October 1–December 31, 2022

Examining the Role of Master's Degrees to Enable a Diverse Scientific Workforce

FASEB Board members, together with FASEB Science Policy Committee (SPC) members, took part in the SPC Symposium on October 25. The event focused on the value of master’s degrees in the STEM workforce and identified policy and advocacy areas to support master’s students. Discussion topics explored such issues as barriers to pursuing a master’s degree, fields and job functions where a master’s degree is beneficial compared to a bachelor’s or doctorate degree, gaps in master’s degree programs, and assistance to support full-time master’s students. Symposium keynote speakers included Mike Yamaner of the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics and Julia Kent and Enyu Zhou of the Council of Graduate Schools. 

 Supporting Open Science and Research Integrity

Many of your members are among a growing community of researchers who are using ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor Identifier) to distinguish themselves and their research contributions. Each researcher has a unique identifier, an ORCID, that differentiates their work from similarly named researchers. Adopting ORCID presents an opportunity to shift to a more centralized, verification process for tracking researchers' activities across publishing, funding, conferences, and volunteer activities. 

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Focusing on Priorities to Enhance Services to Your Society

The FASEB Board, which is made up of representatives from all FASEB Full member societies, continued to make direct impacts on our short- and long-term planning. At its meeting in December, the Board took action on several issues affecting your society and members, including approving bylaw amendments for a new vice president for Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (DEAI); approving a charter for the DEAI Committee; accepting recommendations from the Early-Career Representative Engagement Task Force; and approving the 2023 budget.
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 Examining the Impact of of Midterm Election Results on Science Policy and Funding

Individuals in Full member societies took part in an exclusive after-midterm webinar, “Election 2022: Unpacking the Results and the Impact on Science Funding and Policy.” The webinar examined the impact of the election results on the dynamics of the House and Senate, the likely direction of the new 118th Congress, changes anticipated on the Appropriations Committees, and what science advocates should do to prepare for fiscal year 2024. Greg Giroux and Brittney Washington of Bloomberg Government and Maureen Holohan of Federal Budget IQ were the featured speakers.

 Advancing a Culture of Data Sharing and Reuse

Sharing and reusing scientific data openly has tremendous potential to catalyze new scientific discoveries. We continued to highlight and advance a culture of data sharing and reuse for your members through the FASEB DataWorks! initiative:

• DataWorks! Salons—These interactive and engaging online conversation spaces have enabled your members to exchange ideas and design effective practices for data sharing and reuse within their own research teams. Discussions focused on how to select a repository and how to comply with the new NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy.
• DataWorks! Prize—Designed to incentivize innovative practices and increase community engagement around data sharing and reuse, we opened a round of crowd voting for Prize finalists and encouraged your members to vote for their favorite research teams. Two teams receiving the greatest number of votes cast will receive the DataWorks! Prize People’s Choice Award. Winners will be announced in the coming weeks.

Are your members concerned about sharing and reusing their scientific data? Schedule an informational session to learn more about how DataWorks! can help. 

Recognizing Your Members' Excellence and Innovation in Science

We continued our tradition of recognizing your members’ excellence and innovation in science with a call for nominations for the 2023 Excellence in Science Awards. Nominations were received in three categories: Lifetime Achievement, Mid-Career Investigator, and Early-Career Investigator. The awards honor outstanding women scientists who demonstrate commitment to the professional development of others, their scientific society, and the broader community. Women who are current members of a Full member society were eligible to be nominated for an award. Recipients will be announced in March.   

 Supporting Your Members Who Are Family Caregivers

Coinciding with National Family Caregivers Month in November, we announced the inaugural recipients of our CARES Awards. CARES provides financial support to alleviate financial burdens associated with caregiving, enabling your members to continue their scientific training, professional development, and career progression. The awardees represented several FASEB Full member societies, including the American Physiological Society, Society for Development Biology, Society for the Study of Reproduction, Association for Molecular Pathology, American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, American Society for Nutrition, and Endocrine Society. Each awardee received $5,000 based on their need.

Individual members at all Full member societies are eligible for a CARES award. Watch your emailbox; applications for the 2023 award cycle will be accepted beginning in March.

More Benefits to Share
Did you know your membership in FASEB helps your society influence the life sciences field?

• Full member societies can help shape legislation through RFIs, letters to Capitol Hill, and position statements.
• Both Full and Associate member societies can take part in strategic partnerships with other groups, such as the Science CEO Network.

See all member benefits