Newsletter - Society for the Study of Reproduction

JAN 24 1990
Society for the Study of Reproduction
Newsletter
January 1990
Vol. 7, Number 1
Notes from the President
The committees for the current year are exceptionally active and strong as evidenced by the several excellent contributions to this newsletter. This is
the stuff of which successful organizations are made!
To volunteerfor next year's committees, contact President-elect Dr, Anita Payne at the Department of
Ob/Gyn, 21221 Woman's Hospital, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI48109-G278.
Plans for the 1990 meeting in Knoxville are well
underway under the capable leadership of Local
Arrangements Chairman, Dr. Tom Chen, and Program Chairman, Dr. David Garbers. The Symposium
and State-of-the-Art Presentations are highlighted
elsewhere in this newsletter.
In the Spring Newsletter, I want to add my
thoughts to those which have previously been so
well-stated in this space vis a vis some major, difficult
problems which have faced us for a long time: What
can we do about the funding crisis? How can we
achieve more contributions to our annual meeting
and to our journal in those areas considered to be
exciting, rapidly moving frontiers of contemporary
reproductive biology? In the meantime, if you have
thoughts about these issues, I would be grateful if you
would communicate them to me.
David W. Schomberg
Notes from Knoxville, TNSite of the 1990 Annual Meeting
V
Members of the Local Arrangements Committee
and the UniverSity ofTennessee, Knoxville would like
to extend a warm invitation to all SSR members to join
us for the 23rd annual meeting.
Knoxville is known for being the gateway to the
Great Smokies and the host of the World's Fair eight
years ago. Less known to people outside of the region
is that the city has consistently ranked high among
America'S ~most livable cities· because of its attractive location, friendly environment, and rich cultural
heritages. Knoxville was founded by James White
who built the James White Fort in 1786 and named in
honor of General Henry Knox, Secretary of War in
President Washington's cabinet. Here the first frame
house west of the Alleghenies was built in 1792 for
William Blount, Governor of the Territory of the United
States south of the River Ohio, and his family. Today
both structures still stand and are among Knoxville's
most famous landmarks.
Knoxville sits in a valley surrounded by the Great
Smokies to the south, the Cumberland Plateau to the
.Llorth and west and the Blue Ridge Mountains to the
northeast. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park,
with its half a million acres of protected wilderness
land, is the most visited park in our nation. If you enjoy
water sports, you will find lakes for boating, fishing,
etc. within a half-hour drive in all four directions. You
Ovarian WorkshopJuly 12-14, 1990
The eighth biennial Ovarian Workshop sponsored by
Serono Symposia will be held on July 12-14, 1990 In
Maryville, TN. We are compiling a list of people who
would be Interested In receiving announcements regarding the workshop. If you wish to be Included on
this list please send your name and permanent address to:
Dr. Geula Glbort
Department of Physiology and Biophysics
University of Illinois
835 South Wolcott Avenue (m/c 901)
Chicago, IL 60612
Telephone: 312/996-6077
Forge with dozens of amusement parks including
Dollywood, outlet malls, crafts and variety shops is just
a half-hour drive toward the Smokies. Gatlinburg, a
small, attractive foothill resort, gives you a taste of the '-../
Alpine and breathtaking views on top of Ober Gatlinburg. A note of warning, if you plan a trip to the Smoky
Mountains area on your way to the SSR meeting, try
not to come on the Fourth of July weekend because
you will find yourself caught in a traffic jam that backs
up for miles in the Pigeon Forge-Gatlinburg area .
You can, of course, stay in town. Knoxville with its
nearby neighbors-Oak Ridge and Maryville/
Alcoa-are a metropOlitan area with a population of
about half a million. With its newly renovated downtown area, you will have plenty of selections for fine
dining, exciting entertainment, and festivities in the
evening. In fact, the National Quiltter's Association
(anticipated attendance: 3,000) will have their national meeting and exhibits on the World's Fair site at
the same time of our meeting. Therefore, if you plan
to stay in downtown hotels, we urge you to make
reseNations early.
If you are not down-regulated by all the Signal
transductions occurring at the meeting and crave for
more science and technology, you may want to
explore Oak Ridge, the "city behind the fence" and
one of America's best-kept secrets during World War
II. Oak Ridge is best known for its part in the Manhattan project and is home of the Oak Ridge National
Lab and one of the largest energy exhibits In the
world. Maryville, the center stage of the recent frozen-embryo trail, provides another incentive for SSR
and the Ovarian Workshop to meet here.
Knoxville is within a day's drive of half the US
population, if you decide to drive, we suggest that
you plan ahead or stop by a Welcome Center to pick
up a brochure on "The Tennessee Scenic Parkway
System" and leisurely follow the Mockingbird signs.
You will be delighted to find Tennessee's varied and
beautiful landscape and historical sites. Finally, the
local members promise to provide you with a hospitable stay and hope that "y' all come. "
Third Annual Techniques in
Reproductive Biology Workshop
Knoxville TN-July 15, 1989
Topic:
Methods for Separating and Culturing Cells In Vitro
• Cell separation and isolation techniques
applied to the mammalian testes"
Clarke F. Millette, Ph.D.
Department of Anatomy
University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC
• Use of extracellular matrices In epithelial
cell cultures"
Charfes StreulI, Ph.D.
Laboratory of Cell Biology
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory
Berkeley, CA
'Sterolds and growth factors In cell and organ
culture"
John Mclachlan, Ph.D.
NIH/NIEHS
Research Triangle Park, NC
For more Information please contact:
Asgi T. FazJeabas
Chair, SSR Education Committee
Department of Obstetrfcs and Gynecology
Unlverfsty of Illinois
840 South Wood Street (m/c 808)
Chicago, IL 60612
Telephone 312/996-0994
Financial assistance for this workshop Is provided by
Serno Symposia, U.S.A.
Meeting Site for the 1992 SSR Meeting
may also want to drive 40 minutes down to the Ocoee
for an afternoon of white-water rafting. If you prefer
a quiet afternoon away from the traffic and heat, go
to the Lost Sea, the largest underground lake with
attractive cave flowers and rock formations, or wander through natural trails under tall woods in the
scenic Norris Dam State Park where the first TVA dam
was built.
For family activities, we recommend the Museum
of Appalachia in Norris where some forty log structures containing pioneers' artifacts are carefully preseNed and displayed. For joy rides and fun, Pigeon
The University of British Columbia has been selected by the Board of Directors for the 1991 SSR
Meeting. We are accepting bids for the 1992 meeting.lfyou are interested in hosting the 1992 SSR Meeting, please contact Mary Hunzicker-Dunn, Future
Meetings Chairperson, Northwestern University Medical School, Department of Molecular Biology, 303
East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611. You will be
sent a questionnaire which identifies facility require-
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ments, costs, etc. Location choice is based, in part,
on regional location with respect to previous meetings, meeting facilities, costs, and access by air.
1990 SSR Meeting
Knoxville, TN-July 16-18, 1990
Symposium:
Mechanisms of Cellular Signal TransducHon
Changes in the Bylaws
-Multlple Roles of G Portlens In Transmembrane
Signal Transductlon
The 1988-89 Bylaws Committee of the Society for
the Study of Reproduction made several recommendations to the Board of Directors which were acted
upon by the Directors at their summer meeting. The
following are the changes approved by the Board of
Directors and which have been or will be voted upon
by the membership.
Lutz Blrnbaumer, Ph.D.
Department of Cell Biology
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, TX
-Catecholamine Receptors: Structure, Functlon,
and Regulatlon·
Article XIX. Distribution on Dissolution.
Marc G. Caron, Ph.D.
Departments of Cell Biology and Medicine
Duke University Medical Center
Durham,NC
Previous wording:
Upon dissolution of the society, the Board of Directors
shall distribute the assets and accrued income to one
or more organizations which shall meet the limitations
prescribed in Sections 1 to 6 inclusive of Article XVIII.
-The Molecular Basis of Signalling In the
Spermatozoon·
Present wording:
Upon dissolution of the Society, the Board of Directors
shall, after paying or making provisions for the payment of liabilities of the SOCiety, dispose of all assets
of the Society, to one or more organizations, organized and operating exclusively for charitable, educational, religious or scientific purposes, and shall at the
time quality as an exempt organization or organizations under Section SOl(c) (3) of the I.R.S. of 1954 (or
corresponding provisions of any future U.S. Internal
Revenue Code), and which shall meet the limitations
prescribed in Sections 1 to 6 inclusive of Article XVIII.
David L. Garbers, Ph.D.
Department of Physiology
Vanderbilt Medical Center
Nashville, TN
(a) Regular Member: Any individual who has demonstrated professional competence in and made scientific contributions to the field of reproductive biology
shall be eligible for Regular membership in the Society. (b) Member Emeritus: Regular Members who
reach normal retirement age or who retire early for
medical reasons shall be eligible to petition the Executive Secretary to have the Board of Directors approve a waiver of their annual dues. Such Members
shall otherwise by synonymous with Regular Members. (c) Associate Member: Any individual or institution with a scientific interest in the field of
reproductive biology shall be eligible for Associate
Membership. (d) Trainee Member: Any individual in
predoctoral or postdoctoral training in the field of
reproductive biology and who has been recommended by a Regular member shall be eligible for
Trainee Membership. (e) Sustaining Associates: Any
philanthropic individual. organization, corporation, or
foundation which contributes substantially to the support of the SOCiety may, by action of the Board of
Directors, be admitted to membership as a Sustaining
Associate. Regular Members, Members Emeritus, As-
Rationale:
This important proposal allows our Society to acquire
a tax exempt status with the Internal Revenue. Previously, the SOCiety was a "notfor profir organization.
This meant that, when a contribution was made to the
Society, the donor could not legally claim the contribution as a tax deduction with the I.R.S.
The changes in wording in Article XIX were approved unanimously by the membership at the meeting of the SSR in August, 1989 in Columbia, Missouri
and, thus, are now part of the Bylaws of the SSR.
Two other changes in the Bylaws were approved
by the Board of Directors. These changes are:
V
Article V Membership, Section 1. Categories of
Membership
Present wording:
The categories of membership in the Society shall be:
3
philanthropic individual. organization, corporation, or
foundation which contributes substantially to the support of the Society may, by action of the Board of
Directors, be admitted to membership as a Sustaining '-../
Associate. Regular Members, Members Emeritus,
Honorary Members, Associate Members, Trainee
Members and Sustaining Associates shall hereinafter
be referred to as "Members: exc~pt where specifically identified.
State-of-the-Art Lectures
-Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Hormonal
Regulation and Tissue-Specific Expression of the
Gonadotropin Genes"
John H. Nilson, Ph.D.
Department of Pharmacology
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH
Elizabeth Robertson, Ph.D.
Department of Genetics and Development
Columbia University
NewYork,NY
Rationale:
In the past there have been Hartman awardees who
have not been members of the SSR. It is believed that
the most important cFiteria for selection of a Hartman
awardee is his/her overall impact in science, and
should not be restricted to current membership of the
Society. However, if the Society so honors an individual. that individual should be made an honorary
member of the SSR.
- How the Egg Regulates Sperm Function During
Gamete Interaction"
Article XI Committees, Section 2. Appointments of
Members . .
- Using Embryonic Stem Cells (ES Cells) to
Introduce Mutations Into the Mouse Germ Line"
P. M. Saling, Ph.D.
Departments of Obstetrics nd Gynecology
and Ceil Biology
Duke University Medical Center
Durham, NC
Present wording:
New Members of standing committees and Members
of ad hoc committees shall be appointed by recommendation of the President-Elect, with the approval
of the Executive Council. At least one-third, but not
more than two-thirds, of the Members of the standing '-.../
committees shall be replaced each year. The Chairpersons-Elect of the respective standing committees
shall be chosen by the President-Elect of the Society
from the eligible Members of the pre-existing committees.
sociate Members, Trainee Members and Sustaining
Associates shall hereinafter be referred to as "Members: except where specifically identified.
Proposed wording:
New Members of standing committees and Members
of ad hoc committees shall be appointed by recommendation of the President-Elect. with the approval
of the Executive Council. At least one-third, but not
more than two-thirds, of the Members of the standing
committees shall be replaced each year. The Chairpersons-Elect of the respective standing committees
shall be chosen by the President-Elect of the Society
from the eligible Members of the pre-existing committees, where possible.
Proposed wording:
The categories of· membership in the Society shall be:
(a) Regular Member: Any individual who has demonstrated professional competence in and made scientific contributions to the field of reproductive biology
shall be eligible for Regular membership in the Society. (b) Member Emeritus: Regular Members who
reach normal retirement age or who retire early for
medical reasons shall be eligible to petition the Executive Secretary to have the Board of Directors approve a waiver of their annual dues. Such Members
shall otherwise by synonymous with Regular Members. (c) Honorary Member: An individual who, based
on his/her overall impact on science is a Hartman
awardee. (d) Associate Member: Any individual or
institution with a scientific interest in the field of reproductive biology shall be eligible for Associate Membership. (e) Trainee Member: Any individual in
predoctoral or postdoctorql training in the field of
reproductive biology and who has been recommended by a Regular member shall be eligible for
Trainee Membership. (f) Sustaining Associates: Any
Rationale:
This change has been included to reflect more accurately the workings of the Society. Sometimes an eligible Member of the pre-existing committee cannot
seNe as chairperson either for personal or for professional reasons.
The above is notice of the proposed changes to
Articles XI, section 2 and V, section 1 which will be
presented at the 1990 annual business meeting for
vote by the membership.
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minireviews and exceptional papers. Minireviews are
intended to provide concise information about topics of current importance and/or controversy and are
limited to five printed pages. Page charges are
waived for minireviews. although authors must pay for
any reprints ordered. Exceptional papers are full papers that have received an ~outstanding· rating by
two reviewers. Both minireviews and exceptional papers are identified as such in the Table of Contents
and are assigned priority status for publication. Authors of exceptional papers are responsible for page
charges.
As of July 1. 1989 we will send new manuscripts to
three referees for critical review rather than to two.
Disposition of a manuscript will be made on the basis
of two concurring reviews. This policy is expected to
facilitate and accelerate the review process.
To encourage broader partiCipation and to increase the visibility of BOR internationally. we will
recruit more international scientists as referees and as
members of the Editorial Board. FAX and BITNET will
ensure prompt communications in these cases.
We welcome input from the membership. especially with regard to recommendations for new referees. minireviews and suggestions for improving the
journal. Also. we ask that the membership' keep in
mind that BOR is a peer-reviewed journal. Therefore.
decisions of the referees. not members of the Editorial
Office. decide which papers will make ~solid contributions· to BOR. We look forward to serving the membership of BOR and to maintaining high standards for
publications in BOR.
In addition to the above changes in the Bylaws.
the Bylaws committee is considering several other
changes which we will report in the next newsletter. If
any member has any questions or suggestions. please
contact me at: Department of Medicine. Peptide
Research. Tulane University Medical Center. 1430 Tulane Avenue. New Orleans. LA 70112. (504/588-5847).
Mary V. Nekola. PhD.
Chairperson. Bylaws Committee
Notes from the Editorial Office
Dr. Fuller Bazer has taken over as Editor-in-Chief of
Biology of Reproduction and the editorial office is in
full operation in Gainesville at the University of Florida.
Dr. William ~Bill· Thatcher is Associate Editor and Drs.
John Davis and David Garbers are serving as Assistant
Editors. Patrick Tolley is the new Editorial Coordinator
and Judith Jansen is continuing as the Editorial Assistant. All submissions and all correspondence and
inquiries should be directed to:
Dr. Fuller W. Bazer. Editor-in-Chief
Animal Science Department
Building 459-Shealy Drive
University of Florida
Gainesville. FL 32611-0691
Telephone: 904/392-7641
FAX: 904/392-7652
Electronic mail: [email protected]
Authors and reviewers are requested to use BITNET
for emergency messages and immediate responses
to questions.
For questions and messages relative to proofs or
technical editing please direct those questions to:
Public Affairs CommiHee
Appropriations for FY 1990
Disappointing and discouraging is the information emanating from Washington regarding the funding of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) including
the National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development (NICHD) for fiscal year (FY) 1990. Congress initially failed to pass an appropriations bill prior
to the October 1. 1989. deadline. thereby necessitating the passage of continuing resolutions to finance
the daily activities of the federal government. A joint
House/Senate Conference Committee subsequently
approved a compromise appropriations bill which
included appropriations for the NIH/NICHD for FY
1990. However. that bill (H.R. 2990) was vetoed on
October 21. 1989. by President Bush due to his objection to a provision which would have expanded the
Medicaid funding for abortions. As a consequence.
beginning on October 1. 1989. and continuing until
just recently. the funding of the NIH including the
Ms. Judith Jansen. Editorial Assistant
1526 Jefferson Street
Madison. WI 53711
Telephone: 608/256-3348
FAX: 608/256-3348
Recent Changes and New Policies
In our continuing effort to publish the results of
important work in reproductive biology as expeditiously as possible. we have enacted a number of
new procedures and policies.
Beginning with Volume 40. twelve issues of BORwill
be published each year (two volumes per year. six
issues per volume). The number of issues was in\.J creased to reduce the time than an accepted manuscript is in production.
BOR now publishes two new categories of papers:
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NICHD has been by continuing resolutions. Also, since
Congress and the President failed to reduce the projected federal deficit for FY 1990 to $110 billion by
October 15, 1989, the sequestration provisions (automatic budget cuts) of the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings
Budget Reduction Act of 1985 became effective on
October 16,1989.
The continuing resolutions froze FY 1990 spending
levels atthe lower of the House and Senate mark-ups,
and sequestration imposed a mandatory 5.3%
across-the-board reduction (4.3% reduction for defense spending) below the spending levels required
by the continuing resolutions. In terms of the NICHD,
the continuing resolutions and sequestration temporarily decreased the FY 1990 budget of the NICHD
from the initial Conference agreement of $451 million
down to $426 million.
During the week of November 20, 1989, and immediately prior to the Thanksgiving Holiday, Congress
and the President resolved their differences. An appropriations bill, which included the appropriations
for the NIH including the NICHD for FY 1990, was
approved and signed into law. As a result, the rescissions resulting from the continuing resolutions and
sequestration were alleviated. Although the longterm implications of sequestration for FY 1990 are
currently unknown, it is nevertheless clear that the
budget for the support of biomedical research by all
of the Institutes of the NIH including the NICHD will be
extremely tight during FY 1990. In fact, the projections
as of this date (December 1, 1989) are that FY 1990
will be one of the worst funding years for biomedical
research by the NIH in over a decade.
As anticipated, the funding of new and competing renewal grants by the NICHD during FY 1990 continues on a serious decline (Fig. 1). The NICHD will fund
only approximately 350 new and competing renewal
grants during FY 1990. Last year (FY 1989) the NICHD
funded 439 new and competing renewal grants, and
during FY 1988 the NICHD funded 450 new and com-
peting renewal grants. However, in FY 1987 the NICHD
funded a decade-high number of 545 new and competing renewal grants. The decline from FY 1987 (545
grants) to FY 1990 (350 estimated grants) represents a
loss of 195 (nearly 36%) in new and competing renewal grant support. However, it is important to remember that only approximately one-third of all
research grants funded annually by the NICHD supports research in the reproductive sciences. The remaining grants are distributed among other
investigators in the pediatric, biochemical and behavioral sciences.
In addition to the decline in the number of new
and competing renewal grants which will be funded
during FY 1990, there will also be a substantial decrease in the funding rate (Fig. 2). The funding rate
(%) for the NICHD for FY 1990 will decrease to approximately 20% of approved grants which will be funded.
Since the percentile level of funding is generally 3 to
4 percentage points below the funding rate, the
projected funding rate of approximately 20% translates into a percentile funding level at only the 16 to
17th percentile for the NICHD for FY 1990.
However, based on recent data from FY 1989, I
personally doubt whether the 16 to 17th percentile
will be attained by the NICHD during FY 1990. During
FY 1989 the NICHD was projected to have a funding
rate of 25.3%, which would have resulted in a funding
level up to the 21 to 22nd percentile. However, during
all of FY 1989 the funding level for the NICHD never
exceeded the 17th percentile, and during the last
round of funding for FY 1989 the NICHD funded up to
only the 13th percentile. Therefore, if FY 1989 seNes as
an accurate predictor of FY 1990, I antiCipate that the
NICHD will fund at substantially lower percentiles during FY 1990 than were funded during FY 1989.
In addition to the anticipated lower number of
new and competing renewal grants funded and the
lower percentile level of funding, there will also be
substantial negotiated reductions for both com pet-
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1990 the NIH funding rate is prOjected to further decrease to only approximately 24.3% of approved
grants which will be funded.
Despite all of the disturbing information regarding
the prOjected funding of new and competing renewal grants. at the present time the NIH including
the NICHD continues to fund a relatively large total
number of research grants including both competing
and non-competing grants. During FY 1989 the NIH
funded approximately 20.600 competing and noncompeting research grants. and during FY 1990 the
number of grants funded is prOjected to decrease to
approximately 19)00 competing and non-competing grants. However. it is important to realize that the
reason for the relatively smaller decrease in the total
number of grants funded compared to the total number of new and competing renewal grants which will
be funded is due to the large number of non-competing grants which are currently in the pipeline and
are still receiving support.
There are two primary reasons for the large number of non-competing grants which are currently
funded. The mean duration of funding for each
funded grant has been increasing through the years.
and currently is approximately 4.3 years. Also. a large
number of new and competing renewal grants were
funded by the NIH during FY 1987 and FY 1988 and
are still receiving support. However. all non-competing grants will eventually come up for competing
renewal. Therefore. as the total number of competing
renewal awards continue to decrease. the number
of non-competing grants which will be funded upon
competing renewal will also inevitably decrease. The
long-term effect will be that if current funding trends
continue. in time the total number of research grants
funded by the NIH will be considerably reduced.
When we examine the bleak outlook for the funding of not only the reproductive sciences by the
NICHD during FY 1990. but also the funding of all
biomedical research by the NIH. we must ask ourselves how such deteriorated funding situation ever
developed. Although the_answers are complex and
far-reaching. I believe that I can provide somewhat
of a brief inSight.
During the Reagan years (1981-1989) there was a
substqntial build-up of the United States military.
which was the largest build-up ever in peacetime. In
addition to a build-up of conventional forces. there
also were several extremely expensive defense initiatives funded including the Strategic Defense Initiative
(SDI. or "Star Wars") and the B-2 Stealth Bomber. At
the same time there were increased outlays for Social
Security and other entitlement programs such as
Medicare and veterans benefits. All of these were
being financed while individual and corporate income taxes were decreasing due to the vqrious Tax
Reform Acts of the 1980' s which resulted in de-
Membership for SSR
Our Society needs your help!
Our membership Is growing-but too slowly.
The challenge for this year Is for each member
to invite one fellow scientist to become a member.
Just think. our membershIp would double in one year!
Many people never Join an organization
because they are never asked/
Janis Bahr
ing and non-competing grants for the NICHD during
FY 1990. For competing grants the negotiated reductions will be approximately 10%. and for non-competing grants the negotiated reductions will be
approximately 14%.
In contrast with the serious problems which exists
for the funding of individual research grants by the
NICHD. Congress was much more generous in its
support of research centers. In addition to "get-well*
money for NICHD centers. Congress also appropriated funds for one new center in learning disabilities.
along with several new child health care centers. The
number of centers in the reproductive sciences will
remain at 16. while the total number of NICHD centers
will increase from 46 to 53. The funds for these centers
are contingent upon a non-sequestration budget of
approximately $451 million for the NICHD for FY 1990.
Although Congress approved a budget of $7.68
billion for the NIH for FY 1990. which is an increase of
$539 million over the FY 1989 budget of $7.141 billion.
the additional funds are earmarked primarily for specific line items. New buildings and facilities at NIH. and
a new supercomputer for the National Cancer Institute. are among the top recipients of the additional
funds. No relief was provided for research grants. and
as a result the number of new and competing renewal grants which will be funded by the overall NIH
will decrease from approximately 5.325 funded during FY 1989 to less than 4)00 funded during FY 1990.
In FY 1988 the NIH funded 6213 new and competing
renewal grants. and during FY 1987 the NIH funded a
decade-high number of 6.447 new and competing
renewal grants. The decline in support from FY 1987
to FY 1990 represents a loss of approximately 27% in
competing grant support from the NIH since FY 1987.
The funding rate (%) for the overall NIH also continues to decline. During FY·1987 the funding rate for
the NIH was 38.3% of approved new and competing
renewal grants which were funded. during FY 1988
the funding rate was 36.6%. and during FY 1989 the
funding rate for the NIH decreased to 29.2%. For FY
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research activities by writing to speCific members of
the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees. In the spring of 1989 SSR members sent approximately 1,500 letters to the House and Senate I.....J
Appropriations Subcommittees, and in the spring of
1988 approximately 1,100 letters were sent to Congress by members of the SSR.
If you have not previously participated in this SSR
Congressional mail-in campaign but would like to
participate this year, please fill out the enclosed card
and return it to me at your earliest convenience. If you
previously filled out and returned a card and you
were included in our last mail-in campaign, please do
not return the enclosed card since you are already
included on our mailing list and will automatically
receive the necessary materials.
creased revenues. The primary consequence of the
interaction of these events has been the largest budget deficit ever accumulated in the history of the
United States.
In order to attempt to address the budget deficit,
the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Budget Deficit Reduction Act of 1985 mandated specific cuts in spending
levels to decrease the deficit according to an annual
formula. However, approximately 80% of the federal
budget cannot be rescinded since it is protected
from rescission by federal lows. These protected outlays include outlays for Social Security, military programs already in the acquisition pipeline, Medicare,
various entitlement programs such as veterans retirement benefits, and payment on the national debt. In
fact, one third of the entire federal budget is currently
earmarked for payment of the interest on the national debt. Unfortunately, the NIH budget including
that of the NICHD are included in the approximately
20% of federal appropriations which are not protected from the budget-rescission process. The effects of this vulnerability to Congressional rescission
are painfully evident when examining the current
serious decline in the funding of research grants by
the NIH.
Public Affairs Activities at the 1989 Annual Meeting
in Columbia
The Public Affairs activities at our annual meeting
in Columbia, MO, were very intense. One of the highlights of our Public Affairs program was the ~Forum on
the Federal Funding of Research in the Reproductive
Sciences" which was co-sponsored by the Public Affairs Committee and the Student Affairs Committee.
A highlight of the Forum was a discussion of the
funding of research in the reproductive sciences by
Dr. Duane F. Alexander, the Director of the NICHD. Dr.
Rosemary R. Grady of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) discussed the funding program for reproductive research which she administers for the USDA,
and Dr. Gary C. Ellis of the Institute of Medicine in
Washington, D.C .. provided a stimulating discussion
of the interaction of political processes and the funding for reproductive research. I personally provided
an update of the continuing decline in the funding
for the reproductive sciences through the NICHD. The
Forum was co-hosted by Student Representative
Anne Miller and myself. We have received excellent
feedback from SSR members regarding the Forum,
and encouragement to present similar forums in future annual meetings of the SOCiety.
There was also extensive media coverage at our
annual meeting in Columbia. We had a total of four
television interviews and three newspaper interviews.
This was byfarthe most extensive media coverage at
any of our annual meetings in quite some time. Also,
I presented an update on the Public Affairs activities
of the SOCiety to the membership at our annual business meeting. Plans are currently underway for another active public affairs program at our 1990 annual
meeting in Knoxville. More information will be forthcoming in future newsletters and in public affairs updates.
SSR Congressional Efforts
The SSR has been among the most active of all
scientific societies in attempting to increase the support for biomedical research by the NIH, particularly
the support for research in the reproductive sciences
by the NICHD. I testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human
Services, Education and Related Agencies on behalf
of the SSR on April 27, 1989. I have also personally
made numerous trips to Capitol Hill to meet with
Congressional Staff on behalf of the SSR and the
reproductive sciences. We are also working in conjunction with other scientific societies to attempt to
increase the Congressional support of our research.
During this year we will continue to expand our network to include additional scientific societies, and we
will also attempt to enlist the support of constituent
lay groups in our efforts. As you can see, much has
already been accomplished, but very obviously
much more still remains to be done. Although the
NICHD budget for reproductive research for FY 1990
is disappointing, it would have been much worse
without these intensive and extremely time-consuming Congressional efforts.
Congressional Mail-in Campaign
In April of 1990 we will once again conduct our
SSR Congressional Mail-in Campaign. This is an effective mechanism whereby the individual members of
our SOCiety have an opportunity to become involved
in our grass roots efforts to increase the funding for our
Schroeder/Snowe Bill
A new bill has been introduced which may be of
8
'-.J
r
would like to know about new and competing renewals which were not funded. the number of revisions
required before a grant was funded. -and any loss of
positions or disruption of research activities and careers due to the loss of a grant or due to an inability
to obtain grant funding. Include any other information which you feel will be helpful. Also. if you believe
that it is appropriqte. please relay the problems which
any of your colleagues may have experienced who
may not be members of the SSR. Conversely. if-you
have been successful in obtaining funding and have
experienced little or no difficulties in obtaining funding. please let me know since this information is also
of importance. Information which I receive from any
individual investigator will be strictly confidential.
All information will be tabulated and a general
analysis will be made and provided to the membership of our SOCiety. This information will also be very
useful to me when I discuss with the House and Senate
Appropriations Subcommittees th~ impact which the
declining federal support for the funding 'of r~search
in the reproductive sciences is having on the members of our SOCiety. This decreased support may not
have only current implications. but the effects may
also be manifest well into the twenty-first century as
young investigators may be discouraged from selecting biomedical research as a career. including research in the reproductive sciences.
I will keep you updated regarding the funding
situation for FY 1990 in future Public Affairs Updates. In
the meantime. please let me know'if you have any
questions regarding any of the above items which I
have discussed.
James P. Preslock. PhD.
Chairman. Public Affairs Committee
Deportment of Obstetrics. Gynecology
and Reproductive Sciences
The University of Texas Medical School at Houston
6431 Fannin. Suite 3.204
Houston. TX 77030
713/792-5360
increasing interest to the members of our Society. On
July 27. 1989. Representatives Patricia Schroeder (DColorado) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) introduced a bill into the House of Representatives (H.R.
2956) entitled the "Birth Control and Infertility Research Centers Act of 1989.· This Bill. if approved and
funded by Congress. will establish five new centers
within the NICHD. which will include three new centers in contraceptive (birth control) research. and two
new centers in infertility research. The first year of
funding would be $20 million. with the funding varying
during the following four years of support. It is important to note that the funds for these centers would
come from supplementary funds provided by Congress to the NICHD and not from other programs
currently funded by the NICHD including existing centers. individual research grants (R01·s). or training.
The Public Affairs Committee and the Board of
Directors of our Society are currently developing an
official position for our SOCiety regarding this important legislation. Although the bill appears very attractive since it focuses Congressional attention on two
very critical problems important to the reproductive
sciences. there are still several serious concerns which
the SOCiety must address before taking an 'official
position. One important consideration is the inclusion
of basic research as an integral part of the centers. A
second concern is whether the centers will have any
negative impact on the overall Congressional funding of individual research grants (R01's) in the reproductive sciences through the NICHD. However. each
individual member of our Society at his or her own
discretion may contact his representative in Washington and urge support for this legislation. If you are
interested in supporting this legislation and you would
like additional information. please contact me at
your earliest convenience.
Funding Information/Data Base
As the Congressional support of research in the
sciences through the NIH including the
NICHD continues to decline. the negative impact
upon the members of our SOCiety continues to increase. I receive frequent reports from the members
of the SSR regarding the loss of competing renewal
grants. the inability to fund new grants. and the problems which are encountered due to negotiated reductions of funded grants.
I would therefore like to initiate a unique program
for our Society in which a data base will be established and maintained which will document the impact which the decline in federal research support is
having on the members of our SOCiety. If you have
been unable to secure funding for your research
through the NIHjNICHD despite reasonably high priority scores (Le .• 200 or better) and high percentiles
(Le .. 4Oth percentile or better). please let me know. I
reproductiv~
Awards Committee
The call for nominations for the 1990 Carl G. Hartman Award. the SSR Research Award and the SSR
Distinguished Service Award was sent to the membership in early November. The deadline for submission
of the appropriate documents in support of each
nominee is January 15.1990. It is antiCipated that the
membership will nominate several individuals for
each of these prestigious awards.
The Carl G. Hartman Award is the highest award
given by the SOCiety and is in recognition of a career
9
in research and scholarly activities in the field of reproductive biology. The SSR Research Award is given
to an individual that is an active. regular member of
the Society for outstanding research published during
the past six years. regardless of the age of the recipient. The SSR Distinguished SeNice Award recognizes
a person who has given unselfish seNice and leadership to reproductive biology. Young investigators are
encouraged to apply for the Young Investigator
Award if they intend to present a paper at the annual
meeting. The application procedure for the Young
Investigator Award is explained in the materials for
submission of abstracts for the 1990 Annual Meeting
of the Society for the Study of Reproduction.
Anthony J. Zeleznik. Ph.D.
Chairperson. SSR Awards Committee
have demonstrations of equipment by manufacturers during the lunch break: i.e .• hPLC. cell sorters and
so forth. We need your feedback as to whether this
would be of interest to you and what kind of demos \...../
you would like to see. Please contact:
Report and Request From
the Development Committee
Trainee Affairs
Jan P. Roser
Department of Animal Sdence
Meyer Hall
University of California
Davis. CA 95616
Telephone: 916/752-2918
Thank you.
Jan F. Roser. Chair
Development Committee
Trainee Sponsored Forum
This year's forum will be to discuss the topic of
industrial vs. academic careers. This topic should be
particularly timely. as many of us are facing career
decisions. In light of today's problems. including limited funding and the difficulty of finding a permanent
position. we owe it to ourselves to be well informed '-....J
about alternatives. The Trainee Affairs Committee is
currently contacting a variety of prominent partiCipants for this forum. We look forward to seeing you at
the Forum in Knoxville!
The Development Committee. an ad hoc committee composed of members both from industry and
academia is responsible for maintaining a core group
of sustaining members and fund contributors. The
committee recommends to the Board of Directors
steps needed to raise funds for the Society in terms of
jOint activities with our industry friends. The committee
helps bridge the gap between industry and academia by providing (both) appropriate information concerning jOint activities of the Society or of other events
of special interest.
Recently. the Development Committee has established exhibitor space for companies who would
like to attend our meetings. For the last two years.
various companies have exhibited at our annual
meetings. In 1988 we hosted 7 companies in Seattle:
Baxter Scientific. Hamilton Thorn. Waters. Cryo Resources. Meridian Instruments and Bartels and Stout.
Inc. In 1989 we hosted 11 companies in Columbia.
MO: T. S. Scientific. W. B. Saunders. Research Products
International Corp .. Hitshfel Optical Instruments. Research Triangle Institute. Cryomed. Freyer Co .• Inc ..
Emcal Technical Sales. Hamilton Thorn. BTX. and Bio
Quaint. We try to place exhibitors in accessible areas
such as the poster hall so that those who attend the
meetings have a chance to visit with our industry
friends. The Development Committee feels that having exhibitors at our annual meetings is not only a
good source of revenue for the SOCiety ($300 per
exhibitor) but provides us with an opportunity to learn
about new technologies and interact with industry
supporters. During our last annual meeting. a suggestion was made at the Board of Directors meeting to
poll the membership as to whether they would like to
Trainee Travel Fund
The Trainee Travel Fund. due to the generosity of
our members. has money available for travel awards
to attend this year's annual meeting in Knoxville.
Travel funds are available on a competitive basis to
trainees who are presenting abstracts and .demonstrate financial need. In 1988. we gave partial funding
to 12 trainee members to attend the meeting in
Columbia. and this year we hope to support even
more. For further information. contact:
Kyle Kramer
University of Missouri
158 ASRC
Columbia. MO 65211
Telephone: 314/882-7793
Faculty Trainee Luncheon
Once again. the Trainee Affairs Committee plans
to sponsor the Faculty-Trainee Luncheon. This is an
excellent opportunity for students and post-docs to
meet with faculty that are working at the cutting
edge of our field. in an informal and relaxed
10
r
atmosphere. Stay tuned for further information in upcoming mailings.
animals, and is sent to individuals who become Associate Sponsors by the contribution of $25.00 (Foundation for Biomedical Research, 818 Connecticut
Avenue, N.W., Suite 303, Washington, DC 20006,
phone 202/457-0654). The foundation is also a responsible source of videotapes, brochures, books and
educational material on the use of animals in research.
SSR members should be aware of current proposed federal legislation affecting use of animals in
research, and should write appropriate letters to their
congressmen and senators. Two bills introduced into
the House of Representatives (HR560 and HR3223)
post major threats to the future of biomedical research in this country.
HR560, the Information Dissemination and Research Accountability Act (Rep. Robert Torricelli, DNJ) would establish a National Center for Research
Accountability. The center will determine if any research use of live animals proposed for federal funding is duplicative of any other completed or ongoing
research. A determination of duplication would prevent funding. A full text data base of all animal research would also be established. The Torricelli Bill
would have high costs that would detract from already limited research funds and is itself duplicative
in that it fails to recognize the NIH peer review already
safeguards against unnecessary redundancy in animal research._Ple.ase write_a lett.er urging your congressional representative not to co-sponsor the
Torricelli Bill (HR560), for the reasons mentioned.
HR3223, introduced to the House by Rep. Charlie
Rose, D-NC, is called the "Animal Welfare Improvements Act of 1989,· is a new Rose Bill which incorporates all the language of the "standing" bill previously
introduced by Rose (HR2345), and would grant any
person, on behalf of any animal, the legal standing
to sue the federal government to compel enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act. In addition, the new
Rose Bill appears to condone research faCility breakins and animal theft. It would legalize acts causing
only temporary loss of research animals, and permits
many other disruptive acts if any violation of the
Animal Welfare Act by the faCility can be proven, no
matter how trivial. HR3223 also calls for a study of
duplication in animal research, use of alternative
methods, establishment of alternative enforcement
agencies, and other animal rights oriented goals. The
study would be by cabinet officers and leaders of
animal rights organizations, without representation
from the research community. You should urge your
congressional representative not to endorse the new
Rose Bill (HR3223).
Bill HR2766 from Rep. Edolphus Towns, D-NY, is a bill
to "amend the Animal Welfare Act to include mice,
rats, and birds: i.e., species not currently covered.
The animals currently covered by the act are dogs,
SSR Placement Committee
We would like to thank everyone that used the
Placement Service at the annual meeting in Columbia. Many candidates and employers were brought
together, and a number of individuals obtained pOSitions as a result of their participation. The Placement
Service will be in operation at Knoxville this summer,
and would like to help you find the position or candidate that you need. Look for our announcement in
the March or April edition of Biology of Reproduction.
Teresa McShane, Trainee Representative, will be running the Placement Committee in 1990.
Justin C. Lamsa, Ph.D.
Trainee Representative
Note From the Animal Care and Use
CommiHee
The committee continues to view as its primary
concern the threat to biomedical research presented by animal rights activists. Of further concern is
the apparent lack of awareness and failure to respond on the part of individual reseerchers aAd-educators. The single, major reliable source of information
on developments affecting the use of animals in
research is NABR-the National Association for Biomedical Research, operating in conjunction with its
companion organization, the Federation for Biomedical Research (FBR). We, therefore, urge every SSR
member to arrange to obtain copies of NABR mailings
through their home institutions, and to also consider
individual memberships in FBR.
The NABR is supported only by institutional members, including major research universities, professional organizations and biomedical researchrelated companies. It is actively involved in government and congressional relations, and in actively
representing member institutions in national policy
making affecting the use of animals in research. If
your institution is a member, a core group of administrators routinely receives the brief. timely one-page
publications-NABR Updates and Alerts. You should
contact your administration and arrange to have
copies of these resources sent to you on a regular
basis. The FRB is supported by individuals as well as
institutional sponsors, sponsoring contributions are tax
deductible, and the group's role, mission and services
are dedicated to public education and distribution
, of information on the importance of the use of animals in research. The FBR quarterly Newsletter summarizes news and legislation on research use of
11
or to disrupt or damage the faCility or its activities. This
House companion to Senator Heflin's bill is a major
advance in the advocacy of the necessary contribution of animals to human welfare and biomedical '-./
research. The co-sponsorship of the Agriculture Committee leaders is particularly favorable. You should
urge your representatives in Congress to support the
Stenholm Bill (HR3270).
House Bill HR334 introduced by Rep Henry Waxman , D-CA, has a similar intention, but it amends the
Public Health Service Act ,and its provisions would
apply only to animal facilities receiving PHS funds. It
would make it a federal crime to threaten, damage
or steal from a PHS-funded animal research facility.
You should also urge your representatives to support
and co-sponsor the Waxman Bill (HR334).
Letters to your representatives and senators
should, if possible, use the correct office building
address and zip code extension, which are available
from the representative's local office listed in your
phone book or from your local library. They should
also be written on letterhead paper, mention your
particular situation, the potential harm animal activists can cause in your district, and your willingness to
personally assist the legislator's staff on this topiC. The
NABR and FBR will provide you with useful information.
There is no reason why you cannot send a letter
today, right now (samples enclosed).
Copies can be sent to the following addresses.
Rep. Kika de la Garza , Rep. Edward R. Madigan and
Rep. Charles Stenholm, the House Committee on
Agriculture, 1301 Longworth House Office Building,
Washington , DC 20515; Rep. John D. Dingel. Chairman, House Energy and Commerce Committee,
2125 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC
20515; Rep. Henry Waxman, Chairman, Energy and
Commerce Subcommittee on Health, 2415 Rayburn
House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515.
Letters to your two senators in support of Senator
Heflin's S727 can be similarly prepared.
The Committee would appreCiate proposals or
suggestions from members on topics and speakers for
an Animal Care and Experimentation Forum at the
1990 Annual Meeting. These should be forwarded to
any of the committee members-Patrick Concannon, Mary Buhr, Kerry Foresman, David Hess, Babetta
Marrone, Bruce Moulton, Jan Roser, George Stabenfeldt, Richard Steger and Larry Katz. The committee
would also appreCiate any suggestions or information
that you wish to have announced in the next note to
the members.
Patrick W. Concannon
Chairman, SSR Animal Cace and Experimentation
Committee
cats, monkeys, guinea pigs, hamsters, and rabbits ,
and others as the Secretary of Agriculture may determine. Rats, mice, and blrds are not currently covered ,
ostensibly because of lack of resources to regulate
and inspect the faCilities involved. Most biomedical
research organizations have taken a neutral position
on this bill. The inclusion of these species will require
an extensive increase in funding for the USDA's existing animal welfare program which is managed by the
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
branch of the USDA. Unfortunately, the Towns Bill
(HR2766) does not provide the budget authority for
including the additional species in the Animal Welfare
Act. Interestingly, the USDA has stated that it is now
considering developing regulations and standards
for rats, mice and birds.
House Bill HR2596 (Rep. Robert Smith, R-NH) would
order the Secretary of Health and Human Services to
transfer the Silver Springs monkeys to non-federal facilities. NIH has already transferred most of the control
animals to the San Diego Zoo but legal efforts of
animal rights groups are currently preventing NIH from
arranging appropriate resocialization programs and
euthanasia for the remaining animals. Members of
Congress should be urged not to co-sponsor HR2596.
The most encouraging developments in p roposed federal legislation affecting research use of
animals are the bills introduced to protect animal
research facilities, including S727 introduced in the
Senate by Senator Heflin, and in the House by Congressmen Waxman (HR3349) and Stenholm (HR3270).
Hopefully, such legislation will become enacted and
deter animal rights groups from causing major disruptions to research program and gaining undeserved
publicity.
Senate Bill S727 , sponsored by Senator Howell
Heflin (D-AL), is entitled ~The Animal Research Facility
Protection Act- and would amend the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) , and apply to facilities covered by the
AWA. The amendment would make it a federal crime
to steal. destroy, or make unauthorized use of research animals, equipment or data. This appreciation
of the need for animals in research is a landmark, and
you should urge both your senators to support the
Heflin Bill.
HR3270, introduced in the House by Rep. Charles
Stenholm (D-TX) is entitled the ~Farm Animal and
Research Facilities Protection Act of 1989: It was
referred to the House Agriculture Committee with 44
co-sponsors, including the Agriculture Committee's
Chairman K. de la Garza (D-TX) , and its ranking minority member, Edward Madigan (R-IL). The Stenholm Bill
would amend the Food Security Act and protect all
animal research facilities and farm animal facilities,
and would make it a federal crime to take an animal
12