Biophysical Society Bulletin | November 2019

Public Affairs

Biophysical Society Joins Rally for Medical Research On September 19, more than 350 organizations representing tens of millions of people across the United States joined together to

advocate on Capitol Hill for continued robust, sustained, and predictable annual funding increases for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Members of the Biophysical Society once again joined the effort and met with Members of Congress to thank them for supporting previous funding and request additional increases of at least $2.5 billion for FY 2020 for NIH. On the same day, Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Roy Blunt (R-MO) announced he was recommending a $3 billion funding increase for NIH in FY 2020.

Hyun Song, BPS Member, and other Rally participants meet with Congressman Jim Cooper (D-TN)

President Signs CR, Allocation Negotiations Expected to Begin

Golden Goose Awards Honor Federally Funded Scientists The Golden Goose Award was established in 2012 and officially recognizes scientists whose federally funded basic research has led to innovations or inventions that have a significant impact on humanity or society. The Biophysical Society is an annual sponsor of the event. The 2019 awardees and the funding source for their research are: The Blood of the Horseshoe Crab Jack Levin and Frederik Bang Funded by the Atomic Energy Commission, NIH, and US Public Health Service Advancing Autoimmunity Noel Rose and Ernest Witebsky Funded by NIH The Frog Skin that Saved 50 Million Lives David Sachar Funded by NIH, USAID, CDC, and US Public Health Service

The new federal fiscal year (FY) began on October 1 with a continuing resolution (CR) instead of the two-year budget that Congress has been working toward. On September 27 President Trump signed the stopgap (H.R. 4378), which extends FY 2019 funding levels through November 21 after the Senate approved the measure, 81–16, a day earlier. Senate Appropriations Chair Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) met with the President and senior White House officials on September 27 to discuss the annual spending bills, telling reporters that while their discussion did not resolve specific challenges, the President “basically said, ‘proceed’” with steps to move the process forward. Chairman Shelby also indicated his hope that the Senate Majority Leader will advance the appropriations bills that have made it through committee with support from Democrats. The Labor-HHS-Education bill is among four Senate spending bills that do not have bipartisan support. Meanwhile, appro- priations staff are expected to begin bicameral negotiations on funding allocations for the spending bills.

November 2019

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