In This Issue… WINTER 2013 32 Focus2014 AAI on TravelPublic AwardAffairs: ■Applications Government Due Re-opens January 9 after 16-Day Shutdown 3 ■ Focus AAI Recognizeson Public Affairs 2013 ■ CouncilPublic Service Members Award Visit CapitolHonorees Hill, Extol Value 6 AAIof Council NIH Research Welcomes New ■Councillor Congressional JoAnne Budget Flynn 7 JoAnneAgreement L. Flynn’s Scales 2013 Back AAI Candidate’sSequestration Statement Cuts 8 ■Members Council inMembers the News Meet ■ withRandy NIAID Brutkiewicz Director ■ ■ AAIRuslan Public Medzhitov Policy ■ FellowsJoshua ObarProgram: 13 In Memoriam2014 Applications: Due YacovJanuary Ron, 26Ph.D. 146 AAIMembers Looks inBack the News 22 myIDP■ Elected Prepares to IOM: Trainees to TransitionJeff Bluestone to the “FinalRon Frontier” Germain 25 Re-Cap:Warren Summer Leonard 2013 AAI IntroductoryRuslan Medzhitov Immunology CourseGeorg Stingl 26 Re-Cap:■ Mariana Summer Kaplan 2013 AAI ■Advanced Gary Koretzky Immunology Course ■ Song Guo Zheng 28 AAI Members and Staff 14 Participate In Memoriam in 15th ICI 30 AAI■ Len Announces Herzenberg Tiered Awards for the 2014 ■ Trainee Redwan Abstract Moqbel Award 16 AAIProgram Looks Back: 32 GrantMary Hewitt& Award Loveless, Deadlines M.D. 3422 MeetingsOutreach Program& Events Update AAI Looks Back: 24 AAICalendar Welcomes New Members Continuing 28 2014 AAI Introductory, Advance Immunology Reflections Courses Announced on Immunology’s 29 Grant & Award Deadlines 30 Meetings & Events First Century Calendar Creating a Buzz: Remembering Mary Hewitt Loveless and Venom Therapy Page 16 FOCUS ON PUBLIC AFFAIRS AAI Councillors Advocate for NIH Funding on Capitol Hill Councillors Describe Value of Immunological Research delegation of nine AAI Council members Avisited Capitol Hill in December to describe the importance of immunological research and advocate for increased NIH funding. Councillors met with members or staff from 17 congressional offices (L-R) Arlene Sharpe, Marc Jenkins, Mitch Kronenberg, over the course of the day. The visits took place in JoAnne Flynn in front of the U.S. Capitol Building during the fall 2013 AAI Council Capitol Hill Day conjunction with the fall AAI Council meeting and occurred at an optimal time on Capitol Hill, when the budget conference committee was working to reach an agreement (see Congress Reaches Agreement, Passes Budget Which Reduces Sequestration Cuts, next page). Participants included AAI President Marc Jenkins, Past President Gail Bishop, Secretary-Treasurer Mitchell Kronenberg, and Councillors Dan Littman, Arlene Sharpe, Wayne Yokoyama, and JoAnne Flynn. Two ex officio Council members, AAI Publications Committee Chair Eugene Oltz and The Journal of Immunology Editor-in-Chief Pamela Fink, also participated. The Council members were accompanied (L-R) Marc Jenkins, Representative Scott Peters (D-CA, by AAI Committee on Public Affairs Chair Elizabeth 52nd), Mitch Kronenberg, JoAnne Flynn, Arlene Sharpe Kovacs, AAI Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs Lauren Gross, FASEB Director of Legislative Affairs Jennifer Zeitzer, and FASEB Legislative Affairs Analyst Meghan McCabe. Council’s message urging increased support for biomedical research and the NIH was well-received in most congressional offices. However, a number of Capitol Hill staffers cautioned that it will be difficult to provide significant funding increases to any agencies in the current fiscal climate. (L-R) Gail Bishop, Health Policy Director for Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) Rodney Whitlock, Gene Oltz, Pam Fink (L-R) Liz Kovacs, Marc Jenkins, Staff Director for the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee Adrienne (L-R) Gene Oltz, Legislative Assistant to Senator Claire Hallett, Gail Bishop, Health Policy Advisor to Senator McCaskill (D-MO) Colleen Bell, Wayne Yokoyama, Tom Harkin (D-IA) Andi Fristedt, Dan Littman JoAnne Flynn www.aai.org AAI Newsletter 3 FOCUS ON PUBLIC AFFAIRS (continued) Congress Reaches Agreement, Passes Budget Which Reduces Sequestration Cuts ongress has overwhelmingly approved a budget FY 2013 FY 2014 FY 2015 Cthat will eliminate about one-third of the spending reductions that would have been required under Pre-Sequestration $1.043 trillion $1.058 trillion $1.086 trillion Cap on sequestration over the next two years. The budget Discretionary agreement, formally known as the Bipartisan Budget Act Spending of 2013, was approved by the House of Representatives Post-Sequestration $986 billion (the $967 billion $995 billion (332–94) on December 12 and by the Senate (64–36) on Cap on actual level of Discretionary spending in FY December 18. President Obama signed the legislation Spending 2013) into law on December 26. Bipartisan N/A $1.012 trillion $1.014 trillion The agreement, which was announced on December Budget Act Cap on Discretionary 10 by Senate Budget Committee Chair Patty Murray Spending (D-WA) and House Budget Committee Chair Paul Ryan (R-WI, 1st), provides a broad blueprint for government Although agreeing on topline budget numbers spending but does not set specific spending levels for is an important step forward, the House and Senate federal government agencies, including NIH. Instead, Appropriations Committees still must develop a it sets overall discretionary spending levels for the next bipartisan plan to allocate those funds by January 15, two fiscal years: for FY 2014, it sets the discretionary 2014, when the current continuing resolution expires. spending cap at $1.012 trillion ($45 billion above the Instead of passing individual appropriations bills, sequester cap level of $967 billion but $46 billion lower Congress is likely to pass an omnibus appropriations than the pre-sequestration cap of $1.058 trillion). As bill that includes funding for most or all federal a result, science agencies likely will see an increase in departments, agencies, and programs. funding in FY 2014, though it is unlikely that any of the On December 18, FASEB sent an “e-action” alert agencies will return to their pre-sequestration spending urging recipients to contact their members of Congress levels. Very importantly, the agreement will enable to encourage them to support increased funding for departments and agencies to make strategic choices science agencies. AAI encourages all members to about where and how to make cuts instead of making respond to this alert to make sure that the voices of across-the-board cuts required by sequestration. biomedical researchers are heard on Capitol Hill. NIAID Director Anthony Fauci Briefs AAI Council n December 3, Anthony Fauci, AAI ’73, director programs. He also responded to concerns raised by Oof the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Council on numerous issues, including the impact Diseases (NIAID), continued his longstanding, annual of sequestration and the urgent need to allocate tradition of visiting with the AAI Council during the additional funding to R01s. Council’s fall meeting. Fauci was accompanied by Hugh Fauci reported that while the NIAID interim R01 Auchincloss, AAI ’83, NIAID principal deputy director, payline for FY 2014 had been set at the 6th percentile and Daniel Rotrosen, AAI ’03, director of the NIAID for established investigators and the 10th percentile Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Transplantation. for new and early-stage investigators, the final paylines Fauci briefed the Council on a variety of issues, could go up once a final appropriations agreement is including how NIH and NIAID were affected by the reached. He also noted that NIAID continues to set federal government shutdown, the current budget aside money for Bridge awards and selective pay. situation, and the status of recently launched NIH 4 AAI Newsletter Winter 2013 AAI Launches Fourth Year of Its To date, 30 AAI members have participated in the program, and AAI looks forward to welcoming up to 10 Public Policy Fellows Program new fellows next spring. Applications Accepted through January 26 For program details or to apply, please visit: http://aai.org/Public_Affairs/PPFP, or contact AAI AI President Marc K. Jenkins and AAI Committee Science Policy and Legislative Affairs Specialist Jake Aon Public Affairs Chair Elizabeth J. Kovacs recently Schumacher at [email protected]. Complete announced that AAI is accepting applications for the application packages are due by January 26, 2014. fourth year of its Public Policy Fellows Program (PPFP). The PPFP engages postdoctoral fellows and junior scientists in a year-long program that teaches how legislative and agency activities impact the conduct and funding of biomedical research and how AAI works on behalf of its members for the best possible outcome. Successful applicants have the opportunity to experience advocacy firsthand on a visit to Capitol Hill and learn more about key issues through public affairs programs at the AAI annual meeting. Except for these two travel experiences, fellows do not need to leave their institutions or labs. The AAI Committee on Public Affairs keeps fellows informed and engaged throughout the year. 2012 AAI PPFP Capitol Hill Day AAI Public Affairs ONLINE Visit us to s ,EARNABOUT.)(FUNDING s +EEPCURRENTONKEYPOLICY ISSUES s $ISCOVERHOWYOUCANHELP !!)INITSADVOCACYINITIATIVES 'OTOwww.aai.org ANDCLICKON Public Affairs. www.aai.org AAI Newsletter 5 Members in the News Five AAI Members Elected to Institute of Medicine AAI members Jeffrey Bluestone (AAI ’82), Ronald Germain Bluestone founded and was the first director of the (AAI ’78), Warren Leonard (AAI ’86), Ruslan Medzhitov