Sept. 12, 2014 - This Week's Consolidation of Advocacy News
News
House Republicans Unveil Bill to Fund Government Until December
Sept. 9, 2014 | Washington Post
As has been the practice for the last several years, Congress has not passed any of the appropriations bills needed to keep the government running once the new fiscal year begins on October 1. To avert a government shutdown, they must pass a Continuing Resolution (CR). Details of the CR were released late in the evening on September 9. It provides funding through December 11 and funds agencies at current levels and adds funding for must-do items like Ebola research.
- To learn about the appropriations process and how it impacts your science, watch SfN’s webinar From Congress to Your Lab: How Federal Funding Affects Your Science.
Science Research Funding Lags for Local Universities
Sept. 2, 2014 | Daily Tar Heel
The North Carolina Triangle Chapter of SfN sponsored an event featuring Rep. David Price (D-NC) speaking on federal funding for science research. Attendees discussed science policy and had the chance to ask questions about opportunities to increase funding for biomedical research.
- One of the organizers of the event is an SfN Early Career Policy Fellow. Find out more about this program and look for a chance to apply to the fellowship later this year.
New Public Resource to Help Researchers Explore Country-Specific Requirements
Sept. 10, 2014 | News Medical
NIH recently launched ClinRegs, an online public database of country-specific clinical research regulatory information. The website enables users to review country-specific regulatory requirements and compare requirements between countries in seven topic areas, including informed consent practices and trial sponsorship for 12 countries, with more coming online soon.
- Check out the ClinRegs website.
Former Portuguese Banker Gets Top European Research Job
Sept. 10, 2014 | ScienceInsider
Carlos Moedas, secretary of state to Portugal's center-right prime minister, was appointed European commissioner in charge of research, science, and innovation. If his appointment is approved by the European Parliament, he will take over for a 5-year term and will oversee the use of funds from Horizon 2020, the European Union's €80 billion research program.
Articles of Interest
U.S. Science Suffering From Booms and Busts in Funding
Sept. 9, 2014 | NPR
This article discusses the effect of the decrease in NIH funding on researchers, with layoffs and labs closing because funding has not kept up with inflation.
- Read about neuroscience funding through NIH and learn about the history of funding over the past few years.
Brainy Processing at Your Fingertips
Sept. 8, 2014 | The Guardian
A new article in Nature Neuroscience reports that touch receptors in fingertips (Meissner corpuscles and Merkel discs) are capable of performing complex computations such as edge orientation—much as the retina can perform some motion detection computations.
- Watch a 2013 Brain Awareness Video Contest submission about the sense of touch.
EXCLUSIVE: Nature Reviewers Not Persuaded by Initial STAP Stem Cell Papers
Sept. 11, 2014 | ScienceInsider
New information has come to light in the “STAP cell” controversy—in which a now-retracted Nature paper purported to describe how stressors such as acid can turn mature cells into pluripotent cells. Email correspondence between Nature editors and copies of reviews from a rejected submission to Science indicate that reviewers for both journals identified significant flaws with the paper. It remains unclear why the revised manuscript was ultimately accepted later.
Opinion
Science Cuts 'Fiscally Irresponsible', Boyer Lecture Biologist Says
Sept. 4, 2014 | The Guardian
Professor Suzanne Cory, Boyer series lecturer for Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) says “investment in science is absolutely vital for the future prosperity of the country,” despite the fact that the Australian government cut the position of a dedicated science minister from its cabinet last year. The first lecture of the series is available online now and the rest will follow throughout the month of September.
- Follow important global science funding developments each week by monitoring the SfN Advocacy News page.
Air France Accepts Responsibility - Without Animal Transports the European Research Space will be Significantly Disrupted
Sept. 8, 2014 | Aviation Pros
The Basel Declaration Society (BDS) condemns the mounting pressure on Air France from animal rights activists, whose ultimate goal is to end all animal research. In Europe, the animals needed for basic research are bred in a few highly specialized facilities. The gentlest transport is made by plane, because it brings the animals quickly and safely to where they are used.
Diversity in STEM: What It Is and Why It Matters
Sept. 10, 2014 | Scientific American
The author discusses the importance of diversity to STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and why it matters. She says, “Diversity in science refers to cultivating talent, and promoting the full inclusion of excellence across the social spectrum. This includes people from backgrounds that are traditionally underrepresented and those from backgrounds that are traditionally well represented.”
- Learn about SfN’s programs and initiatives dedicated to diversity in neuroscience research.
