Letter From the President

I am a Community Engaged Researcher. I am also an Epidemiologist who does addiction research. My work has been so important to me because I feel it matters to real people so when funding is interrupted it could negatively impact community benefit. Over the years, I have seen the impacts of political issues on the work that we do. Some are negative and some are very positive. For example, in 2009 the government distributed a bounty of $8.2 Billion through the stimulus package (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act-ARRA) on top of the $30.3 Billion NIH allocation.  Projects that were “shovel ready” were funded in record speed. In addition, construction grants were given out and many a university did well with this funding mechanism. I was at Washington University at the time and was fortunate to get one of these and it facilitated years more of community engaged research.  That said, there are also times when NIH money is scarce, when pay lines are very competitive and when mechanisms dry up. Whenever there is an active debate on federal spending and research investment, there is a chance for reductions in NIH support and work stoppages. Temporary spending measures or “Continuing Resolutions”, allow operations to continue even though the final budgets are not yet approved by Congress or the President when the federal fiscal year starts. Without these Resolutions, the government could be shut down.  From 2010, one year after the ARRA bounty funding, through late 2022, there have been 47 Continuing Resolutions, ranging from 1 to 176 days; in 2014, 2018 and 2019 there was a complete government shutdown. Right now, the NIH does not have a final budget. However, there is strong bipartisan support for the NIH. The new Director of NIH has begun her position and is off to a great start. But in this phase of Q2 of the government Fiscal Year, it means there will be budget shortfalls. From reports we are getting it seems that most Institutes are focusing on their primary priorities. They are trying to maximize their efficiencies as they work to be good stewards of the remaining funds that they have. Like the NIH, all of us with grants are also working to be prepared, to meet fiscal challenges, and to utilize multiple contingencies as we wait to receive award notices, receive our non-competing year money etc.  I want to thank our funding agencies for being transparent, and for helping us navigate the Continuing Resolution, which is now slated to end March 8.  Sometimes, these crises motivate us to seek other research opportunities; sometimes they motivate us to conserve our efforts or expand our thinking. Whatever it is, I hope that ACTS Scientists, the communities we work in, our staff, our trainees, and our participants will be patient.  I hope we will be actively engaged with our congresspeople, and I hope that we all emerge stronger than ever. Keep those shovels handy—just in case!

News from the Hill

The 118th Congress convened earlier this month for its second session and largely picked up where unresolved items were left at the end of the first session. Most notably, Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 appropriations have not been completed and another short-term Continuing Resolution (CR) was enacted before the first tranche of agency funding was scheduled to run out on January 19th (which would have triggered a partial government shutdown).

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Register Now for Translational Science 2024

Early Bird has ended, but there is still time to register for Translational Science 2024! 

Taking place at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino April 3-5, with pre-meeting activities on April 2, TS24 will feature three days of informative scientific sessions and ample opportunities to network with an engaged community of trainees, junior faculty, and senior scientists. 

Register now to save your spot at the premier translational science and clinical research meeting, hosted for the first time in Las Vegas. Don’t miss the chance to bump shoulders with colleagues new and old. 

Career Center

The ACTS Career Center is the premier resource for connecting those in the field of translational science with career opportunities. Visit today to find a wealth of resources to help achieve your career goals.

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Translational Science Today

Abnormal proteins found in the spinal fluid of people with ALS and frontotemporal dementia

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health detected abnormal proteins in the spinal fluid of people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), which could help improve diagnosis of these diseases. The findings were published in Science Translational Medicine.

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