May 23, 2014 - This Week's Consolidation of Advocacy News
News
Democrat Assault on FIRST Bill Delays Vote by House Science Panel
May 22, 2014 | Science Insider
Members of Congress serving on the House Science, Space and Technology Committee offered more than a dozen amendments designed to highlight what they see as the Frontiers in Innovation, Research, Science and Technology (FIRST) Act serious flaws. The amendments would have altered language to retain NSF's freedom in setting research priorities.
- Contact your member of Congress to make your case for NSF funding using this new fact sheet.
Replication Effort Provokes Praise - and 'Bullying' Charges
May 19, 2014 | Science Now
Efforts to replicate some of social psychology research's most notable findings are producing mixed feelings in the science community. To reduce professional damage, Daniel Kahneman suggests adopting a "replication etiquette" to ensure that previous authors are actively included in the process.
- Check out the special issue in Social Psychology devoted to this replication project.
Chinese Agencies Announce Open-Access Policies
May 19, 2014 | Nature
On May 15, 2014, the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Chinese Academy of Sciences announced that researchers they support should deposit their papers into online repositories and make them publicly accessible within 12 months of publication. This online repository may be modeled after the National Institutes of Health's Pubmed Central.
- Check out NIH Public Access Policy at SfN.org/advocacy.
German Science Leaders to Politicians: Break Funding Impasse Now
May 19, 2014 | Science Insider
In the past few years, science funding in Germany has steadily increased. However, there have been shifts in leadership and program funding is now drying up. As a result, German scientists are calling for more predictable funding mechanisms.
- Find resources for advocating globally for neuroscience funding at SfN.org/advocacy.
Article of Interest
Mice Run for Fun, Not Just Work, Research Shows
May 20, 2014 | New York Times
Researchers from the Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands had published findings showing the wild mice run voluntarily use running wheels placed in their native environment. These observations counter the objection that running behavior in laboratory rodents signifies neurosis or stereotypy.
- Read the new BrainFacts.org article Why Animals are Vital to Brain Research
Opinion
Is Social Science Research in the National Interest?
May 21, 2014 | Scientific American
Scientific American published dueling opinion pieces discussing the Frontiers in Innovation, Research, Science and Technology (FIRST) Act. Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), Chair of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, argues that is within the nation's interest to set priorities for research funding. Peter McPherson, president of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, and Hunter Rawlings, president of the Association of American Universities, contend that the substantial changes made by the FIRST Act could widen the innovation deficit.
Federal Cuts Cause Big Drop in Medical Researchers
May 21, 2014 | The Hill
Laurie Glimcher, Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City and Provost for Medical Affairs of Cornell University, highlights neuroscience laboratories at Weill Cornell to illustrate the impact that federal science funding cuts is having on biomedical researchers.
- Register for our new webinar “Advocacy Activities: Good for You, Your Institution, and the Field” to learn how advocacy activities contribute to your professional success.
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