The Friends of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (FNIDCR) online newsletter is a membership benefit. Permission is granted to repost this publication only with inclusion of the header. Past issues are posted at http://www.fnidcr.org/newsletters/index.html.

News

Oral Health Patient Advocacy Groups to Meet in Washington DC
Several representatives of oral health patient advocacy groups from around the country will be attending several events in the Washington DC area in April.

The Patient Advocates Forum on Monday, April 21 will be hosted by NIDCR on the National Institutes of Health campus. An update on Institute intramural and extramural research and more will be discussed.

The Advocacy Day Workshop on Tuesday, April 22, sponsored by AADR and ADEA, is a workshop on public policy, legislative priorities and advocacy training.

Capitol Hill Day will be on Wednesday April 23. FNIDCR has organized a Hill Day Kickoff on Capital Hill, where advocacy group representatives will meet with the Oral Health Caucus & Chairman, US Representative Mike Simpson. This will be followed by meetings with legislators in their offices. Involvement of patient advocacy group representatives is crucial to making a difference in the message of improved oral health research funding appropriations, from patients, researchers and educators, to the decision-makers.

Come Celebrate the Historic Contributions of NIDCR Research to Improve Health in America
For the last nine years, the FNIDCR Annual Gala has been held in December. This year we have a few exciting changes in store. First, it’s not a gala, it is going to be a big birthday party, celebrating “60 Years of NIDCR.” Second, we will be celebrating the birthday, not in December, but on June 23, 2008, 6pm-8pm, at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Convention Center, a few miles from the NIH campus.

SAVE THESE DATES -
More details coming soon!

Monday, June 23, 2008

Tuesday, June 24, 2008:

Look back at NIDCR: What year & who are they?

Click here, to see if you’re right.

February: National Children’s Dental Health Month
Read a recent editorial by Congressman Mike Simpson discussing the importance of oral healthcare and recognizing National Children’s Dental Health Month. February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, during which dentists and healthcare providers throughout the country work together to raise awareness about the importance of oral health. 

LEGISLATIVE

Monitoring Update

FY09 Budget Hearings to Continue
President George W. Bush released his $3.1 trillion budget for Fiscal Year 2009 on Monday, February 4.  For most of February, Congress will be holding hearings with administration officials on the President’s budget request. For example, this week OMB Director Jim Nussle goes before Senate and House Budget panels. The President’s budget can be found here.

FY09 Funding of NIH & NIDCR Drops Again!
The budget estimate for the National Institutes of Health is $29.307 billion.  This amount continues to be two to three billion dollars short of where funding levels for NIH should be as a result of the NIH Reform Act of 2006.  The president has budgeted $390,535,000 for NIDCR which is six million below the funding level passed by Congress for FY08 and well short of the $420 million FNIDCR recommends for the Institute. 

SCHIP Funding Remains Constant
Also, the administration would add nearly $20 billion to the State Children's Health Insurance Program, which is in line with the recent SCHIP extension signed into law last year. 

Don’t Like the Budget Funding Level? You Can Help!
Contact Your Senators and U.S. Representative today and urge them to support and advance biomedical and oral health research in the Fiscal Year 2009 Federal Budget by:

Find your members of Congress at:  www.house.gov  or  www.senate.gov.  

NIDCR Research

TP53 and the Prognosis of Head and Neck Cancer

Dr. Wayne Koch