Biophysical Society Newsletter - August 2016

7

BIOPHYSICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER

2016

AUGUST

$2 Billion Increase for NIH in FY 2017 Labor-HHS Bill On June 9, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the FY 2017 Labor-Health and Human Services appropriations bill, which includes $34 billion for the National Institues of Health (NIH) in FY 2017 — a $2 billion (6.3 percent) increase over current year funding. The committee’s increase includes $1.39 billion for Alzheimer’s disease research, $300 million for the Precision Medicine Initiative, and $250 million for the BRAIN Initiative. The bill was the first Labor- HHS appropriations bill approved in several years. The Biophysical Society thanked the committee for the bipartisan bill and the increased support for the NIH. The bill was not yet scheduled to go to the Senate floor for approval at press time. New Faces in Washington NIGMS Council: Five individuals were appoint- ed to the National Institute of General Medical Sciences Advisory Board during the Council’s May meeting. They are: BPS member Janet L. Smith , professor of life sciences and biological chemistry at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and scientific director of the General Medical Sciences and Cancer Institute’s Structural Biology Facility at the Advanced Photon Source; Liza Cariaga-Lo , vice president for academic development, diversity, and inclusion at Brown University; Carmen Des- sauer , professor of integrative biology and pharma- cology at the University of Texas Health Science Center; Mark Peifer , professor in the department of biology and member of the Lineberger Com- prehensive Cancer Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and Wilfred van der Donk , chair in chemistry at the University of

Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. These individuals will serve four-year terms on the council, offering advice and recommendations on NIGMS pro- grams and policies, as well as serving as the second level of peer review for NIGMS grant applications. National Library of Medicine: Patricia Flatley Brennan has been tapped to lead the National Library of Medicine, the world’s largest biomedi- cal library. Brennan is currently at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she is a professor at the School of Nursing and College of Engineering. Brennan has been a pioneer in the development of information systems for patients and in evaluating health IT architecture. Her new role begins this month. National Science Board: During its May meet- ing, the National Science Board (NSB), which serves as the governing body for the National Sci- ence Foundation, elected Maria Zuber , vice presi- dent for research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as chair and Diane Souvaine , vice provost for research at Tufts University, as vice chair. They replace Dan Arvizu and Kelvin Droege- meier , who rotated off the board after serving 12 years, the last four as chair and vice chair, respec- tively. Zuber is in her fourth year on the board and has served on its Committee on Strategy and Budget, which advises on NSF’s strategic direc- tion and reviews the agency's budget submissions. Souvaine is in her second term on the NSB and has served as chair of its Committee on Strategy and Budget, chair of its Committee on Programs and Plans, and as a member of its Committee on Audit and Oversight, all of which provide strategic direction, oversight, and guidance on NSF projects and programs. Board members serve six-year terms, and are eligible to have their appointment renewed once.

Apply to be the 2017-2018 BPS Congressional Fellow! Are you interested in working on Capitol Hill and learning more about science policy? The BPS is now accepting applications for the 2017-2018 Fellowship year. All members who have obtained their PhD and are eligible to work in the United States may apply.

Application deadline: December 15, 2016 Visit www.biophysics.org for additional information.