A Big Moment in the Sun for Science
Well, maybe it is more accurate to say it’s science’s moment out of the sun, but in any case, the total eclipse on Monday, April 8, is sparking a great deal of interest. Communities in the path of the eclipse are sponsoring festivals, and libraries and museums are holding events commemorating the eclipse. The eclipse represents a great opportunity to get excited about and learn more about science. It may even inspire today’s children to become tomorrow’s scientists! Learn more from the Simons Foundation about eclipse-related events, and check out NASA’s website with great resources on the eclipse, including viewing it safely.
Are We Sending the Right Message to Scientists of Tomorrow? In a recent op-ed, Shalin Jyotishi at New America, a non-partisan think tank, and Matt Hourihan at the Federation of American Scientists discuss yet another concerning aspect of the 8.5% cut in the FY24 NSF budget. The 2022 CHIPS and Science Act catalyzed the role of community colleges in job training in emerging technology fields. Fulfilling that promise will be delayed by budget cuts, which is particularly shortsighted as China increases its science and technology budget by 10% in 2024. Spending allocations reflect a nation’s priorities – and this cut in high-priority NSF funding does not reflect well on the priorities we have set. We can’t let this happen again and urge you to join us in reversing cuts in FY25!
Some Concerning News: News this week that a dairy worker in Texas contracted bird flu following contact with infected dairy cows is a stark reminder of the need for federal investment in pandemic preparedness. While there haven’t been cases of human-to-human transmission, and the threat to the general public remains low, the fact that bird flu is now present in cattle in six states reminds us that the threat is real. Previous bird flu outbreaks have killed thousands of animals as flocks have been culled. Research!America’s vice chair, Dr. Georges Benjamin, Executive Director of the American Public Health Association, puts this threat in perspective: “The current bird flu outbreak in cows, birds, and now people is a powerful example of the need for the one health approach to reducing the risk of zoonotic diseases. The outbreak also demonstrates the critical importance of our need for more investment in research to better understand the science behind emerging infectious diseases.”
On The Hill: On Tuesday, April 9, the House GOP Steering Committee will nominate the next Chair of the House Appropriations Committee to succeed Chair Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX), who is stepping down. Senior appropriators Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), a former winner of Research!America’s Whitehead Award, and Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL) are front-runners. Meanwhile, the FY25 appropriations process is in full swing. Use this editable email to send your funding request to your representatives in Congress. (Note: this template addresses NIH funding, but you can adapt it to advocate for other research and public health priorities.)
Putting the Public in Public Health: As part of National Public Health Week, we were joined yesterday by Dr. Karen Andes, Director of the MPH Program and Associate Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences at Brown University. She discussed the importance of building trust to apply community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches to public health issues within underserved communities. Dr. Andes said, “It’s important to first be thoroughly versed in the principles of CBPR… work on building a relationship with communities beyond the topic of interest… and be sensitive to how certain populations view particular issues.” Take a moment to view the recording and slides.
Empowering Students to Engage the Public: With support from the Sloan Foundation, we’ve opened applications for the summer component of our Civic Engagement Microgrant Program. Microgrants of up to $3,000 will be awarded to STEM groups led by master’s, PhD, postdoc, or professional students to design and execute projects that involve dialogue with public officials, local community leaders, and the public around issues of common concern. Learn more about our summer microgrants. Applications are due April 30.
For help tackling the application, join our hands-on workshop, which will be held virtually on April 9 at 3 p.m ET. Register to join.
Research Helping Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: We hope you can join us on April 9 at noon ET for a discussion with leading psychologist and behavioral research specialist, Dr. Cheryl McNeil, Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Florida. She will discuss the research on Autism Spectrum Disorder and its broader application that assists families facing autism and other complex behavioral dynamics.
Free Public Webinar on the State of Science in the U.S.: The National Science Board is hosting a free public webinar on Thursday, April 11, 2 to 3 p.m. ET, to review the recently released State of U.S. Science and Engineering report. If you haven’t taken a look at this report already, you may be surprised by the findings. Register here.