DC Digest - August 6, 2010

In Today's Issue:

  • Duke Neurobiologist Receives NIH Director’s Pioneer Award
  • Duke Response to Coburn McCain Report
  • Department of Energy Awards Graduate Fellowship to Duke Student
  • Duke and Education Associations Submit Comments to Department of Education
  • GI Bill Would Be Simplified Under House, Senate Proposals
     

DUKE NEUROBIOLOGIST RECEIVES NIH DIRECTOR’S PIONEER AWARD
Duke University School of Medicine neurobiologist Miguel Nicolelis, MD, PhD, is one of 17 recipients of the 2010 National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director’s Pioneer Award. The award will provide funding to continue Nicolelis’ groundbreaking work into the development of brain-machine interface (BMI) technology.

Read More:
Duke Neurobiologist Receives NIH Director’s Pioneer Award (DukeNews)


DUKE RESPONSE TO COBURN MCCAIN REPORT
Michael Schoenfeld, Duke's vice president for public affairs and government relations, says that criticisms of stimulus-funded research at Duke are unwarranted.  Schoenfeld was responding to the “Summertime Blues” report by U.S. Senators Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK) and John McCain (R-AZ), which was critical of certain stimulus projects.

Watch the Video:
Mike Schoenfeld on Benefits of Stimulus-Funded Research (WRAL)
Read More:
Editorials: ‘Stupid and inappropriate’ (The Herald-Sun)


DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AWARDS GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP TO DUKE STUDENT
Jonathan Mueller, a graduate student in nuclear physics, was one of 150 students to be selected to receive a graduate fellowship award as part of a new Department of Energy Graduate Fellowship program.  Each graduate fellow will be provided with tuition, living expenses, and research support for three years to academic institutions across the country.  The new fellowship program is designed to strengthen the nation's scientific workforce by providing support to young students during the formative years of their research.

Read More:
Press Release (U.S. Department of Energy)
Jonathan Mueller Bio (U.S. Department of Energy)


DUKE AND EDUCATION ASSOCIATIONS SUBMIT COMMENTS TO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Duke University and several other higher education associations and accreditation organizations submitted comments yesterday to the Department of Education on the June 18 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Title IV student financial aid program integrity issues.

Read More:
Letter to the Department of Education (Duke University)
Over 70 Organizations, ACE Submit Comments on Program Integrity NPRM (American Council on Education)


GI BILL WOULD BE SIMPLIFIED UNDER HOUSE, SENATE PROPOSALS
Sweeping changes to GI Bill benefits could give troops more money for private college tuition, easier access to on-the-job training and simpler rules for how most of the program is administered.  The House Veterans Affairs Committee has already scheduled a GI Bill hearing for mid-September. The Senate Veterans Committee, chaired by Akaka, approved his version of the GI Bill changes on Thursday.

How tuition benefits are calculated would change under the new bill, basing the benefit on a national tuition average, instead of the current calculation based on the full amount of tuition and fees at the most expensive public college in the student's state. The Senate bill would also extend benefits to all members of the National Guard and Active Guard Reserve; some of whom are currently ineligible for aid.

Read More:
GI Bill would be simplified under House, Senate proposals (Stars and Stripes)