Do I have to work with lobbyists?

By Richard McCarty
Executive Director for Science

As I prepare this column, I have been working in APA?s Science Directorate on a part-time basis for a bit more than 11 weeks. One of my significant concerns in coming to work in the Science Directorate was my lack of experience with advocacy efforts to promote recognition of and funding for psychological science. I had been briefed about the continuing efforts of APA?s Public Policy Office (PPO) to promote the excellent psychological research that is being conducted in colleges, universities, government agencies and research centers throughout the United States. But the questions still remained?who were these PPO people and what would it be like to work with them? Could these people, do anything to benefit scientists?

What I discovered within a few weeks was that the PPO staff in the Science Directorate work tirelessly to promote psychological science within funding agencies and Congress. They receive little fanfare, and they never wear Gucci shoes. With this in mind, I want to introduce you to these talented folks who are always looking out for your interests.

The PPO team

Pat Kobor is the head of PPO, and she burns calories while sitting still. She is knowledgeable about funding issues and a great collaborator within social science advocacy coalitions. Among her top priorities is creating a stronger infrastructure for the support of behavioral science at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). One example of this is her success in helping establish NIH?s Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research.

Geoff Mumford and Paula Trubisky round out the PPO science team. Geoff is a behavioral pharmacologist and came to APA from Johns Hopkins University. He focuses on funding issues at NASA, the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Biological Sciences Directorate at the National Science Foundation (NSF). Geoff has also taken a leadership role for APA in the current tobacco settlement discussions in Congress. Paula is APA?s liaison to several of the NIH institutes that are key funders of behavioral research, including the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Her understanding of the NIMH infrastructure, including budget and staffing issues, proved critical to protecting the interest of behavioral science during the NIMH reorganization process.

If this weren?t enough, we also have two other staff members who support PPO?s efforts. Our senior scientist, Joan Lucariello, covers issues in the Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate at NSF and NIH?s National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). Joan?s training as a developmental psychologist has been invaluable in her efforts to promote science issues at NSF and NICHD. Finally, Dianne Brown Maranto covers work force issues and education research and has been helpful in expanding our advocacy efforts. Dianne was successful last year in bringing psychological research to bear on the affirmative action debates in Congress.

The PPO staff has also conducted several highly successful science advocacy workshops. They design the workshops around specific research issues and invite leading scientists in these areas from key legislative districts. The training sessions culminate with visits to Capitol Hill to share concerns with legislators and their staffs. More than 70 scientists have received this in-depth training, and they magnify the effectiveness of the PPO staff on key issues.

You, too, can be a member of the A-team

From this all-too-brief summary of the PPO staff, it might be tempting for you to sit back and relax. After all, the Science Directorate has five hard-working people hitting the bricks every day on your behalf. But that just isn?t enough. As effective as they are, they need you to take an active role in their efforts to promote your research activities. Consider becoming a card-carrying member of the Science Advocacy Network (SAN). As a member of SAN, you will be notified electronically of fast-breaking legislative actions in Congress and asked on occasion to write to your representative or senator about an important piece of legislation. To join SAN, send an e-mail. These personal contacts between citizens and their representatives do make a difference.