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Policy Briefing Room The Economy & the Postdoc
| The Economy and the Postdoc |
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The National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) often works behind the scenes on behalf of postdoctoral scholars. Visit this page often for updates. Transition Paper | The ARRA (Recovery Package) | NPA Response Government/Agency Recovery Sites and Comments
The Obama-Biden Transition Team In January, the NPA submitted a paper to the Obama-Biden Transition Team. The Executive Director was first author on the paper, and the Executive Committee reviewed and edited the paper. Follow this link to download the PDF: Obama-Biden Transition Team letter.
The NPA Applauds President Obama and Congress The NPA applauded President Obama and Congress for their funding of scientific research but stressed that they need to support the early-career scientist. Read more NPA.ARRA.Statement. UPDATE: The NIH has since encouraged early-stage investigators (ESIs) and new PIs to apply for the new NIH Recovery Challenge grants. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 and the Postdoctoral Scholar Download the actual, certified act here | Read the AAAS analysis of the stimulus bill here Read an article that summarizes the stimulus package Read the ARRA Article in the Spring 09 POSTDOCket President Obama's Recovery Plan Metrics Report has as one of its benchmarks: "Tripling the number of undergraduate and graduate fellowships in science, to help spur the next generation of home grown scientific innovation.” (Watch his address and read the report here.) Although fellowships for postdoctoral researchers are not implicit in this quote, can they be included? What does the ARRA mean for the postdoctoral community? How can postdoctoral scholars benefit? The challenges we have faced in garnering ARRA support for the postdoctoral community are related to the terminology used in the bill. For example, on February 25, 2009, the AAAS sent out a policy alert:
Another challenge is the fact that the stimulus bill is geared to create jobs---and many postdoc positions are not considered "jobs" but rather training positions. Again, the results depend on how Federal agencies are interpreting such language. We have been and are working on answering these questions, shaping this interpretation, and communicating with Federal agencies--within the guidelines of our mission, vision, and core values. We've had some lively discussions regarding the ARRA among the Board members and the Advocacy Committee in the past few months. We have drafted letters and have had conversations with representatives of Federal agencies and other key stakeholders. Note on stipends: Because of the ARRA wording, it is probable that stimulus funding will not be used for temporarily increasing NIH/NRSA stipends. The NPA strongly maintains that the promised permanent stipend increases are necessary, and the Advocacy Committee is working on a detailed plan to pursue the fulfillment of this promise more effectively.
UPDATE**UPDATEJune 1, 2009Read the ARRA Article in the Spring 09 POSTDOCket. May 4, 2009NIH Administrative Supplements appear to be the most direct support of postdoctoral scholars funded by ARRA to date. These supplements are intended, among other purposes, to maintain or create new staff positions, including those filled by postdoctoral scholars. CAUTION: Each NIH institute has established their own requirement/restrictions for these supplements. Click here to read more. Some NIH ARRA-supported grants, such as the Challenge grants and the GO grants, may benefit postdoctoral scholars, but only if the scholars are supported by their institutions. Postdoctoral scholars that receive a Challenge grant will no longer be considered "early-stage" or "new" investigators in future NIH grant applications. Be sure to read the "fine print" carefully on all ARRA-funded grants. To date, it does not appear that any NSF ARRA-funded initiatives directly support postdoctoral scholars. The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) requested input, and we were happy to respond. Follow this link to download our response: NPA.ARRA.NIGMS. Other letters were also sent, and links to those letters are inserted below. National Cancer Institute: To come National Heart, Blood, and Lung Institute: NPA.ARRA.NHLBI National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases: NPA.ARRA.NIAID National Institute of Child Health and Human Development: NPA.ARRA.NICHD National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: NPA.ARRA.NIDDK National Institute of Mental Health: NPA.ARRA.NIMH
NIH Recovery site | NIH Recovery Grants | NIGMS Recovery site | NSF Recovery Site
Comments by Federal Agencies/Organizations and Their Representatives Read a statement by Acting NIH Director Raynard S. Kington, Ph.D., M.D. (March 6, 2009) Read a statement by NIGMS Director Jeremy M. Berg, Ph.D. (March 5, 2009) Read a statement by NSF Director Arden L. Bement, Jr. (February 24, 2009) Read an editorial by Dr. Elias A. Zerhouni (Science 20 February 2009: Vol. 323. no. 5917, p. 983); please note that you may need to register or have a subscription to read this editorial.
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