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.
How Falsehoods Start to Sound Like Facts
July 30, 2020
You need a microscope to view the stars.
You need a microscope to view the stars.
Believe me yet? Vanderbilt University psychologist Lisa K. Fazio says hearing a statement — even “extreme falsehoods that you definitely should know are false” — more than once increases the likelihood people will believe it.
“Even statements Americans as a whole tend to know are false; it didn’t matter,” said Fazio, director of Vanderbilt’s Building Knowledge Lab.
read moreFederal Funding for COVID-19 Research — New and Recovery
July 30, 2020
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt every aspect of our lives, in terms of research, federal policymakers are trying to determine the best ways to mitigate the consequences on the scientific ecosystem and the pressing questions where additional research is needed. After months of discussion, the White House and Senate Republicans released their version of the next COVID-19 supplemental funding package as the Health Education and Liability Protection and Schools
read moreNSB Meets and Changes to GRFP
July 30, 2020
The National Science Board (NSB) met on Wednesday, July 29th, the first meeting since Dr. Sethuraman “Panch” Panchanathan was sworn in as the NSF Director earlier this month. The agenda included a presentation and panel on Black experiences in science and engineering, and how NSF might be able to improve these experiences through funding and specialized programs.
Dr. Claudia Rankins, a Program Officer in the NSF Directorate for Education and Human
read moreAppropriations Bills Advance in the House, Stalemate in the Senate
July 30, 2020
The House of Representatives is expected to vote on Friday, July 31 on a second ‘minibus’ — multiple spending bills together — for fiscal year (FY) 2021. This second minibus (HR 7617) contains six spending bills for large research funders like the National Institutes of Health (NIH); the National Science Foundation (NSF); and the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). See previous FABBS budget article for details. Democratic leaders decided to separate the
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