Biophysical Society Newsletter - August 2016

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BIOPHYSICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER 7
AUGUST 2016
$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 for additional information.