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.
FABBS Honors Chuck Perfetti
July 27, 2017
Dr. Charles (Chuck) Perfetti dedicated his career to studying the nature of human language, focusing on reading in its many aspects–from its connection to language, its universal properties, its neural bases, its variation with writing systems, and its dependence on lexical knowledge, to text comprehension and individual differences. Using behavioral and cognitive neuroscience methods, his research has addressed reading comprehension, word identification, word knowledge, and
read moreHow Do You Know? Rethinking the Way Psychologists Analyze Data
July 27, 2017
When Richard Morey was a doctoral student in cognitive psychology, he had something of a crisis of faith in his chosen profession. He had tried to replicate a famous experiment, but was frustrated that he couldn’t get the same findings, and then shocked to discover that other researchers had been having the same problem for years. He quickly learned that this replication problem was plaguing psychology. Too often, findings from a single study become the definitive conclusion
read moreBasic Scientists Remain Concerned About NIH Clinical Trials Definition
July 27, 2017
In an effort to “enhance stewardship and transparency” of clinical trials, NIH issued a new policy in September 2016 that defines clinical trials so broadly that it sweeps in basic science research. The new policy complements a federal regulation on clinical trials (see link to Final Rule) that was issued a few days later. Basic scientists have been caught off guard by the breadth of the NIH policy on clinical trials and its implications for basic science
read moreHouse Committee Flat Funds NSF Research in FY 2018; Senate Committee Cuts NSF Research Funding
July 27, 2017
House Appropriators have been busy, reporting out all twelve appropriations bills for consideration on the House floor. The spending allocations (known as “302b’s”) for most of the twelve bills were reduced, meaning that a number of agencies and programs included in the twelve bills would be cut.
The Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) bill (which funds the National Science Foundation, NASA, Department of Justice and other agencies) was no different, receiving $2.7
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