Advocacy Archive

New Year's Eve is Postponed, but
Behavioral Science Can Celebrate Anyway

October 1, 1999

Dear Colleague:

New Year's Eve is postponed. That's not a Y2K issue. It's a When2K issue. But don't return those whoopee cushions yet. I'm talking about the federal new year. It is supposed to begin today, October 1st, but since only two of 13 spending bills that make up the federal budget have been signed into law, a "continuing resolution" is in place to extend the current year until October 21st. One problem is the Labor-HHS-Education bill, which contains the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The bill is backdrop for some of the most contentious and protracted battles in Congress — over stem cell research, family planning, needle exchange, abortion, etc. This year, there also are struggles over whether and how to break "spending caps" put in place to reduce the deficit.

Even with the delay, there is some cause for celebration, at least for NIH and behavioral science researchers. The NIH bill just passed by the Senate Appropriations Committee is accompanied by a number of strong statements about behavioral science. It also gave NIH a $2 billion increase, to bring NIH to $17.6 billion in FY 2000 (or whenever). Here are highlights from the Senate (S. Rpt. 106-166):

Training -- The Senate asked NIH to develop a plan for complying with the National Academy of Sciences' recommendation to increase the number of National Research Service Awards in behavioral science as well as nursing, oral health, and health services research. The Senate also encourages NIH to "develop a plan for assisting national institutes to establish training programs for young behavioral science investigators similar to the B/START (Behavioral Science Track Awards for Rapid Transition) programs at NIMH, NIDA, and NIAAA") and specifically encouraged B/START at NICHD.

NIH's Mission in Behavioral Science -- The Senate expressed concern that NIH "has never fully incorporated behavioral research as part of its core public health mission," and talked about the need for a "detailed description of NIH's ongoing work in the behavioral sciences, including a breakdown by Institute and funds within each Institute of research and training activities included in NIH's behavioral and social science portfolio."

Mental Health -- The Senate supports an NIMH initiative in psychology and public health, and an NIMH project on connecting basic behavioral research with clinical and applied research.

Drug Abuse -- The Senate applauds NIDA's new Clinical Trials Network, and calls NIDA "a model of how to approach behavioral science and public health responsibilities."

Alcohol -- The Senate commends NIAAA in the areas of college-age binge drinking, training for young behavioral science investigators, and expansion of its behavioral science research portfolio.

Aging -- NIA is urged to use the findings from a study by the Institute of Medicine in developing its research in cognition and aging.

Child Development -- The Senate expressed support for NICHD's initiatives in behavioral and cognitive aspects of child development, plus as noted above, support for young behavioral scientists.

Basic Research Training —- The Senate wants the National Institute of General Medical Sciences to start doing behavioral science, (NIGMS, NIH's "basic research" institute, currently doesn't have a behavioral science portfolio).

These statements are outcomes of APS efforts. We raised the issues both in our formal appropriations testimony and in informal discussions with Congressional offices. In addition, the topic of youth violence also is being addressed in the NIH section of the Senate report, which draws from many sources, including language from an APS-developed initiative on violence research that I told you about in previous emails. The text of the relevant sections of the Senate appropriations report is provided below. As you read them, keep in mind that this report language is in effect no matter what the final outcome of the legislative process.

So what happens if the continuing resolution expires, and the budget still is not done? Last year Congress ended up lumping all its unfinished spending bills into one giant appropriations bill, aptly dubbed a "train wreck," illustrating how things went beyond just an impasse and felt more like a head-on collision. The smart money is on a similar outcome for this year - one giant appropriations bill. So that's where we are — or aren't — today. Oh, and Happy New Year.

Best, Alan

Excerpts from FY 2000 Senate Appropriations Report on NIH (S. Rpt. 161-166)

Office of the Director

Training — The Committee remains concerned that NIH rejected recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences for research training in nursing, oral health, health services research and behavioral science. NAS recommended that stipends be increased and the number of awards for these disciplines be increased. Though NIH implemented the stipend increase, the Committee requests NIH to reconsider and develop a plan for complying with the NAS recommendation regarding the number of training awards made available. The Committee encourages NIH to develop a plan for assisting the national institutes to establish training programs for young behavioral science investigators similar to the B/START (Behavioral Science Track Awards for Rapid Transition) programs at NIMH, NIDA, and NIAAA. (p. 174)

Behavioral Science — There is a growing public awareness of the behavioral underpinnings of disease. Heart disease, lung cancer, liver disease, AIDS, suicide, developmental disabilities, and many neurological and cognitive disorders can be attributed directly or indirectly to unhealthy behavior. Yet NIH has never fully incorporated behavioral research as part of its core public health mission. The Committee urges NIH to provide a detailed description of NIH's ongoing work in the behavioral sciences, including a breakdown by institute and, funds within each institute, of the research and training activities included in NIH's behavioral and social science portfolio. (p. 174)

National Institute of Mental Health

Behavioral research — ... The Committee is pleased to learn that the National Advisory Mental Health Council has now established a subgroup to improve connections between basic behavioral research and clinical and applied issues. The Committee requests that the Institute be prepared to report on specific research and training recommendations during next year's hearing. The Committee commends NIMH for its initiative to increase the connections between academic departments of psychology and schools of public health with the goal of more research with a joint perspective in public health and behavioral research. (p. 161)

Youth violence — The Committee is deeply concerned about the recent wave of school shootings across the country, and believes that NIH has an important role to play in helping policy makers understand and respond to the causes of such violent antisocial behavior. The Committee encourages NIMH as well as other institutes to increase support for behavioral research relating to violence, and to provide ways to better understand how to apply the knowledge from this research when designing effective treatment and prevention programs. (p. 164)

National Institute on Drug Abuse

Behavioral sciences — The Committee understands that behavioral intervention is a critical element in halting drug abuse. The Committee continues to support NIDA's expansion of its behavioral science portfolio and views NIDA as a model of how to approach its behavioral science and public health responsibilities.(p. 159)

Clinical trials — The Committee is pleased with NIDA's continuing progress in developing behavioral and pharmacological drug abuse treatments, and supports NIDA's initiative to establish a national drug abuse treatment clinical trials network. The Committee commends NIDA's leadership in forging strong partnerships with treatment researchers and community-based treatment providers to assure that new treatments are tested and incorporated into ongoing drug treatment programs.(p. 159-160)

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Binge drinking — Alcohol abuse, particularly "binge" drinking and drinking with the intent to get drunk, continues to pose significant problems for college communities. The Committee strongly supports the efforts of NIAAA's Advisory Council Subcommittee on College Drinking and encourages the Subcommittee to identify the context and consequences of college drinking and provide recommendations on the prevention and treatment of the problem. (p. 157)

Behavioral research on alcoholism — The Committee understands that research in behavioral science is an integral part of NIAAA's mission, reflecting the central role of behavior in all dimensions of alcohol abuse and alcoholism. The Committee commends NIAAA's expansion of its behavioral science portfolio to include basic research of the underlying psychological and cognitive processes involved in alcohol related behaviors and encourages the institute's efforts in this area. (p. 157)

Young behavioral science investigators — The Committee commends NIAAA's establishment of its Behavioral Science Track Awards for Rapid Transition (B/START-NIAAA), a program of small grants for young investigators in behavioral science research. The Committee views this as essential for ensuring the supply of scientists needed to examine the numerous behavioral factors that play a central role in alcohol abuse and alcoholism. The Committee would like a report by next year's hearings on the progress of this program. (p. 157)

National Institute on Aging

Cognition and aging — The Committee is pleased to learn that a study now underway at the Institute of Medicine is examining the current knowledge base in the area of cognition and aging in order to identify future directions for behavioral, cognitive, and neuroscience research in this area. Cognitive functioning is one of the most important aspects of health status in the elderly. The Committee urges NIA to use the IOM recommendations as a guide for expanding its portfolio in this critical area of research. (p.147)

National Institute on Child Health and Human Development

Child development and behavioral research — The Committee is pleased that NICHD is undertaking a number of initiatives to increase understanding of the behavioral and cognitive aspects of child development. The Committee encourages these efforts and looks forward to receiving updates on their progress. (p. 138)

Small grants — The Committee is pleased to learn that NICHD recently began promoting small grants as a way to attract new investigators to child development research. The Committee encourages the Institute to examine whether B/START small grant awards as used by other Institutes would encourage interest among NICHD investigators. (p. 138)

National Institute of General Medical Sciences

Behavioral science research and training — The Committee is concerned that NIGMS does not support behavioral science research or training. As the only national institute specifically mandated to support research not targeted to specific diseases or disorders, there is a range of basic behavioral research and training that NIGMS could be supporting. The Committee urges NIGMS, in consultation with the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences, to behavioral science research community and other national institutes and offices, to identify basic behavioral science research and training priorities and to develop a plan for implementing those priorities. (p. 134-5)