Biophysical Society Bulletin | April 2023

Public Affairs

Call forBPSAmbassadorApplications Are you an advocate for biophysics education and knowledge sharing? Have you considered applying for the BPS Ambassador Program to put those skills into action? The BPS Ambassador Program was developed to help make biophysics a more dynamic, inclusive, and interdisciplinary community to better serve the needs of our international membership. Currently, BPS works with 12 Ambas sadors—4-member cohorts serving 3-year terms, representing biophysics in Argentina, Australia, China, India, Kenya, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Portu gal, Romania, Spain, and Turkey.

Ambassador Program

The Ambassador Program is a global network of BPS members who serve as local Society resources in their home countries or regions to promote the field and foster conversations around biophysics. As a BPS Ambassador, you will play a key role in con necting the Society and its membership with relevant local content, serve as BPS point-of-contact, and help lead discussions on issues of importance to science around the globe. Through this program, the Society hopes to grow the biophysics network by educating and inspiring others to pursue careers in biophysics and to further develop its advocacy efforts around the world. For the next class of Ambassadors (2024–2026), we are accepting applications from all international members residing in countries outside of Australia, China, India, Kenya, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, and Spain. An ideal country Ambassador is a mid-career to senior scientist actively engaged in biophysics research and committed to remaining in the field for the dura tion of the Ambassadorship, an active paid member of the Society in good standing, able to attend the Annual Meeting at the start of their term, has working proficiency in English, and has a demonstrated ability to contribute to organizations or scien tific societies outside of their normal job duties. To learn more about the program, Ambassador eligibility, and benefits, please visit www.biophysics.org/outreach/ambassador-program. Empowering Biophysics Globally

White House Releases Proposed Budget for FY24 With the release of President Joe Biden ’s budget on March 9, the official appropriations season for fiscal year (FY) 2024 has begun. Biden continues to focus federal funds and resources on innovation and cutting-edge research. The proposed budget provides almost $21 billion in discretionary spending for CHIPS (Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors) and Science Act-authorized activities. This funding includes $1.2 billion for the CHIPS and Science Act-authorized Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships to help accelerate and translate scientific research into innovations, industries,

Our Capabilities plan and 2022 National Biodefense Strategy and Implementation Plan for Countering Biological Threats, Enhancing Pandemic Preparedness, and Achieving Global Health Security. The budget also includes $400 million in new discretionary resources within the administration for strate gic preparedness and response to prepare for pandemics and biological threats, as well as key discretionary investments for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Author ity and the Strategic National Stockpile to support advanced development and procurement of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostic capabilities against known and unknown high-prior ity threats. The topline increases outlined for the primary grant funding agencies are: • National Institutes of Health (NIH) at $48.5 billion (+2%), • Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) at $2.5 billion (+66%), • NSF at $11.3 billion (+14%), and • DOE Office of Science at $8.8 billion (+9%).

and jobs, as well as $300 million for the National Science Foundation’s (NSF’s) Regional Innovation Engines program to galvanize use-inspired research, technology translation, and workforce development. Within the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Science, the budget also supports cutting- edge research in artificial intelligence, quantum information sciences, microelectronics, and isotope production at the national laboratories and universities. The budget includes $20 billion in mandatory funding for Department of Health and Human Services public health agencies in support of the administration’s pandemic preven tion and preparedness and biodefense priorities, as outlined in the 2021 American Pandemic Preparedness: Transforming

April 2023

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