June 2019
Federal News Roundup
- The House Appropriations Committee approved its FY 20 Commerce, Justice and Science bill, which approves $8.64 billion for NSF. The Committee also approved its FY 20 Defense and Military Construction-Veterans Affairs bills, which propose $920 million for Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRPs) and $840 million for medical and prosthetic research, respectively.
- The House Science, Space, and Technology Committee introduced H.R. 2528 - STEM Opportunities Act of 2019. The bill aims to ensure full representation of women, minorities, and underrepresented groups in STEM programs within federal science agencies and educational institutions receiving federal research funds.
- A new congressionally mandated report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on Reproducibility and Replicability in Science recommends ways in which researchers, academic institutions, journals, and funders should help strengthen rigor and transparency in order to improve the reproducibility of scientific research.
House Appropriations Language to Cut Off VA Canine Research
The Association of American Medical Colleges and the National Association for Biomedical Research have organized a community sign-on letter urging the House Appropriations Committee to reject language in a FY 20 Veterans Administration bill that would eliminate funding for all Category D and E canine research. If your institution or organization would like to sign onto this letter, email rpraglowski@nabr.org.
House Appropriations Target NIH Primate Research: Contact Congress Today!
The House Appropriations Committee approved the Labor-HHS funding bill for FY 20. NABR expressed concern with report language on NIH’s intramural use of nonhuman primates in biomedical research. This language would eliminate intramural nonhuman primate research at the NIH. Contact Congress to lend your voice on this issue.
Q&A With the USDA Webinar
Save the date for Wednesday, July 10 to watch the NABR webinar “Q&A with the USDA: The Seventh Edition”. This webinar provides SfN members with a unique opportunity to ask questions directly to USDA-APHIS’ Animal Care’s Animal Welfare Operations leadership and to better understand what impact these and other ongoing changes may have on your institution.
Register to Learn About a Landmark Research Funding Law
On June 13, several scientific organizations, including SfN, will host Scientific Progress and the Bayh-Dole Act: Exploring the Role and Significance of a Landmark Law, an interactive panel discussion touching on the history and impact of the Bayh-Dole Act and exploring its implications for science policy. RSVP to attend in person or watch the livestream.
SfN Advocacy Resources
- Contact your legislator about research funding via the Advocacy Action Center.
- Learn how to engage your members of Congress and persuasively advocate for science with SfN's Advocacy Best Practices.
- Get involved in global advocacy
- Talk to the public about the importance of animal research.
- Download the SfN Advocacy App for your Apple or Android device to have all your advocacy resources in one place.
- Reach out to advocacy@sfn.org for assistance in preparing your next advocacy effort at home or on Capitol Hill.
