APA's Science Policy Insider News December 2006!

[Subscribe to SPIN]  NIH Reorganization Bill Approved in Late-Night House-Senate Trade: Now What? Breakfast with Incoming House Science Committee Chairman Gordon Secretaries Chertoff and Rice Tap Roxane Cohen Silver for New Advisory Committee Second Annual APA Science Leadership Conference Focuses on Careers APA Invites Applications for 2007-2008 Science Policy Fellowship NIH Says Electronic Grant Submission Works for MacIntosh and Windows Users NCMRR Advisory Board Meeting NIH Reorganization Bill Approved in Late-Night House-Senate Trade: Now What? Compromise amendments to H.R. 6164, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Reform Act of 2006, were approved by the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives by voice vote in the waning hours of the 109th Congress, clearing the bill for a presidential signature. The bill had not been expected to pass the Senate in the lame-duck session, since the Senate had held no independent hearings on the measure. However, outgoing House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton (R-TX) bargained with the Senate to get the NIH bill passed in exchange for the House passing several bills the Senate wanted approved, including the Ryan White Act that funds community HIV/AIDS programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Click here to view the entire story. [back to top] Breakfast with Incoming House Science Committee Chairman Gordon On December 6, Anne Bettesworth of the Science Policy Office attended the Science Coalition's Headliner Breakfast, with special guest speaker, Representative Bart Gordon (D-TN). Rep. Gordon will be taking over the chairmanship of the House Science Committee with the start of the 110th Congress. At the breakfast, he spoke about the Science Committee's legislative priorities, which include: Job creation through competitiveness and innovation   Energy independence and research and development   NASA's multi-mission focus   Homeland and border security   Personal safety and security   Climate change and global warming   Rep. Gordon also commented on his hope that in the 110th Congress publications such as Roll Call and National Journal will write about the Science Committee as one of "good ideas and consensus." The Congressman noted that bipartisan legislation is the best kind, and said that he would like to see all legislation that comes out of the Science Committee placed on the Suspension Calendar (a calendar generally reserved for non-controversial legislation). He summed the morning up by saying that the science community needs to work together and be supportive of each other during fiscally tight years such as this one. APA will continue to work with Chairman Gordon and his staff to ensure that psychology and behavioral science more broadly are integrated into his competitiveness and innovation initiatives. [back to top] Secretaries Chertoff and Rice Tap Roxane Cohen Silver for New Advisory Committee Roxane Silver Although APA Fellow Roxane Cohen Silver first came to my attention in 2002 when we were searching for an NSF-funded researcher to present at our annual Coalition for National Science Funding Exhibition, her stress and coping research was already well-known in the psychological science community. But Silver was soon to take her identity as a social psychologist to another level by accepting an appointment to one of four Senior Homeland Security advisory committees to the parent Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC). Sworn in by then-Secretary Tom Ridge on December 8, 2003, Silver has served on the Academe and Policy Research Senior Advisory Committee (APRSAC) for three years as the go-to person for anything remotely resembling psychological or behavioral science. However, she's apparently gained a remarkable reputation as a team player, because in addition to her service on the APRSAC, she has been recruited to serve on several Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Advisory Council Task Forces, including the "Weapons of Mass Effect Prevention Task Force," the "Common Culture Task Force," and the "Future of Terrorism Task Force." The work of the latter two groups continues, and reports of their activities are expected to be delivered on January 11, 2007. The report from the first task force is available on the DHS website. Click here to view the entire story. [back to top] Second Annual APA Science Leadership Conference Focuses on Careers APA's Science Directorate held its second annual Science Leadership Conference (SciLC) here in Washington the first weekend in December, thematically organized around supporting and advancing psychological science careers across the professional lifespan (last year's inaugural conference focused on the public face of psychological science). SciLC was initiated to create a standing opportunity for the scientific community of psychology to gather, identify and set priorities, and discuss future trends and opportunities. A diverse group of 120 scientists came together over the weekend to consider threats and obstacles that may stand in our way, and to develop recommendations to help APA prioritize its own efforts and programs in support of science and the careers of scientists. From a PPO standpoint, conference addresses and sessions had very relevant policy implications. For example, former National Science Advisor Neal Lane's keynote address on "American Competitiveness and Behavioral Science" touched on an issue that remains a hot topic on Capitol Hill. PPO continues to push for psychology's inclusion in any legislation authorizing more funding for scientific research related to competitiveness and innovation, but members of Congress (including the incoming Democratic Chairman of the House Science Committee) often attempt to exclude behavioral science in key bills. Policy issues also came up repeatedly in a SciLC panel devoted to obstacles to conducting research. Many obstacles to conducting and/or disseminating psychological research are a result of or result in legislative and executive branch activities, including congressional intervention in the peer review process and agency directives to remove or alter scientific information presented to the public. APA's PPO remains actively engaged in all of these issues and will call on our members to lend their expertise and voices to the policy arena in the new Congress. [back to top] APA Invites Applications for 2007-2008 Science Policy Fellowship APA's Science Directorate invites psychologists to apply in January for its annual Science Policy Fellowship program. One Fellow will spend the 2007-2008 academic year working as a special assistant in an executive branch science agency, with specific, individualized placement based on the Fellow's expertise and interests. Past APA Science Policy Fellows have worked in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the National Science Foundation. The overall goals of the program are to provide psychological scientists an invaluable learning experience in research administration and policy, while contributing to more effective use of psychological knowledge within federal science mission agencies. The prospective Fellow must demonstrate competence in scientific psychology and show strong interest in applying psychological knowledge to national science policy issues. Complete application instructions and materials are available on the Science Public Policy Office website and Dr. Heather Kelly may be contacted at (202) 336-5932 or via Email for more information about the Fellowship. [back to top] NIH Says Electronic Grant Submission Works for MacIntosh and Windows Users On February 5, 2007, all who apply for NIH's individual project grants (R01s) will be required to apply electronically. NIH already requires electronic submission for most other funding mechanisms. Curious about how MacIntosh users are faring with the electronic submission process, we checked with NIH to see how the process is going. Although scientists have largely welcomed the shift to electronic grant submission, those who use MacIntosh computers have been concerned by news reports that the grants submission software is less compatible with Mac than with Windows' operating system. Megan Columbus, the point person for NIH's transition to electronic grant submission in NIH's Office of Extramural Research, answered the APA Science Policy Office's questions about the transition. Click here to view the questions and answers. [back to top] NCMRR Advisory Board Meeting On December 7-8, the National Advisory Board on Medical Rehabilitation Research (NABMRR) convened for the second of their twice-yearly meetings. The National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR) is one of four divisions within the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). The Center provides support for basic and clinical scientists to conduct research on impairments and functional changes associated with chronic physical conditions, as well as on rehabilitative strategies to reduce disability, improve health, and increase participation. Two of the new NABMRR members are psychologists. Marcia Scherer is a Division 5, 21, and 22 Fellow and an Associate Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Martha Banks is a Division 35 Fellow, a Member of the Board for the Advancement of Psychology in the Public Interest, and sits on the Council of Representatives. She is a research neuropsychologist in the Research and Development Division of ABackans DCP, Inc. in Akron, Ohio. The two-day meeting covered a wide variety of topics, including cancer rehabilitation, electronic submissions, pediatric critical care, and training. NICHD Director Duane Alexander spoke to the Board about the current budget, simply saying, "Well, we don't have one." He explained that NIH would be functioning on a Continuing Resolution at Fiscal Year 2006 levels, and in regard to the fiscal future, said "We are living in great uncertainty." Alexander also touched on the NIH Reauthorization bill and on the recently passed Autism bill. [back to top] Any questions? If you have any questions regarding SPIN or specific science policy issues, please feel free to contact any of APA's Science PPO staff. Geoff Mumford, PhD Assistant Executive Director for Science Policy email Pat Kobor Senior Science Policy Analyst email Heather O'Beirne Kelly, PhD Senior Legislative and Federal Affairs Officer email Karen Studwell, JD Senior Legislative and Federal Affairs Officer email Anne Bettesworth Science Policy Associate email Kirk Waldroff Science Website Manager email [back to top]

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