Comment from Andrew Groves

[200.432] To Whom it May Concern: I am a Professor and Department Head studying developmental biology I am writing in my personal capacity to oppose the proposed revisions to section 200.432 that would restrict typical professional expenses, curtail the communication of scientific results, and place excessive scrutiny on the activities of scientists. I have been a member of scientific societies for the past 30 years. Over this time, interaction with my scientific colleagues at meetings and symposia has been crucial for my research. Dozens of my scientific papers and research grans have their genesis at meetigns and conferences that I have attended. Attending conferences is not only vital for my own scientific research, they are also valuable training and career development experiences for my predoctoral and postdoctoral fellows. Although some conferences are annual events, many conferences are organized in response to the latest scientific trends and discoveries. For example, an entirely new research direction in my laboratory was spurred by my attending a conference in New York that I had only heard about 5 months in advance. It is impossible to predict four or five years in advance which conferences will be most valuable for my research and my trainees. My department cannot provide funds for our faculty members to attend conferences. Having to obtain pre-approval during grant submission will effectively prevent my department's faculty from being able to attend the conferences that will help them perform high impact research