AIBS News February 2000

From the pages of BioScience magazine, the online version of our current events column, with discussions of the latest happenings at AIBS in support of our mission.

• 67th, 68th, and 69th Societies Join AIBS Federation

  In November 1999, the AIBS Board of Directors voted to welcome the Cell Stress Society International, the Radiation Research Society, and the Society for In Vitro Biology as member societies in AIBS. These additions bring the total number of societies and organizations in the AIBS federation to 69.

  
  Cell Stress Society International. Founded in January 1999, CSSI promotes international cooperation and communication regarding cellular stress response research and biological interactions between organisms and the environment. The society has approximately 250 members.

  CSSI's official journal is Cell Stress & Chaperones, a quarterly publication dedicated to basic and applied research on the cellular stress responses of animals, microorganisms, and plants. To find out more about CSSI, visit their Web site at http://www.cellstress.com.

  Radiation Research Society. RRS was founded in 1952 to encourage the advancement of radiation research in all areas of the natural sciences and to facilitate cooperative research between the disciplines of physics, chemistry, biology, and medicine in the study of the properties and effects of radiation.

  The official publication of RRS is Radiation Research, a monthly journal containing original articles in physics, chemistry, biology, and medicine that deal with radiation effects and related subjects. The society newsletter, rrsNews, is produced several times a year and contains committee reports, announcements, details on national and international meetings, and other matters of interest. RRS also organizes an annual meeting and supports the planning of the International Congress of Radiation Research every 4 years. The RRS Web site, at http://www.radres.org, has more information.

  Society for In Vitro Biology. SIVB's mission is to foster the exchange of knowledge of the in vitro biology of cells, tissues, and organs from both plants and animals, focusing on biological research, development, and applications of significance to science and society.

  The society publishes two journals, In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology-Animal and In Vitro Cellular & Development Biology-Plant. SIVB also publishes the quarterly publication Methods in Cell Science and the bimonthly publication In Vitro Report.

  SIVB has over 2000 members from academic institutions, government, and industry in 45 countries. It holds a national scientific meeting or international congress each spring. The society also maintains an extensive audiovisual library of educational materials on in vitro biology. For more information, visit SIVB's Web site at http://www.sivb.org.

• George Sprugel Jr. (1919-1999)

  George Sprugel Jr., President of AIBS in 1974, passed away on 10 September 1999. A charismatic man with a remarkable organizational ability, Dr. Sprugel affected the lives of many people during his long and distinguished career.

  After receiving his AA degree from Waldorf Junior College in 1939, Dr. Sprugel was called to active duty in the US Navy, where he worked to map the ocean approaches to both ends of the Panama Canal. He completed his PhD in zoology and entomology at Iowa State University in 1950 and then returned to the Navy as acting head of the biology branch of the Office of Naval Research from 1951 to 1953. For the next 10 years, Dr. Sprugel served as the first program director for environmental biology at the National Science Foundation. In 1964 he was selected as Chief Scientist of the National Park Service, and in 1966 he became Chief of the Illinois Natural Survey, from which he retired as Chief Emeritus on 1 September 1980.

  Dr. Sprugel's career included advisory roles at NSF, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the En vironmental Protection Agency, the National Research Council, the National Academy of Sciences, the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Department of Commerce, as well as the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Society of Zoologists, and the Ecological Society of America. As President of AIBS, Dr. Sprugel assumed considerable responsibility after AIBS Executive Director John Olive died in 1974. He took a leave of absence from his position at the Illinois National Survey to stabilize and maintain the organization, for which he was honored with the AIBS President's Meritorious Award in 1975. A truly outstanding natural scientist and administrator, Dr. Sprugel will be missed.

  James E. Canright1
  Professor of Botany, Emeritus
  Arizona State University

  
  1The author served on the AIBS Board of Directors with George Sprugel Jr. from 1972 to 1976.

• AIBS Comments on OSTP, FWS Policy Proposa

  In response to policy proposals put forth by two federal agencies, AIBS's Public Policy Office recently submitted commens on behalf of the biology community.

  
  OSTP research misconduct policy. The President's Office of Science and Technology Policy has proposed a new research misconduct policy that will apply to all federal agencies and federally funded research and may also be adopted by private research institutions. The policy focuses on the integrity of the research record by limiting the definition of misconduct to data falsification, fabrication, and plagiarism. The research record is defined as the record of data or results that embody the facts resulting from scientific inquiry; it includes laboratory records, research proposals, publications, and presentations. Under the proposed policy, a finding of research misconduct would require that there be a significant departure from accepted practices of the scientific community for maintaining the integrity of the research record; that the misconduct has been committed intentionally, knowingly, or in reckless disregard of accepted practices; and that the allegation be proven by a preponderance of the evidence.

  AIBS Public Policy Representative Ellen Paul participated in a town meeting at AAAS to discuss the proposed policy and, with the assistance of AIBS leadership, subsequently prepared comments for submission by AIBS to OSTP. The comments focused on the need to assure that an accused researcher has a full and fair opportunity to defend against the charges. The comment period closed December 13. Each agency will have to publish its own rules incorporating the new policy once the final rule is issued.

  FWS proposal on permit policies. The US Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed a policy to enhance the use of research permits as a conservation tool. These general conservation permits would apply to permits issued under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species, the Endangered Species Act, the Wild Bird Conservation Act, and the Bald and Golden Eagle Act. The proposed policy was developed in response to ongoing complaints from scientific societies and conservation organizations that existing permit policies discouraged work with protected species and at times impeded scientific investigation, conservation efforts, and endangered and threatened species recovery efforts. Efforts to streamline the permitting process, such as combining applications for various activities into one application, would be incorporated into FWS's policy.

  AIBS submitted comments to FWS in support of this new policy and also suggested ways that FWS can continue to improve the permit process. The comment period concluded on December 27. Once a final decision has been made, the new policy will be implemented on a trial basis and will be continued if FWS determines that the goals set out for these new permits-which include providing adequate protection of natural resources and encouraging greater participation by researchers and conservationists to participate in protected species' conservation-are met.

  The status of these policies will be updated in future AIBS News items and on the AIBS Web site at www. aibs.org. For a copy of AIBS's comments on either proposal, contact Ellen Paul at 202/628-1500, ext. 250; e-mail: epaul@aibs.org.

• Sign up now for CVD 2000

  It's not too soon to begin planning a trip to Washington, DC, for the annual Congressional Visits Day, which will take place on 4-5 April 2000. CVD is a 2-day annual event that brings scientists, engineers, researchers, educators, and technology executives to Washington, DC, to raise visibility and support for science, engineering, and technology issues. Hundreds of scientists will visit members of their Congressional delegations and receive briefings from members of Congress and the Administration, including representatives of NSF and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. AIBS is a cosponsor of this event and would like to make a strong showing of biologists this year. Please contact Ellen Paul at epaul@aibs.org or Jodi Kolber at jkolber@aibs.org if you are interested in participating.

  Scenes from the summit. (clockwise, from upper left) Edward O. Wilson speaking about the importance of integrating biology; the participants on the steps of Airlie House; 2000 president Alan Covich, 1998 president Gary Barrett, and 1999 president Greg Anderson under the AIBS umbrella; facilitator Gail Bingham assisting the member society presidents in reaching consensus on common issues.

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