December 2018
On December 3, the Federation of Associations in Behavioral and Brain Sciences (FABBS), of which AERA is a founding member, held its 2018 Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. The conference brought together brain and behavioral scientists representing scientific societies and member publishers to learn about and discuss federal funding and policies impacting brain and behavioral science.
FABBS President Nora Newcomb (Temple University) welcomed attendees and FABBS Executive Director Paula Skedsvold provided an update on association activities. Skedsvold, who has led FABBS for over a decade, is stepping down at the end of this year. Juliane Baron, AERA Director of Government Relations, will be taking her place starting in January.
Attendees heard from leaders at the three federal agencies most active in supporting brain and behavioral sciences. Arthur (Skip) Lupia, head of the National Science Foundation’s Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences Directorate, discussed challenges and opportunities facing the agency. James Gnadt, Systems and Computational Neuroscience Program Director at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, shared an update on the status of the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) BRAIN Initiative and plans for its next phase. Elizabeth Albro, commissioner of the National Center for Education Research, shared an overview of new developments at the Institute of Education Sciences.
The meeting also featured presentations by Kathleen Hall Jamieson (Annenberg Public Policy Center) on scientists’ engagement with the media, Brian Nosek (Center for Open Science) on adapting the open science framework for NIH registration and reporting, and Elissa Newport (Georgetown University) on creating academic environments that minimize sexual harassment.
FABBS promotes human potential and well-being by advancing the sciences of mind, brain, and behavior; promoting scientific research and training in these fields; educating the public about the contributions of research to the health and well-being of individuals and society; fostering communication among scientists; and recognizing scientists who have made significant contributions to building knowledge.