This Week in Science Policy and Advocacy

Scientists, Feeling Under Siege, March Against Trump Policies

April 22, 2017 | The New York Times

On April 22^nd, thousands of scientists participated in the March for Science in Washington D.C. and the many marches taking place around the world to demonstrate the importance of science. Organizers hope the success of the marches propels scientists and friends of the scientific community to continue to speak out and advocate for science.

• Check out SfN’s coverage of the March for Science at BrainFacts.org

At a Political Bootcamp for Scientists, Enthusiasm and Anxiety

April 26, 2017 | Science

314 Action, a group aimed at encouraging scientists and engineers to run for office, held an event in advance of the March for Science for those considering running for local, state, or national office. The event unearthed some fears among interested participants regarding the group’s partisanship, but inspired others who are seriously considering running in upcoming elections.

• Join the Advocacy Network to stay informed about issues related to neuroscience research at SfN.org

Rain Doesn't Stop Researchers from Doing Science at the March

April 25, 2017 | Science

This article looks at the scientists who came to study the March for Science to gain better insight into participant’s demographics, motivations, and desired outcomes of the march. Data from one scientist found that 98% of marchers were motivated by the 2016 election results, 54% of marchers were female, and 30% were first time protesters. Another researcher found that 2% of survey participants used “Republican” to identify their political leanings and that fewer self-identified “strongly Democratic” participants took part in the March for Science compared to the Women’s March.

• Learn about U.S. advocacy programs at SfN.org

'Boffins and Their VERY Academic Chants': How the Media Covered the March for Science

April 25, 2017 | Science

The March for Science became a global news story this past weekend, with extensive coverage occurring in the United States. The Mexican press focused on local controversy surrounding the march, the UK depicted the march as a celebration amid fears surrounding Brexit, and a large media presence was found in Australia. Other major news events, like the elections in France and South Korea, diluted coverage in some countries, but the overall media consensus was that the marches were a success.

• Find out how to engage the media at SfN.org

Caroline C. Whitacre, Ph.D: U.S. Investment in Research Leads to Innovations

April 26, 2017 | The Columbus Dispatch

As Congress works together to keep the government from shutting down, Dr. Caroline Whitacre, senior vice president for research and professor in the Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity at Ohio State University, highlights a new report from The Science Coalition which identifies 102 companies that were created as a direct result of federally funded research. Whitacre states that without continued bipartisan support for federal science funding in the FY17 and FY18 budgets, future innovation successes would not occur.

• Find science funding resources at SfN.org

The Importance of Earth Day's March for Science

April 21, 2017 | New York Daily News

Dr. Abigail Kalmbach, former SfN Early Career Policy Ambassador, Columbia University researcher, and advocacy chair for the NY chapter of the Society for Neuroscience (BraiNY), wrote an op-ed arguing for the importance of embracing science as it evolves. Kalmbach cautions that dismissing scientific knowledge because of political preference is dangerous and communication should be embraced so future discoveries can be made.

• Contact your representatives and tell them to support NIH and NSF Funding at SfN.org

Video Games Help Model Brain's Neurons

April 22, 2017 | The New York Times

The Center for Game Science, a group at the University of Washington in collaboration with the Allen Institute for Brain Science, developed a game called “Mozak”, to help them in the study of the brain’s neurons. Players create high-quality neuron reconstructions by tracing images on the screen, allowing researches to obtain reconstructions quicker. The research team hopes to take this data to train computers to do the same job as players in the future.

• Find more information about the neuroscience of gaming at BrainFacts.org

BioRxiv Preprint Server Gets Cash Boost from Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

April 26, 2017 | Nature

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) announced they will begin supplying significant financial support to BioRixv, the hub for draft versions of biology research papers. Funding from CZI will allow BioRxiv to develop software moving them towards becoming an open-source platform, hopefully increasing the spread of ideas and pace of research. 

• Learn more about publishing and peer review at Neuronline

NSF's Uphill Road to Making Prestigious Early Career Award More Diverse

April 26, 2017 | Science

In the hopes of diversifying their annual Alan T. Waterman Award for early career scientists, NSF has changed the eligibility rules to allow individuals 40 years or younger or within 10 years post-Ph.D. to apply. These rules will go into effect starting with the 2018 competition. The previous rules were thought to have penalized anyone who did not take a traditional career path due to mitigating circumstances, which often include women and members of underrepresented minority groups.

• Read about the importance of diversity in neuroscience at Neuronline