BPS Names Hermes-Taylor as Congressional Fellow
The Society is pleased to announce that it has selected Hermes Taylor-Weiner, Ph.D, as its 2018-19 Congressional Fellow. Taylor-Weiner will spend a year working in a congressional office on legislative and policy areas requiring scientific input. He will also participate in the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)’s Science and Technology Fellowship Program, which includes an orientation on congressional and executive branch operations and a year-long seminar series on issues related to science policy. Read more here.
BPS Welcomes Sean Winkler as Director, Public Affairs & Outreach
The Society is pleased to announce Sean Winkler has joined us as our new Director of Public Affairs and Outreach. Sean joins us from the Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association (REMSA), where he lobbied for REMSA’s nearly 350 members and a built grassroots tours program which hosted 38 Members of Congress at REMSA member facilities. Previously he’s worked on statewide and city council campaigns in Maryland, as a legislative aide in the Maryland General Assembly, and as federal agriculture lobbyist. Sean holds a B.A. in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland, College Park. He can be reached at (240) 290-5606 or [email protected].
FY 2019 CJS Funding Bills Moving Through Congress
On June 12, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) and Related Agencies approved a $62.9 billion CJS funding package for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019. The package funds the National Science Foundation (NSF) at $8.1 billion, which is nearly $600 million above the Administration’s initial budget request. The bill provides $222 million more than 2018 levels for research and $13 million above 2018 levels for education at NSF. The House Appropriations Committee approved its $62.9 billion CJS spending package on May 17. Once passed, the two chambers will have to reconcile their two funding bills. Read the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on CJS’s statement on the bill here.
Join BPS in Washington on September 12-13 for the Rally for Medical Research Funding
The Society is participating in annual Rally for Medical Research fly-in on September 12-13 in Washington, DC. This Capitol Hill Day event continues the momentum established in 2013, and includes more than 300 national organizations coming together in support of the Rally for Medical Research. The purpose of the Rally is to call on our nation's policymakers to make funding for National Institutes of Health (NIH) a national priority and raise awareness about our membership’s research. Please email Sean at [email protected] to learn more.
NIH Releases Strategic Plan for Data Science
On June 4, the National Institutes for Health (NIH) released the final draft of its Strategic Plan for Data Science as part of an agency wide strategic plan covering years 2016-2020. According to the NIH, the plan provides guidelines for “maximizing the value of data generated through NIH-funded efforts” in order to keep up with, and accelerate, the pace of biomedical research. BPS provided feedback to the draft, commending NIH for taking this step and for creating the position of Chief Data Strategist to oversee implementation of the plan in March. Read more about the plan here.
Science under Scrutiny at U.S. Geological Survey
According to recent media reports, the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) is now requiring scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to submit their presentation titles for review before approving their travel requests to attend two major conferences. To gain approval, their research must relate to Interior Secretary Zinke’s priorities. Read more here.
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