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Funding Plant Biology in Hard Times 5 Days by RICHARD DIXON in Austin University of North Texas, Denton Enjoy The May/June 2016 • Volume 43, Number 3 p. 7 p. 14 p. 25 ASPB Announces ASPB; Making a 2016 Summer 2016 Awards Difference in 2015 Undergraduate Research Fellows THE NEWSLETTER OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF PLANT BIOLOGISTS President’s Letter Funding Plant Biology in Hard Times 5 Days BY RICHARD DIXON in Austin University of North Texas, Denton Enjoy the ’m not sure that I know When I moved to the United Outdoors any research scientist who States in 1988 and started to Iwouldn’t claim that fund- participate on federal grant ing is tight these days. With panels, I was impressed by It’s All About historically low success rates their relatively broad remit, the Food at federal agencies, industry as the system from which I consolidating and pulling had just moved had recently back from supporting science become more difficult to Music Lover’s in the public sector, and state maneuver—only Arabidopsis funding for public universities one year, something else the Paradise no longer what it used to be, next. Although discipline times are hard. Several of the specific, the programs at federal programs that have Rick Dixon USDA and NSF did not spec- Annual been staples for funding plant ify more circumscribed areas biology in the past now have success rates but in large part allocated funding based on Party of less than 10%; this seems a far cry from the best science. Furthermore, most of the the days when I was on panels that funded grants in those days were single investigator around 35% of proposals, some as merit- grants, and if you made good progress, you President’s based awards in which a proposal from a could hopefully count on continued fund- Symposium lab that had shown a strong track record in ing that would see you through your tenure the past would, rightly or wrongly, undergo evaluation and beyond. a fairly cursory review for renewal. Now it A politically more sophisticated scientific is both hard to get into the game and just as community now lobbies for research initia- hard to maintain a large and productive lab. tives that translate into topic-specific calls Not only the level but also the focus of for funding. An unintended effect of this coverage starts on page 3 funding has undergone significant change. continued on page 6 Contents ASPB Council President Richard Dixon Immediate Past President, Chair Julian Schroeder President-elect Sally Mackenzie 1 President’s Letter Secretary Alice Harmon Treasurer; Chair, Board of Trustees C. Robertson McClung Plant Biology 2016 Elected Members Lisa Ainsworth Joe Kieber 3 5 Days in Austin Maureen McCann Chair, Membership Committee Jill Deikman 4 President’s Symposium Q&A with Rick Dixon Chair, Minority Affairs Committee Adán Colón-Carmona 5 Major Symposium-Developing Healthier Foods: Chair, Publications Committee Neil E. Olszewski Quality, Nutrition, and Molecular Gastronomy Chair, Women in Plant Biology Committee Marisa Otegui Chair, Education Committee Sarah Wyatt Chair, International Committee Tuan-Hua David Ho Chair, Science Policy Committee Patrick Schnable 7 ASPB Announces 2016 Awards Sectional Representatives 11 ASPB Members Elected to NAS Northeastern Section Peter Melcher Western Section Camille M. Steber 12 ASPB’s 2016 Women’s Young Investigator Travel Award Mid-Atlantic Section Hemayet Ullah Winners Announced Midwestern Section Ed Cahoon Southern Section Becca Dickstein 13 5th Pan-American Congress on Plants and BioEnergy Council members highlighted in blue also serve on the Board of Directors. 14 ASPB: Making a Difference in 2015 ASPB Staff Section News Chief executive officer Crispin Taylor, [email protected] Director of finance and administration Kim Kimnach, [email protected] 16 Midwestern Section Annual Meeting Report Executive and governance affairs administrator Sylvia Lee, [email protected] Accounts receivable and payable specialist Stephanie Liu-Kuan, [email protected] Where Are They Now? Senior staff accountant Jotee Pundu, [email protected] Director of meetings and events Jean Rosenberg, [email protected] 17 John S. Boyer Conference coordinator Stacy Loewentritt, [email protected] Director, digital strategy and member services Susan Cato, [email protected] Digital project manager Chris Mayfield, [email protected] Science Policy Manager, member services Shoshana Kronfeld, [email protected] Meetings, marketing, and membership assistant Melanie Binder, [email protected] 19 Policy Update Legislative and public affairs director Tyrone Spady, [email protected] Executive coordinator, Plant Science Natalie Henkhaus, [email protected] 21 Reach Out to Your Senators and Representatives During Research Network the August Congressional Recess Education coordinator Katie Engen, [email protected] Director of publications Nancy A. Winchester, [email protected] 21 Science Policy Committee Meets in Washington, DC Publications assistant Diane McCauley, [email protected] Subscriptions manager Suzanne Cholwek, [email protected] Education Forum Subscriptions assistant Linda Palmer, [email protected] Managing editor Patti Lockhart, [email protected] 23 White House Easter Egg Roll 2016: Science writer, Plant Physiology Peter Minorsky, [email protected] #Let’s Celebrate … Plants! Production manager, Plant Physiology Jon Munn, [email protected] Manuscript manager, Plant Physiology Ashton Wolf, [email protected] 25 Announcing the 2016 Summer Undergraduate Senior features editor, The Plant Cell Nan Eckardt, [email protected] Research Fellows (SURF) Features editor, The Plant Cell Mary Williams, [email protected] Production manager, The Plant Cell Susan Entwistle, [email protected] New Staff Manuscript manager, The Plant Cell Annette Kessler, [email protected] The ASPB News is distributed to all ASPB members and is also available online. It is pub- lished six times annually in odd-numbered months. Its purposes are to keep membership 28 Chris Mayfield informed of ASPB activities and to reinforce the value of membership. The ASPB News is edited and produced by ASPB staff from material provided by members and other interested parties. Obituary Copy deadline is the 5th day of the preceding even-numbered month (for example, April 5 for May/June publication). 29 Chu-Yung Lin Contact: Nancy A. Winchester, Editor, ASPB News, 15501 Monona Drive, Rockville, MD 20855-2768 USA; [email protected]; 301-296-0904. © 2016 American Society of Plant Biologists 2 ASPB NEWS | MAY/JUNE 2016 5 Days in Austin Day Day If you are coming to Austin for 3 5 Plant Biology 2016, by now you have likely made your Day Music Lover’s Paradise President’s Symposium airline and hotel reservations. Austin’s music scene continues Make the most of the last day 1 to evolve, and great places to of the meeting by attending So What’s Next? listen are within walking dis- the President's Symposium, A good first step is to make a Enjoy the Outdoors tance of the Convention Cen- organized by ASPB President plan for the sessions, posters, Register early. Registration is ter and your hotel. Check out Rick Dixon, “Plant Specialized and exhibitors you want to open Friday, July 8, from 2:00 the music venues in nearby Metabolism Overview.” One of see (https://www.eventscribe. p.m. until 6:00 p.m. and begin- Austin neighborhoods (http:// four major priorities in ASPB’s com/2016/ASPB/). If you’re not ning at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, www.austintexas.org/visit/ Decadal Vision is to develop an ready to make a plan, explore July 9. entertainment-districts/). understanding of the synthesis your options: for example, join and biological purposes of If you’re not attending an early the discussion about the meet- plant-derived chemicals. Plant session, take a walking tour ing on Plantae.org, check out specialized metabolism has, around downtown Austin the interview with Harry Klee for many years, been treated (http://bit.ly/1l2ba4T). Then, about his symposium on de- Day as a specialized subject not if you have time one evening, veloping healthier foods (see of general interest to plant walk over to the Congress 4 page 5), or start letting others scientists, of broad relevance Avenue Bridge and see the know your plans to attend and to plant biology, or attractive bridge bats, a famous Austin Annual Party your interests at #plantbio16. to funding agencies. This situa- tourist attraction (http://bit. Beginning June 30, you can As the meeting nears its end, tion is now changing. The 2016 ly/1SyF2Rq). download the conference app you’ll have met new colleagues, President’s Symposium will to connect with colleagues planned some collaborations, highlight aspects of plant spe- and friends. attended great science sessions, cialized metabolism that relate and shared your ideas at the to broader aspects of biology, You’ll have free time before and ASPB Town Hall. Now it’s time namely genome organization, after the sessions, and Austin is a Day to celebrate! The Austin Nines evolution, ecology, and exploi- perfect place for foodies, history 2 band returns for this year’s tation for bio-based products. buffs, music lovers, and outdoor annual party. (If you were in fans. So here is a suggested Portland or Minneapolis, you Also, make plans to attend the itinerary, but you can check out It’s All About the Food know how great they are.) The Post-transcriptional Gene Regu- http://365thingsaustin.com/ and By now, the meeting is in full venue for the 2016 annual party lation in Plants meeting on July create your own plans. In addi- swing, but you have to eat, is Speakeasy, just a few blocks 14–15 at the Austin Conven- tion, watch for regular updates so try some of the great food from the Convention Center, tion Center. You can attend on new and interesting things to the city has to offer. There with a music lounge, bowling two great meetings with one do in Austin at #plantbio16 and are many different cuisines alley, and pool table spread over trip! Registration and abstract on the conference app.
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