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 Soliciting Feedback on Future Directions for the BRAIN Initiative
September 20, 2018
As NIH reaches the midpoint on the BRAIN Initiative, described in BRAIN 2025: A Scientific Vision, the agency is seeking input (NOT-NS-18-075) to guide updates to the plan for the next five years. According to NIH, the first five years of the BRAIN 2025 plan emphasized the development of tools and technologies. The next five years will focus on using the tools “to make fundamental discoveries about how brain circuits work and what goes wrong in disease.” A new BRAIN
read moreNSF Launches 2026 Idea Machine Prize Competition
September 20, 2018
The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced the launch of the NSF 2026 Idea Machine, a competition to seek the public’s input in setting the U.S. research agenda in fundamental research. The 2026 Idea Machine builds on the agency’s 10 Big Ideas and is part of a systematic effort to identify investment opportunities that are “bold foundational research questions that are large in scope, innovative in character, originate outside of any particular directorate, and
read moreU.S. Senate Passes Bill to Fund Health and Education Agencies for Fiscal Year 2019
September 20, 2018
On September 18, by a vote of 93-7, the United States Senate passed the Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations conference report before the start of the fiscal year—a feat not achieved since 2007! The bill funds the National Institutes of Health and other health agencies, as well as the Institute for Education Sciences within the Department of Education. The measure, H.R. 6137, which also includes funding for the Department of
read moreFABBS Creates Diversity Resource Database
September 20, 2018
Over the past decade, there has been a growing recognition of the need to broaden participation in STEM fields in order to strengthen the U.S. economy, as well as maintain the U.S.’s leadership in an increasingly competitive global landscape in science and technology.
Despite this recognition, efforts to broaden participation have largely focused on identifying and addressing issues of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the “traditional” STEM fields — such
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