News Archive
News from FABBS and the FABBS Foundation
- FABBS Foundation Honors Carolyn Rovee-Collier »
Carolyn Rovee-Collier was born on April 7, 1942 in Nashville, TN, the daughter of a Distinguished Professor of comparative anatomy and textbook author who inculcated in her a love of science, teaching, writing, and scholarship. Carolyn’s systematic studies of infant learning and memory have had a major and broad impact on the understanding of cognitive processes during early development.
- Attention Focuses on Avoiding the Fiscal Cliff »
With the signing of the Sequestration Transparency Act, the Administration signaled its agreement to prepare a detailed plan for Congress regarding how automatic cuts to defense and non-defense programs would be impacted. The plan must be submitted to Congress within 30 days, just days after the Labor Day holiday.
- Going Straight to the Source: How do infants learn best? »
Infants are now exposed to more information from more sources than ever before, whether it’s books, TVs, or computers. Developmental psychologist Rachel Barr, discusses how well infants learn from select sources of information compared with how well they learn from face-to-face interactions.
- FABBS Foundation Honors Lawrence Erlbaum »
Lawrence Erlbaum is unique in both publishing and psychological science. As the founder of his own publishing company, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Erlbaum is known for his business savvy and his dedication to disseminating academic research. His interest in psychological science and focus on making academic research available has made him a legendary figure and a respected friend to many scientists.
- MINERVA Research Competition for 2013 Opens »
The MINERVA Research Initiative is a university-based basic social science research program launched by the Department of Defense in 2008. The goal is to improve the “fundamental understanding of the social, cultural, behavioral, and political forces that shape regions of the world of strategic importance to the U.S.”
Proposals are sought from single investigators as well as multidisciplinary and multi-institution teams.
- Pre-election Spending Battles Continue on Capitol Hill »
As Congress nears its August recess and with few days left in the legislative calendar before the November elections, it appears once again that a Continuing Resolution (CR) will be needed to fund the government as it moves into the new fiscal year. With an upcoming election, lawmakers want to avoid a government shutdown and postpone the rest of the battles over spending cuts.
- Calling All Scientists: FABBS and APA to Organize District Science Advocacy Week »
FABBS and its largest member society, the American Psychological Association, are joining forces to train interested scientists in preparing for and conducting a visit with their member of Congress. The visits are intended to highlight why federal investments in our sciences are important for individuals, society, and the nation.
- Interagency Working Group on Neuroscience Forms »
With the enthusiastic support of the Administration, Congress and numerous scientific societies, the National Science and Technology Council’s Interagency Working Group on Neuroscience is taking shape. The NSTC working group will coordinate activities in neuroscience research across the federal government and will include several U.S. departments in its membership.
- FABBS Foundation Honors Jim Sidanius »
Jim Sidanius is a Professor in the departments of Psychology and African and African American Studies at Harvard University. His primary research interests include the interface between political ideology and cognitive functioning, the political psychology of gender, group conflict, institutional discrimination, and the evolutionary psychology of intergroup prejudice.
- Our Scientists at Work: How Watching the Clock Affects Performance »
Where we focus our attention affects how we perceive the passage of time. Pay attention to a task at hand, and time flies. Pay attention to the passage of time, and things seem to slow. Cognitive psychologist Joseph Magliano explains why.
- Our Scientists at Work: The Psychology Behind Going Green »
We have habits, fears, and biases that get in the way of making all sorts of sound decisions, even when it comes to going green. Psychologist Elke Weber sheds light on why we make the decisions we do, especially when they’re not necessarily in our best interest.
- Capitol Hill Update and the “Devastating” Impact of Sequestration »
In what is typically a busy appropriations time of the year, add to it a great deal of discussion about the upcoming sequestration set to begin in January 2013. The sequestration was put into motion with the Budget Control Act (BCA), signed into law in 2011 following negotiations between Congress and the President over the debt ceiling and deficits. Sequestration provides for automatic cuts of an estimated 8-10 percent to the domestic, discretionary part of the federal budget–meaning to agencies that fund much of the nation’s scientific research.
