Weekly Advocacy News Roundup

Senators Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Support U.S. Research and Education

June 23, 2016 | Science

The Senate commerce and science committee introduced a bill that would reauthorize programs at NSF and NIST and tweak policies on science education and innovation as the proposed replacement of the 2010 America COMPETES Act that expired in 2013.  The American Innovation and Competitiveness Act endorses NSF’s current approach to choosing what research to fund. It also urges the executive branch to find ways to reduce the amount of time that universities and scientists spend complying with rules governing recipients of federal research dollars, and calls for the spread of NSF’s wildly popular Innovation Corps program to train budding academic entrepreneurs.

• Learn about the public funding of neuroscience at SfN.org.

Britain’s Vote To Leave EU Jeopardizes Scientific Research Funding

June 27, 2016 | The Wall Street Journal

Britain’s vote to leave the European Union will have an impact on the nation’s scientists. Approximately 10 percent of research funding at British universities is from the EU, which is leading to concern among researchers. Researchers are concerned about the future of funding, collaborations, and access to research programs.

• Read more about neuroscience funding in the UK at SfN.org.

Senate Democrats Block Zika Agreement Ahead of Recess

June 28, 2016 | The Hill

Senate Democrats blocked a deal that would have provided funds for fighting the Zika virus due to concerns over language included in the bill that would cut money from other programs, including funding that would impact Planned Parenthood. The next steps in the Zika funding legislation are unclear, but Senator McConnell (R-KY) said there would be another vote after the upcoming congressional recess.

• Learn more about the congressional committees that dictate federal funding at SfN.com

A Protein That Moves From Muscle to Brain May Tie Exercise to Memory

June 23, 2016 | NPR

Researchers identified a protein in muscles that may help explain the connection between fitness and memory. The protein, cathepsin B, is released after exercise and also leads to new cell growth and connections in the hippocampus, which is the brain region involved with memory.

• Read more about learning and memory on BrainFacts.org.

Interdisciplinary Proposals Struggle To Get Funded

June 29, 2016 | Nature News

A study of Australian grant funding decisions shows that interdisciplinary proposals have a lower chance of being funded. The researchers developed a metric to measure how interdisciplinary a grant proposal is and found that proposals submitted to the Australian Research Council with higher interdisciplinary measures were less likely to be funded.

• Find resources about grant writing on Neuronline.

Poll Finds Wide Agreement Among Voters on One Healthcare Agenda

June 23, 2016 | Forbes

A new poll of voters in battleground states finds a rare opportunity for bipartisan agreement on healthcare, with Americans strongly favoring action on public policies that support medical discovery into new treatments and cures. 78 percent of responders said that fostering policies that support medical innovation should be a top priority for members of Congress and candidates for Congress.  The poll was jointly commissioned by the Galen Institute and Center Forward, center-right and center-left think tanks. 

• Find science funding resources at SfN.org.

Q&A: Former EU Science Adviser Anne Glover on UK Research After Brexit: 'I’m Very Pessimistic'

June 27, 2016 | Science

Anne Glover, the former European Union chief science adviser, discusses her views on the UK’s decision to leave the European Union and what it means for scientific research. She expresses concern that the UK will have difficulty making up funding shortfalls that result from leaving the EU and how the decision will impact grant applications for EU research programs.

• Join the advocacy network to stay informed on issues of science policy at SfN.org

Lack of Funding Could Hurt Panama’s Research Ambitions

June 23, 2016 | U.S. News

Government support for scientific research is critical, but often difficult to attain. Two Panamanian researchers discuss their country’s research spending over the years and how it is impacting the nation’s scientists and economy.

• Read about global advocacy programs at SfN.org.