Sample won praise from the judges, a panel of science journalists, for explaining the difficult science of the discovery in a critical but accessible way.
The panel included science journalist Fred Pearce, Davies, Defra chief scientific adviser Bob Watson and climate sceptic bloggers Doug Keenan and Stephen McIntyre.
Last December, the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity, a panel of science, defense, and public-health experts, was asked by the Department of Health and Human Services to evaluate Fouchier's research.
Senator Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat who is chairman of the subcommittee, the Senate Commerce Committee's panel on science, technology and space, opened the hearing with a comment that highlighted the group's murky role.
A report this year by a National Science Foundation panel, "Revolutionizing Science and Engineering Through Cyberinfrastructure," called for new financing of $1 billion a year to make grid-style computing a routine tool of research.
"As a person with strong religious views, I do not see the conflict," said John Staver, the co-chairman of a panel of science experts that wrote newly adopted standards that mandate the teaching of evolution.
This year, a panel of science teachers charged with the once-a-decade rewriting of the curriculum recommended dropping the standard and requiring instead that students "analyze and evaluate scientific explanations using empirical data".
The low point in NEON's relationship with the ecology community may have come this past winter, when members of its principal advisory panel, the Science, Technology and Educational Advisory Committee (STEAC), seriously considered disbanding the group.
We'll post the entries online, and a panel of Science writers (and dog owners) will select the top 10 contenders, each of whom will receive a recreated Science cover featuring their #upwardfacingdog shot!
Wexler, who holds U.S. and Israeli citizenship, was slated months before the conference to appear on a panel about science reporting in non-English languages with three other reporters.
