Act Now to Protect Research

Across the country, groups like FASEB and Research!America are speaking out about the federal budget debates going on in Congress. We must act together and in a unified voice to protect research.

The House of Representatives is debating unprecedented multibillion dollar cuts to the budgets of the NIH, CDC, AHRQ, FDA and NSF. These proposed reductions are a serious threat to our nation's health and economic competitiveness.

Contact your members of Congress today and tell them funding for health research is vital to curing diseases, generating jobs now and in the future, and securing the economic well-being of America. Congress must hear from our community in a unified and timely way or vital research will be at risk.

Take action now.

Tune in Thursday: Two Science Communication Opportunities

This Tuneage Tuesday, we want to share two upcoming opportunities for  learning more about science communication.

For anyone with an Internet connection:

Thursday, Feb. 17 starting at 7:30 p.m.: Beyond the Bench: The Perceived Price of Activism
A presentation and discussion with Dr. Kathy Barker, author of At the Helm: Leading your Lab. This is a free and virtual event. To attend this Seminar, RSVP to fellow New Voice Brie Welzer at brielle.welzer@sefora.org.

For those in the DC area:

Thursday, Feb. 17: Check out a screening of "The Human Spark" and have a discussion with science communication experts at American University in Washington, DC.

New Year, New Job?

Image credit: http://positivesharing.com/2007/01/how-to-find-a-job-youll-love/

Thinking about making some resolutions for 2011? Guest blogger Rosemary Benson-Salotti has some advice.

Although they have some really cool stuff on their site, you don’t need to check with the National Institute of Standards and Technology to know that New Year’s Day is creeping up, and resolutions are flying around with as much chance of follow-through as Frosty’s vacation in El Azizia. But it is the traditional time to do a self-check, so here’s a question: are you passionate about your job? If you wonder if you’re in the right job, or you’re looking for a new one, do what scientists do: observe.

Start by listing what you like about your current situation. Look around. What is it about your job that gets you up in the morning? What could you live without, and which aspects do you dread? How are your strengths put to use?

It’s important to take the time to break down the elements of your current job, including the physical environment, communication effectiveness, levels of responsibility, compensation, and opportunity. Merely rating your satisfaction levels in each of these areas will allow you to see where your preferences lie.

Then, evaluate your preferences. Are you a good communicator, more comfortable interacting with colleagues regularly, or would you prefer working in solitude? Do you seek opportunities to share your knowledge? If so, would you rather do so in person or by publishing? Are you satisfied working on small segments of a project, or do you need to see an outcome or end product?

Experiment: play, "What if?" What if you could do whatever you love and be paid for it? Assume that the position as head taster on Cake Boss is already filled. What would your perfect job look like? Consider the previous categories, and list your Utopian conditions. Then look around. Who has a job like that?

Explore your social networks, counterparts at other institutions, and association websites to track down people who do what you’d love to be doing. Don’t underestimate the effectiveness of lurking! Connect with them. Most people are flattered to be asked about their work. See if the functions and features of their jobs converge with your ideals. Once you determine what kind of job will give you the most satisfaction, you’ll be ready to seek out a specific position.

Expect the process to take a while, but look at it this way: you don’t need to know about oscillation frequencies to know that time flies. Your ideal job is out there. Resolve to find out what makes you tick.


Special thanks to New Voices guest blogger Rosemary Benson-Salotti, consultant at the QUEST Career Exploration Program who has agreed to respond to any questions or comments left in the comments and to make appropriate offline connections.

Summer Science Outreach

I wish I had known about programs like this when I was in high school. Definitely spread the word that opportunities like this exist with the young people in your life.

Get Advocacy Alerts

Want to know when there is an important health research policy issue? Wish you had a simple way to write to your elected officials and let them know about legislation or budgets or other matters relating to science?

Join the Research!America Advocacy Network! It's a simple way to get up-to-date alerts telling you the key information and providing an online form for directing messages to your elected officials.

This is NOT a list that will spam you or flood your inbox with messages everyday of the week. When deciding what to send to our networks, we choose only the most critical of issues (this year for example we've sent less than 10 alerts). It's a simple way of engaging in science policy without taking a lot of time or having to track legislation yourself.

Sign up today!

Strategies for Reaching Congress in 2011

Percent of Members of 112th Congress On the Record by State

Your Candidates-Your Health - the award-winning voter education initiative - had more than 400 candidates on the record in 2010 for a total of 170 members of the 112th Congress on the record through Your Candidates-Your Health and its sister initiative, Your Congress-Your Health.

To conclude our 2010 Your Candidates-Your Health initiative, Research!America held a post-election analysis last week at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Washington, DC.
Former Congressman and Research!America chair John Edward Porter, and Stacie Propst, PhD, Research!America vice president of science policy and outreach tackled tough questions facing research advocates, including one of the most pressing: what strategies will ensure research remains a funding priority in the 112th Congress?

"There’s never been a tougher environment for making research funding a priority. We have to plan how to convince the public and members of Congress that funding for research is a priority," Porter said.

In 1995, as chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee for HHS and other agencies, Porter and leaders from business and science met with then-Speaker Newt Gingrich to spur the NIH budget doubling. An effective strategy Porter says should be applied again.

He then proposed several messages for advocacy now: the importance of research to the economy and patients, the importance of maintaining U.S. leadership in science, and the importance of setting priorities for our federal spending.

"It will take motivated, committed people in Washington and motivated, committed people at home" to make members of Congress understand that the foundation of America’s economy is science, technology, innovation and research, Porter said.

Porter encourages Research!America members to generate messages to Congress from their grassroots networks and scientists to become as vocal as patient-advocates—to reach out to local talk radio and newspaper editorial boards and to meet with their delegation’s district offices about the importance of research funding.

To make research for health a priority for the 112th Congress, the community must come together, share ideas, and make their unified voices heard on Capitol Hill. To join Porter and Research!America in this effort, send us your thoughts on messages and strategies for reaching out to Congress and the public in 2011, to advocacy at researchamerica.org.


Listen to a podcast from the event and review a PDF of the slides.

Act Now: Urge the President to Support $35 Billion for NIH in FY2012

Final decisions about the President’s FY2012 budget recommendations are being made now, making it a critical time to take action. Cuts to the entire federal budget have been proposed – including NIH. Please remind the President that a robust investment in science is critical to creating jobs, improving health, encouraging innovation and revitalizing the economy.

Take action now. Urge President Obama to maintain his commitment to “restore science to its rightful place” by proposing and fighting for $35 billion in NIH funding in FY2012.

You CAN make a difference--VOTE

You might have heard, there’s an election today. Or maybe you haven’t.

I know when I was a student at The Ohio State University, the only midterms I was worried about were exams. Looking back, I realize that I missed an opportunity to make a difference: to make a difference in how the job market would look when I graduated; in whether or not I’d be covered by health insurance; or if the United States would be going to war. All because I didn’t vote.

I wasn’t alone. Midterm elections historically have low turnouts. In fact, in 2006 only 25 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds voted. That’s a shame because choosing who sits in Congress is just as important as who sits in the White House.

The members of Congress we vote for in midterm elections are the ones who debate the policies that shape our country. They represent us and are our voices nationally. It’s our job to make sure the candidates who best represent us get into office and fight for the issues we care about.

For me, the big issues this election are the economy and the future of scientific research.
Scientific and medical research is a big driver of the economy, creating jobs and bringing money to the state – especially in a state with a huge research university like OSU. In fact, last year Ohio received more than $1 billion in funding from four federal health agencies for research.

Americans consistently describe both health and research as important, yet just 8 percent say they are well-informed about their elected officials’ positions on these issues. That’s not how it should be! If health and research are so important, they should be at the forefront of our voting decisions.

As a fellow at Research!America, I’ve been working on Your Candidates – Your Health, an online voter education initiative designed to fill the information gap. Every candidate for Congress has been invited to complete a questionnaire addressing health and research issues.

This website is a tool to inform voters like you of how candidates feel about the importance of research and the role it plays in the economy and improving our health—before the elections.

So visit the site to see what your candidates think. Let your candidates know that these topics are important to you and our country, and urge them to answer the questions if they haven’t already.

Your vote is your voice. November 2nd is your chance to speak up.

Get Out and VOTE!

Today is election day. You must go vote to have your voice heard. No matter your party or the issues you care about--just VOTE!

Know Your Candidates

We've told you about Your Candidates - Your Health before, but with a week to go until the election, we thought we'd let some of our supporters tell you why you should use this great tool as you think about how to make your vote count.

Urge Congress to Pass the Stem Cell Research Advancement Act

Take action now! Urge your representative and senators to pass the Stem Cell Research Advancement Act (H.R. 4808 in the House and S. 3766 in the Senate) this year. The U.S. must continue to invest in embryonic stem cell research and a legislative solution is necessary to ensure that federal funding for this important research is no longer vulnerable to political or ideological challenge.

The 111th Congress must act now: call on Congress to pass a bill in 2010 that explicitly authorizes the NIH to fund hESC research.

Write to your delegation in support of embryonic stem cell research now!

Event: Investing in Our Future

If you're in the DC area, you're strongly encouraged to join some of your fellow New Voices on Capitol Hill next Thursday to discuss the value of investing in the next generation of researchers (read: you!).

The invite is below. RSVP ASAP and leave a comment so we can be sure to catch you at the event.


and honorary co-hosts

Senator Barbara Mikulski
Representative Rush Holt
Representative Vernon Ehlers

cordially invite you to a luncheon briefing:

Investing in Our Future:
A New Generation of Researchers

October 7, 2010, 12:00-1:30 p.m.
Dirksen Senate Office Building G50

A robust U.S. scientific workforce is essential for maintaining our nation's global competitiveness, increasing our long-term economic prosperity, and solving many of the pressing global problems we face. But when resources are limited, surviving in an already competitive federal R&D system becomes even more difficult for early-career researchers.

To ensure that we have the research leaders of tomorrow, the U.S. must cultivate a new generation of scientists now, by investing in agencies such as the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. This briefing will highlight the societal benefits of federal research and the challenges and opportunities early-career investigators face in establishing a foothold in the scientific profession.

Opening Remarks
The Honorable John Edward Porter, Chair, Research!America

Moderator
James Gentile, PhD, President, Research Corporation for Science Advancement

Panelists
Iain Cockburn, PhD, Professor of Finance and Economics, School of Management, Boston University 
Marshall Shuler, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University 
Raquel Lieberman, PhD, Assistant Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology 
Meryl Comer, President, Geoffrey Beene Gives Back Alzheimer's Initiative

To RSVP: Register online or contact Michelle Hernandez by email mhernandez@researchamerica.org or phone 571-482-2715.

Labor Day Weekend Round-Up

The New Voices team and I are heading out early today and won't be back until Tuesday morning. We strongly advocate for you getting outside and enjoying some time off too, but with Earl on the way, that may not be possible for everyone. So to keep you busy indoors, we've got a round-up of opportunities and news.

If you're in the DC metro area, save September 23 for a Women in Science congressional briefing, moderated by New Voice Sheril Kirschenbaum.

Early career scientists who do outreach could now win an award for public engagement from the AAAS. Nominations are due October 15.

The American Medical Association Foundation is accepting applications for its Seed Grant Research Program until December 6, 2010. See www.amafoundation.org/go/seedgrants.

Just for fun, let your love of college football (my team, the Gamecocks, kicked off the season last night) and research combine in this great look at the Top 25 teams' research programs.

For more news, updates, opportunities, and links, follow us on Twitter @NV4Research.

Getting Involved

I was recently planning an event with a group of friends, and invited someone to join our informal planning committee. Her immediate response was: "I'm on so many committees for work already. I'll come, but I don't want to get more involved than that."

I totally respected where she was coming from (having regularly succumbed to the habit of over-committing myself), and let it go. But I had this strange sense of deja vu; why did that type of response seem so familiar?

I later realized it was because I often face a similar situation in my professional life. When trying to engage scientists to become advocates or stronger communicators for science, I'm frequently told how much people want to participate, but then when it comes to actually doing things, there just isn't enough time in the day.

Advocacy and communication for and about science is my actual job, not something I do in addition to my work. When it comes to additions - like showing up to the city council meeting to defend the value of the public library or lower community center fees - I have just as much trouble scheduling it into my day as the next person.

So what is the solution? How can we make it easier to get involved with things we really care about but don't usually have the time to do?

Don't leave me hanging ... join the discussion.

March of Dimes Walk for Babies

Looking at me using physics to life up a car at COSI, you'd never know I was born with a congenital birth defect. My right kidney had two upper poles, rather than one, and a blocked ureter.

In my case the doctor used dye to follow the path of blood and urine through my system. Because the blocked ureter only occurred in one kidney, renal function (kidney function) appeared to be normal. This was not the case and as a result the kidney deteriorated over time and had to be removed via nephrectomy (kidney removal). Because of organizations such as the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation better science exists today for identifying issues in premature babies, newborns, and infants.

As a teenager I babysat a young girl who had the exact same birth defect as I experienced. Her mother had us compare scars and this little girl’s scar was half the size of mine. Instead of an incision that extended from my front to my back , hers was only 3 inches long. She also had half of her kidney on which the doctor performed the nephrectomy. I was overjoyed to learn that medical science had developed enough for this little girl to have an even better outcome than my successful surgery.

March for Babies, formerly WalkAmerica, funds programs, advocacy and research to prevent premature birth, birth defects, and infant mortality. Each year the American government spends billions of dollars on research for diseases and disorders. It is imperative that research continue for children and infants specifically, because their bodies metabolize drugs differently. Medical professionals cannot make dosing decisions based on weight alone. Infants deserve definitive solutions to their health issues.

The March of Dimes first mission was to eradicate poliomyelitis (polio by its common name) in America. The polio epidemic reached its height in the mid 20th Century and affected not only infants, but also adolescents. Jonas Salk developed a vaccine for polio, which was subsequently tested in a clinical trial (one of the largest in history) sponsored by the March of Dimes. The trials were a success and as of 1991 polio has been eradicated in the western hemisphere.
March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation continues to educate people and fund and advocate for research to improve the health of premature babies and infants. We can contribute by participating in the Walk for Babies this Saturday, April 25th 2010.

If you live in the DC area, join the anticipated thousands of participants this weekend in the March of Dimes March for Babies. The March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation is holding its annual March for Babies.

The event begins at the Washington Monument grounds at 15th Street NW and Constitution Avenue NW. Registration begins at 8:00 am and the walk begins at 9:00am. Washingtonians will come together for four miles to support research that improves the health of one of society’s most defenseless group.

There are other opportunities to donate to the cause. Famous Footwear has a coupon for the official shoe of the Walk for Babies. You can form a team, join a team, or donate directly to the organization via their website.


Jessica Stutzman has a Bachelor of Arts in Security and Intelligence from The Ohio State University and is an administrative assistant at Research!America. She has previously contributed to New Voices on women's issues.

A-B...C-D-C?

In the world of government health agencies, there are so many acronyms that it starts to look like alphabet soup. Under the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), there is the ACF, AoA, AHRQ, ATSDR, CDC, CMS, FDA, HRSA, IHS, NIH, OIG and SAMHSA.

Confused yet?

Other health agencies focus on regulation, research and administering Medicaid and Medicare, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is our nation’s premier organization that is focused on health promotion, disease prevention and public health.

The CDC was founded on July 1, 1946 in Atlanta, GA originally called Communicable Disease Center. In its first years of existence, the CDC focused on fighting malaria by killing mosquitoes.

In 1970, the CDC’s name was changed to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and expanded its mission to prevent chronic and infectious diseases, injury, workplace hazards and disability.

Today, the CDC focuses on five strategic areas: supporting state and local health departments, improving global health, implementing measures to decrease leading causes of death, strengthening surveillance and epidemiology, and reforming health policies.

You don't have to be a part of the CDC to care about public health. All around the country, people are recognizing the contributions of public health and drawing attention to issues that are important to improving the public’s health. Get out and get active! April 5-11 is National Public Health Week. Click here to find events happening near you.


This is Part 2 in the Introduction to Federal Agencies series.
Part 1 - Acronyms, Abbreviations and Agencies

Upcoming Congressional Town Hall Meetings

Lamoine Town Hall, Maine

The U.S. Congress is on recess this week and next, which means it's time for a spring listing of upcoming town hall meetings. Below we have links to members of Congress from more than 25 states, which means that a good number of you should be able to find something going on in your area. Make sure to let us know if you head out to a meeting - we'd love to hear about it!

Arizona
Rep. Trent Franks

California
Rep. Kevin McCarthy
Rep. Buck McKeon
Rep. Ed Royce

Colorado
Rep. Jared Polis

Connecticut
Rep. Jim Himes

Florida
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Georgia
Rep. Phil Gingrey

Illinois
Rep. Danny Davis
(check out Davis' responses to Your Congress-Your Health)

Indiana
Rep. Dan Burton

Iowa
Sen. Chuck Grassley

Kansas
Rep. Jerry Moran

Louisiana
Rep. Steve Scalise

Maryland
Rep. Chris Van Hollen

Massachusetts
Rep. John Tierney

Michigan
Rep. Mark Schauer

Montana
Rep. Denny Rehberg

Nebraska
Sen. Mike Johanns
Rep. Adrian Smith

New Hampshire
Rep. Paul Hodes
Rep. Carol Shea-Porter

New Jersey
Rep. John Adler

New Mexico
Rep. Martin Heinrich
Rep. Ben Ray Lujan

New York
Rep. Scott Murphy
Rep. Paul Tonko

North Carolina
Rep. Mike McIntyre
Rep. Mel Watt

Oklahoma
Sen. Tom Coburn
Rep. Tom Cole
Rep. Frank Lucas

Oregon
Sen. Jeff Merkley

Tennessee
Rep. Marsha Blackburn

Texas
Rep. Joe Barton
Rep. Kevin Brady
Rep. Pete Sessions
Rep. Mac Thornberry

Washington
Rep. Adam Smith

Wisconsin
Rep. Ron Kind
Rep. Tom Petri
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr.

Invest in Tomorrow. Invest in Research.

A week or so ago, we invited New Voices to attend Research!America's 2010 National Forum, Invest in Tomorrow. Invest in Research. It was an amazing event - and we'll all be telling you more about it soon. But as a recap, check out Kimberly's live tweeting on NV4Research and the podcasts of the panel sessions below.

From left: R. Tjian, J. Howse, T. Frieden, J. Woodruff, P. Chew, C. Clancy

Panel 1: Working Toward Better Health for All

Moderator: Judy Woodruff, "PBS Newshour"

• Paul Chew, MD, chief science & medical officer, sanofi-aventis U.S.
• Carolyn M. Clancy, MD, director, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
• Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH, director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Jennifer Howse, PhD, president, March of Dimes Foundation
• Robert Tjian, PhD, president, Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

From left: M. Hamburg, F. Collins, B. Kunz, M. Kinsley, J. Watters,
& M. Anderson

Panel 2: Translating Discoveries into Better Health

Moderator: Michael Kinsley, The Atlantic

• Margaret Anderson, executive director, FasterCures
• Francis S. Collins, MD, PhD, director, National Institutes of Health
• Margaret Hamburg, MD, commissioner, Food and Drug Administration
• Barbara Kunz, president, Health and Life Sciences Global Business, Battelle Memorial Institute
• Jack T. Watters, MD, vice president of external medical affairs, Pfizer Inc.

View more photos from the 2010 National Forum.

A Personal Food Revolution

I am so excited for ABC’s new show, Food Revolution! Jamie Oliver, a British chef, will tackle the obesity epidemic in Huntington, West Virginia; the unhealthiest city in America. In six episodes, he will try to change how America eats, in our home kitchens, schools and jobs and make people more aware of their personal nutrition. I can’t wait until March 26!

When people hear the word nutrition, they often only think of it in terms of weight loss. Nutrition isn’t just for those who want or need to lose weight, but it’s also important for daily functioning. Since I don’t eat red meat, I have to make a conscious effort to incorporate other sources of iron into my diet. If I don’t, I find that I get tired more easily.

I find it really hard to make time to make sure that I’m eating a proper diet, especially when it is so much easier to grab a meal from a fast food restaurant. Here are five tips that I’m using to try to eat a little bit healthier each day:

Try new ways to eat fruits and vegetables. I find it very hard to remember to get all of my servings in one day. Instead of picking up a daily cup of coffee, try a fruit smoothie. If you’re always on the go, try Fruit 2-Day. One bottle counts as two servings of fruit. I also like V8 Fusion; an 8-ounce serving gives you one serving of fruit and one serving of vegetables.

Shop at a farmer’s market. Farmer’s markets are the best places to get local and sometimes organic produce. The best times to shop are early weekend mornings, or mid-day during the week. Don’t forget to bring cash and a re-useable shopping bag!

Go meatless! It may seem drastic, but try skipping meat for one day a week. Research shows that going meatless once a week can lower rates of heart disease and help maintain a healthy weight. There are lots of great meatless recipes, or switch your usual meat with another protein such as salmon, soy products or lean cuts of chicken and turkey.

Grow a garden. I love the way fresh herbs taste! Cilantro, thyme, basil and mint can help spruce up your cooking and are relatively easy to grow your own herb garden on your windowsill. Besides helping flavor foods when cutting back on excess salt, fat and sugar, herbs may offer additional benefits of their own. Researchers are finding many herbs have antioxidants that may help protect against cancer and heart disease.

Splurge in moderation. Eating healthier doesn’t mean that we should cut out all of the things that make us happy. Try substituting your favorite comfort food for something healthier. For example, instead of having tubs of cookies and cream in my fridge, I try to always have fruit sorbet on hand.

This week, have a personal food revolution and try one of my tips for eating better. For more ideas and information on nutrition, check out the American Dietetic Association’s website. Happy healthy eating!

Washington Academy of Sciences

Today's guest post is by a 2009 New Voices regular, Jacqueline Maffucci.

If there's one thing I’ve learned since I’ve moved to Washington, there’s never a lack of things to do. The scientist in me is always looking for fun ways to explore the DC science scene. That’s why I was so excited to learn about the Washington Academy of Sciences.

This organization is steeped in history. It’s one of the few organizations in existence that brings together local science societies (yup, the affiliates are all societies found in the DC Metro area) of all disciplines for one common interest – to celebrate science. It began in 1898 with eight affiliated organizations, and its founders included Alexander Graham Bell and Samuel Langley, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. Its stated mission is to encourage the advancement of science and "to conduct, endow, or assist investigation in any department of science."

Now, in 2010, the WAS has grown to include over 60 affiliates. It prints a quarterly journal and participates in and organizes a number of scientific events to show off the DC Metro area’s science prowess. This brings me to the topic of the hour.

From March 27-28, 2010, WAS will be sponsoring the Capitol Science Conference. Events scheduled include presentations by a number of its affiliate societies as well as some top notch key note speakers. However, what I, personally, am really excited about are the two plenary sessions. On Saturday (3/27), PBS is presenting “Growing Up with Science at PBS” and on Sunday (3/28), Shawn Otto will be moderating “Science Policy Debate ’08 – Where Are We Now.”

You can visit the Washington Academy of Science website to learn more about the event, see the schedule, or to register. Hope to see you all there!


Jacqueline Maffucci earned her B.S. in Animal Science from Cornell University, and a PhD in neuroscience from The University of Texas at Austin. She is an active member of the New Voices for Research community.