society’s influence on Capitol Hill and in other venues, while building stronger relationships with a broader array of organizations and individuals that support biomedical research. Ensure that membership in coalitions fulfills specific advocacy goals, such as outreach to industry, working with recognized science leaders, and collaborating with patient and disease groups.
1. Biomedical Research Advocacy – Continue membership in coalitions, such as Research!America, that represent the broader community in advocating sustained funding for basic and applied research, as well as continued collaboration with organizations.
2. Industry Partnerships - Reach out to industry leaders who exert considerable influence, through partnerships with other organizations, and urge their support for the economic importance of research in the U.S. and global economy.
3. Coalitions with Patient/Disease Groups - Continue leadership role in the American Brain Coalition (ABC), which seeks to bring together patient groups and professional organizations in support of a shared agenda of expanding research. Explore partnerships and activities with patient groups, such as those focused on Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, epilepsy, and other neurological and brain disorders.
Develop messages that serve as the centerpiece of SfN’s federal funding strategy including, but not limited to, the following:
1. Neuroscience research – from basic to clinical – offers opportunities to improve health outcomes, particularly in the areas of mental and neurological health. Support for biomedical research is one of the best investments we can make in our future – it saves lives and decreases health care costs.
2. Basic research serves as the foundation for translational and clinical applications that lead to medical treatments for neurological and psychiatric disorders.
3. A strong U.S. research infrastructure is essential to enhancing the global science enterprise and ensuring the nation’s economic competitiveness.
4. Inadequate and unpredictable biomedical research funding is constraining grants, thus threatening research programs across the country and driving young investigators from the research field.

H. Science Policy Strategy

Strategic Issue:

As noted above, this is a time of unprecedented questioning of the legitimacy, priority, and value of basic science research. While SfN tracks numerous public policy issues that impact the field of neuroscience, the Society should identify those issues of greater importance and devote more resources to them.

Desired Outcomes:

No further erosion of research capabilities due to restrictive laws and regulations will occur.
The Society will play a leadership role in support of the responsible use of animals in research.
The Society, partnering with other scientific, academic, and health care organizations, will educate and engage targeted priority audiences on the benefits and necessity of animal research.

Guiding Principles:

Protecting the responsible use of animals in research and protecting SfN members’ ability to engage in this research should be SfN science policy priorities. Stem cell research, evolution, and other social issues also should continue to warrant SfN’s focus and attention.
As part of its efforts, SfN should design activities and messages on these topics for specific audiences, including policymakers; university presidents, deans and research VPs; law schools and attorneys; K-12 teachers; and neuroscientists.

Action Plan:

1. Strengthen and build on the National Association for Biomedical Research (NABR) alliance to continue the collaboration to rebut legal arguments for the "personhood" of animals. The coalition may utilize many strategies, including the following:

a. Work with key strategic partners to engage legal consultants to provide assessments of animal rights arguments on animal "personhood" or to litigate local statute changes involving "personhood."

b. Create forums and venues for pro-research discussion.

c. Encourage the scientific community to reach out to the legal community to educate them about the potential negative impact that "personhood" could have on human health research.

2. Support and protect SfN members’ ability to engage in responsible scientific research. This effort will include the following:

a. Disseminate resources, such as the SfN Best Practices for Protecting Researchers and Research and the Responding to FOIA Requests: Facts and Resources documents, to university leadership, including presidents, chancellors, and vice presidents for research, to enhance institutional support for faculty targeted by anti-research extremists.

b. Continue to work with other biomedical, science and academic organizations to reenergize educational activities aimed at developing a broader understanding and support for animal research.

3. Work with the Committee on Animals in Research (CAR) and the Public Education & Communication Committee (PECC) to look for opportunities to collaborate with K-12 school educators on advocacy priorities.

a. Facilitate ongoing PECC and CAR collaboration to address the blending of the animals in research message with educational outreach and to develop, review, or distribute education materials.

b. Collaborate with biomedical research groups, such as NABR. Continue to distribute NABR materials on animal research at the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT), National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), and the Association for Science Teacher Educators (ASTE) conventions.

c. Collaborate with other scientific organizations on educational outreach to K-12 teachers.

d. Provide neuroscience content to teachers. Integrate neuroscience speakers into convention schedules for the NABT, NSTA, and ASTE meetings.

e. Embed the animals in research, stem cells, and evolution messages in all SfN educational materials. Continue to distribute Translational Neuroscience Accomplishments, Brain Briefings, Brain Research Success Stories, and Brain Facts at NABT and NSTA conventions.

f. Infuse key advocacy messages in revamped SfN Web site, educational portal, print products, and any other opportunities that arise.

4. Continue to track the national, international and local debates affecting all four of SfN's priority Science Policy strategies (e.g., discussions of animals in research in Europe, Latin America, and Africa; debates over the teaching of evolution and "intelligent design" in science classrooms; Canadian stem cell advocacy group).

5. Consistently articulate the scientific basis for supporting the responsible use of animals in research wherever relevant in all SfN publications, materials and information.

I. Public Communication and Education Strategy

Strategic Issue:

SfN strives to be a key authoritative source for neuroscience information for the public, with particular emphasis on teachers and policymakers. The lack of public knowledge about neuroscience — and rapidly changing communications channels for science and health information — demands a major emphasis on effective public information and education strategies. The impetus reflects three key issues: emerging knowledge that is advancing science, improving health, and promoting wellness; a continuing tide of misinformation and myth about how the brain works; and the need to strengthen public support for science and science teaching about the brain. SfN must work, to the best of its ability, to articulate and disseminate scientific knowledge and communicate the value and excitement of research.

Desired Outcomes:

To promote civic neuroscience literacy among the general public;
To light a fire of curiosity in children in the K-12 group by providing tools to teachers that help them encourage students to study neuroscience or become “brain aware citizens";
To foster support for neuroscience research among policymakers;
To help members get engaged in public outreach and strengthen the science community's capacity to communicate science to the public.

Guiding Principles:

Maintain and enhance SfN’s reputation as source of authoritative, vetted, high quality information about the brain and nervous system.
Ensure a consistent focus on the priority audiences that SfN is seeking to influence through these initiatives: the primary focus is the general public, with crucial sub-audiences of teachers and policymakers. The media is both an audience with its own characteristics that must be attended to, and an important vehicle for reaching the other key audiences.
Communication is most effective if delivered in a way that is relevant to the average person’s experiences — as parents, as teachers, as policymakers, as teens, as health care consumers — and through channels that reflect the evolving ways in which they consume information.
In support of future neuroscience discoveries and progress, SfN relevant public resources should integrate the Society's position on science policy and advocacy matters, such as animal research, research funding, and the importance of STEM education.
Reflecting the diversity of neuroscience topics, public information and outreach activities should reflect multiple “levels” (from molecular and cellular to systems, behavioral, and cognitive); a balance between neurological disorders and mental health; and the importance of basic science as a scientific quest and as the foundation for effective translational and clinical research.
To ensure consistent quality enhancement, effective metrics should be established to monitor and measure impact and reach.

Action Plan:

1. Public Outreach Resources & Dissemination
Maintain quality and enhance reach of current publications and resources to the public, K-12 teachers and students, and policymakers.

a. Promote existing and identified new materials through new and existing partnerships, and through the membership. Strengthen dissemination of high-quality teaching material aimed at K-12 students through multiple vehicles and partnerships with science teacher organizations, and disseminate information to the policy community about the importance and impact of science funding.

b. Prioritize use of dominant, modern communications tools (including multimedia, online presentation and/or Powerpoint) as well as social media to communicate with audiences.

c. Maintain strength and enhance reach of SfN’s signature public information/education tool: Brain Facts. Undertake content and reading level evaluation, and maximizing online functionality and dissemination strategies to public and K-12 audiences.

2. Brain Awareness Week/Campaign
Sustain and strengthen public education activities surrounding Brain Awareness, increasing engagement in BAW and working toward a goal of expanding BAW into a year-round campaign.

a. Strengthen dissemination of tools and resources (all current publications, including Neuromyth Busters) through existing channels, and explore additional ones.

b. Make it easier for members to engage through sample/turn-key tools and resources for BAW outreach to Chapters and other interested parties. These may include press releases, informational backgrounders, fundraising letters, or other priority tools.

c. Help inspire and showcase member engagement and creativity through new crowd-sourced media opportunities (such as a video contest). Ensure disseminated products are consistent with SfN’s commitment to scientific accuracy and are fully vetted by experts.

3. Media Relations
Sustain new levels of media relations activity in support of annual meeting, The Journal of Neuroscience, and year-round communications by continuing to innovate and modernize operations.

a. Expand the universe of potential media outreach across the globe by working with national societies, funding entities, and universities to inform them of press releases involving their scientists.

b. Continually evaluate, and improve where necessary, the review and vetting process for annual meeting abstracts and JN studies.

4. Messaging
Continue to develop and strengthen the language and message framework for key SfN programs and topics, including BAW, annual meeting, animals in research, and public-facing materials.

a. Strengthen and enliven standard language in support of signature products, i.e., Neuroscience Core Concepts, Brain Awareness Week, annual meeting, The Journal, etc.

b. Continue to support the development of seasoned media spokespeople within SfN by offering message/media-training to key volunteers.

c. Later in the planning cycle, explore viability, benefits and costs of professional support (volunteer or paid) for broader advertising/message campaigns.

J. Financial Reserve Strategy

Strategic Issue:

SfN seeks to ensure the Society has sufficient resources to serve its members during both favorable and
adverse economic conditions, and to sustain the capacity to reinvest selectively in priority programs to
benefit members.

Desired Outcomes:

Seek to reach and maintain a reserve portfolio market value equal to at least 115% of the identified liabilities in the Multi-Year Reserve Strategy document.
Strive to achieve end of year financial results that generate net revenues of at least $1 million.
Maintain a $12 million minimum portfolio balance in liquid investments to satisfy mortgage covenant requirements.

Guiding Principles:

Continue to employ a balanced, realistic financial management strategy that plans for moderate revenue growth from diversified revenue streams and continues rigorous controlof expenses, consistent with fulfilling the Society's mission and goals.
Consider the aggregate risks faced by SfN in all facets of its operations, and seek ways to plan for, minimize, or mitigate those risks.
Be mindful that increasing reserves both can protect against adverse financial events and provide an opportunity to draw income from those higher reserves to contribute to the support of the Society's mission.
Ensure program enhancements or departures from the multi-year planning targets are balanced by revenue increases and/or expenditure reductions to ensure stable, planned budgetary growth.

Action Plan:

Staff will prepare and Council will approve annual budgets with net revenue targets of $1 million, except in years when known risk of a potential decline in annual meeting attendance makes reaching the target unlikely. The goal of contributing $1 million to the reserves each year will be maintained until such time as the
reserve target is attained.
Monitor the cash flow, move funds on a regular basis (quarterly) to the investment portfolio, and optimize cash management by utilizing a collateralized line of credit.
Develop adaptive revenue generation and expense management strategies in response to unanticipated economic conditions or financial outcomes to achieve the strategic targets.
Work with the Finance and Investment committees to update the Multi-Year Reserve Strategy document based on current investment returns, revenue and spending projections, and risk assessment.