Biophysical Society Newsletter | January 2017

7

BIOPHYSICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER

2017

JANUARY

21 st Century Cures Act Becomes Law

Congress Passes Continuing Resolution through March With the election of Republican President-Elect Trump , the Republican-controlled Congress passed a second continuing resolution (CR) funding the federal government through April 28, 2017 at FY 2016 levels rather than a full year budget that would require the approval of President Obama . The CR does add $352 million to the NIH budget dur- ing that time period to allow NIH to begin to implement the initiatives approved by the 21st Century Cures Act. The Ad Hoc Group for Medi- cal Research sent a letter to leaders of the House and Senate in November urging them to pass a final FY 2017 spending package by the end of the calendar year, and to include the Senate-proposed $34.1 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in that package. The Biophysical Society signed the letter along with 228 other organizations. The short-term funding measures make it difficult for agencies to plan and make awards, not know- ing what their budgets actually will be. This has a negative impact on grantees whose funding for continuing grants is reduced during the period of uncertainty, and for those seeking renewals or new funding that is usually delayed.

House and Senate health committee leaders came to agreement over the Thanksgiving holiday on a revised 21st Century Cures Act. The bill provides NIH with $4.8 billion for FY 2017-2026, including $1.4 billion for the Precision Medicine Initiative, $1.564 billion for the BRAIN Initiative, $1.802 billion for cancer research, and $30 million to expand clinical research for regenerative medicine using adult stem cells. Other sections of the bill focus on easing regulations at the Food and Drug Administration for drug approval and provide fund- ing to combat the prescription opioid and heroin epidemic. The research funding is not as much as in the original bill passed by the House in 2015 and requires yearly congressional approval for the funds to be released. The bill was approved by an over- whelming majority in the House and Senate, and signed by the President before Congress adjourned for the year. The Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research, of which the BPS is a member, issued a statement supporting the NIH provisions.

2017 Summer Research Program in Biophysics Interested in interdisciplinary science? Want to work in the fast growing area of biomedical research? Looking to learn new techniques through hands-on lab experience this summer? If so, then check out the Biophysical Society’s Summer Research Program in Biophysics, an 11-week scholarship program that introduces underrepresented* students to the field of biophysics. The program includes lectures, seminars, lab work, team-building activities and field trips.

See what past students have to say...

May 9 – July 28, 2017 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Priority Application Deadline: February 15, 2017

“…this has been the most useful and wonderful summer of my college career. Not only have I learned academically, I have built multiple bridges that can only benefit me in the future.”

“I learned new lab techniques as well as worked on the project inde- pendently. I was able to complete my own experiments and when I had questions or hit a snag, my mentor was available to help.”

To apply and for more information visit the program webpage at www.biophysics.org. For questions, email Daniel McNulty at dmcnulty@biophysics.org, or call 240-290-5611.

*Financially disadvantaged individuals, students with disabilities, and individuals who have been found to be underrepresented in biomedical or behavioral research are eligible to apply. Nationally, these individuals include, but are not limited to: African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans/Alaska Natives who maintain tribal affiliation or community attachment, Hawaiian Natives and natives of the US Pacific Islands. Individuals with disabilities are defined as those with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.