Links to Other ASM Pages:
Public Affairs Report
ASM Supports Increase for NIAID FY 2003 Biodefense Budget
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Biodefense Research Budget
On 21 August, ASM sent a letter to the House Subcommittee on Labor/Health and Human Services/Education Appropriations urging the Subcommittee to restore the reduction of $263 million which the Senate Appropriations Committee reallocated from the proposed fiscal year (FY) 2003 biodefense funding in the budget of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). ASM said that it is concerned that eliminating this amount of research funding from the proposed $1.8 billion for biodefense research and development activities in FY 2003 will seriously retard the progress of the highly prioritized NIAID research programs already planned. ASM said that, although it recognizes that the proposed increase for civilian biodefense research in the NIH budget is a significant amount, the cost to establish new research infrastructure to perform experiments with dangerous pathogens and to rapidly develop countermeasures requires a significant increase of this magnitude. The ASM letter is available on the ASM public policy website.
OMB/OSTP Meeting on Sensitive Homeland Security Information
On 22 August, Ronald Atlas, president of ASM and Janet Shoemaker, director of Public Affairs, attended a meeting with officials from the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to discuss the intention of the administration to draft guidelines for a new category of government-controlled information designated as sensitive homeland security information. White House officials invited representatives of academic groups such as ASM to discuss plans for the guidelines which should be published for comment this fall. Although the government officials described the new category of sensitive homeland security information as not including basic research, it was unclear precisely what government information would be protected. ASM cautioned against restricting the free flow of dual-purpose scientific and public health information that could lead to scientific advancement or medical benefits.
Proposed New Study Sections for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology
NIH Center for Scientific Review
MEETING ROSTER:Center for Scientific Review Advisory Committee
ASM Comments on NIH/CSR Proposal for New Immunology Study Sections
In August, the NIH Center for Scientific Review (CSR) posted on their website the proposed guidelines for the eight new study sections and special emphasis panel that will compose the new Infectious Diseases and Microbiology (IDM) Integrated Review Group (IRB). CSR invited public comment on the proposed guidelines on an electronic comments page to be entered by 15 November. The proposed guidelines represent a substantial change in the structure of study sections that review applications in infectious diseases and microbiology. The IDM Study Section Boundaries Team, a working group of scientific leaders in infectious diseases and microbiology, recommended the proposed new structure at a meeting in July. NIH staff and the CSR Advisory Committee will review public comments submitted on the proposed IDM guidelines and recommend appropriate modifications to the CSR Director. ASM sent an alert to members on 19 August recommending that members review the proposed IDM guidelines and enter their comments by 15 November. ASM also submitted written comments on 31 July to CSR on the proposed new immunology study sections. A copy of the letter is available on the ASM website.
ASM Participates in Stakeholders Meeting on HHS Strategic Plan
HHS Strategic Plan FY 2003 - 2008
On 29 August, Alice Weissfeld participated as ASM's representative in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Strategic Plan Stakeholders Meeting in Washington, D.C. The purpose of the meeting was for stakeholders, including ASM, to review eight strategic goals and objectives proposed to provide a clearer focus to HHS for protecting and improving the health and well-being of the American public over the next five years. ASM responded to the second goal, "Enhance the ability of the nation's health care system to effectively respond to bioterrorism and other public health challenges" by recommending an expansion of the nation's laboratory capacity, including the use of nonpublic health laboratories to serve as backup or surge capacity laboratories, and an increase in the number of qualified microbiologists and medical technologists to serve this expanded laboratory infrastructure.
ASM Urges Congress To Increase Funding for NSF BIO Directorate
On 12 September, ASM wrote a letter asking members of the House Appropriation Subcommittee on Veteran Affairs/Housing and Urban Development/Independent Agencies to provide a significant fiscal year (FY) 2003 increase for the Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO) within the National Science Foundation (NSF). The Society's letter expressed concern with the Senate Appropriations Committee recommendation to fund BIO at the administration's 3.4% request ($508 million), despite the substantial increase (12%) over the 5% increase proposed by the administration for the NSF for FY 2003. While ASM supports all the disciplinary sciences within the NSF, a substantial increase to the NSF's overall budget should be reflected in each directorate's funding. The Senate Appropriations Committee's recommendation to selectively apply the 12% increase will leave BIO with a minimal increase over last year's funding, which will affect NSF's ability to expand biological research and education initiatives that are not funded by any other federal source. A copy of ASM's letter can be found on the Public Affairs website.
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