FABBS reports on items of interest to many communities – scientists, policymakers, and the public. In our news, you will see updates on science funding and policy, articles that translate research for policy, and descriptions of the research contributions of scientists at all stages of their research careers.
NIH Announces Preprint Pilot
June 17, 2020
The urgency of finding a cure and vaccine for COVID-19 underscores the need for enhanced rigor and broader discovery and distribution of early research results. To this end, National Library of Medicine (NLM) has announced the NIH Preprint Pilot to increase discoverability of preprints — complete, pre-peer review public drafts of scientific documents.
Building on the March 2017 NIH Guide Notice (NOT-OD-17-050), the pilot will test the possibility
read moreSocietal Experts Action Network Connects Scientists to Policy Makers
June 17, 2020
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, with support from the National Science Foundation, has created the Societal Experts Action Network (SEAN). The project’s goal is to connect decision makers leading the response to COVID-19 with behavioral and social science researchers able to inform critical local, state, and federal policy and practice responses to the pandemic.
On June 11, SEAN released a rapid expert consultation guide to support leaders
read moreExecutive Order Affecting Foreign Students Expected
June 17, 2020
On June 2, a group of 21 Republican House Representatives sent a letter to the Departments of State and Homeland Security outlining the importance of attracting international students to the United States and expressing support for the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program. OPT enables international students to work in the U.S. for one to three years post graduation.
The letter describes how international students make significant intellectual and economic
read moreStatement from FABBS President, Roxane Cohen Silver
June 4, 2020
Dear Colleagues:
FABBS would like to join the voices of the Societies and universities that make up our Federation in decrying the overt racism we have seen in the recent murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery; the implicit racism we have seen in the disproportionate deaths to COVID of African Americans; and the ongoing police brutality against peaceful protest and expressions of support for the value of Black lives. In my
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