Weekly Advocacy News Roundup
News
Russian Science Minister Explains Radical Restructure
Jan. 26, 2015 | Nature
Dmitry Livanov, the Russian Federation’s minister of education and science, discusses ongoing reforms to science funding in Russia and the future of the country’s scientists.
- Find information about neuroscience funding globally.
FACT SHEET: President Obama’s Precision Medicine Initiative
Jan. 30, 2015 | The White House
The White House released details about the proposed Precision Medicine Initiative that aims to create treatments tailored to the patient’s genetic makeup, environment, and lifestyle.
- Read more about U.S. funding priorities and process.
Sweeping Plan to Revamp Biomedical Innovation Includes Controversial Ideas for NIH
Jan. 27, 2015 | Science Insider
A proposal for the 21st Century Cures Act was released. The act aims to develop new drug treatments and speed up clinical trials, but some of the provisions aimed at NIH are controversial.
- Watch a webinar on how federal funding affects your science.
NIH Defends Monkey Experiments
Jan. 28, 2015 | Nature
NIH director Francis Collins says the agency has modified how it studies stress in monkeys in response to criticism from animal rights activists and members of Congress. However, he also defended the experiments and says they are necessary.
- Find information about animals in research.
Articles of Interest
A Recap of a Successful Year in Open Access, and Introducing CC BY as Default
Jan. 26, 2015 | Nature.com Blogs
The director of strategy for open research at Nature Publishing announces that they are now using Creative Commons Attribution license CC BY 4.0 as default, and discusses previous open access changes the journal has made.
- Read a Q&A about eNeuro, SfN's new open-access journal.
The New Scientific Revolution: Reproducibility at Last
Jan. 27, 2015 | The Washington Post
There has been a big push towards improving reproducibility in science. However, challenges remain, including the complicated nature of scientific research.
Being Neglected Harms Brain Development in Kids
Jan. 27, 2015 | Time
A new study shows that childhood neglect leads to harmful changes in the brain. Kids not raised in a family setting had noticeable alterations in the white matter of their brains later in life.
- Learn more about brain development at BrainFacts.org.
Opinion
The Importance of Research Funding
Jan. 27, 2015 | North Dallas Gazette
Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), a ranking member of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, discusses the importance of federal funding for research and the importance of the COMPETES Act.
- Visit the Advocacy Network and stay informed on issues that affect neuroscience research.
