Category Archives: Advocacy

RFA Ticker, 1/30/17

Posted on January 30, 2017 by Jennie Spotila

At long last, the promised RFAs are here. Last week NIH published the RFA for the Collaborative Research Centers and the Data Management and Coordinating Center. Unfortunately, my mother-in-law passed away last week. Between that and other sources of upheaval, … Continue reading →

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RFA Ticker, 1/23/17

Posted on January 23, 2017 by Jennie Spotila

Second verse same as the first. The wait continues. Two dates are coming: January 31st, by which Dr. Francis Collins said the RFAs would be issued. February 1st, on which NIH will hold another ME/CFS advocacy call. Call-in information has … Continue reading →

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CFSAC Public Comment, January 2017

Posted on January 18, 2017 by Jennie Spotila

I prepared comments for the January 13, 2017 CFS Advisory Committee meeting, but when my time arrived I decided to wing it. Below is my best reconstruction of what I said, a mixture of my prepared and spontaneous remarks. Start … Continue reading →

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RFA Ticker, 1/16/17

Posted on January 15, 2017 by Jennie Spotila

NIH issued no RFAs last week, but we have plenty to talk about after Dr. Vicky Whittemore’s presentation at the CFS Advisory Committee on Friday. Dr. Whittemore’s announcement was simultaneously welcome and disappointing. During her update to the committee on … Continue reading →

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Comment by Terri Wilder, 1/12/17

Posted on January 13, 2017 by Jennie Spotila

Terri Wilder made these remarks at the January 12, 2017 meeting of the CFS Advisory Committee. I’m pleased to publish her complete comments, with her permission. Good Afternoon- My name is Terri Wilder and I’m a person living with ME. … Continue reading →

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RFA Ticker, 1/9/17

Posted on January 9, 2017 by Jennie Spotila

So. Is anyone surprised that it is January 9th and we do not have the promised RFAs? I didn’t think so. Will we hear an announcement at the CFS Advisory Committee meeting this week? I don’t know. The question that … Continue reading →

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Zero, Zilch, Zippo

Posted on January 2, 2017 by Jennie Spotila

Zero, zilch, zippo, nada, cero, null, nulla, sifr, nul’, ling, nialas, sero, naught. No matter how you say it, we got nothing. Despite the promise in October 2015 that a request for proposals would be issued “soon.” Despite Dr. Collins’s … Continue reading →

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CFSAC Meeting Information and Logistics

Posted on December 30, 2016 by Jennie Spotila

The federal CFS Advisory Committee meeting is only two weeks away. This will be an in-person meeting, but will not be held in the Health and Human Services building. Denise Lopez-Majano and I reached out to HHS for important information … Continue reading →

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RFA Ticker, 12/26/16

Posted on December 26, 2016 by Jennie Spotila

No Christmas joy for ME/CFS research at NIH. Only two RFAs were issued last week, and neither were the RFAs promised to us. It appears that the RFAs are coming . . . at some point. Dr. Vicky Whittemore told … Continue reading →

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Dr. Collins: Keep Your Promise!

Posted on December 21, 2016 by Jennie Spotila

This is a call to action. I hope you will join me in demanding that Dr. Collins keep NIH’s promise to the ME community. (Edited to add: this action originated with MEAction. I’m just helping to boost the signal.) The … Continue reading →

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