June 13, 2014 - This Week's Consolidation of Advocacy News
News
Give, and It Will Be Given to You
June 10, 2014 | Science
Describing the history and prevalence of open source databases, the author provides a “sharing 101” describing how scientists can share their data and results with colleagues.
- Learn about SfN’s new online-only open access journal, eNeuro, coming later this year.
Unlocking the Brain: Are We Entering a Golden Age of Neuroscience?
June 12, 2014 | WBUR
A summary of recent breakthroughs in neuroscience, including President Obama’s signature project, the BRAIN Initiative.
- Learn more about worldwide neuroscience initiatives, including BRAIN.
Bipartisan Work on Spending Bills Faces Senate Test
June 14, 2014 | Roll Call
Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD) plans to bring forward a package of spending bills that contains the Commerce-Justice-Science (which funds NSF) and two other measures to the floor next week. At the same time, the Senate Appropriations Committee put a planned — but not formally announced — markup of the contentious Labor-HHS-Education bill (which funds NIH) on hold and said it is “under review” without any explanation.
- Learn more about the appropriations process by watching From Congress to Your Lab: How Federal Funding Affects Your Science.
Articles of Interest
Behind the Bionic Legs That Will Kick Off World Cup 2014
June 11, 2014 | Wired
A person with paraplegia wearing a brain-controlled exoskeleton made the first kick at the World Cup in Brazil. The wearer of the device controls it through an EEG cap and receives tactile feedback elsewhere on their body about the movements of the device. Brazilian scientist (and SfN member) Miguel Nicolelis from Duke University led the team who produced the device.
- Learn more about brain-machine interface at BrainFacts.org.
Rats Show Regret After Wrong Choices, Scientists Say
June 8, 2014 | National Geographic
SfN member David Redish, a neuroscientist at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, reported in Nature Neuroscience that rats expressed regret through both their behavior and the neural activity in the orbitofrontal cortex and ventral striatum.
- Check out SfN’s resources on the responsible use of animals in research at BrainFacts.org/animals.
Opinion
Time to Speak Up for Research
June 13, 2014 | Science
John Porter, former US congressman and chair of SfN’s coalition partner Research!America, opines that it is time for researchers to speak up for research, especially to elected officials. He states, “Scientists must take off their lab coats and engage the people of their communities and states.”
- Find out how you can submit your own OpEd.
Cutting Budgets for Medical Research is Dangerous
June 6, 2014 | CNN
Renowned neuroscientist and Nobel laureate Eric Kandel and Claire Pomeroy, president of the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation, published an op-ed discussing how patients’ hope for cures is “seriously threatened by our nation’s declining commitment to investing in medical research,” adding, “many patients don’t have time to wait a few years for breakthroughs.” Pomeroy and Kandel call for a renewed commitment to funding biomedical research.
- Learn how you can make the case for biomedical research with SfN’s science funding advocacy tools.
