This Week in Science Policy and Advocacy
Policy and Advocacy News
February 7, 2018 | Science
A budget agreement was announced that would include a $2 billion increase for NIH over two years on top of about $500 million it would receive in 2018 as part of the 21st Century Cures Act. The deal would also raise the spending caps, a move that could positively impact NSF since Rep. John Culberson, chairman of the appropriations committee overseeing NSF, said he would move to give NSF additional funding if Congress raised the caps. Following a short government shutdown, the budget deal was and will keep the government funded until March 23rd.
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February 6, 2018 | Science
White House logs indicate that at least three candidates for OSTP director were interviewed in the first months of the Trump administration. The records acquired through the Freedom of Information Act redacted candidate names and the quality of the applicants interviewed remains unclear. No OSTP director has been nominated, but White House logs suggest that some consideration has been given to staffing OSTP.
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February 6, 2018 | Nature
Japan’s investment in science and technology will climb by 7% in 2018 compared to 2017, but some scientists and policy experts warn that the boost is too late to make up for low funding levels over the past decade.
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Opinion
February 5, 2018 | Roll Call
Evidence-based policymaking can improve outcomes, increase effectiveness of policies, and restore trust in government institutions, but this op-ed states that the current administration lacks consistency in evidence-based policy decisions. The authors outline four areas to watch for in the soon to be released President’s budget when evaluating the administration’s support for evidence-based policymaking.
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February 7, 2018 | Inside Higher Education
Peter McPherson, the president of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities and president emeritus of Michigan State University, argues that colleges and universities need to increasingly focus on the employment readiness of their students. College access and completion numbers have been guiding outcomes for institutions for decades and continue to be important, but employment readiness is also imperative for a high quality education.
- Find more information about on Neuronline.org
Articles of Interest
February 2, 2018 | Science
Since the 1970s, woodpeckers have been studied as a concussion-less species despite frequently knocking their heads against trees at a force 10 times that of concussion-inducing tackles. New evidence indicates that woodpeckers’ brains form tau protein deposits similar to individuals with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and other neurodegenerative diseases. It remains unclear if woodpeckers’ brains have developed ways to clear tau or adapt otherwise to prevent concussive damage.
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February 6, 2018 | The New York Times
Researchers implanted neurostimulators in epileptic brains and found that memory improved by approximately 15% during neuromodulation. Although preliminary and currently invasive, brain implants have the potential to bolster memory in impaired learning conditions including traumatic brain injury and Alzheimer’s. The Department of Defense has invested over $70 million in neurostimulation research in hopes of treating soldiers with traumatic brain injury.
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February 1, 2018 | The Guardian
Potentially decreasing opioid overdose risks, a new, natural opioid nasal spray limits drug tolerance development with increased exposure. Delivery via nasal spray allows for the natural opioid to reach the brain and be fast-acting. Fast-acting drugs have the advantage of curbing pain quickly but also pose medication adherence concerns.
- Read about at BrainFacts.org
February 6, 2018 | The New York Times
Nearly 3,000 children were evaluated in schools across the U.S. and their mothers interviewed for a recent study that found fetal alcohol syndrome in 1.5 to 5% of children. This estimate is up to five times higher than previous approximations and may still underestimate the problem as only 60% of eligible school children participated.
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