FYI Number 1: January 3, 2006

AIP's Science Policy Services and Products

The Media and Government Relations Division of the American Institute of Physics provides a number of services, programs and products, free of charge, that are intended to help members of the physics community stay informed about federal budget and policy developments, and to facilitate communications with Members of Congress. We invite you to take advantage of these products, to let others in the physics community know about them, and to contact our office if we can be of assistance.

FYI, THE AIP BULLETIN OF SCIENCE POLICY NEWS - www.aip.org/fyi/

FYI is a free electronic bulletin, distributed several times a week, that analyzes budget and policy developments pertinent to the physics community. FYI focuses on congressional and Administration activity related to federally-funded R&D, primarily within the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, NASA, Department of Defense, National Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S. Geological Survey, and NIH's National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, as well as Department of Education science and math education programs. This site provides current and back issues of FYI, as well as instructions for subscribing and unsubscribing. Searchable archives are provided for issues after 1994.

FYI THIS MONTH - www.aip.org/fyi/ftm/

FYI THIS MONTH is a free one-page summary of major developments covered during the previous month in FYI. Directions for subscribing and unsubscribing to FYI THIS MONTH are given at http://www.aip.org/fyi/ftm/. An archive of previous issues is available. All FYI subscribers receive this summary automatically.

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS WEB SITE - www.aip.org/gov/

Are you looking for details on the Bush Administration's request for a particular S&T program or how Congress responded to it? Do you need information on the membership of a congressional committee, or guidance on writing a letter or arranging a Capitol Hill visit? AIP's Government Relations site will answer many of your questions about physics-related budget and policy matters. Relevant issues of FYI are categorized by R&D funding agencies. This site provides congressional committee rosters and jurisdictions, recommendations on writing to and meeting with Members of Congress, and other useful information. Issues of FYI and the other products and services described here can be accessed from this site.

"COMMUNICATING WITH CONGRESS" BROCHURE

This free brochure provides guidance on writing to, and visiting with, Members of Congress. Send your request and US mail address to fyi@aip.org. This guidance is also available on the Government Relations site at http://www.aip.org/gov/commcong.html.

PHYSICS SUCCESS STORIES - www.aip.org/success/

For scientists who wish to meet with their Members of Congress and make the case for the importance of federally-funded research, AIP has produced 16 double-sided exhibits intended for use in congressional visits. Each exhibit describes a billion-dollar industry that is based on federally-funded physics research, highlighting the initial federal investment and agencies involved, the time to development, and the economic impact of the resulting technology. Physics Success Stories can be viewed at http://www.aip.org/success/. Topics available include: medical imaging, lasers, global positioning system, environment, new materials, telecommunications, computers, consumer goods, national defense, transportation, energy efficiency, medical physics, liquid crystals, acoustics, the Internet, and astrophysics. Glossy hard copy versions are available for most topics; we urge you to use the glossy versions when visiting Members of Congress. To receive free hard copies, send us your US mailing address and specify the topics desired.

SCIENCE FELLOWSHIPS - www.aip.org/gov/

For scientists who wish to take an active role in assisting the federal government with S&T-related issues, AIP offers two Science Fellowship programs. The Fellowships enable one or more qualified members of AIP's Member Societies to come to Washington each year and provide scientific expertise to Congress or to the State Department. AIP State Department Science Fellows work in the State Department, contributing to the formation of the nation's foreign policy. Congressional Science Fellows work in a congressional office or on a committee staff. For more information on AIP's State Department Science Fellowship program, please see http://www.aip.org/gov/sdf.html. For more information on AIP's Congressional Science Fellowship program, please see http://www.aip.org/gov/cf.html.

INFORMATION SERVICES - fyi@aip.org

We are here to help! Contact us for assistance on:

Members of Congress and science-related congressional committees, including information on Members, committee rosters and jurisdictions, addresses, telephone numbers, home pages, names of legislative assistants and appointment schedulers, and scheduling information. For information about your Members, please provide your home zip code.

Legislation, Reports and Documents: Contact us for information about bill numbers, cosponsors, status, and guidance on obtaining reports.

General Information: Write, call or email with your questions. We welcome inquiries on the difference between authorization and appropriations bills, the budget process, the name of a key person in a science agency, or information on your Members of Congress.

HOW TO CONTACT US:

Email correspondence: fyi@aip.org
Phone Numbers: Richard Jones, 301-209-3095; Audrey Leath, 301-209-3094
Fax: 301-209-0846
Mailing Address: American Institute of Physics, Media and Government Relations, One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740-3843.

Audrey T. Leath
Media and Government Relations Division
American Institute of Physics
fyi@aip.org
301-209-3094

Back to FYI Home