BESC ACTIVITIES
- BESC CoFARM Hill Event 2008
- BESC CoFARM Hill Event 2007
- BESC NSF Letter
- BESC Letter on the American Competitiveness Initiative
- Public Comments to PCAST
CNSF Letter regarding biology
In the Autumn of 2002, the U.S. Senate flat-funded biology through the National Science Foundation on the grounds that because the National Institutes of Health (NIH) had received record funding boosts, balance had to be restored between the life sciences and other science disciplines. BESC members brought this issue to the attention of the Coalition for National Science Funding which subsequently sent a letter to House appropriators pointing out that many life scientists depend upon funding from the National Science Foundation and do not benefit from funding from NIH. The letter urged appropriators to include all fields in any increases to NSF's Research and Related Accounts.
BESC members worked to develop the biology fact sheet; part of an overall brochure produced by the Coalition for National Science Funding, which showcased the research accomplishments and opportunities made possible through the National Science Foundation.
Congressional Visits Day March 2006 (co-sponsored with CoFARM)
Over 40 biological scientists from 22 states , including field station biologists , academic researchers , and graduate students, participated in BESC's Spring Congressional Visits Day on March 14-15, 2006 . The event included a half day of briefings from agencies, the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy, and from Congress. (See agenda). The BESC and CoFARM evening reception honored two Members of Congress, Representatives Vernon Ehlers (R-MI) and Rush Holt (D-NJ) for their integration of research findings into environmental policies such as the prevention and control of invasive species and their strong support for science education. March 15 consisted of over 50 meetings with congressional offices as teams of scientists met with Members' offices to advocate for federal support of biological research.
Congressional Visits Day Award Breakfast April 2003 (co-sponsored with CoFarm)
BESC teamed up with the Coalition on Funding Agricultural Research Missions (CoFARM) to organize and sponsor a breakfast for the biological community participating in the annual Congressional Visits Day, a multi-science society event. The BESC/CoFARM breakfast honored Representative Nick Smith (R-MI) for his support of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Science Foundation.