FASEB Comments on Proposed AAHRPP Accreditation Standards
FASEB, a founding member of the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP),
submitted
comments on the association’s proposed revised accreditation standards. The standards, which have been
unchanged since they were developed at the time of AAHRPP’s founding in 2001, are the basis for evaluating the quality
and level of protection organizations engaged in human subjects research provide to research participants. According to
AAHRPP, the intent in revising the standards is to strengthen human research protection programs and to streamline the
accreditation process.
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Inside (The Beltway) Scoop – Jennifer Zeitzer
Facing the prospect of a month-long break, the House achieved its goal of passing all 12 of the fiscal year 2010
Appropriations bills by the beginning of the August recess. The final bill (HR 3326), which funds the Department of
Defense, was overwhelmingly approved by a 400 – 30 vote the afternoon of July 30th.
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Dr. Francis Collins Confirmed as NIH Director
As the Senate recessed for the August break, the staff at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) was preparing to
welcome their new leader, Dr. Francis Collins. Although it took more than six months for the official nomination to
come through, Dr. Collins’ confirmation was both swift and smooth, reflecting the strong support he is likely to
receive from Capitol Hill during his tenure as NIH Director. Forgoing a formal confirmation hearing, the Senate
Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee approved the nomination by voice vote on August 4th, clearing the
way for a final vote on the Senate floor.
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SBIR Extended to September 30th
Pre-conference negotiations between the House and Senate on legislation to reauthorize and improve the Small Business
Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs stalled in late July, prompting
lawmakers to pass a bill (S 1513) extending the current SBIR program to September 30th, two months beyond its previous
expiration date of July 31st. The SBIR and STTR programs fund research conducted by small businesses by “setting aside”
a portion of the budgets of 11 federal agencies. Under the current program, agencies including the National Institutes
of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Department
of Energy (DOE) must devote 2.5 percent of their annual budgets to SBIR research funding.
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OMB and OSTP Set Science Funding Priorities for FY 2011
On August 4th, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Office of Science and Technology Policy
(OSTP) issued a joint statement to the heads of the executive departments and agencies providing guidance on science
and technology priorities for the fiscal year (FY) 2011 federal budget. The
memo calls on agencies to “build on the
science and technology priorities already reflected in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Public Law 111-5)
and the FY 2010 budget” and provides “general guidance for the conduct of science and technology activities in
Executive Departments and Agencies.”
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Senate Aging Committee Examines Industry-Funded CME
On July 29th, Senate Special Committee on Aging Chairman Herb Kohl (D-WI) held a
hearing titled “Medical Research
and Education: Higher Learning or Higher Earning?” to review and debate the role of industry funding in Continuing
Medical Education (CME). According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), funding from industry for accredited CME
quadrupled from $302 million to $1.2 billion between 1998 and 2006. The hearing was prompted by concerns about the
high level of industry funding for CME, as well as the possible role of industry-funded CME in health care costs.
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