Feb. 21, 2014 - This Week's Consolidation of Advocacy News
News
U.S. Dominance in Science Faces Asian Challenge
Feb. 13, 2014 | New York Times
The National Science Board released its report Science and Engineering Indicators 2014. It warns that the United States' predominance in science and technology is fading.
- Read the full report »
Dispute Over the Future of Basic Research in Canada
Feb. 16, 2014 | New York Times
This article discusses the outpouring of comments from the scientific community in response to the Canadian funding agency National Research Council changing tactics by focusing on commercially applicable science instead of basic research.
- Learn about global advocacy programs at SfN.org/advocacy.
E.U. Postpones Horizon 2020 Talks with Switzerland After Immigration Vote
Feb. 17, 2014 | Science Insider
In response to Switzerland informing Croatia that they will not be a part of the immigration agreement that allows the free movement of persons, the E.U. has put on hold an agreement that allows Swiss research laboratories to be eligible for funding through Horizon 2020.
Holt, Science Advocate from New Jersey, Won't Seek Re-Election to Congress
Feb. 18, 2014 | New York Times
Representative Rush Holt (D-NJ), a research physicist who became Congress's chief advocate for scientific research, announced that he will retire at the end of his term this year.
- Find information about how to recruit your member of Congress to be an advocate for science.
Pentagon Considers Using Electricity to Stimulate Troops' Brains
Feb. 18, 2014 | The Boston Globe
The Pentagon is exploring the use of transcranial magnetic stimulation to extend troops' attention spans and combat fatigue. Researchers from the Air Force Research Laboratory claim that the brain stimulation demonstrated significantly better results than the use of caffeine.
Parkinson's Human Trial Suspended
Feb. 20, 2014 | The New Zealand Herald
An Auckland biotech company has suspended a human trial of an experiment Parkinson's disease treatment following the retraction of previous animal research.
- Check out NIH's plan to enhance the reliability of preclinical research.
Items of Interest
Request for Information (RFI): Soliciting Input on Planned Extramural Training Activities Relevant to Data Reproducibility
Feb. 7, 2014 | NIGMS
The National Institute for General Medicine Sciences is collecting information on needs and opportunities for training in areas relevant to improving data reproducibility in biomedical research. The deadline is February 28.
Opinion
US Biomedical Research: We Must Reverse a Decade of Neglect
Feb. 10, 2014 | Huffington Post
Claire Pomeroy, president of the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation, argues that scientists must individually advocate for federal research funding if we are to overcome that lack of attention being paid to the decline of U.S. prominence in global biomedical research.
- Employ one or more of our advocacy tools to get involved.
Opinions About Scientific Advances Blur Party-Political Lines
Feb. 19, 2014 | The Conversation
Matthew Nisbet and Ezra Markowitz present their data recently published in PLOS ONE that suggests that more than political party identification, ideology, or religious beliefs, an individual's beliefs about science and society had the strongest influence on their support for stem cell research. In addition, they argue that to adequately address public concern about scientific topics, scientists need to utilize local media and public forums to engage in debate.
- Find resources to write your own op-ed or letter to the editor for your local newspaper at SfN.org/advocacy.
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