BIOPHYSICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER
7
NOVEMBER
2014
awards, the ratio of awards to new/established
investigators, both before and after the implementa-
tion of MIRA, and changes in R01 renewal rates
from year-to-year. While the goal of the program
is to decrease the grant application burden on both
investigators and reviewers, increase flexibility and
funding stability, and better distribute limited re-
sources, only careful evaluation of the program will
illustrate whether that happens.
NIGMS plans to issue a funding opportunity an-
nouncement for the program in early 2015 and
issue the first MIRA awards in FY 2016. The
Institute has stated that it does plan to evaluate the
program and expand it if it is found to be successful.
BPS Submits Comments on
OSTP Strategy for American
Innovation
The Office of Science and Technology Policy
(OSTP) and the National Economic Council
(NEC) are currently at work updating the Strategy
for American Innovation, which was originally
adopted in 2011 and was meant to “guide the
Administration’s efforts to promote lasting eco-
nomic growth and competitiveness through policies
that support transformative American innovation
in products, processes, and services and spur new
fundamental discoveries that in the long run lead
to growing economic prosperity and rising living
standards.” To help inform that process, OSTP and
NEC asked for input from the scientific community
and the public. The questions posed by the two or-
ganizations were broad in scope but asked individu-
als and organizations to provide ideas and examples
of what should be included in the updated strategy.
In response to that request, the Biophysical Society’s
Public Affairs Committee submitted comments,
which strongly stated that any innovation strategy
must include a strong commitment to funding
fundamental science research, even before applica-
tions for that knowledge are identified. The com-
ments submitted can be read in full on the Society’s
website. To read them go to "About Us", and select
"Newsroom".
International
Japan Education Ministry Seeks
Major Increase in STEM
Funding
The Education Ministry in Japan has asked the
government for an 18% increase for its science and
technology budget. This funding would support
several major facilities, including the SPring-8 syn-
chrotron and the SACLA X-ray free-electron laser.
With the additional funding, the facilities could
make upgrades and run for an additional 1000 and
750 hours, respectively, per year. A portion of this
funding would also be allocated for continuing study
into the proposed International Linear Collider. Ear-
lier this year, the Japanese government established
a committee to investigate the scientific case for the
facility, as well as the technical issues and cost associ-
ated with undertaking such a project. The proposed
budget increase will be presented to the legislature in
December.
Report Analyzes Cities of
Origin of International
Students in US
A recent report from the Brookings Institution
entitled
The Geography of Foreign Students in U.S.
Higher Education: Origins and Destinations
analyzes
where international students in the US on F-1 visas
are coming from and going to, at the city level.
Previous studies have focused on countries of origin
of international students, but not cities. The top five
hometowns for F-1 students are Seoul, South Korea;
Beijing, China; Shanghai, China; Hyderabad, India;
and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The study found that
the New York City metro area is the top destination
for international students coming to the US, while
the metro areas with the most dramatic increases in
numbers of international students in recent years
include Corvallis, Oregon; Dayton, Ohio; and Tus-
caloosa, Alabama.
