History
The Foundation for the Advancement of Behavioral and Brain Sciences (FABBS), headquartered in Washington DC, is an educational, non-profit organization established to promote and enhance understanding of the behavioral, psychological, cognitive, and brain sciences. Created to take over a substantial part of the educational mission of the Federation of Behavioral, Psychological, and Cognitive Sciences on behalf of its constituent sciences, FABBS focuses its efforts in three directions. One is to educate the public about the contributions of these important fields to the well-being of individuals and society. A second is to educate Congressional staff and others in the Federal Government about our sciences (as distinct from lobbying them, which is the sole purview of the Federation). The third is to facilitate productive dialogue between scientists and relevant stakeholders in the public and private sector on topics at the intersection of science and public policy, such as human subject protections and new but risky scientific directions.

Why is FABBS Needed?
Support for the behavioral, brain, and related sciences is suffering in Washington and across the nation as Federal dollars become scarcer and political battles more heated. As a consequence, funding does not keep up with needs, new talent is not attracted into these fields at the rate that is required to maintain and advance them properly, and the public does not fully appreciate their potential for addressing and solving important problems. To remedy this situation, we needed a steady source of positive programming that would communicate with the public and their representatives about the behavioral and brain sciences and the contributions they can make to society.

The Federation, also headquartered in Washington, DC, was founded in 1981 to promote the cognitive, behavioral, and psychological sciences by advocating (i.e., lobbying), educating, and communicating on behalf of its member sciences.  As the Federation's advocacy role became more dominant, it became clear that the overall goal of promoting its constituent sciences would be more successfully pursued by spinning off much of its educational and communication missions to an independent and separately financed entity. Thus, the Federation created FABBS as a 501(c)(3) organization eligible for grants and charitable donations. FABBS and the Federation will complement each other, but operate independently. FABBS conducts educational activities and facilitate communication among government employees, the public, and scientists, but does not engage in lobbying.

FABBS supports its work with tax-deductible contributions and grants. The Federation, in contrast, focuses on lobbying and related activities, and supports its work as it always has, via dues from its member societies.

Educate Congressional Staff and Federal Employees

(Note that educational activities differ from lobbying in that the former include no mention of specific laws, bills, or regulatory activities; whereas these are the focus of the latter.)

1. Conduct Congressional briefings on advances in our sciences.
2. Conduct smaller briefings in other government venues, such as The President's Office of Science and Technology Policy or the Office of the Director at the National Institutes of Health on topics specifically relevant to their missions.
3. Hold forums between scientists and government employees in relevant offices, such as funding agencies and others on issues of joint concern.

Facilitate Public Dialogue between Scientists and Relevant Stakeholders

1. Hold forums between scientists and representatives of business and industry on ways to increase private funding of research and to develop research that will yield tangible, marketable products.
2. Hold forums between scientists and representatives of public interest groups on ways to develop research that will benefit their members.
3. Hold public forums on science-related public policy issues, such as human subject protections, high school science education, and others.

Educate the Public

1. Organize public lectures, forums, roundtable events, panel discussions, and the like by distinguished and articulate researchers on scientific topics of current interest, if possible in partnership with organizations such as the Smithsonian Institute, the New York Academy of Sciences, The Exploratorium in San Francisco, and others.
2. Support a cadre of outstanding and articulate scientists who will be available to deliver presentations around the country to public institutions (high schools, community colleges, etc) at no cost to those institutions.
3. Arrange press conferences with outstanding behavioral and brain scientists to engage the press in the latest discoveries and their implications.
4. Sponsor annual awards in acknowledgement of others who help to promote the behavioral and brain sciences such as a Behavioral and Brain Sciences Journalism Award, Lifetime Achievement Award, and the like.
5. Work with high school science educators to develop curriculum regarding our sciences.

The Federation will donate staff time to the Foundation to apply for grants and seek contributions, as well as to organize and conduct the approved planned activities. In time, it is expected that there will be funding for full-time Foundation staff to take over the operation of the organization.