July 1-September 30, 2021

Every day FASEB brings real value to its members. Here are just a few recent initiatives that demonstrate our dedication to you and your society members. Spread the word and share this information with your leadership and staff. 

Anticipating Your Members' Needs for Managing Their Data

NIH’s Policy for Data Management and Sharing, which takes effect in 2023, will have a major impact on your members’ federally funded research that results in the generation of scientific data. To help your members comply with the new policy, FASEB launched DataWorks!. This new initiative is designed to bring your researchers together to address some common concerns around openly sharing data.  FASEB DataWorks! comprises four components—a series of salons to foster community conversations that explore data reuse barriers and solutions, a Fellows program to help researchers and teams hone their data management and sharing skills and mentor their peers in data reuse strategies, a data help desk and knowledgebase to offer guidance on data-sharing policies and practices, and an annual grand challenge prize to recognize research teams that accelerate discovery through data sharing and reuse. The components will launch incrementally, starting with data salons in Q4 of this year. Want to schedule a FASEB DataWorks! introductory presentation for your members or staff? Email us.

Helping You Enhance Your Postdoc Community 

FASEB entered into a partnership with the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) to provide your society with the opportunity to become an NPA Sustaining Member. Key NPA priorities include advocating for postdocs; championing and modeling greater diversity, equity, and inclusion; and promoting member career and professional development. Through this partnership, your postdocs can connect and network with fellow NPA members; gain access to members-only web content; receive NPA’s monthly newsletter, The POSTDOCket; and more. Inquire about membership for your society.

Seeking Opportunities for You to Engage with FASEB 

Exploratory work continues with the Member Engagement and Communications Task Forces. The task forces are exploring how FASEB can work more collaboratively with your society and create greater awareness of your society’s activities and programs. Your communications staff, executive officers, and science policy staff viewpoints on communications and member engagement were solicited through a series of interviews and surveys. We thank all who took part in these interviews and surveys. FASEB staff and task force members are analyzing this feedback and preparing recommendations for the December FASEB Board meeting. Have questions about the task forces in the meantime? Email us.

Rallying for Medical Research

FASEB Board and Science Policy Committee members, representing many member societies, participated in congressional visits as part of the 2021 Rally for Medical Research Capitol Hill Day. FASEB rally participants met with Congressional staff to advocate for continued investments supporting biological and biomedical research. Rally participants specifically urged legislators to provide NIH with at least $46.4 billion in FY 2022, a $3.5 billion increase, as well as a minimum of $10 billion in emergency supplemental funding to support research impacted by the pandemic. View FASEB’s FY 2022 funding recommendations.

Supporting Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion

A diverse workforce—one that represents a stronger, broader, and deeper talent pool—drives success for both FASEB and your society. FASEB expanded its staff to enhance the newly implemented Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion Program. The additions of a DEAI coordinator and program manager will support the launch of the program’s initial offerings, which include reverse mentoring, family care awards, and recruitment programs—all of which will be available for your members in early 2022.

Bringing the Science to Your Members

The FASEB Science Research Conferences (SRC) Series continued to easily and conveniently provide your members with a cross-translational application of their science. These resourceful and engaging conferences covered such topics as epigenomics, hematologic malignancies, calcium cell signals, the understudied druggable proteome, and more, with nearly 1,200 attendees in this quarter. If you want to demonstrate your commitment to providing your members with opportunities to share and explore research specific to your society’s field in the life sciences, consider collaborating with FASEB to host a Science Research Conference. Email us.

 Providing a Forum for Your Meeting Planners

Planning season is approaching for many of your 2022 conferences. Are your meeting planners familiar with shared terminology around in-person, hybrid, on-demand, and online conference components? Is your society verifying vaccinations for your conference?  If so, how? These were some of the issues addressed at the FASEB Meeting Planner Forum. The forum, held monthly, enables your staff to discuss meeting- and conference-related topics, share ideas, compare best practices, and learn from each other. If your meeting planner is interested in joining the forum, email us.  

Did You Know?

The Washington Update e-newsletter offers an insider’s view on the legislative process, the latest science policy and regulatory news, and updates from FASEB’s Office of Public Affairs. Ensure your members and volunteers get FASEB’s science policy and advocacy news delivered straight to their emailbox. Tell them to subscribe to Washington Update.