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October 1–December 31, 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. 

 Preparing for NIH Final Policy on Data Management and Sharing

Data management plans (DMPs) will soon be required for all NIH-funded research. To ensure your members are prepared for this requirement, FASEB hosted several programs as part of its DataWorks! initiative:  

  • Data salons, conversation spaces designed for the exchange of ideas to facilitate effective practices for data sharing and reuse, examined practical solutions for DMPs. FASEB kicked off its salon series by partnering with Openscapes to host “Team Spirit: Help Your Research Team Find Data Nirvana.” Participants explored the Openscapes mindset and solutions to working collaboratively in teams. Your members also had an opportunity to engage with NIH-funded researchers and explore the types of data they generate at the “What Should Be in My DMP?” salon. The “DataWorks! DMP Challenge” salon provided an opportunity for your members to review the basic components of a DMP, highlighted DMPTool as a free resource for developing DMPs, and introduced the DataWorks! DMP Challenge to reward exemplary DMPs in the biological and biomedical sciences.
  • FASEB also partnered with Openscapes to launch the DataWorks! Openscapes Champions program, a cohort-based professional development opportunity for research teams. Your members can apply for this two-month virtual program, which is designed to help teams establish shared, reproducible practices for data management and analysis. Team nominations are due by January 14.
  • FASEB partnered with the University of California Curation Center’s DMPTool to launch the DataWorks! DMP Challenge. Open through January 31, this competition seeks to spotlight DMPs that incorporate image data types, human subjects data, and big data into a template based on NIH requirements. Encourage your members to submit their DMP for a chance to win one of 10 Outstanding NIH DMSP awards, each of which includes a prize of $500.  

Want more information on how your staff can prepare your members for the upcoming NIH Policy on Data Management and Sharing? Schedule a FASEB DataWorks! introductory presentation for your members and staff.

Focusing on Priorities Affecting Your Society

The FASEB Board, which is made up of representatives from all FASEB Full Member societies, continued to make direct impacts on FASEB’s short- and long-term programs and investments. At its virtual meeting in December, the Board took action on several issues affecting you and your society, including member engagement, increased awareness of FASEB and its member societies, FASEB’s multiyear financial scenarios, and fiscal year 2023 federal agency funding recommendations. Read the full meeting summary
Advocating for FY 2022 Funding Bills

The important work of funding the U.S. Government for fiscal year (FY) 2022 remains unfinished. All federal agencies, including the research agencies, are operating under a continuing resolution until February 18. To address the urgent need to complete the FY 2022 budget, FASEB issued an action alert asking the biological and biomedical research community to contact their lawmakers. In response, advocates from 36 states sent more than 550 emails to members of Congress. They noted that funding delays are devastating to research progress and competitiveness. Continuing our advocacy outreach, FASEB sent a letter to congressional staff on the one-year anniversary of the attack on the U.S. Capitol offering our evidence-based materials and suggestions to help them to address the looming CR.

Partnering to Promote OneHealth

Based on the success of a joint session at a previous American Geophysical Union (AGU) meeting in 2020, FASEB again partnered with scientists at AGU to host another joint FASEB/AGU session on climate change effects on health and biosystems at AGU’s 2021 fall meeting. Convened by FASEB President Patricia L. Morris, with Past President Hannah V. Carey as co-convener, the session fostered a convergence of science by leveraging multidisciplinary, interactive partnerships among geoscientists, biologists, biomedical researchers, environmentalists, and others. Topics included state-of-the art analytical soil and water quality assessments; human health, biotic, and abiotic factors; damage to ecosystems; loss of biodiversity; and more. In addition, a FASEB Catalyst Conference on the nexus of soil and water quality on biodiversity, ecosystems, and health will be held  February 2-3.

Want to co-sponsor an event with FASEB and spotlight your society in a partnership opportunity? Email us

Championing Animal Research

The annual Science Policy Committee Symposium focused on championing animal research to sustain biomedical progress. An exclusive event for SPC members and FASEB Full Members, participants engaged with speakers representing academia, nonprofit, and industry perspectives. Together, they explored the importance of animal research and its role in improving human and animal health, as well as the limitations of nonanimal model systems. Among the presenters were Megan Lafollette, PhD, of North American 3Rs Collaborative; Amy Leblanc, DVM, PhD, of National Cancer Institute’s Comparative Oncology Program; and Frank Koegler, PhD, of Novo Nordisk. 

Furthering Our Commitment to DEAI

Your members are likely aware that biases exist in scholarly publishing. To further its commitment to diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI), FASEB Publications signed onto the Joint Commitment for Action on Inclusion and Diversity in Publishing. Joining more than 40 organizations that publish scholarly journals, FASEB and the other organizations collectively promise to better understand the research community; strive for more inclusive representation of authors, reviewers, and editorial decision-makers; and improve outcomes on inclusion and diversity, at all stages of the publishing process.

FASEB also continued to illustrate its commitment to DEAI through its postings about awareness months—some of which featured individual members from the Society for Redox Biology and Medicine and the American Physiological Society. Showcasing diversity in the biological and biomedical sciences, FASEB featured social media posts and news articles bringing awareness to scientists of Native American, Hispanic, Latino, Asian American, and Pacific Islander heritages. Want to share an inspiring story about your members? Email us

Enhancing Your Experience on FASEB.org

FASEB launched a redesigned website that offers intuitive site architecture, as well as a new look and style. The new site emphasizes the visitor experience and provides a streamlined, modern design; improved functionality; and resources to help support the informational needs of your society and your individual members, as well as prospective FASEB society members.

Specific additions on the site include new main navigation to help visitors find information quickly and easily; prominent imagery at the top of the homepage that showcases multiple events, reminders, programs; and new search features for FASEB events by year and type of event and Washington Update articles. Want to include your society’s meetings on FASEB.org? Email us

We thank Hannah V. Carey, FASEB Past President, and Shawn Boynes, Executive Director of the American Association for Anatomy, who donated their time to serve as executive sponsors of this initiative.

Did You Know?

  • FASEB Science Research Conferences (SRCs) enable your members to share their cutting-edge research. Featuring a mix of scientific lectures and poster sessions, SRCs provide a unique opportunity for early-career researchers to get one-on-one interaction with established scientists in formal as well as informal settings. Encourage your members to organize an SRC. Proposals for 2023 SRCs are due February 10.
  • In preparation for in-person 2022 SRCs, per our new vaccination policy, FASEB is now requiring all in-person conference participants to be vaccinated for COVID-19 and is establishing COVID-19 protocols. We will continue to evaluate what is needed to ensure your members are comfortable at the conferences.
  • The FASEB BioArt Scientific Image and Video Competition shines a spotlight on the beauty and wonder of biological research. Contestants in the 2021 competition included members from eight FASEB societies, as well as investigators, contractors, and trainees who have received federal funding. View the winning entries