Dec. 20, 2013 - This Week's Consolidation of Advocacy News
News
The Budget Deal: An Okay End to a Very Bad Year for Medical Research
Dec. 18, 2013 | The Atlantic
Even though the budget deal might provide some relief to biomedical funding cuts, we have yet to see how nondefense discretionary funding will be allocated during 2014 and 2015 and sequestration will again be an issue for the 2016 budget. The article discusses the concern that even if funding were restored to pre-sequester levels, it might not match the extent to which other countries are increasing research funding.
- Ask your legislators to support biomedical research funding.
NIH Details Plan for BRAIN Initiative
Dec. 17, 2013 | ScienceInsider
The National Institute of Health has announced a call for grant applications in six "high-priority" research areas drawn from a September report by its scientific advisory committee for the BRAIN Initiative. The NIH is planning to commit $40 million in total per year for three years to these projects.
- Watch "Understanding New Brain Initiatives in the United States and Europe," a presentation from Neuroscience 2013 featuring representatives from the U.S. federal agencies that support the BRAIN Initiative and a program officer from the Human Brain Project in Europe.
Europe's New Basic Research Chief Ready to Defend Fundamental Science
Dec. 17, 2013 | ScienceInsider
The European Commission announced that French mathematician Jean-Pierre Bourguignon has been appointed the new president of the European Research Council, the European Union's main funding agency for basic research. In this interview, Professor Bourguignon supports moving away from project-based funding to fund laboratories that "have proved their capacity at attracting very good grants."
- Get more information about global funding for neuroscience research at SfN.org/advocacy.
Science-Friendly Legislator to Retire from U.S. Congress
Dec. 17, 2013 | ScienceInsider
Representative Frank Wolf (R-VA), one of science's champions in Congress, announced today that he will not be seeking re-election next year. His retirement will leave a vacancy for the position of chairman of the spending panel that sets funding for agencies including National Science Foundation and NASA.
- Learn about the appropriations process by watching “From Congress to Your Lab: How Federal Funding Affects Your Science”
Policy
Harkin Statement on HELP Committee Approval of Department of Labor, National Science Foundation, and Railroad Retirement Board nominations
Dec. 18, 2013 | U.S. Senate Committee on HELP
Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, issued a statement after the HELP Committee approved three nominees including Dr. France Cordova as Director of the National Science Foundation.
Articles of Interest
Brain changes precede schizophrenia and autism
Dec. 18, 2013 | Nature
People who carry high-risk genetic variants for schizophrenia and autism performed worse than controls from the general population on cognitive tests and measures of general day-to-day functioning, even when they do not yet have a mental illness. The findings offer a window into the brain changes that precede severe mental illness and may hold promise for early intervention.
- Find more information for the public with an interest in autism and schizophrenia at BrainFacts.org.
Opinion
Top 20 things scientists need to know about policy-making
Dec. 2, 2013 | The Guardian
The journal Nature recently published an article listing 20 tips for interpreting scientific claims. This article counters the Nature article calling on scientists to consider this list of things about how government makes their policy decisions.
- Apply for the SfN Early Career Policy Fellows Program to learn how to become an effective advocate.
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