A Publication of The American Physiological Society Integrating the Life Sciences from Molecule to Organism THE Volume 45, Number 1 Physiologist February 2002 FASEB Federal Funding Consensus Conference Executive Summary Our investment in scientific research proposals. search program. This effort should has contributed substantially to our FASEB advocates a return to the com- include an increase in the number of health and quality of life. We have made mitment to double the NSF budget and meritorious proposals funded, the addi- tremendous progress in the battle recommends that the NSF budget for FY tion of a second annual review cycle, against disease and now enjoy longer, 2003 be increased by at least 15 percent, expansion of the ground-based research healthier lives. With the power of the new to $5.5 billion. program to support the OBPR flight pro- discoveries in genetics, we stand on the United States Department gram and to prepare for utilization of the threshold of even more profound under- of Agriculture (USDA) International Space Station and expan- standing of basic biological processes FASEB supports increasing funding sion of outreach activities to enlist, train which will, in turn, dramatically enhance for the National Research Initiative and retain outstanding investigators. our abilities to prevent, treat and cure Competitive Grants Program to at least FASEB recommends an annual disease. $200 million. This amount would be a sig- increase of $100 million for OBPR s bio- The past year has also seen the rise of nificant step toward bringing the pro- logical research programs to be used to new threats to our security. Protection gram closer to its authorized level of $500 enhance investigator-initiated, peer- against bioterrorism has become a major million. reviewed life sciences research opportu- national priority. Due to our previous FASEB recommends that funding for nities. investments in research, the scientific the National Needs Fellowship Grants be (continued on page 3) community was able to immediately con- increased to $5 million and the Higher tribute to the nation s response to this Education Challenge Grants increased to new threat. Much more remains to be $6 million. done, and we stand ready to do our part. FASEB supports development of mech- Inside this issue... Scientific research must be an essential anisms that would enable the Initiative component in our plans to meet the chal- for Future Agriculture and Food Systems APS Council Holds Fall Meeting lenges of the 21st century. to become a stable source of research in Virginia In this report, the Federation of funds. p. 5 American Societies for Experimental Department of Energy (DOE) Biology (FASEB), on behalf of its 21 FASEB recommends a budget of $3,668 Blaustein Receives ACDP member societies representing more than million for DOE s Office of Science in FY Distinguished Service Award 60,000 scientists, offers its view of imme- 2003 for work that addresses important diate research opportunities for scientific national needs in basic energy sciences p. 7 and medical advancement and provides and to augment important core pro- fiscal year 2003 funding recommenda- grams, enhance utilization of major Ohio Physiological Society tions for the biomedical and life sciences research facilities, develop the next gen- Annual Meeting Report portfolios of seven federal agencies. eration of scientific tools and strengthen p. 8 National Institutes of Health (NIH) research and education at US universi- FASEB recommends an appropriation ties. NIH Issues New Graduate Student of $27.3 billion for NIH in FY 2003. This FASEB supports the establishment of Compensation Policy will achieve the goal of doubling the NIH the position of Under Secretary of p. 17 budget within five years. Science and Energy Research. National Science Foundation (NSF) National Aeronautics and Space FASEB supports a major increase in Administration (NASA) Experimental Biology the average size and duration of NSF FASEB recommends that the Office of 2002 Program grants. Biological and Physical Research (OBPR) p. 20 FASEB supports funding more of the give the highest priority to expanding its most meritorious yet currently unfunded investigator-initiated, peer-reviewed re- 1 Published bimonthly and distributed by THE The American Physiological Society 9650 Rockville Pike Bethesda, Maryland 20814-3991 PhysiologistVolume 45 Number 1 ISSN 0031-9376 February 2002 John E. Hall President Gerald F.DiBona Past President Contents Barbara A. Horwitz President-Elect Martin Frank FASEB Federal Funding 107th Congress Tackles Editor and Executive Director Consensus Conference Domestic Terrorism 18 Councillors Executive Summary 1 Senate Abandons Farm Relief Kim E. Barrett, Hannah V.Carey, Effort; Puppy Protection Douglas C. Eaton, Joseph R. Haywood, Creating a Better Mousetrap! Amendment Waits in Wings 18 Steven C. Hebert, Jo Rae Wright A Matter of Opinion 3 Experimental Biology 2002 Ex Officio APS News Distinguished Lectureships 20 Dale J. Benos, Mordecai P.Blaustein, APS Council Holds Fall Meeting 5 Schedule of Sessions 22 Robert G. Carroll, APS and International Outreach 6 Poster Sessions 27 Curt Sigmund, Celia D. Sladek Blaustein Receives ACDP Sections Special Functions 29 Distinguished Service Award 7 Committee Meetings 30 Publications Committee: Chairman:Dale Publications Special Functions 31 J. Benos; Members: David H.Alpers, Hershel Chapter News Raff, Richard A. Murphy, James A. Schafer. Ohio Physiological Society Positions Available 32 Director of Publications:Margaret Reich. Annual Meeting Report 8 Design and Copy Editor:Joelle R. News From Senior Grossnickle. Membership Physiologists 38 Subscriptions: Distributed to members as New Regular Members 9 part of their membership. Nonmembers in the USA: individuals $50.00; institutions New Student Members 10 Book Reviews 41 $75.00. Nonmembers in Canada and New Affiliate Members 11 Mexico: individuals $55.00; institutions Books Received 42 $80.00. Nonmembers elsewhere: individu- Publications als $60.00; institutions $85.00.Single copies APS s Legacy to Science 12 People & Places and back issues when available, $15.00 Fellows Steps Down, Campbell each; single copies and back issues of APS Web News Named Interim Head of Abstracts issues when available, $25.00. Subscribers to The Physiologist also receive The Popularity of the APS Physiology, Biophysics 43 abstracts of the Conferences of the Website Continues to Grow 12 American Physiological Society. Announcements The American Physiological Society Education New APS Membership Benefit: assumes no responsibility for the state- APS Undergraduate Fellow Free Access to All APS Online ments and opinions advanced by contribu- Receives Rhodes Scholarship 13 Journals 45 tors to The Physiologist. Lake Cumberland Biological Deadline for submission of material for Public Affairs Transport Group Meeting 45 publication: Jan. 10, February issue; March Rats, Mice and Birds Rule 10, April issue; May 10, June issue; July 10, Delayed Further 14 Scientific Meetings August issue; Sept. 10, October issue; Nov. Activists Funding Remains and Congresses 46 10, December issue. Strong; PCRM, PETA Hide Please notify the central office as soon as Fundraising Costs 15 APS Membership possible if you change your address or telephone number. Congress Finalizes 2002 Budgets 16 Application 47 AAHRPP Forming Human Headquarters phone: 301-530-7164 Accreditation Site Visit Teams 17 APS Conference Program 49 Fax: 301-571-8305 Email: [email protected] NIH Issues New Graduate Physiological Genomics of http://www.the-aps.org Student Compensation Policy 17 Cardiovascular Disease: Printed in the USA From Technology to Physiology 2 The Physiologist Executive Summary Vol. 45, No. 1, 2002 (continued from page 1) Environmental Protection Agency the EPA to perform. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) (EPA) FASEB recommends that funding FASEB recommends that $404 mil- FASEB encourages the EPAs Office for the Science to Achieve Results lion be appropriated in FY 2003 for VA of Research and Development to attract (STAR) program be increased by $25 biomedical research, $33.5 million (a and retain talented scientists through million. nine-percent increase) over FY 2002. an expanded pre-doctoral, post-doctor- FASEB recommends that funding This should be the beginning of a sus- al and faculty exchange program. for the EPAs Office of Research and tained, multi-year investment. FASEB urges Congress to provide Development budget be increased to new funds for projects that it directs $664 million for FY 2003. ❖ A Matter of Opinion Creating a Better Mousetrap! On January 11th, HighWire Press, publishers that the content should be the development of the HighWire the producer of APS online journal given away. As a result of the discon- Public Library of the Sciences and sites, announced the launch of a new nect between the desires of PLoS and Medicine. The new site offers users and better mousetrap for the scientific the financial realities of publishing seamless, full-text access to nearly 300 community. Named the HighWire scientific journals online, very few highly cited journals, plus simultane- Library of the Sciences and Medicine publishers took PubMed Central up on ous, searchable access to all of [from http://highwire.stanford.edu, their offer. To date, only five estab- Medline. In addition, the portal pro- click on the link to try the beta ver- lished journals have content posted on vides access to the world s largest sion ], the site is designed to address PubMed