The National Institutes of Health (NIH) released a list of strategies to help scientists make their research more accessible to the broader public. The guidelines, which include tips for researchers, educators, journalists, and other health professionals on writing about topics such as data outcomes, clinical trials, and studies with animal models, were compiled from advice given by experts in the…

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) today issued the following statement on the Senate’s overwhelming passage of the conference report to S. 524, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016. The House passed the package on July 8, by a vote of 407 to 5. "To the countless Americans in despair and communities that are suffering, help will soon be on the way. …

Legislation blocks unnecessary and harmful regulations, reduces spending, and invests in proven programs to protect the health and well-being of all Americans  WASHINGTON, D.C. - The House Labor HHS subcommittee today released the draft fiscal year 2017 Labor, Health and Human Services (LHHS) funding bill, which will be considered in subcommittee tomorrow. The legislation includes funding for…

On June 10, the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) responded to a National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) request for information on the benefits and challenges associated with "team science" and team-based research. The RFI sought feedback from the scientific community on the needs and opportunities in team science at multi-investigator, institu…

By Jennifer Zeitzer, FASEB Director of Government Affairs A June 16 hearing of the House Science, Space and Technology Subcommittee on Research and Technology raised concerns about the reauthorization of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. Although members of the subcommittee expressed support for both programs, they were trou…

The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) applauds a proposed $2 billion increase for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). On June 7, the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee approved a bipartisan spending bill that would provide NIH with $34 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2017, $2 billion above FY 2016. On behalf of 30 member socie…

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) May 26 released a notice limiting the permissible types of research involving chimpanzees. As of May 25, NIH will not fund any new or competing grants involving chimpanzees, with the exception of "noninvasive research," which includes visual observation and behavioral studies. Additionally, research applications proposing the use of chimpanzees will be s…

The NIH Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP) has released its 2016-2020 Strategic Plan. ORIP's mission is to support trans-NIH research infrastructure and resource programs and to coordinate NIH's science education efforts. The strategic plan is divided into three thematic areas: Developing models of human diseases Accelerating research discoveries by providing access to state-o…

The roll-out of the new Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA or the Overtime Rule) has begun with a press release from the White House. Of specific interest to the research community, however, is an op-ed published in the Huffington Post co-authored by NIH Director Francis Collins and Labor Secretary Thomas Perez stating that: Postdocs are not exempt from the rule, and are thus eligible for ove…

On May 11, the NIH announced the appointment of Patricia Flatley Brennan, RN, PhD, to lead the National Library of Medicine, the world's largest biomedical library. Dr. Brennan is currently at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she is a Professor at the School of Nursing and College of Engineering. Dr. Brennan has been a pioneer in the development of information systems for patients a…