SCIENCESCOPE

BIOMEDICAL POLICY

Japanese Budget Sags

CREDIT: ERIC DRAPER/WHITE HOUSE/HANDOUT/CNP/CORBIS

Congress has told the National Institutes

The new law also orders the committee,
of Health (NIH) to pick up the pace of its which reports to the Health and Human
research on autism, with an emphasis on Services secretary, to create and implement
early diagnosis, treatment, and the role a strategic plan for autism research. Advoof environmental factors. The Combat- cates say thats much better than a 2003
ing Autism Act, passed in the waning report from the committee, a list of shorthours of the 109th Congress and signed and long-term goals with no rankings or
i n t o l aw 1 9 D e c e m b e r by P r e s i d e n t recommendations on how to carry them
George W. Bush, authorizes a major out. The plan must be updated every year
increase in spending and orders NIH to and include a draft budget for accomplishcome up with a detailed research plan for ing research goals. Insel, who chairs the
making progress in understanding and committee, says hes already convened a
treating the disorder.
working group. He hopes the plan will be
Its giving us a flashing green light to ready by the summer.
move faster on autism, says Tom Insel,
Although the law doesnt set any specific
director of NIHs National Institute of Men- funding levels, it directs NIH to expand, if
tal Health in Bethesda, Maryland. What funds are forthcoming, its work on diagnoreauthorization bills dont provide, how- sis, treatment, and possible environmental
ever, is any money. And with
most government agencies
preparing for flat budgets
in 2 0 0 7 ( s e e p . 24), Jon
Retzlaff of the Federation of
American Societies for Experimental Biology, says its
inconceivable that legislators will divert scarce NIH
dollars to autism.
NIH estimates that it spent
$101 million last year on
autism-related research. The
new law allows that figure to
increase to $132 million this
year and to $210 million by
2011. In addition, the Centers New focus. President George W. Bush signs into law new marching
for Disease Control and Pre- orders for understanding and combating autism.
vention in Atlanta, Georgia,
which focuses on the epidemiology of autism, causes of autism. Thats music to the ears of
could grow its programs from the current Jon Shestack of the advocacy group Cure
budget of $15 million to $21 million by 2011. Autism Now, who says that NIH hasnt done
Advocates for autism research hope that nearly enough on this front.
things will speed up even without an immeIn November, an ad-hoc NIH review
diate funding boost. For example, an inter- committee agreed and recommended invesagency committee that coordinates autism tigating the possible role of neurotoxic comresearch must now submit for the first time pounds such as pesticides and mercury,
an annual report on progress in causes, developing new biomarkers for exposure,
diagnosis, and treatment. That certainly and studying exposure in pregnant women
puts more emphasis on its role, says with autistic children. Insel and other scienManny DiCicco-Bloom of the Robert tists agree that those topics are important
Wood Johnson Medical School in Piscat- but argue that, absent more money, NIH
away, New Jersey, and a member of the should stick with its existing programs.
board of directors of the nonprofit Autism The research agenda is excellent, says
Speaks. Perhaps with more teeth, [the epidemiologist Eric Fombonne of McGill
committee] can make real changes in pol- University in Montreal, Canada.
icy and levels of performance.
ERIK STOKSTAD
www.sciencemag.org

SCIENCE

Published by AAAS

VOL 315

Japans spending on research is poised to drop

for the third year in a row. The debt-plagued
government has budgeted $29.5 billion, down
1.8%, for science spending in the fiscal year
beginning 1 April. Losers include RIKENs
Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory, whose
$23 million amounts to a 28% dip and about
half of what had been requested for the justcompleted exotic isotope accelerator. Parliament is expected to make minor changes
before signing off soon.
Not all the research news is grim for scientists. Funding for competitively reviewed grants
will grow 1.4% to $4 billion. In addition, a
supplemental budget provides money primarily
to strengthen the earthquake resistance of scientific facilities. Kiyoshi Kurokawa, science
adviser to the prime minister, notes that
combining the two budgets results in a net
2.3% rise in science-related spending over last
year. But critics contend the supplemental
budget simply steers money into the politically
powerful construction sector.

Downloaded from www.sciencemag.org on November 13, 2011

New Autism Law Focuses on

Patients, Environment

DENNIS NORMILE

Rovers Reloaded
A New Years resolution shared by NASAs
Spirit and Opportunity: Think more for myself.
The pair of weary Mars explorers have received
a software upgrade to allow them to recognize
dust devils and clouds and select only relevant sections of the images to transmit to
Earth, freeing up communication time and
manual labor for scientists. Other new features include better obstacle avoidance software. The rovers missions are entering their
fourth year.
ELI KINTISCH

Exhibiting Restraint
Plans to build a new government-funded science and technology museum in Ottawa have
been undercut by Canadas top treasury official.
The Canada Science and Technology collection
is currently dispersed among three buildings,
including a former bakery. The long hoped-for
building would bring the 36,000-item collection, which includes Canadian-made satellites,
antique scientific and medical instruments, and
nanotechnology exhibits, under one roof along
with curators, researchers, and cataloguers.
Museum officials cut back their proposal last
year from $600 million to $400 million. But
even the smaller figure is too much for Treasury
Board of Canada president John Baird, who
cited more important taxpayer needs in an
interview with the Ottawa Citizen newspaper
last week. A newly appointed museum chair will
now reevaluate the situation. PAUL WEBSTER

5 JANUARY 2007

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