Northwest Association for Biomedical Research

Membership Benefits and Services

Our membership is made up of caring citizens, compassionate researchers and committed organizations. Individuals choose to contribute to NWABR because they recognize that friends, family members and loved ones have benefited from advances in biomedical research. Organizations choose to join NWABR because they recognize the continuing critical need to provide the public credible information about the invaluable biomedical research that takes place every day in our state, engaging thousands of researchers and saving millions of lives.

All members are invited to our Annual Special Event. Learn more about our successful 2004 event, Cancer Therapy in the Twenty-First Century: An Evening with Brian Druker.

Members also receive ENewsNotes, our NWABR newsletter, which features articles about our institutional and educational programs, and provides updates about coming events.

Support and Resources for Member Organizations

Professional development programs
Safety and security briefings
Opportunities for networking
Advocacy

Educating the Public About Biomedical Research

Community Outreach
Media Outreach
K-12 Education Outreach

SUPPORT AND RESOURCES FOR MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS

Professional development programs
NWABR is committed to supporting our member organizations with special professional development experiences. NWABR provides a highly regarded IACUC (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee) training workshop. The IACUC training provides opportunities to discuss the rigorous regulations that govern the duties and responsibilities of the IACUC Committee, and facilitates the exchange of ideas of members who serve in different capacities. The training program was designed in collaboration with chief veterinarians and IACUC administrators from our member organizations. NWABR's “Building an Effective IACUC” conferences consistently receive the highest evaluations from participants

We assist members in describing the importance of their work to the public and to elected officials. NWABR trains animal care providers on how to positively communicate their work, both through Speakers' Bureau trainings and through a “Pride in Animal Research” workshop for WA Chapter of American Association for Lab. Animal Science (AALAS). We also provide a Communications Manual for members who speak with the public or the media, and assist members in adapting materials to their needs.

Safety and security briefings
NWABR holds briefings for security staff from member organizations on safeguarding research facilities and anti-research groups active in the Northwest. The men and women who participate in NWABR's Security Network have become important resources for one another, and regularly convene to address important safely and security issues such as how to best prepare for and handle bomb threats (presented in conjunction with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms), and how to manage suspicious mail and packages (presented in conjunction with U.S. Postal Inspectors). We are proud to partner with our Security Network to provide crisis communications and ongoing support to all our research facilities.

Opportunities for networking among the research community
We recognize the importance of promoting relationships between members of our community. In 2002, NWABR convened the first meeting of the heads of the local Volunteer Health Associations to discuss the common issues facing their organizations, and to collaborate on strategies for safeguarding the use of animals in research.

Advocacy
NWABR advocates on behalf of biomedical research and the responsible use of animals in research. We assist our members with contacting elected representatives to provide effective advocacy, and keep our members informed about proposed changes in relevant legislation.

EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ABOUT BIOSCIENCE RESEARCH

Community Outreach
NWABR presents community forums to help educate the public about bioscience research. For example, NWABR presented “Clinical Trials A-Z: Bringing New Treatments to Market” at the University of Washington, Bothell, in order to foster understanding of the process by which new drugs and treatments are developed.

NWABR collaborated with the Seattle Post-Intelligencer to produce For the Greater Good, a five-part series on animals and research. The articles were well received both locally and nationally, and helped increase public awareness of the importance of biomedical research.

We actively disseminate information about biomedical research at conferences and outreach events through our display booth. NWABR reaches out to the public through our participation in events such as the Diabetes Expo and the University of Washington Health Sciences Open House. NWABR's web site and print resources help us circulate information and programs from national organizations, federal agencies, state biomedical research associations, and other organizations that support our mission.

Media Outreach
NWABR serves as a liaison and resource for the media on behalf of our membership. NWABR monitors anti-research groups and provides pre-emptive media briefings around events planned by such groups. For example, NWABR anticipated the “Primate Freedom Tour” at UW's Regional Primate Research Center with preemptive media briefing. The briefing was highly successful and used as a model at 24 primate centers nationwide.

K-12 Education Outreach
The National Institutes of Health granted a three-year Science Education Partnership Award for NWABR to develop the Collaborations to Advance Understanding of Science and Ethics (CAUSE) Program in partnership with the University of Washington. CAUSE increases the understanding of the ethical dimensions of science among Northwest teachers, their students, and the general public. Nationally recognized scientists, ethicists, and educators are partnering to develop curricular materials targeted at secondary school science classes.

During the Ethics in the Science Classroom program, teachers actively participate in model classroom activities and acquire tools needed to effectively engage students in critical discussions about ethical issues surrounding science. The relationships we build with these teachers are strong; they leave with a teaching framework and lesson plans that empower them to raise complex issues of health and medicine throughout their curriculum.

NWABR also provides specialized professional education programs such as the Animals in the Classroom program, in conjunction with the Pet Care Trust, and an Outreach Session for Educators in conjunction with the Nonhuman Primate Models for HIV/AIDS Conference.

Our State-wide Speakers' Bureau, which has been in existence since 1989, is recognized as a valuable resource in the local science education community. It consists of scientists, science professionals, and patients willing to speak about biomedical research and related topics. The Bureau allows us to reach thousands of students annually, and is growing to accommodate the strong interest among educators in connecting students with scientists and science professionals.

NWABR conducts the 'Biomedical Breakthroughs' essay and poster contest for middle school students, which highlights the need for an understanding of the process of research. The contest features awards totaling more than $1,000. Winners are invited to participate in an awards ceremony and a visit to a local research institution. In 2004, over 500 students from the Pacific Northwest region participated in the contest.

NWABR is a 501(c)3 organization. All contributions are tax deductible.
The NWABR web site was made possible by funding from the National Center for Research
Resources and the National Institutes of Health through a Science Education Partnership Award.