Public Policy Matters

FABBS 2010 Annual Meeting Report

In keeping with the HFES Government Relations Committee's promise to inform members of important HF/E-relevant activities in the public policy arena, this article is a bit of a refresher and an update on an organization that is instrumental in the Society's advocacy efforts: the Federation of Associations in Behavioral and Brain Sciences (or FABBS, also known as the Federation). I also report briefly on the FABBS annual business meeting, held in Washington, D.C., on December 5-6, 2010.

FABBS is a coalition of scientific societies that share an interest in advancing the sciences of mind, brain, and behavior. Its goal is to promote human potential and well-being through research knowledge gained from these sciences. FABBS works in close cooperation with scientific societies in social science, psychology, education, and neuroscience to communicate the importance of basic and applied research contributions to public policy makers-especially at the federal level-and to the public. HFES is one of 23 professional societies and 35 affiliate member organizations-predominantly university research psychology departments and divisions of the American Psychological Association.

Its sister organization, the educational nonprofit FABBS Foundation, was created in 2004 to conduct educational activities that enhance the understanding of the sciences of mind, brain, and behavior. The FABBS Foundation also recognizes eminent senior scientists who have made significant contributions to our sciences. The foundation's annual meeting coincided with that of FABBS.

For years HFES has been actively involved in FABBS, especially in sponsoring a number of important Science Forums and Science Cafes in the Washington, D.C. area, including several on Capitol Hill. In these and other activities, HFES has been well represented. At the December meeting, I completed my three-year term as a member at large of the Federation's Executive Committee. HFES now has two members serving on the FABBS Council of Representatives: Frederick Rudolph, whose attendance at the December meeting was his first, and Douglas Griffith. Wendy Rogers, a very active participant in Federation affairs, completed her term as FABBS Foundation secretary in December. Throughout the Society's history with FABBS, HFES Executive Director Lynn Strother has attended meetings and also been directly engaged in many FABBS activities.

At the FABBS annual meeting, the organization's executive director, Paula Skedsvold, reviewed the impressive list of activities that the Federation completed during 2010. Among them were advocacy for science funding, visits to congressional appropriations committees, presentation of congressional testimony, participation in a Capitol Hill exhibition cosponsored with the Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF), and support for a National Science Foundation (NSF) effort to insert language on behavioral and social sciences into the President's Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) report for K-12 education. In an October exhibition on the National Mall, the FABBS Foundation sponsored a human factors booth, "Where Science Meets the Mind," which included a driving simulator by which George Mason University graduate students were able to demonstrate to kids the dangers of texting while driving. The Foundation also held National Lab Day, a grassroots program to encourage volunteer scientists to assist teachers in designing hands-on projects for K-12 students in hopes of inspiring future scientists.

In addition to the report on these accomplishments, attendees heard presentations from the U.S. Army Medical Research Command about funding opportunities in behavioral and neuroscience; the National Cancer Institute regarding behavioral science funding opportunities at the Institute; and the NSF Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate about SBE updates and related news. The December meetings generated considerable discussion regarding likely cuts in the forthcoming federal research budget under the newly elected Congress (see the HFES Bulletin December 2010 article, "Elections Have Consequences." for the HFES Government Relations Committee's take on the situation).

In fulfilling part of its educational mission, the FABBS Foundation's popular new book, Psychology and the Real World: Essays Illustrating Fundamental Contributions of Society (2011), is in its third printing and is being widely adopted to accompany introductory psychology textbooks in numerous university departments. The book, among whose editors is HFES Fellow Richard W. Pew, is available from Worth Publishers, ISBN: 978-1-4292-3043.

This report represents only a sampling of recent FABBS activities; a more complete account-along with archival material such as newsletters and presentations-is available on the FABBS Web site. In addition, interested HFES members can follow developments reported regularly in Federation newsletters via the "Federation News" link on the HFES home page, or they can sign up to receive the FABBS News Highlights electronic newsletter.

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