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.
Educational Technology Is Not Making the Grade
Digital technology has revolutionized our homes, cars, and workplaces, but it hasn’t changed much in one surprising area: schools. The problem isn’t that schools lack access to technology, but that the expensive technology they have isn’t effective. In 2014 alone, U.S. schools spent close to $10 billion on educational technology, yet research on the benefits for students is “disheartening, at best,” according to Kimberly Lawless, who reviewed dozens of studies on the topic in Policy
read more2016 Annual Meeting Photo Highlights
FABBS held its Annual Council of Representatives meeting on December 12th, 2016. Speakers from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), National Institute on Aging (NIA), Institute of Education Sciences (IES), and National Science Foundation (NSF) joined us to give our member societies an overview on federal funding opportunities and what we may expect in the coming year. Council members and the FABBS Board also discussed society priorities and offered input on where they would like
read moreFABBS and Member Societies Meet with New NIMH Director
Scientists attending the FABBS Council of Representatives Annual Meeting were invited to participate in a meeting with the new National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Director, Dr. Joshua Gordon. Gordon, a psychiatrist and neuroscientist, joined NIH on September 12, 2016. Soon after taking the reins at NIMH, Gordon told Nature, “I won’t be doing anything radical [in the first year in office]. I am just going to listen to and learn from all the stakeholders—the scientific community, the
read moreScience Bill Passes as the 114th Congress Ends
Just as the 114th Congress ended its second session, the Senate and House champions of a bill to provide direction for programs at the National Science Foundation (NSF), White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and other federal science agencies, got the legislation across the finish line. The final bill reflected common ground between House and Senate science committee leaders. Senator John Thine (R-SD), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation,
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