FASEB First Quarter Report, 2007

OPA Activities: January–March 2007

Research Funding

• FASEB played an important role in the passage of FY2007 funding legislations that increased appropriations for NIH, NSF and DOE. In early January, FASEB sent a letter to members of the House and Senate leadership calling for increased funding for research in FY2007, and FASEB issued alerts on January 9 and January 26 to members of FASEB societies asking them to contact their elected representatives in support of the Joint Funding Resolution for 2007. The success of this mobilization effort was cited in a Nature editorial as a major factor contributing to the increase in NIH’s funding level for FY07. When the Joint Funding Resolution was passed, providing increased funding for NIH, NSF and DOE, FASEB issued a press release thanking Congress for its support of research.
• FASEB issued its FY2008 federal funding report recommendations for science agencies at a press event on January 31. Copies of the report were sent to all members of Congress, 350 reporters, and over 300 advocacy groups. FASEB’s “Back on Track” message was adopted by the NIH advocacy community.
• When the President’s budget for FY08 was announced, FASEB issued a press release criticizing the proposed funding levels for NIH.
• To increase funding for health programs in the congressional budget resolutions, FASEB signed on to the Coalition for Health Funding budget function 550 letter. When Senators Harkin and Specter introduced an amendment to the Senate Budget Resolution to increase funding for health programs, FASEB issued a press release and sent letters to all Senators urging support.
• In preparation for FY2008 appropriations bills, FASEB sent a letter to all members of the Senate thanking supporters of the Lieberman-Bond sign-on letter for NSF funding and urging the rest to sign. FASEB issued a press release and also wrote all members of the House thanking those who supported the Markey-Shays sign on letter for NIH funding and urging the rest to sign.
• FASEB President Leo Furcht and Science Policy Committee member Alan Schneyer were extensively quoted in a March 20 Men’s Health article on medical research.
• FASEB submitted testimony on NIH to the House L-HHS/Ed Appropriations Subcommittee and on USDA to the House Ag, Rural Development Appropriations Subcommittee.
• FASEB thanked Senator Harkin for holding a hearing on agriculture research. Carrie Wolinetz of OPA and Alice Ra’anan of APS met with Senate and House Ag Committee staff to discuss animal research and the Animal Welfare Act.
• Throughout this period, Jon Retzlaff and other FASEB staff met regularly with staff members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. In addition, Jon Retzlaff joined Campaign for Medical Research meetings with members of the House L-HHS/Ed Appropriations Subcommittee: Chairman Obey (D-WI), Markey (D-MA), Lewis (R-CA), Peterson (R-PA), Weldon (R-FL) and Jackson (D-IL) and Simpson (R-ID).

Conflict of Interest

• A stakeholder meeting was held in January to continue developing COI policy.
• President Leo Furcht spoke on COI at the Council on Government Relations meeting.

Stem Cell Research

• FASEB signed on to a multi-organization letter in support of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act.
• FASEB Board approved sending a letter to all members of the Senate and the House in support of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007. Later, FASEB President Leo Furcht issued a statement upon passage of the bill in the House.
• Carrie Wolinetz spoke about stem cell research at George Washington University and University of South Florida.
• The National Academies made clarifications in its Guide for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research incorporating suggestions made by FASEB’s Stem Cell Subcommittee.
• FASEB wrote to NIH Director Elias Zerhouni thanking him for his remarks in support of human embryonic stem cell research.
• Wrote to Senator Casey on March 27 (D-PA) urging him to reconsider his position on stem cells.

Evolution Education

• Jennifer Hobin wrote articles for the ASIP and AAA newsletters highlighting FASEB’s evolution resources and how scientists can be involved in promoting evolution education.
• An article on FASEB’s evolution website appeared in the January 5 issue of Science.
• “Teach Evolution/Learn Science” buttons continue to be requested by groups in the U.S. and Europe. To date, over 16,000 buttons have been distributed.

Training/Careers

• Jennifer Hobin spoke about FASEB’s Individual Development Plan at the Health Research Alliance meeting.
• FASEB received the National Postdoc Association’s Distinguished Service Award for its efforts on education and training issues.

Other Activities of Note

• FASEB sent letters to the House in support of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act.
• The Clinical Research Subcommittee sent a letter Feb. 7 to OHRP commenting on the new “Guidance on Engagement of Institutions in Human Subjects Research.”
• Gail Bishop of the SPC Peer Review Subcommittee and FASEB staff met with Toni Scarpa of CSR.
• The University of Miami Braman Family Cancer Institute requested 500 copies of the Breakthroughs article on breast cancer for staff and patient education.
• Jon Retzlaff was invited by Invitrogen discuss the importance of NIH funding during the annual CALBIO conference

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