If You Aren’t at the Table, You’re on the Menu. Take Your Seat at the Table and Meet with your Congressman/woman this Summer!
- The President has proposed significant cuts to the NIH, NSF, and Department of Energy Office of Science budgets. This is depressing news for most scientists.
- That money funds scientists working in every district and state in the country. Many members of Congress do not know that is how their constituent scientists and organizations are funded. Thus, they don’t know that those budget cuts will hurt you, their constituents, in addition, the economy.
- Congress is the government body responsible for setting the federal budget. The process of appropriating funds is underway now.
Now is the time to take your seat at the table and make sure science funding is not on the menu! Join the Biophysical Society's Congressional District Visits Program!
Both the House and Senate traditionally break for a month every August. During this time, elected officials spend most of their time in their home states and districts. Because they are there for more than just a few days, it is the perfect time to set up a meeting at his/her local district office or invite the representative or senator to tour your research lab. These meetings are a great way to make a connection and show your politicians the research taking place right there in their district.
Don’t be intimidated! Congress members do want to meet and hear from their constituents. Plus, the Society is here to assist you in the process. Sign up to participate by July 21 and Society staff will guide you through the process, from how to setup the meeting to coaching to preparing you for the meeting and providing materials you can use.
Be an advocate! Sign up Now!
NIH Director Testifies on FY 18 Budget
On Thursday, June 23, NIH Director Francis Collins testified on the FY 18 NIH budget before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies. In the hearing, Chairman Roy Blunt (R-MO) announced that the proposed NIH cuts in President Trump’s budget are “unacceptable.” Senators from both sides of the aisle expressed disapproval of the President’s proposed cuts. Collins’ provided written testimony for the record and also answered questions during the hearing. Most of the written testimony focuses on NIH’s investments and research opportunities. Discussion of the actual budget request is held until the end of the testimony and outlines where the cuts being proposed will be made (primarily by capping indirect costs at 10%, eliminating the Fogarty International Center). There is no evidence or justification included for why those cuts are appropriate.
NSF website and grant site unavailable this weekend
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is moving its headquarters to Alexandria, Virginia. To start, the NSF's Data Center, NSF.gov, FastLane and Research.gov will be unavailable from Friday, June 30 at 8:00 PM until Tuesday, July 4 at 6:00 PM EDT. This move has been scheduled around a holiday weekend to minimize downtime and reduce the impact on the research community and NSF staff. During this outage period, proposals cannot be submitted in FastLane, and project reports and cash requests cannot be submitted in Research.gov. However, previously saved information and uploaded documents in FastLane and Research.gov, including in-process proposals and reports, will be accessible after the Data Center moves.
House Begins Considering FY 2018 Spending Bills, NSF and DOE Science Fare Better Than in President’s Budget
The House subcommittee responsible for considering funding for the National Science Foundation (NSF) has approved a measure that would fund the NSF at $7.338 billion, $134 million less than the Foundation’s current level, but $685 million more than suggested by President Trump. Under this measure, NSF’s research and education accounts would be held flat; funding for three research shipping vessels that Congress approved for NSF to start building last year would be eliminated; a project favored and promoted by the Senate.
A separate House appropriations subcommittee approved a bill providing funding for the Department of Energy (DOE) that would hold funding for the Office of Science at $5.4 billion, the same amount it is currently receiving. President Trump had proposed cutting the Office of Science to $4.473 billion, a 17% cut. The DOE Office of Science funds most of the national labs. The appropriations subcommittee did vote to eliminate the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) Program, as suggested in the President’s budget request. ARPA-E recently received a positive review in an independent study conducted by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine and released earlier this month.
Both measures must go to the full appropriations committee before being considered by the full House of Representatives. The Senate appropriations committees have not yet considered appropriations for the agencies.
Recent Science Policy Related Reads from Around the Web
Scientists in limbo as US Supreme Court allows modified travel ban
Broad Institute names first cohort of Institute Scientists
Examining the Mistrust of Science: Proceedings of a Workshop–in Brief (2017)
Putin tightens control over Russian Academy of Sciences
Labor Department Rethinking Obama-Era Overtime Pay Rule
Canada's basic science at risk of fading away, report argues