Does National Archives Budget Represent a Move Away from Its Core Mission?
The Obama Administration's proposed FY 2011 budget includes a 2% decrease in overall funding for the National Archives and Records Administration but increases for operating expenses, including a 57% increase for repairs and restoration to the National Archives Building. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee recently held a hearing to inquire as to whether the National Archives is over-emphasizing its public education programs at the expense of its core mission to preserve records and make them accessible to the public. Click here to read more.
Science of Behavior Change Funding Opportunity
The potential role of behavioral science in the prevention and treatment of disease and reducing future rates of disability is often underestimated. Behavior change interventions to address many health issues have favorable side effect profiles and can complement other treatments. To address this underutilization of the science in this area, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has released a funding opportunity announcement, Science of Behavior Change: Finding Mechanisms of Change in the Laboratory and the Field (RFA-RM-10-002), designed to improve understanding of the basic mechanisms of behavior change by bridging work in the laboratory and the field. Letters of intent are due: March 29, 2010.
Chairs and Discussants Still Needed for Some Sessions
Chairs and discussants are still needed for some sessions at the 2010 MPSA National Conference. For more information, click here.
Bement to Leave NSF
Arden L. Bement, director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) since 2004, has announced that he will become the director of the Global Policy Research Institute (GPRI) at Purdue University starting June 1. Bement has led the NSF to an increasing focus on interdisciplinary, cross-directorate initiatives and a national commitment to improving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Cora Marrett , the current NSF Deputy Director, presumably will become Acting Director upon Bement's departure if a new director is not nominated and confirmed by the Senate by June 1.
Elinor Ostrom Delivers Prize Lecture for Nobel Prize in Economics
Elinor "Lin" Ostrom, Arthur F. Bentley Professor of Political Science at Indiana University, Bloomington, delivered her Prize Lecture on December 8 in Stockholm. To see a video of the prize lecture, click here. Ostrom is the first woman to win the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, which has been awarded to 62 men since it was first given in 1969. She is a past president and member of the MPSA. Click here to read more.