Accompanying the CJS appropriations bill is the CJS Report that provides additional congressional perspectives and guidance to federal agencies under CJS jurisdiction. While it does not have the force of law, agencies tend to follow the guidance closely and a number of sections are worth noting to the research community. Within the National Science Foundation (NSF) portion of the bill is language that recognizes “the intrinsic value in SBE sciences” but also expresses concerns regarding the merit-awards of SBE grants, and urges NSF to “ensure that SBE awards are consistent with NSF’s scientific quality standards and aligned to national interests.”
Elsewhere, appropriators urge the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the Interagency Working Group on Neuroscience (IWGN) to quickly implement the recommendations outlined in the IWGN’s report, Priorities for Accelerating Neuroscience Research through Enhanced Communication, Coordination and Collaboration. It then states that attention “be given to the recommendations on biomarker efforts, advances in medical imaging research, applications of neuroscience in applied settings (including education) and classifications of brain disorders, as well as the recommendation to establish a Federal neuroscience research portal.” It also tasks OSTP to brief the Committee within six months on federal efforts “to promote and encourage international collaboration in neuroscience.”