ABRF Public Affairs

During 1997, the ABRF dramatically increased its public affairs activities. A frequently asked question is "What are public affairs?" For the most part, public affairs does not mean interacting with the citizen public, but working primarily with Congress and government agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health or the National Science Foundation, to improve the research environment. ABRF would like to be the organization that insures that extant and novel technology is available to biomedical research, by promoting actions in support of resource and research laboratories interested in biomolecular technologies. Of necessity, current ABRF public affairs efforts are focused on the United States, but it is hoped that actions taken here may positively influence policy decisions elsewhere as well. Similarly, scientists in nonprofit academic or research institutions, many of whom feel at risk in the present research environment, will be most directly impacted by policy efforts. However, actions taken to improve the quality of life of academic scientists will also have indirect positive benefits for resource laboratory scientists in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. Our interests and futures are linked.

The increase in ABRF public affairs activities was in part a result of joining the Federation of Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB). Through membership in FASEB, the ABRF participates in three public affairs groups. Tom Andersen represents the ABRF on the Public Affairs Executive Committee (PAEC), which develops policy positions on a variety of important issues. Among measures considered recently have been: cost accounting for research grants, taxation of graduate student stipends, scientific misconduct, and animal research issues. The PAEC has encouraged scientists to write letters in support of these issues through its BioInfoNet E-mail networking system, and prepares letters or testimony to be presented by the President of FASEB to Congress, or to other appropriate leaders in the executive branch. Together with several other large societies, a Unified Statement on Research, "A Decade of Investment", will soon be issued in support of increased funding for biomedical research.

Dave Speicher represents the ABRF on the Public Affairs Advisory Committee (PAAC), which studies specific issues identified by the PAEC and the FASEB president, and develops the information needed for position statements. Another ABRF member (Tony Hugli) is also on the PAAC representing the Protein Society. Special consensus conferences are sometimes convened in order to carry out these studies. For example, a Consensus Conference on Graduate Education was held in July of this year. The resulting report can be found at http://www.faseb.org/opar/educrpt.html.

The final FASEB activity in which the ABRF participates is the Federal Funding Consensus Conference (FFCC), which prepares funding recommendations, documentation, and testimony in support of annual appropriations bills for each federal agency that supports basic biomedical research. ABRF representatives this year are: Tom Andersen, Department of Energy panel; Ruth Angeletti, National Science Foundation panel; and Al Burlingame, National Institutes of Health panel. Two other ABRF members, John Smith and Ralph Bradshaw, are also participating in this year's FFCC representing the American Peptide Society and the ASBMB, respectively. While some of the issues developed may affect the ABRF membership only indirectly, participation in the process of improving the scientific environment in general will help us gain support for research infrastructure issues from the 52,000-member FASEB coalition. Since the ABRF is not yet a full voting member of FASEB, we can influence by the eloquence and persuasiveness of our arguments and the quality of our work.

The ABRF has also begun other policy initiatives independent of FASEB. An official response to the survey for developing a new strategic plan for the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) was sent to Dr. Judith Vaitukaitis, Director of the NCRR. This letter was well received by the staff at the NCRR, and was quoted extensively in the workbook summary prepared for the Strategic Planning Meeting, which was attended by ABRF members Al Burlingame and Ruth Angeletti. A letter supporting increased funding for mass spectrometers in the Shared Instrumentation Grant program was also sent to Dr. Louise Ramm, Deputy Director of the NCRR. Positions on other issues that can positively effect the livelihood of resource laboratories are also being studied.

All ABRF members are encouraged to be proactive, to write or E-mail congressional representatives at times when important science budget issues are being deliberated. From time to time, announcements of important issues will be distributed to the ABRF bulletin board and official electronic mailing list.

Almost all public policy efforts operate by consensus. Progress is often made in small increments over time. It is important that the ABRF as a society participate in these activities so that long term improvements which affect our members and the future of our laboratories will become a reality.

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