Congressional Threats to NIH Peer Review, 2005

Neugebauer Amendment Passes on Voice Vote; Two  Basic Behavioral Science Grants Still Await Final Decision on Funding 

Note: Portions  of this text are courtesy of the Coalition to Protect Research (CPR)  Review of the Issue, excerpted from  the June 27 Federation Newsletter

On June 23, 2005, Congressman Neugebauer (R-TX) introduced an amendment to the FY  2006 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations bill, asking  to de-fund two basic behavioral science grants awarded by the National  Institutes of Health; one grant was in animal learning and one was in social  psychology.  On Friday, the House had a large number of amendments to  review and by early afternoon, Regula (R-OH) decided to put several of them in a  batch ("en bloc") and asked for a voice vote to accept them all at once, and  then move to other ones. The Neugebauer amendment was in that batch. Obey (D-WI)  said he did not prefer this because he had problems with some of the amendments  but agreed that they needed to expedite the process. Once the en bloc was agreed  to, the rules allowed statements for the record that were in opposition to any  of the amendments. Leach (R-IA) made a good statement (see text below) that was  supportive of the peer review process at the NIH and was pro-basic behavioral  science. Since the process used was a voice vote, there is, by definition, no  record of who was in favor or against this amendment, and, anyway, a small  subset of Representatives was on the floor at the time. The Senate now has to  work on its version of the bill and then there will be a "conference" of the  House and the Senate to produce one document. There are a number of  opportunities along the way for this (and other) amendments to be dropped in the  final version. Ergo, the final outcome is not clear and we will do all that we  can at this end to ensure the best outcome. As for the scientists in question,  their funding will continue until the final bill is drafted (at least) and it is  possible that this amendment may not survive in the final analysis. So all may  work out positively in the end.

Which Grants Were Under  Scrutiny? 

Grant #1
Grant Title:Perceptual Bases of Visual  Concepts
Grant Number:5R01MH047313-14
Researcher:E.A. Wasserman, Ph.D.
University:University of Iowa

Research Relevance:
This  research focuses on increasing understanding of vision and perception using  pigeons as models.  The research compares the basic processes of perception,  learning, memory and cognition across a variety of species.  This cross-species  comparison helps illuminate how various mental and behavioral abilities are  related and how the human brain is organized.   Research carried out with  animals can lead to new techniques for enhancing perception, cognition, and  behavior across the lifespan in both normal and disordered human populations.   The research has particular relevance for the development of  cognitive/behavioral therapies for people with mental and developmental  disorders and for the eventual development of prostheses and assistive devices  for people with visual impairments.

The  targeted project investigates the abilities of pigeons to visually perceive  complex objects, remember them, and categorize them into abstract categories.    By demonstrating the ways in which these abilities in pigeons are similar to or  different from those of humans, the research will inform us about the brain  mechanisms that underlie human perception and cognition.  Pigeons have much  smaller brains than humans and more invasive research can be performed with  them.  Thus they serve as a useful model for studies of mechanisms that are  common to both birds and humans.

Some  earlier researchers suggested that advanced language or symbolic capacities are  required for memory and abstract categorization.   But if pigeons are shown to  perform in ways that parallel humans, then it is clear that such capacities are  not in fact required.  Indeed, the results now emerging from this project  indicate that pigeons are quite similar to humans and that the brain mechanisms  for perception, memory, and categorization do not depend on sophisticated  symbolic capacities.   The results further indicate that the ways in which  pigeon brains divide up and code visual stimuli are similar to the ways in which  human brains operate.   

Grant #2
Grant Title:Perceived Regard and Relationship  Resilience
Grant Number:5R01MH060105-05
Researcher:Sandra Murray, Ph.D.
University:State University of New York at  Buffalo

Research Relevance:
This study is investigating factors that contribute to successful  marriages and how personal feelings of self-esteem influence the capacity to  sustain satisfying close relationships. Successful relationships contribute to  better health outcomes for both children and adults.  In particular, for those  suffering from depression, anxiety, or schizophrenia, poor relationship quality  may exacerbate their mental disorders and impact the success of their treatment.  Better understanding the factors that lead to successful marriages could  therefore have important public health benefits.  This study also seeks to  develop a better understanding of such mental illnesses as depression, anxiety,  bi-polar disorder, and borderline personality. 

This research might also facilitate the development of clinical  interventions, such as fostering insight into a partner's positive regard and  unconditional acceptance that might circumvent harmful interaction patterns that  could lead to divorce or increase the risk for domestic violence.

Such research will help mental health professionals and others  whose work it is to help couples strengthen this essential building block of  society, and it will also aid in the study of mental illnesses for which the  inability to form relationships is an important symptom, e.g. depression,  anxiety, bi-polar disorder, and borderline personality disorders.

The American Psychological Association (APA) honored Sandra L.  Murray, Associate Professor of Psychology, with the 2003 Distinguished  Scientific Award for Early Career Contribution to Psychology in the area of  social psychology and is also President-Elect of the Society of Experimental  Social Psychology, the most honored society in her discipline.