FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ISCB Urges EU to Sustain Funding Without Cuts to Basic Science Research

La Jolla, USA and Munich/Saarbruecken, Germany - The International Society for Computational Biology (ISCB) announced today their letter to the Presidents of the European Commission, European Council and European Parliament stressing the importance of basic scientific research and the need to exempt this research from budget cuts.  The organization, which represents over 3000 member scientists worldwide, supports research using advanced information technology to better understand complex biological systems and processes.  This interdisciplinary scientific field is at the core of current scientific progress in many fields.  The Society points out that the dominant scientific revolutions happening around the world today are precisely in this intersection of information technology and biology.

The Society advocates against devastating funding cuts to critical basic research.  The letter stresses the fact, agreed upon in the scientific community, that project based research alone cannot produce the fundamental breeding ground necessary for breakthrough progress and creation of new economic market segments.  It goes on to comment on the competitive nature of scientific research, and the unnecessary loss to the excellence developed throughout the laboratories of Europe should funding for basic research be cut.  The Society urges the European Union to look to the success of national members in maintaining funding for critical scientific research, and do the same.

The full content of the letter can be viewed at www.iscb.org/images/stories/active-campaign/2012-Nov20-EC-letter-to-EU-urging-funding-basic-science.pdf

ISCB encourages its members and colleagues to share this Press Release and write immediately to their elected representatives to express their views on the importance of appropriate funding for basic scientific research.

About ISCB

The International Society for Computational Biology (ISCB) is a scholarly society dedicated to advancing the scientific understanding of living systems through computation.  The Society serves over 3,000 members from more than 70 countries.

Press Contacts:

Prof. Dr. Thomas Lengauer, Vice President, ISCB, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +49-681-9325-3000           

Prof. Dr. Burkhard Rost, President, ISCB, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +49-89-289-17-811