>From another list - Doug Henwood >Please feel free to scroll to mid section of this post where action >directives can be found. APA has developed a letter that can be used as >a format for your own letter, should you desire to forward one. There >are also other suggestions noted that might also be fairly simply to >follow. > >Tammy Mann, Ph.D. >SPSSI Fellow >202-336-6068 >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >*********Forwarded Message Follows >***************************************** > American Psychological Association > Science Advocate Network > > > !!!!! LEGISLATIVE ACTION ALERT !!!!! > > House Budget Resolution Targets Social, Behavioral > and Economic Sciences at NSF > >The House and Senate Budget Committees approved the spending >blueprint for FY 1996 last week. This budget resolution >determines the size of the federal budget for FY 1996, sets >out spending priorities and provides guidance to the House and >Senate Appropriations committees on how the federal budget >should be allocated. The House and Senate budget resolutions >are accompanied by report language that goes into more detail >on the fiscal assumptions made by the Committees in arriving >at the recommended budget numbers. > >Included in the House Budget report language is the following >statement regarding the recommendations for NSF: "This >proposal assumes that while science and technology must >contribute to the immediate fiscal reality, they must also >provide for the opportunities that must be developed in the >future. In order for the technological revolution to >continue, a strong, fundamental science is needed. Therefore, >the proposal assumes that basic research should be >prioritized. For instance, NSF CIVILIAN RESEARCH AND RELATED >ACTIVITIES WITH THE EXCLUSION OF SOCIAL, BEHAVIORAL AND >ECONOMIC STUDIES [capitals added] and the critical >technologies institute, can be provided at their current >levels plus three percent growth. No reductions are assumed >to NSF basic research in the physical sciences. Education and >Human Resources can be maintained and Academic Research >Infrastructure is assumed at President Clinton's requested >level." > > Rep. Robert Walker Throws Fuel on the Flames > >This disturbing language from the House Budget Committee was >followed by statements from Rep. Robert Walker (R-PA) at a >news conference on May 11, where he was quoted as saying that >the "social, behavioral and economic STUDIES" [capitals added] >at NSF were fields that NSF had "wandered into . . .[to be] >politically correct." Since Rep. Walker is Chair of the House >Science Committee that authorizes NSF, is a top Republican on >the House Budget Committee, and part of the House Republican >leadership -- his remarks were taken very seriously concerning >House Republican plans for behavioral and social science at >NSF. > > ***************** > * APA Mobilizes * > ***************** > > >In immediate response to these developments, APA has done the >following: > > > --- SENT THE FOLLOWING LETTER TO REP. WALKER --- > > >The Honorable Robert S. Walker >Chair >House Science Committee >2320 Rayburn House Office Bldg. >Washington, DC 20515-6301 > >Dear Mr. Chairman: > >I am writing on behalf of the American Psychological >Association (APA), a scientific and professional organization >of 132,000 psychologists, to object to your characterization >of the behavioral and social sciences at the National Science >Foundation (NSF). In the May 12 Washington Post you were >quoted as saying that the "social, behavioral and economic >studies" (italics added) at NSF were fields that NSF had >"wandered into . . .[to be] politically correct." I would >like to assure you that the behavioral and social sciences at >NSF were not inadvertent additions meant to satisfy someone's >notion of "political correctness." > >NSF support for basic research in the behavioral and social >sciences is long-standing, and its importance to the >scientific knowledge base has long been recognized by the >wider scientific community that supported the creation of SBE. >The Social, Behavioral and Economic Science (SBE) Directorate >was created as a separate entity in 1991 in recognition of the >maturity of the behavioral and social sciences, and to provide >greater focus on the research base in these sciences. This >research had been supported at NSF for more than 40 years -- >long before the formal organization of these sciences into a >Directorate. > >This followed extensive discussion both within NSF and within >the research community regarding the merits of creating SBE. >There was agreement in the biological, behavioral and social >science community that this was the best way to support this >valuable research. In none of the many discussions and >meetings held on the creation of SBE was there any hint of the >impetus being "political correctness." I can assure you that >any such arguments would have held little sway with the >biologists who were instrumental in the creation of SBE. >Thus, in no way did NSF "wander" into its support for the >behavioral and social sciences. > >The many contributions of behavioral and social science >research to the nation's health, well-being, and standard of >living are numerous. For example, NSF-supported >psychologists, doing research in cognitive neuroscience, have >contributed to our understanding of how the brain produces >thoughts, emotions and action. The last 20 years have seen a >rapid growth in the quantity and quality of relevant research >findings, so that hardly a week passes without an important >new finding. As we have come to understand more about >brain/behavior relationships, new light has been shed on the >diagnosis and treatment of cognitive and emotional disorders >such as schizophrenia, depression and dyslexia. > >NSF has also supported work in infant cognitive and perceptual >development which showed that, counter to prevailing ideas, >infants have complex, functioning sensory and perceptual >systems. This led to demonstrations that the outcomes for >preterm infants were much better if they were handled and >stimulated, and that some visual problems could be detected >and corrected during infancy. > >APA and others in the behavioral and social science community >would be pleased to provide you with even more examples of the >fruits of NSF-supported basic research in the behavioral and >social sciences. I urge you to consider these examples as you >deliberate on the House budget resolution and the >reauthorization of NSF. Please call Elizabeth Baldwin in our >Public Policy Office at (202)-336-5932 if you or your staff >have any questions or would like detailed information on NSF >supported behavioral research. > > >Sincerely, > >Robert J. Resnick, PhD >President > > > --- ORGANIZES GRASSROOTS RESPONSE --- > > >-- In addition to helping spread the word on these recent >developments in Congress to the psychological research >community via electronic means, APA also organized a first >class mailing to the psychological research community in >Pennsylvania. This mailing to almost 1,000 psychologists >urges them to write to Rep. Walker (who is from Pennsylvania) >regarding his remarks on behavioral and social science at NSF. > > > --- RESPONDS WITH OTHER SCIENTIFIC ORGANIZATIONS --- > > >-- In cooperation with other behavioral and social science >organizations, APA is soliciting support from other scientific >disciplines. > >-- APA is helping arrange, and will participate in, a "Hill >blitz" of visits to Congressional offices. These visits will >emphasize the importance of continued federal support for >behavioral and social science research at NSF. This will >include not only the relevant members of the House and Senate >Budget Committees, but the House and Senate Appropriations >Subcommittees, and House and Senate NSF authorization >committees (House Science Committee and Senate Labor and Human >Resources and Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation >Committees). > > > ******************************* > * !!!!! WHAT YOU CAN DO !!!!! * > ******************************* > >1-- On your institution's letterhead, send a letter to The >Honorable Robert S. Walker, Chair, House Science Committee, >2320 Rayburn House Office Bldg., Washington, DC 20515-6301. >Point out the fact that the behavioral and social sciences, >are indeed sciences -- not "studies" as he believes. It would >be valuable to comment on your own NSF sponsored research, or >that of your colleagues, as examples. Point out the value of >federal support for behavioral and social science at NSF. >Research funding priorities should be left to NSF, which has >done an excellent job in supporting the nation's best >research. > >2-- Send a copy of your letter to Rep. Walker to your >Congressman and Senators, requesting their support. These >letters can be sent to: The Honorable (full name), United >States Senate, Washington, DC 20510; and The Honorable (full >name), United States House of Representatives, Washington, DC >20515. > > * * * > >PLEASE SEND A COPY OF YOUR LETTER to us at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or mail >to SAN, APA, 750 First St. NE, Washington, DC 20002. > >If you have any questions, comments or relevant information to >share on NSF, please contact Elizabeth Baldwin in APA's Public >Policy Office at [EMAIL PROTECTED]
