110th Congress
For FY’07, the lame-duck 109th Congress will try to finish the remaining appropriations bills.  Democratic control of the House and possibly Senate in the 110th Congress may mean that one or both houses could eventually make funding for biomedical research a greater priority than the current 109th Congress.  With Democrats assured of the majority in the House, Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) will assume control of the Energy and Commerce Committee.  He may, as a priority, lead investigations into the FDA.   Dingell led several investigations into FDA when he last chaired the committee prior to 1994, when Republicans assumed majority status. 

2007 Summer Short Courses in Integrative and Organ Systems Science
The past two summers, NIGMS has funded four short courses.  These summer short courses will be offered again in 2007 at four institutions. The purpose of each short course is to introduce graduate students and PhDs to the knowledge and skills needed for integrative studies of organ systems and intact animals, and the physiological and biochemical responses of these systems to drugs.  These critical skills are in short supply.  Graduate students and PhDs. with these skills are in great demand in both academic and industrial settings.  For information on the NIGMS summer short courses visit:  http://www.aspet.org/public/public_affairs/pa_NIGMS_shortcourse_awards.html

Preview of EB 2007 Public Affairs Activities, Washington DC
ASPET members attending the Experimental Biology 2007 meeting in Washington, DC this spring will have the opportunity to participate in two public affairs activities. 

NIH Director Elias Zerhouni and former House Appropriations Subcommittee Chair John Porter will speak about the “NIH at the Crossroads:  How Diminished Funds Will Impact Biomedical Research and What Scientists Can Do About It.”  The talk is open to all EB registrants and will be held on Monday, April 30 from 12:45 – 1:45 pm in the Washington Convention Center.   Dr. Zerhouni will provide his perspective and details on the current state of the NIH enterprise.  Mr. Porter will provide a legislative overview of the FY 2008 outlook for the NIH.  He will discuss how scientists have an obligation as citizens to become politically active and aware and make suggestions for what needs to be done to make an impact.

Also in the planning stages is EB Capitol Hill Days on April 30, May 1 and May 2.  With scientists facing one of the most alarming periods to confront the biomedical research enterprise in recent years, ASPET and the other participating EB societies are encouraging their members to take advantage of a Washington meeting to promote biomedical research.  Join us by making Capitol Hill visits during EB in support of increased funding for the NIH, NSF and other federal agencies.

The convergence of over 10,000 of your scientific colleagues in the Nation’s Capitol provides a unique opportunity for constituent scientists to educate Members of Congress about the need to provide robust funding for the NIH and other agencies.  The public affairs staff from the participating EB societies will be able to assist you in these meetings.  More detailed information will be forthcoming in the coming months. 

New Public-Private Partnership to Advance Biomarkers
A joint project of the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH), NIH, FDA, and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America has been formed to search for and validate new biomarkers to accelerate dramatically the delivery of successful new technologies and medicines for prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of disease. http://innovation.org/index.cfm/NewsCenter/Newsletters/Newsletters?NID=149

NIH Director Announces 2007 Pioneer Award Competition
NIH has launched a new round of competition for the NIH Director's Pioneer Award. The program supports exceptionally creative scientists who take highly innovative and potentially transformative approaches to major challenges in biomedical research. Each Pioneer Award provides $2.5 million in direct costs over five years. Scientists at all career levels and engaged in any field of research may apply for the Pioneer Award. The application period opens on Friday, December 1, 2006 and closes on Tuesday, January 16, 2007. Application instructions are at:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RM-07-005.html
More information on the Pioneer Award see: http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/pioneer

Ruth Kirschstein Named Acting Director of NCCAM
Stephen E. Straus, Director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), stepped down from his leadership of the Center for health reasons. Straus will become Senior Advisor to National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D.  Ruth Kirschstein is the Acting Director. http://nccam.nih.gov/news/2006/110706.htm

FASEB News
For biweekly news from Capitol Hill view: http://opa.faseb.org/pages/Publications/washingtonupdate.htm

Funding Opportunities
Support of NIGMS Program Project Grants  http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-07-030.html

Extinction and Pharmacotherapies for Drug Addiction http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-DA-07-011.html

October 2006
ASPET Government and Public Affairs Report

NIH Funding
Final FY’’07 spending decisions will have to wait until after Congress returns following the November elections. A continuing resolution (CR) will keep the agency running at the FY’06 rate until a permanent FY’07 appropriation has been decided. The “Lame Duck” Congress may then extend the CR past November or potentially roll it into a huge omnibus appropriations bill to avoid extending Congressional work beyond Thanksgiving. Regardless of either outcome, the outlook when taking into account inflation is for negative growth for the NIH.

NIH Reauthorization
The House of Representatives passed the National Institutes of Health Reform Act of 2006, authorizing legislation to provide a 5 percent annual increase in NIH funding through FY 2009 and to create a "common fund" to support research involving trans-NIH institutes and centers. The bill was endorsed by FASEB, AAMC, and the AAU. It is not likely the bill will be considered in the Senate. It most likely will be introduced in the House and Senate again next year. Read details in the FASEB News link below.

Preview of EB 2007 Public Affairs Activities, Washington DC
ASPET members attending the Experimental Biology 2007 meeting in Washington, DC this spring will have the opportunity to participate in two public affairs activities.

NIH Director Elias Zerhouni and former House Appropriations Subcommittee Chair John Porter will speak about the “NIH at the Crossroads: How Diminished Funds Will Impact Biomedical Research and What Scientists Can Do About It.” The talk is open to all EB registrants and will be held on Monday, April 30 from 12:45 – 1:45 pm in the Washington Convention Center. Dr. Zerhouni will provide his perspective and details on the current state of the NIH enterprise. Mr. Porter will provide a legislative overview of the FY 2008 outlook for the NIH. He will discuss how scientists have an obligation as citizens to become politically active and aware and make suggestions for what needs to be done to make an impact.
 

Also in the planning stages is EB Capitol Hill Days on April 30, May 1 and May 2. With scientists facing one of the most alarming periods to confront the biomedical research enterprise in recent years, ASPET and the other participating EB societies are encouraging their members to take advantage of a Washington meeting to promote biomedical research. Join us by making Capitol Hill visits during EB in support of increased funding for the NIH, NSF and other federal agencies.

The convergence of over 10,000 of your scientific colleagues in the Nation’s Capitol provides a unique opportunity for constituent scientists to educate Members of Congress about the need to provide robust funding for the NIH and other agencies. The public affairs staff from the participating EB societies will be able to assist you in these meetings. More detailed information will be forthcoming in the coming months.

2006 Summer Short Courses in Integrative and Organ Systems Science
The past two summers, NIGMS has funded four short courses. These summer short courses will be offered again in 2007 at four institutions. The purpose of each short course is to introduce graduate students and Ph.Ds to the knowledge and skills needed for integrative studies of organ systems and intact animals, and the physiological and biochemical responses of these systems to drugs. These critical skills are in short supply. Graduate students and Ph.Ds. with these skills are in great demand in both academic and industrial settings. For information on the NIGMS summer short courses visit:

http://www.aspet.org/public/public_affairs/pa_NIGMS_shortcourse_awards.html

FDA Alliance
The FDA Alliance is a newly formed coalition whose goal is to increase appropriations to FDA. AstraZeneca, US Pharmacopeia, Ligand Pharmaceuticals, Merck, Schering Plough, the American Society of Health System Pharmacists, and various patient and consumer groups are among the more than 70 current members. The mission of the Alliance is to educate the public, focus national attention on the need for a strong FDA, and ensure Congressional action to increase appropriated funds for the FDA. ASPET hopes its involvement in the FDA Alliance will help improve relations and interaction with FDA.

ASPET-Merck Postdoctoral Fellowship in Integrative Pharmacology
Trudy Oliver is the recipient of the ASPET-Merck Postdoctoral Fellowship in Integrative Pharmacology. The Fellowship is for work in Cancer Pharmacology. Dr. Oliver will pursue her work in the "Identification and Functional Analysis of Genes Involved in Chemotherapy Resistance in Cancer," in the laboratory of Tyler Jacks at MIT's Center for Cancer Research.

NIH Public Site
NIH has created links on their home page that provide fact sheets for the public to learn more about how NIH is pursuing its goal to make important medical discoveries that improve health and save lives. "NIH 101: An Introduction to the National Institutes of Health." View a PowerPoint version of the slides: http://www.nih.gov/about/researchresultsforthepublic/NIH101.ppt.  Also fact sheet on pharmacogenetics is available at: http://www.nih.gov/about/researchresultsforthepublic/Genes_PersonalizedMed.pdf

FASEB News
For biweekly news from Capitol Hill view: http://opa.faseb.org/pages/Publications/washingtonupdate.htm

AAALAC Regulatory Burden
An emerging issue over the issue of regulatory “creep” concerning the AAALAC board of trustees response over the regulatory authority of certain USDA policies. USDA/AAALAC policies presume threats to animal wellbeing and research integrity for which there appears very little basis for those who use drugs in research. A published discussion of these issues could be beneficial and any data individuals may have to inform that discussion would be good. Contact Nancy Ator at tel: 410-550-2773 or ator@mail.jhmi.edu for any additional information or if you would be interested in helping with this issue.

Senate Passes Animal Research Protection Bill
The Senate passed the “Animal Enterprise Terrorism Protection Act” (S. 3880), which is designed to strengthen the legal authority for law enforcement to prosecute individuals involved in campaigns targeting animal research enterprises and researchers. The legislation also addresses actions against companies doing business with academic and commercial biomedical enterprises. After Congress returns following the elections it is expected that the House Judiciary Committee will consider a similar bill.

Funding Opportunities

Notice of Intent to Publish a Request for Applications for the Study of Extinction Learning and Pharmacotherapies for Drug Addiction http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-DA-06-018.html

Notice of Intent to Publish a Program Announcement to Support Research by Newly Independent Chemistry Investigators for the Study of Drug Abuse and Addiction http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-DA-06-029.html

Therapeutics Delivery for Neurodegenerative Diseases http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-EY-07-001.html
 

September 2006
ASPET Government and Public Affairs Report

NIH Funding
Congress will return September 15. The Senate Appropriations Committee recommended that NIH receive $28.459 billion for FY’07. This $220 million increase is only 0.78% more than its FY’06 appropriation. The full Senate is not expected to vote on this spending bill before the November elections – and the bill won’t pass without additional funding for other health and education programs. In the House, the Labor/HHS spending bill is held up as House Republican moderates are unlikely to support a bill that would hurt health and education spending so severely. The most likely outcome in the Senate and House is that both bills will not even see floor action. Instead, they will instead move directly to a House-Senate conference following the elections.

Meanwhile, movement on the NIH reauthorization bill is also on hold until sometime after September 15. FASEB, AAMC, AAU and other organizations have been in negotiations with House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton (R-TX) over some contentious issues. One of the main issues is that the as yet unseen bill might mandate that 50% of any NIH annual increase would be reserved for the NIH common fund, and the other 50% would be distributed across the rest of the NIH. This would continue until the common fund totaled 5% of NIH’s total budget. This would obviously hamper the ability of institutes to grow and fund programs, something ASPET and other scientific societies would likely not support.

NIH Director Publication
The summer 2006 issue of "From the Desk of Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D., Director NIH," an e-publication from the NIH Director is now available on-line. This issue is titled, "Investing in NIH is Ensuring a Healthier Future," is available at:
http://www.nih.gov/about/director/newsletter/Summer2006.pdf

Preview of EB 2007 Public Affairs Activities, Washington DC
ASPET members attending the Experimental Biology 2007 meeting in Washington, DC this spring will have the opportunity to participate in two public affairs activities.

NIH Director Elias Zerhouni and former House Appropriations Subcommittee Chair John Porter will speak about the “NIH at the Crossroads: How Diminished Funds Will Impact Biomedical Research and What Scientists Can Do About It.” The talk is open to all EB registrants and will be held on Monday, April 30 from 12:45 – 1:45 pm in the Washington Convention Center. Dr. Zerhouni will provide his perspective and details on the current state of the NIH enterprise. Mr. Porter will provide a legislative overview of the FY 2008 outlook for the NIH. He will discuss how scientists have an obligation as citizens to become politically active and aware and make suggestions for what needs to be done to make an impact.

Also in the planning stages is EB Capitol Hill Days on April 30, May 1 and May 2. With scientists facing one of the most alarming periods to confront the biomedical research enterprise in recent years, ASPET and the other participating EB societies are encouraging their members to take advantage of a Washington meeting to promote biomedical research. Join us by making Capitol Hill visits during EB in support of increased funding for the NIH, NSF and other federal agencies.

The convergence of over 10,000 of your scientific colleagues in the Nation’s Capitol provides a unique opportunity for constituent scientists to educate Members of Congress about the need to provide robust funding for the NIH and other agencies. The public affairs staff from the participating EB societies will be able to assist you in these meetings. More detailed information will be forthcoming in the coming months.

Pharmacology and Therapeutics Conference
Banff2007 - Pharmacology and Therapeutics Conference will be held on March 4-8, 2007, in Banff, Alberta, Canada. This will be a special meeting of four societies - the Swiss Society of Pharmacology and Toxicology, the Canadian Society of Clinical Pharmacology, the Western Pharmacology Society, and the Pharmacology Society of Canada.

Please check the meeting website http://www.westernpharmsoc.org/meeting2007.html for preliminary information.

2006 Summer Short Courses in Integrative and Organ Systems Science
The past two summers, NIGMS has funded four short courses. These summer short courses will be offered again in 2007 at four institutions. The purpose of each short course is to introduce graduate students and Ph.Ds to the knowledge and skills needed for integrative studies of organ systems and intact animals, and the physiological and biochemical responses of these systems to drugs. These critical skills are in short supply. Graduate students and Ph.Ds. with these skills are in great demand in both academic and industrial settings. For information on the NIGMS summer short courses visit:
http://www.aspet.org/public/public_affairs/pa_NIGMS_shortcourse_awards.html

New Ephedra Rule Gives FDA Authority to Ban Supplements
A federal appeals court reversed a 2004 lower court decision that had lifted the FDA’s earlier ban on Ephedra. The new ruling now gives FDA broad authority to pull Ephedra and other dietary supplements from the market if the risks outweigh its benefits. However, given FDA’s financial constraints it is not certain how this new authority could be enforced.

FASEB News
FASEB has released “Breast Cancer, Tamoxifen and Beyond: Estrogen and Estrogen Receptors,” the latest article in the Breakthroughs in Bioscience series. The Breakthroughs in Bioscience series is a collection of illustrated articles, published by FASEB, that explain recent developments in basic biomedical research and how they are important to society. To obtain a free copy of these publications, visit the Breakthroughs in Bioscience Web site <http://opa.faseb.org/pages/Publications/breakthroughs.htm> or contact FASEB’s Office of Public Affairs at (301) 634-7650.

For biweekly news from Capitol Hill view: http://opa.faseb.org/pages/Publications/washingtonupdate.htm

Funding Opportunities

Preclinical Medications Discovery and Abuse Liability Testing for NIDA RFP Available: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-DA-06-022.html

Request for Information (RFI): Proposed Change in Grant Appendix Materials http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-06-088.html

Development and Application of PET and SPECT Imaging Ligands as Biomarkers for Drug Discovery and for Pathophysiological Studies of CNS Disorders http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-06-461.html

Development and Application of PET and SPECT Imaging Ligands as Biomarkers for Drug Discovery and for Pathophysiological Studies of CNS Disorders http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-06-462.html

Development and Application of PET and SPECT Imaging Ligands as Biomarkers for Drug Discovery and for Pathophysiological Studies of CNS Disorders http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-06-463.html

Preclinical Therapeutics Development for NeuroAIDS http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-06-528.html
 

July-August 2006
ASPET Government and Public Affairs Report

NIH Funding

The Senate has increased funding for the Senate L/HHS Subcommittee by $5 billion more than the President requested.   The Senate is expected to consider its FY'07 bill late July.  The Senate allocation is still $2 billion short of the request by Sens. Specter (R-PA) and Harkin (D-IA).  The $7 billion figure was approved by the Senate budget resolution and that was the amount that Specter and Harkin determined would be necessary to provide inflationary increases for programs funded under their bill, including the NIH.  The House bill is $4.1 Billion above the President's budget. It is not clear when the House may move on its bill.  The fiscal year begins October 1 and the biomedical research community is facing the prospect of no real growth in the NIH budget for the third consecutive year.

Stem Cell Vote Promised in Senate

Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) has announced that the Senate will soon vote on the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, H.R. 810/S. 471, as part of a package of bills.  ASPET members are asked to contact their Senators immediately.  The Senate must vote on S. 471/H.R. 810 this year or the bill will die. Call your Senators and urge all Senators to vote YES for H.R. 810/S. 471. You can reach your Senators via the Capitol switchboard at 202- 224-3121.

Senate Committee Passes Dietary Supplement AER Bill

The Senate Health Committee passed a bill requiring dietary supplement makers to report serious adverse events to the FDA.  The bill may be taken up by the full Senate late July.  Cosponsors included Sen. Hatch (R-UT), Enzi (R-WY), Kennedy (D-MA), Durbin (D-IL), and Harkin (D-IA).  The bill includes provisions to take action against imported foreign supplements.  A house bill, HR 3156, cosponsored by Res. Dingell (D-MI), Waxman (D-CA), and Davis (D-CA) also requires supplement makers to report AER but industry is opposed to this bill because it would require industry to prove that its products are safe.  Currently, DS are regulated as food and the FDA must prove that the products are dangerous before pulling them off the market.  The FDA is also cutting back its  oversight of dietary supplements and focusing more on food security.  

NIH Fact Sheets on Value of Biomedical Research

NIH has posted a set of ten fact sheets on its web site that describe how NIH research is benefiting the public.  Fact sheet topics include examples of accomplishments that resulted from doubling the NIH budget, new efforts for FY 2007, and how research is driving the transformation to predictive, personalize and preemptive medicine. The fact sheets are available at:

<http://www.nih.gov/about/researchresultsforthepublic/index.htm>

GlaxoSmithKline Postdoctoral Fellowship in Imaging and Integrative Pharmacology

GSK is awarding a postdoctoral fellowship to support training in pulmonary/cardiovascular imaging and pharmacology.  The 2 year fellowship term will examine mechanistic links between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cardiovascular disease.  Details at:
<http://www.aspet.org/> (see Featured Links on ASPET home page).

Pharmacogenetics Fact Sheet

A new fact sheet describing NIGMS-funded research on how genes affect responses to drugs is at <http://www.nigms.nih.gov/Initiatives/PGRN/Background/FactSheet.htm>

ASPET-Merck Postdoctoral Fellowships in Integrative Pharmacology

The ASPET-Merck Postdoctoral Fellowship in Integrative Pharmacology will renew the competition in Cancer Pharmacology.   Fellowship term is three years with no less than six months of the Fellowship to be spent at the Merck Research Laboratories in Boston, MA.  For eligibility guidelines, research areas of interest and application information view: 

<http://www.aspet.org/public/merck_fellowships/guidelines.html>

Application deadline is August 31, 2006.

2006 Summer Short Courses in Integrative and Organ Systems Science

NIGMS is funding 4 summer short courses. The purpose of each short course is to introduce graduate students and Ph.Ds to the knowledge and skills needed for integrative studies of organ systems and intact animals, and the physiological and biochemical responses of these systems to drugs.  These critical skills are in short supply.  Graduate students and Ph.Ds. with these skills are in great demand in both academic and industrial settings.  Attendees at this workshop will hear about the summer courses from the course directors and from students who participated this past summer. For information on this summer's short courses visit:

<http://www.aspet.org/public/public_affairs/pa_NIGMS_shortcourse_awards.html>

Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act

HR 4239, the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act was the focus of a Congressional hearing in May.  Witnesses included representatives from the Justice Department, Glaxo Smith Kline, and others.  Read witness statements at: <http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings.aspx?ID=146> .

Members of the National Association for Biomedical Research (NABR) may visit:  <https://secure5.webfirst.com/nabr.org/AEPC/PasswordS.htm>
(password protected) for additional information on the AETA..

FASEB's Washington Update
For biweekly news from Capitol Hill:.
<http://opa.faseb.org/pages/Publications/washingtonupdate.htm>

Funding Opportunities

Centers of Biomedical Research
<http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RR-06-002.html>

The Development Of Frontal Cortex And Limbic System And Their Roles In Drug Abuse Or Mental Health:
<http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-06-444.html>

The Development of Frontal Cortex and Limbic System and their roles in Drug Abuse or Mental Health:
<http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-06-445.html>

Cooperative Research Partnerships into Therapeutics and Diagnostics for Biodefense Toxins:
 <http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-AI-06-035.html>