This Week in Science Policy and Advocacy
Policy and Advocacy News
NIH Will Examine Whether Director of Alcoholism Institute Improperly Stopped Funding Policy Studies
April 11, 2018 | Science
NIH Director Francis Collins announced that NIH will launch an investigation into whether NIAA staff broke ethics rules by soliciting beverage industry funding and if NIAA Director George Koob improperly decided not to fund studies critical of beverage industry advertising.
- Join the Advocacy Network to stay informed about issues related to neuroscience research at SfN.org
Update: After Congress Complains, USDA Restores Animal Welfare Reports
April 9, 2018 | Science
Congress released a report accompanying USDA’s 2018 spending bill criticizing USDA’s handling of animal welfare inspection reports and related documents. In response to request for greater transparency, the USDA has restored detail in recent animal welfare inspection reports.
Read more about Animals in Research at SfN.org
Beijing Launches Pioneering Brain-Science Centre
April 5, 2018 | Nature
The Chinese Institute for Brain Research was officially established in Beijing, with neuroscientists Rao Yi and Luo Minmin named as the Institutes co-directors. The new Beijing facilities marks one of the first developments in China’s brain-research project, which has been under discussion for around five years.
- Find information about Global Advocacy Programs at SfN.org
Spanish Research Gets a Nice Budget Boost- but Scientists Say it Will be of Little Help
April 10, 2018 | Science
The Spanish government announced plans to raise the county’s public R&D budget to €7 billion, but more than half of the budget will be spent on R&D loans, causing frustration amongst scientists. A preliminary analysis of the proposal showed that out of the overall budget, only €2.8 billion will go to the public research system.
- Find Neuroscience Funding at SfN.org
Opinion
The Key to Defeating Alzheimer's Disease is Strong Bipartisanship
April 9, 2018 | The Hill
In this op-ed former Representative Steve Israel (D-NY), states that continued bipartisanship efforts are needed to ensure progress is made towards defeating Alzheimer’s. He notes recent achievements, such as the increase to NIH’s budget for FY18, but notes that further investment into Alzheimer’s research is needed.
- Learn more about Alzheimer’s Disease at BrainFacts.org
Stand Up for Science: More Researchers Now See Engagement as a Crucial Part of Their Job
April 11, 2018 | The Conversation
In this piece, four scientists across career stages discuss the importance of engaging the public about science, their perception of how public engagement has changed over time, and what type of engagement they feel has the most impact.
- Find tips for engaging the public in science at Neuronline.org
Articles of Interest
UK Survey Reveals Widespread Sexual Misconduct by Academic Staff
April 9, 2018 | Nature
A recent survey of current and former U.K. students found a surprisingly high proportion of students, particularly at the graduate level, had experienced sexual misconduct by university staff during their studies. However, less than a tenth of those who experienced sexual misconduct reported it to their institutions, indicating widespread problems with universities’ harassment policies.
- Learn about ways to communicate through conflict in academia at Neuronline.org
FDA Approves First AI Software That Can Identify Disease, No Specialists Needed
April 11, 2018 | STAT
FDA recently approved IDx-DR, a software capable of detecting the eye condition diabetic retinopathy in images of the retina without an eye specialist’s expertise. The device’s algorithm fails to detect cases approximately 13% of the time but is more accurate than most ophthalmologists.
- Read about AI in neuroscience at BrainFacts.org
Study Questions Animal Data Underlying Many Clinical Trials
April 5, 2018 | Science
A recent PLOS Biology study analyzed IRB brochures and the rigor used to justify clinical trials. Almost 90% of animal studies reported in IRB brochures were not published and less than 5% of findings referenced involved bias-reducing methodology. The analysis may help explain why only 10 to 15% of clinical trials are successful and indicate a need to improve the conduct and reporting of preclinical research.
- Learn more about big data and scientific rigor at Neuronline.org
The Next Naloxone? Companies, Academics Search For Better Overdose-Reversal Drugs
April 10, 2018 | STAT
Anecdotal reports warn of the limitations of Naloxone in reversing synthetic opioid overdoses, but some experts caution of investing heavily in Naloxone alternatives when minimal data speaks to the trend and addiction prevention interventions also need funding. Some of the Naloxone alternatives being considered include a modified version of the opioid treatment drug buprenorphine and a long-lasting opioid antagonist.
- Explore how Naloxone prevents overdoses at BrainFacts.org
