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APS Science Policy Update
January 27, 2006
In this issue:
- NIH announces new grant mechanism
- President's budget anticipated on February 6, 2006
- Innovation legislation introduced in the Senate
New grant mechanism at NIH aims to help young investigators As part of the ongoing effort to help young investigators achieve independence at an earlier age, the NIH is introducing a new career transition award. The K99/R00 award mechanism will provide one to two years of fellowship support followed by three years of faculty support, contingent upon administrative review and the grantee securing a tenure track position at a research institution. Additional details are available by going to: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/new_investigators/pathway_independence.htm
FY 2007 budget expected on February 6 On Monday February 6, the President will unveil the federal budget for FY 2007. This will provide the starting point for the budget and appropriations process in Congress. In anticipation of the budget release, a number of organizations will be releasing recommendations for specific agencies. To see FASEB's FY 2007 budget recommendations, go to: http://opa.faseb.org/pdf/final_funding_fy2007.pdf
Innovation legislation introduced in Congress In response to the recent National Academies report Rising Above the Gathering Storm (http://books.nap.edu/catalog/11463.html), several bills have been introduced in Congress with the goal of increasing the ability of the US to compete in a global market increasingly based on technology. This week, Senators Mikulski, Domenici, Bingaman and Alexander introduced the Protecting America's Competitive Edge (PACE) Act, a series of three bills. One of the bills focuses specifically on math and science education and authorizes increased funds for teacher scholarships and a 10% per year increase in NSF's Research and Related Activities budget. The PACE Act also encourages changes in onerous Visa regulations for foreign scientists. These bills join the National Innovation Act of 2005, introduced by Senators Lieberman and Ensign, and innovation legislation introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Bart Gordon. Despite the tough budget times, these efforts seem to be gathering momentum and it is widely rumored that the President will mention innovation in his State of the Union address.