Category Archives: Advocacy

The Truth Is Not Always Nice

Posted on November 1, 2017 by Jennie Spotila

My parents used to tell me, “If you can’t say something nice, then don’t say anything at all.” But they also raised me to tell the truth, especially when speaking to authority. I have to say some true things today, … Continue reading →

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Bottom of the Ramp

Posted on October 3, 2017 by Jennie Spotila

In aggregate, 2017 turned out to be the biggest year of ME/CFS funding at NIH ever. But when I scratched the surface, I found bad news buried within the superficially good news. We are still at the bottom of the … Continue reading →

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FINALLY: RFA Funding Announced

Posted on September 27, 2017 by Jennie Spotila

This post was last updated on September 30, 2017. Edits are clearly indicated in the text. At long last, NIH has announced the awards of RFA funding to three Collaborative Research Centers and a Data Management and Coordinating Center for … Continue reading →

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CDC Website Update

Posted on September 21, 2017 by Jennie Spotila

In this guest post, Mary Dimmock summarizes the latest updates to CDC’s ME/CFS website. In early July, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) replaced its website for myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), previously called chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and now … Continue reading →

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Funding Unrest

Posted on August 12, 2017 by Jennie Spotila

Four years ago, I wrote that Jen Brea’s film, then titled Canary In A Coal Mine, could be a defining moment in ME advocacy. Today, we stand on the threshold of a watershed moment for our disease, and Jen is … Continue reading →

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Those CDC Documents

Posted on August 4, 2017 by Jennie Spotila

Last month, I wrote about CDC wanting to charge me over $200 for documents I had requested under the Freedom of Information Act. I was looking for information on how much CDC had spent on the Institute of Medicine (now … Continue reading →

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Grant Review

Posted on July 26, 2017 by Jennie Spotila

Disclosure: I participated in the preparation of one of the Collaborative Research Center applications. Today and tomorrow, the applications for ME/CFS Collaborative Research Centers and Data Coordinating Center are undergoing peer review at NIH. It’s a very important stage in … Continue reading →

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NIH Attitudes Affect Policy: A Story In Two Parts

Posted on June 27, 2017 by Jennie Spotila

The current situation for ME research at NIH is still a problem, despite the fact that the RFAs will increase spending on ME by a significant percentage. I say this based on two things: what the ME field needs to … Continue reading →

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CDC Hilarity

Posted on June 22, 2017 by Jennie Spotila

Over the years, I have filed many FOIA requests, and I have learned that it can take a long time to get a response. But CDC takes the cake. In my experience, all the agencies meet the statutory requirement of … Continue reading →

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CFSAC: Second Verse, Same as the First

Posted on June 19, 2017 by Jennie Spotila

Another CFS Advisory Committee meeting is upon us. The webinar meeting will be held on June 29th and 30th. And as has been the case in the past, the federal approach to the Committee appears lackadaisical. This bare minimum effort … Continue reading →

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