Links to Other ASM Pages:
Public Affairs Report
ASM Response to NIH Plan for Trainees
Addressing the Nation's Changing Needs for Biomedical and Behavioral Scientists
NIH Research Training Opportunities: News
ASM Reponse to the National Institutes of Health Plan for Trainees
The ASM Public and Scientific Affairs Board sent comments on 1 May to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) supporting its plans to implement certain recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report "Addressing the Nation’s Needs for Biomedical and Behavorial Scientists." ASM said it agreed with the NIH’s intention to raise stipend levels for predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees. ASM recommended that NIH provide additional funding for increased trainee stipends on continuing and new research grants as well as training grants. The original NAS report can be found on the Web. On 22 March, the NIH announced a summary of plans to implement select recommendations in the NIH report which can be found on the NIH website. The NIH supported higher stipend levels for National Research Service Award recipients and announced tentative targets of $25,000 for graduate and $45,000 for entry-level postdoctoral stipends. The ASM letter is available on the ASM website.
ASM Submits Comments on Transport of Infectious Substances Proposed Standards
On 18 April, the ASM Public and Scientific Affairs Board submitted comments in response to the Department of Transportation’s 22 January Notice of Proposed Rulemaking which revises transportation standards for infectious substances and genetically modified microorganisms. ASM outlined a number of significant problems and questioned whether the regulatory requirements will enhance compliance and safety. ASM expressed particular concern about the proposal’s treatment of genetically modified organisms which pose no special risk to human health or the environment. A copy of the ASM comment letter is available on ASM’s website.
ASM Urges Congress to Fund the Public Health Threats and Emergencies Act of 2000
Public Health’s Infrastructure: A Status Report [PDF]
ASM joined several public health organizations in sending a letter of support to all members of Congress, asking for full funding of the Public Health Threats and Emergencies Act of 2000, which authorizes funding for the public health infrastructure to adequately respond to emerging health threats such as antimicrobial resistance and bioterrorism. Along with the letter, the coalition sent copies of Public Health’s Infrastructure: A Status Report, which was released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in March. The report recommends a performance-based approach to improving the public health system which starts by assessing capacity at the state and local levels to provide essential public health services, using consensus performance standards. ASM provided scientific expertise on antimicrobial resistance and bioterrorism to Senator Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) and Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) during the drafting of the legislation. ASM’s testimony is referenced in the Status Report.
New Report Available
The ASM Public and Scientific Affairs Board (PSAB) recently published a new report, Federal Funding for FY 2002: Biomedical and Life Sciences Research. The Federal Funding for FY 2002 booklet presents recommendations of the PSAB for the budgets for the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Energy. The report is available on the ASM website.
ASM Selects Congressional Science Fellows for 2001-2002
Harper Jill R. Harper and Peter M. Dees have been awarded Congressional Science Fellowships for 2001-2002 by the American Society for Microbiology. They will work on the staff of a member of Congress or Congressional Committee assisting in policy development.
Harper is receiving her doctorate in molecular biology from Princeton University and is currently working in the laboratory of Thomas Silhavy studying the role of peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerases in protein folding in the periplasm of the gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli. Harper received her master’s degree in molecular biology from Princeton and a bachelor’s of science degree from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, Ga. Harper is excited to use her knowledge of biology to provide legislators with facts to make informed decisions about the pros and cons of genetically modified organisms, cloning, and other issues regarding biotechnology. Harper says, "I hope to use this opportunity to explore a career in public policy while helping to effect positive changes in American science.’’
Dees Dees is receiving his doctorate in microbiology from Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. Dees plans on stressing environmental microbiology issues during his fellowship year. He has been studying bacteria in food waste composting systems with minors in environmental toxicology and biochemistry. Dees has studied at the Universitat Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany, as part of the Fulbright Grant to study environmental microbiology and at the Universitat Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany, as part of the Federation of Teachers of German Grant. Dees believes agricultural waste management, the role of microbes in global climate change, the threat of biological weapons, and biotechnology patent issues are of key importance to policymakers. "I feel a responsibility to act as a representative for a constituency of scientists who are engaged in research projects that benefit the cause of environmental cleanup and prevention of further environmental impact, particularly through industrial and agricultural activity,’’ Dees says.
ASM has supported Congressional Fellows since 1977. The Congressional Science Fellows stipend is supported by the Frobisher Fund, a bequest made to ASM by Martin Frobisher. For more information regarding the fellowship please contact the Office of Public Affairs at publicaffairs@asmusa.org .
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