Biophysical Society Newsletter - July 2015

8

BIOPHYSICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER

2015

JULY

Public Affairs

NIGMS Establishes Center for Research Capacity Building The National Institute of General Medical Sci- ences (NIGMS), NIH, has established a new Center for Research Capacity Building (CRCB). The purpose of the new center is to serve as the hub for NIGMS capacity-building programs, which include the Institutional Development Award (IDeA), Support of Competitive Research (SCORE) and Native American Research Cen- ters for Health (NARCH). These programs were previously housed in a branch of the Institute’s Division of Training, Workforce Development, and Diversity (TWD). IDeA builds research capacities in states that historically have had low levels of NIH funding by supporting basic, clinical and translational research; faculty development; and infrastructure improvements. SCORE focuses on increasing the research competitiveness of faculty at institu- tions that have a historical mission focused on serving students from underrepresented groups. And NARCH supports research, research train- ing, and faculty and infrastructure development through partnerships between American Indian/ Alaska Native tribes or tribally based organizations and academic institutions that conduct intensive biomedical research. “The new organizational structure will allow for more efficient planning, coordination, and execu- tion among the research, research training and research resource access activities of these impor- tant programs,” said NIGMS Director Jon Lorsch in a press release. W. Fred Taylor , who has served as chief of the TWD’s Capacity Building Branch since 2013 and as director of the IDeA program since 1998 is serving as the Center’s acting director. NIGMS Names New Division Director NIGMS has announced that Alison Gammie will join NIGMS as the director of the Division of Training, Workforce Development, and Diversity

NSF Releases Science Communication Guide

In its ongoing effort to help the public under- stand the importance of the research it funds, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has created an online toolkit that offers step-by-step instruc- tions to assist NSF grantees with communicating research findings to the public. The online guide explains whom at NSF a grantee should contact for assistance, the different communication meth- ods available, and tips. The guide can be found at https://prezi.com/qws7oictyrx8/science-communi- cation-toolkit-for-principal-investigators/. Bipartisan Biomedical Research Caucus Formed in the Senate In May 5, Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) launched the Senate NIH Caucus, a new bipartisan group that will offer an opportunity for senators to educate their colleagues about the importance of the nation’s biomedical research agency. As stated in a “dear colleague” letter sent to all members of the Sen- ate, the goal of the caucus is to “seek a bipartisan strategy to restore the purchasing power that NIH has lost and provide steady, predictable growth for biomedical research in the future.” Caucuses are formed in both the House and Senate, so that members that share an interest in particular policy areas can raise awareness of those issues and work together on related legislation. All senators are welcome to join the new NIH caucus. Biophysical Society members are encour- aged to ask their members to join the caucus via the Society’s online advocacy center at www.bio- physics.org/Policy/AdvocacyAction/TakeAction/ tabid/5202/Default.aspx.