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Month: July 2009

DoE Announces New Grant Program for Young Faculty

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The U.S. Department of Energy has released a new grant solicitation focused on providing support for early-career investigators. The program is the result of a AAAS report entitled Advancing Research in Science Education recommendation, which states that two essential keys to scientific achievement in the U.S. are funding early-career scientists as well as high-risk high-impact research. DoE has addressed the latter with funding for its new Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). Both the new grant program outlined below and ARPA-E are funding through the Recovery Act.

Solicitation Description:   The Office of Science of the Department of Energy hereby invites grant applications for support under the Early Career Research Program in the following program areas: Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR); Biological and Environmental Research (BER); Basic Energy Sciences (BES), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES); High Energy Physics (HEP), and Nuclear Physics (NP). The purpose of this program is to support the development of individual research programs of outstanding scientists early in their careers and to stimulate research careers in the areas supported by the DOE Office of Science.

Letter of Intent Due Date: 08/03/2009 by 04:30 PM Eastern Time
Application Due Date: 09/01/2009

Full DoE Grant Announcement

NIH Issues New Stem Cell Research Guidelines

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Yesterday, July 6th, the National Institutes of Health issued new guidelines for the use of embryonic stem cells in research. The new guidelines reflect feedback received during a public comment period. Several higher education associations have praised NIH for addressing concerns with the initial draft guidelines.

SUMMARY: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is hereby publishing final “National Institutes of Health Guidelines for Human Stem Cell Research” (Guidelines).

On March 9, 2009, President Barack H. Obama issued Executive Order 13505: Removing Barriers to Responsible Scientific Research Involving Human Stem Cells. The Executive Order states that the Secretary of Health and Human Services, through the Director of NIH, may support and conduct responsible, scientifically worthy human stem cell research, including human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research, to the extent permitted by law.

These Guidelines implement Executive Order 13505, as it pertains to extramural NIH-funded stem cell research, establish policy and procedures under which the NIH will fund such research, and helps ensure that NIH-funded research in this area is ethically responsible, scientifically worthy, and conducted in accordance with applicable law. Internal NIH policies and procedures, consistent with Executive Order 13505 and these Guidelines, will govern the conduct of intramural NIH stem cell research.

EFFECTIVE DATE: These Guidelines are effective on July 7, 2009.

SUMMARY OF PUBLIC COMMENTS ON DRAFT GUIDELINES: On April 23, 2009 the NIH published draft Guidelines for research involving hESCs in the Federal Register for public comment, 74 Fed. Reg. 18578 (April 23, 2009). The comment period ended on May 26, 2009.

The NIH received approximately 49,000 comments from patient advocacy groups, scientists and scientific societies, academic institutions, medical organizations, religious organizations, and private citizens. The NIH also received comments from members of Congress. This Notice presents the final Guidelines together with the NIH response to public comments that addressed provisions of the Guidelines.

Full NIH Guidelines on Embryonic Stem Cell Research

This Week on Capitol Hill, July 6-10

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Monday, 7/6

In the Senate:

  • The Senate will resume consideration of a Legislative Branch appropriations bill (HR 2918).  Vote on final passage is expected today.
  • Appropriations subcommittee will mark up draft legislation for FY10 appropriations for Military Construction and Veterans Affairs.
  • Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions will mark up draft legislation for Affordable Health Choices Act.

The House is not in session.

 Tuesday, 7/7

In the Senate:

  • Full Committee on Appropriations will mark up legislation for FY10 for Agriculture and Military Construction-Veterans Affairs.
  • Subcommittee of Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs will hold a hearing on “Public Transit and Climate Change.”

 In the House:

  • Will convene at 2:00 pm to consider several measures under suspension of the rules.
  • The Full Committee on Appropriations will mark up FY 2010 appropriations for Energy and Water, and Financial Services.

Wednesday, 7/8

In the Senate:

  • Appropriations Subcommittees will mark up legislation for FY10 for Energy and Water Development and Financial Services.
  • Full Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation will mark up bills on transportation, technology, and environment
  • Finance Committee will hold a full committee hearing on “International Trade, Climate Change.”

Thursday, 7/9

In the House:

  • Will convene at 10:00 am to consider HR 2997, Fiscal 2010 Agriculture Appropriations.

 Friday, 7/10

In the House:

  • Will convene at 9:00 am and is expected to consider HR 3081, Fiscal 2010 State-Foreign Operations Appropriations, and HR 3082, Fiscal 2010 Military Construction-VA Appropriations.
  • Appropriations Subcommittee will mark up FY 2010 appropriations for Labor-HHS-Education.

 Source: CQ Today