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APA President Zimbardo Headliner for APA Meeting with
National Security Council Staff
In the wake of September 11th, the Science Directorate and
Science PPO have been proactive in developing collaborative relationships
with federal agencies and panels tasked with addressing terrorism issues,
to ensure the involvement of behavioral scientists with expertise in these
areas. On June 11th, APA President Philip G. Zimbardo joined Senior
Scientist Susan Brandon and PPO’s Heather Kelly for an initial meeting
with two senior staff members in the National Security Council’s (NSC’s)
Office of Combating Terrorism. NSC staff were well-versed in and very
supportive of behavioral research and its relevance to national security
issues, and asked APA to: provide lists of researchers and “one-pagers”
on work germane to counter-terrorism efforts; facilitate interactions
between NSC staff, U.S. psychologists and those in other countries with
specific expertise; and collaborate on a small conference focusing on
communications issues related to terrorism.
In Defense of Defense Research
On June 13th, PPO tapped George Mason University
psychology professor Stephen Zaccaro to present APA’s testimony before
the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. Zaccaro, a
psychological researcher who studies leadership, leader development and
team effectiveness in military contexts, made a strong case for behavioral
science funding within the Department of Defense. In particular, Zaccaro
emphasized the need to provide a stable funding stream for behavioral
research sponsored by the Army Research Institute, Office of Naval
Research, and Air Force Office of Scientific Research. Senator Daniel K.
Inouye (D-HI), Chairman of the Subcommittee, promised to follow up on APA
concerns about Navy and Air Force cuts in applied, behavioral research
programs. Zaccaro’s written testimony on behalf of APA can be viewed at:
http://www.apa.org/ppo/issues/zaccarotest.html.
APA Co-Sponsors Briefing on Reactions to Terrorism
On June 18th, APA partnered with the Consortium of Social
Science Associations (COSSA), the American Political Science Association
and the American Sociological Association in a Congressional briefing
entitled "Reactions to Terrorism: Attitudes and Anxieties." The
event was organized in support of the Decade of Behavior initiative to
address how our world has changed since the attacks on 9/11 and the
anthrax incidents that followed so closely thereafter. Importantly, the
briefing highlighted the value of funding mechanisms that allow scientists
to take advantage of unique research opportunities on short notice. Len
Lecci, PhD, and Dale Cohen, PhD, of the University of North Carolina,
Wilmington, represented APA and talked about their research on
determinants of perceived health risks (as related to anthrax) funded by
NSF's Small Grants for Exploratory Research (SGER) program. With well over
a hundred attendees, the event was standing room only leading a House
Science Committee staffer to declare it "record attendance." The
Powerpoint presentations are available on the Decade of Behavior Web site:
http://www.decadeofbehavior.org/policyseminars/Terrorism/terrorism_speakers.html.
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Senate Holds Hearings on Office of Educational
Research and Improvement (OERI) Reauthorization
On June 25th, Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA), Chairman of the
Senate HELP Committee, held a hearing on the reauthorization of OERI. Russ
Whitehurst, PhD, Assistant Secretary for Educational Research and
Improvement, testified that OERI is in need of increased funds for
research and a renewed focus on research if the requirements of the No
Child Left Behind Act are to be met. As we have previously reported, the
House passed the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 in April. With few
legislative days left for this session of Congress, stakeholders are
becoming concerned that OERI will be passed over this year. APA will
continue to advocate for OERI reauthorization this year. Whitehurst’s
full testimony can be found at the following link: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OERI/speeches/06252002.html.
APA Holds Briefing on Early Head Start Research
Findings
Psychologists have played a key role in the Head Start
program since its inception. On June 28th, APA co-sponsored a
congressional briefing on the Early Head Start Impact Study featuring
Windy Hill, Associate Commissioner of the Head Start Bureau. The briefing
highlighted current research on Early Head Start, which serves low-income
children under three. The findings revealed a consistent pattern of small
but significant positive effects on variables ranging from positive
parental discipline strategies to children’s receptive vocabulary,
together attesting to the program’s value. The other speakers were Drs.
Rachel Chazan Cohen, Helen Raikes, John M. Love, Ellen Kisker, and Tammy
Mann, with APA’s Daniel Dodgen, PhD, serving as moderator. The event was
co-sponsored by the House Education and the Workforce Committee. Copies of
the report, Making a Difference in the Lives of Infants and Toddlers and
Their Families: The Impacts of Early Head Start, can be found online at: http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/core/ongoing_research/ehs/ehs_reports.html.
Congratulations to APA’s Science Policy Fellow
APA’s Science PPO office is pleased to announce that
Tamara Jackson, PhD, will be serving as APA’s 2002-2003 Science Policy
Fellow in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Tamara
is currently finishing her year as an APA Congressional Fellow in the
office of Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), where she has worked on a
childhood obesity hearing and legislation, women's health legislation, and
a variety of issues related to HIV/AIDS, among other projects. Dr. Jackson
received her bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University in 1993,
completed her doctorate in clinical psychology from Kent State University
in 1999, and conducted community research on health promotion while a Yale
University pre-doctoral intern and post-doctoral fellow. Dr. Jackson will
be an excellent representative of behavioral science in the White House.
For information on APA’s Congressional and Science Policy Fellowship
Programs, including applications for the 2003-2004 positions, please see: http://www.apa.org/ppo/funding/homepage.html.
Senate Spending Bill Includes APA-Recommended Report
Language for NIH
The U.S. Senate recently reported its version of the
federal spending bill that funds the National Institutes of Health for
Fiscal Year 2003 (which begins on 10/1/02). Members of the APA Science
Policy staff spend a lot of time each spring talking to congressional
staff, encouraging the placement of language in the report that
accompanies the spending bill. "Report language" highlights
certain programs of funding and encourages the institutes to continue or
focus on certain lines of research. While this language does not have the
force of law, and cannot therefore be considered "directive," it
serves as a congressional vote of confidence or interest-so the NIH
institutes and centers pay close attention to it. We are especially
thankful to Senators Daniel Inouye (D-HI), Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Tom
Harkin (D-IA) for their interest and assistance. The report language is
available at: http://www.apa.org/ppo/issues/fy2003rptlang.html.
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, Ph.D., Director of Science Policy
Pat
Kobor, Senior Science Policy Analyst
Heather
O'Beirne Kelly, Ph.D., Senior Legislative and Federal Affairs Officer
Karen
Studwell, J.D., Legislative and Federal Affairs Officer
LaTonya Wesley, Legislative Assistant
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