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2002 Public Affairs Committee Report

The Public Affairs Committee advises the APS Council on policy issues and how best to address them. The Committee also informs Council of specific initiatives undertaken by the Committee itself. The Committee recognizes the importance of careful integration of its activities with the Animal Care and Experimentation Committee, the Communications Committee, and with the Science Policy Committee of FASEB. It has worked closely with these groups to achieve common goals. Likewise, the Public Affairs Committee works closely with the APS Office of Public Affairs both to coordinate activities and to more effectively communicate relevant issues to Council and, when appropriate, to the general membership.

The past year has been one of extraordinary change. The impact of events on September 11, 2001, has been far reaching and could not have been anticipated. Those events have colored many of the Public Affairs Committee’s actions and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. The climate at the NIH has itself changed, not only as a result of 9/11 but also in the appointment of Elias Zerhouni as the new NIH Director who began his tenure on May 20, 2002.

Funding issues remain are a major focus of the Public Affairs Committee. During the past year the Public Affairs Committee assisted Council in developing policy statements regarding: 1) completion of the effort to double the NIH budget in five years; 2) planning for the period after completion of doubling the NIH budget; and 3) Congressional support for VA, NSF, and NASA funding. In the coming year the Public Affairs Committee will work with Council to address the concerns raised by the Administration’s initiative to combat bioterrorism in part by directing NIH resources in that direction.

The Public Affairs Committee has, in the past year, focused attention on stipends provided to trainees. After discussions with NIH representatives and at APS President John Hall’s request, the Committee prepared a letter that dealt with NIH-sponsored support of trainees. The APS supported the current effort to increase trainee stipends while encouraging the NIH to pay close attention to the impact of such increases on current academic and research training programs. The letter was sent to Dr. Walter Schaeffer, Research Training Officer at NIH on October 9, 2001. The Committee, through one of its action groups, continues to monitor this issue and provide advice to Council regarding future action.

NIH peer review continues to receive the Committee’s attention. Two paramount concerns remain. The first is the process of “streamlining” grant applications and the second is reorganization of the peer review process. The Public Affairs Committee, working with FASEB’s Science Policy Committee, is addressing the issue of streamlining, inconsistencies in the process, education of executives who oversee the process, and appropriate application of existing NIH guidelines for managing the process. The Scientific Boundaries Panel Report that recommended methods of reorganizing the peer review process is available on the NIH web site at http://www.csr.nih.gov/events/summary012000.htm. Institution of the boundaries policy continues to be the Public Affairs Committee’s great concern. The Committee, working with Council, seeks to monitor application of the boundaries report, to advise NIH with regard to areas where application of that report may lead to suboptimal peer review and improving the communication between APS and NIH when the latter seeks input both on the reorganization and on specific experts who might serve NIH in the design and implementation of the new peer review system.

In the past year the APS Office of Public Affairs has developed an outstanding Legislative Action Center on the APS Public Affairs web page. The APS Legislative Action Center not only provides timely information on issues related to research funding and animal research but also assists members in becoming active in the public policy arena. One very useful feature is the “E-Sheet” at http://www.the-aps.org/pub_affairs/leg_act_cntr/congressional_meeting_e.htm. This is an online guide to help you prepare for meetings with your Senators and Representatives. The most recent innovation is software that enables APS members to “Take Action” by sending personalized letters to their elected representatives using texts prepared by the Office of Public Affairs.

As this past year has proven, issues in the public affairs arena can change quickly, dramatically, and unpredictably. The Public Affairs Committee continues in its efforts to serve APS and to meet those challenges. 

William T. Talman, Chair

Council Actions

• Council accepted the report of the Public Affairs Committee.

• Council endorsed the idea of requiring future chairs of the Committee to have had prior Public Affairs Committee experience.

• Council endorsed the idea of developing a relationship with the NIH institute directors or associate directors so that APS will be able to nominate candidates for open positions on the directors’ advisory committees.