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The Week of May 9, 2022

What’s Ahead

Berhe standing in front of a colorful screen while delivering remarks

Asmeret Asefaw Berhe speaks at a 2019 conference about her research on how carbon sequestration in soil is a tool for mitigating climate change. (Image credit – Bret Hartman / TED)

DOE R&D Leadership Falling Into Place

The Senate is poised to vote this week on the nomination of University of California, Merced soil scientist Asmeret Asefaw Berhe to be director of the Department of Energy’s Office of Science. It has been over a year since she was nominated and such long confirmation delays typically owe to procedural blockades. The sources of such blockades are often not made public, and they are not necessarily directly related to the nominee. However, Berhe’s nomination was strongly opposed by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member John Barrasso (R-WY), who argued her background is not appropriate for the office, which has a portfolio weighted heavily toward the physical sciences and stewardship of large-scale science facilities. Berhe does, though, have the support of all the committee’s Democrats as well as some Republicans and she is likely to be confirmed without further difficulty. Last week, the Senate confirmed nuclear engineer Katy Huff to lead the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy on a vote of 80 to 11 . The Energy Committee also voted 10 to 10 along party lines last week on the nomination of Massachusetts state representative and clean energy policy expert Maria Robinson to lead the DOE Office of Electricity. Explaining his opposition, Barrasso argued she is too eager to abandon fossil fuels and insufficiently concerned about the affordability of electricity. Robinson is likely to be confirmed, given that Committee Chair Joe Manchin (D-WV) supports her, but the tie vote means the full Senate must first vote to discharge her nomination from the committee.

PCAST to Probe Semiconductor Strategy

The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology is holding a two-hour public meeting on Thursday to discuss “challenges and opportunities for U.S. leadership in semiconductors.” Among the speakers are Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger and Semiconductor Industry Association CEO John Neuffer, who have been leaders in the industry’s campaign to convince Congress to appropriate tens of billions of dollars for domestic semiconductor manufacturing incentives and R&D initiatives. Also speaking are Aart de Geus, co-CEO of Synopsys, an electronic design automation company focused on chip design; Rodrigo Liang, CEO of SambaNova Systems, a startup that develops AI tools for hardware applications; and Stanford University electrical engineer Priyanka Raina, who designs energy-efficient circuits for a variety of applications. PCAST last publicly weighed in on U.S. semiconductor strategy at the end of the Obama administration, issuing a report that stressed the challenge presented by burgeoning competition from China and proposed the government set a series of “moonshot” innovation goals to help focus activities in academia, industry, and government labs. Recently, attention to semiconductors has been driven by concerns about the concentration and fragility of global supply chains.

Science Agency Budget Hearings Continue

With the fiscal year 2023 budget cycle now in full swing, the House Appropriations Committee is holding hearings on the budget requests for several science agencies this week. National Science Foundation Director Sethuraman Panchanathan will testify before the committee on Wednesday, fresh off his appearance before Senate appropriators last week. Department of Energy Under Secretary for Science and Innovation Geri Richmond and acting Under Secretary for Infrastructure Kathleen Hogan will testify at a hearing on Thursday, while DOE Under Secretary for Nuclear Security Jill Hruby will testify on Wednesday. In addition, the committee will consider the budget request for the National Institutes of Health at a hearing on Wednesday, and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo will appear before the committee on Thursday. The House Armed Services Committee is also holding a hearing on Thursday to review the Defense Department’s science and technology budget request, which will feature Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Heidi Shyu and senior research officials from the Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

Earth, Weather, and Fire Science Bills Advancing

The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee is meeting on Wednesday to consider the Volcanic Ash and Fumes Act and the PRECIP Act alongside seven other bills. The Volcanic Ash and Fumes Act aims to improve the U.S. Geological Survey’s volcano monitoring system by integrating capabilities of centers operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that observe and model emissions of volcanic gases and ash. The PRECIP Act would direct NOAA to better incorporate “assumptions of non-stationarity” into precipitation models and improve its reporting of estimates for precipitation frequency and probable maximum precipitation. The House is scheduled to vote this week on an amended version of the PRECIP Act that was advanced by the House Science Committee in November. Other bills up for a floor vote in the House include the NOAA Weather Radio Modernization Act and the Empowering U.S. Fire Administration Act .

In Case You Missed It

National Science Foundation Director Sethuraman Panchanathan

National Science Foundation Director Sethuraman Panchanathan testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee on May 3. (Image credit – Bill Ingalls / NASA)

NSF Revs Up Regional Innovation Engines Program

On May 3, the National Science Foundation launched a Regional Innovation Engines program that aims to catalyze cross-sector partnerships in areas of the U.S. that are not already leading R&D hubs. NSF states it is particularly interested in regions where “prospective [innovation] ecosystem members exist, but where innovation activities are only loosely connected,” and that each Engine “can range from a metropolitan area (including its adjacent rural regions) to an area spanning parts of several states.” The program will provide up to $160 million over ten years to each Engine, which can be led by institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, or for-profit entities. Distinguishing the program from NSF’s existing activities, the agency observes the Engine award budgets will be about ten times larger than typical NSF center awards and will have a stronger emphasis on “meaningfully engaging the consumers of research outcomes in informing and shaping the research questions; prototyping and piloting of research-based solutions (i.e., co-design and co-creation); and translating research results to practice, entrepreneurship, and direct economic growth.” The program is a marquee effort of NSF’s new Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships and is designed to complement efforts spearheaded by the Commerce Department, which has already created a $1 billion regional industry cluster program using pandemic recovery funds and selected 60 finalists . NSF is holding a series of webinars in the coming weeks to introduce the Engines program, including a “roadshow” of five webinars dedicated to specific groups of states.

Panchanathan Presses Case for New Programs to Appropriators

National Science Foundation Director Sethuraman Panchanathan testified before Senate appropriators last week at a hearing on the Biden administration’s proposal to increase NSF’s budget by nearly 20% to $10.5 billion for fiscal year 2023. Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Subcommittee Chair Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) noted in her opening statement that the 4% increase Congress provided the agency for fiscal year 2022 represents the “largest increase to NSF in more than a decade” and described the latest proposal as “an increase that can be put to good use.” Shaheen asked how NSF plans to broaden the geographic distribution of its grant awards, noting she supports a provision in the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act that would require NSF to allocate at least 20% of its budget to the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), which sets aside funds for states that have historically received a small share of agency funds. Panchanathan described the 20% figure as an “aspirational goal” that could eventually be exceeded through a combination of initiatives, including a proposed program called GRANTED that would provide research-administration support to minority-serving institutions .

Subcommittee Ranking Member Jerry Moran (R-KS) used his questions to probe NSF’s vision for the Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP), inquiring whether TIP might “undermine” the agency’s mission in basic research and asking how it will avoid duplicating private-sector research. He later clarified that his questioning was “not intended to be critical, but to garner an understanding of how we can more rapidly advance the outcomes that we need, economically and in national security in a time in which an adversary has seemingly unlimited public funds.” In response, Panchanathan highlighted his emphasis on building partnerships through the Regional Innovation Engines program and NSF’s AI institutes program, the latter of which he noted has attracted co-funding from companies such as Amazon, Google, and Intel.

Lead NASA Appropriator Spotlights Science Budget Needs

At the same hearing, Subcommittee Chair Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) expressed dissatisfaction with the requested budget for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. “In particular, I’m concerned with the proposed cuts to NASA Heliophysics and an overall lack of resources to address recent decadal surveys in astrophysics and planetary science at both agencies,” she said. Shaheen noted she has a parochial interest in heliophysics, given the University of New Hampshire’s stake in the field , but also cited the broader practical benefits of better understanding space weather. In reply, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson pointed to factors such as the ramp down in the funding needs of the HERMES space weather instrument , but also noted that some science funding decisions were made to accommodate the “arbitrary amounts that are handed to us.” At other points in the hearing, Nelson flagged issues of concern to NASA such as its interest in intensifying work on nuclear propulsion and power generation, Russia’s commitment to operating the International Space Station despite its actions in Ukraine, and the lack of transparency in China’s space program. On China, Nelson said he had suggested to China’s ambassador that the country could begin to ease relations by sharing samples it has gathered from the surface of the Moon. He also turned some heads within the space policy community by decrying cost-plus contracts as a “plague” on the agency and advocating for further expanding the use of fixed-cost contracts.

Senate Stakes Out Priorities for COMPETES Act Conference

The Senate voted on a series of non-binding motions last week that staked out priorities for the conference committee that will negotiate a compromise between the House’s America COMPETES Act of 2022 and the Senate’s U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (USICA). Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) offered a successful motion that seeks new research security oversight for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, citing concerns the Chinese government has exploited companies that win large numbers of SBIR awards. The program expires at the end of this fiscal year and the COMPETES Act proposes extending it without updating its policies. The Senate also adopted a motion by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) that advocates for a “counterintelligence review” process for recipients of federal research funds. However, the Senate previously rejected a similar proposal by Rubio and the idea is likely to face opposition in the House, which has taken a less-sweeping approach to research security policy. Among the other motions adopted are ones seeking to strengthen the R&D tax credit and support work at the Department of Energy national labs. The Senate rejected two motions by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) that respectively sought to oppose NASA funding a second crewed lunar lander and to give the government an equity stake in semiconductor companies that accept subsidies provided through the legislation. President Biden is pressing Congress to quickly reach a compromise, speaking at length about the case for the bill at an event last week in Ohio that highlighted Intel’s plans to expand semiconductor manufacturing in the state.

Biden Sets Quantum Encryption Goals, Tweaks Advisory Panel

President Biden issued two directives last week focused on quantum science and technology. The first updates the charter of the National Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee , established in 2020 pursuant to the National Quantum Initiative Act, stipulating that committee members be appointed by the president rather than the energy secretary and raising their maximum number from 22 to 26. During a press call on the policy, the White House indicated it plans to announce new members of the committee in the coming weeks. The second directive addresses national security risks associated with quantum computing, particularly its potential to break current encryption methods. It directs agencies to develop a “coherent national strategy for QIS promotion and technology protection” and sets the goal of “mitigating as much of the quantum risk as is feasible by 2035.” The directive notes the National Institute of Standards and Technology is currently developing quantum-resistant cryptographic standards and states the first ones are expected to be released publicly in 2024. Separately, the White House hosted a roundtable last week on international cooperation in quantum science and technology, which brought together representatives from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Two NSB Members Reappointed, Six Conclude Terms

The White House announced last week that President Biden is reappointing University of the District of Columbia Vice President for Research and Graduate Programs Victor McCrary and physicist and former Sandia National Laboratories executive Julia Phillips to the National Science Board, a 25-member body that oversees the National Science Foundation. NSB members are appointed for six-year terms that can be renewed once. McCrary and Phillips both joined the board in 2016, and McCrary has served as its vice chair since 2020. Six members concluded their terms at the board’s meeting last week, including its chair, former astronaut Ellen Ochoa. Other members rotating off are photon scientist Arthur Bienenstock, University of Florida President Kent Fuchs, chemist Carl Lineberger, environmental scientist Emilio Moran, and astronomer Anneila Sargent. The board held elections to determine its new leaders during a closed session last week but has not yet announced the result.

Another Grant Fraud Charge Thrown Out in Court

At the trial of Southern Illinois University mathematician Mingqing Xiao last week, the judge threw out two charges that Xiao committed fraud by failing to report funding from China on a grant application to the National Science Foundation. Jurors quickly acquitted Xiao on a related charge of making false statements but did find him guilty of failing to report a Chinese bank account to the IRS. Department of Justice prosecutors have made failures to disclose funding into a central plank of their prosecutions of academic researchers whom they allege are exploiting U.S. science institutions, but they have had difficulty securing guilty verdicts. A judge acquitted University of Tennessee nanotechnologist Anming Hu of similar fraud charges last year, and, while a jury recently convicted University of Kansas chemist Franklin Tao on half the fraud charges leveled against him, the trial judge expressed concerns about the case and is reviewing it. In January, prosecutors dropped all charges of fraud and other crimes against MIT engineering professor Gang Chen when their case fell apart, and days later another prosecutorial team dropped fraud charges against University of Arkansas engineering professor Simon Ang in exchange for him pleading guilty of lying to investigators. In December, Harvard University chemist Charles Lieber was found guilty of lying to investigators about participating in a Chinese talent recruitment program, but he was not accused of fraud. DOJ announced in February it is changing its prosecutorial strategy involving funding nondisclosure but would continue pursuing cases already in progress.

Events This Week

All times are Eastern Daylight Time, unless otherwise noted. Listings do not imply endorsement.

Monday, May 9

FDP: Federal Demonstration Partnership meeting
(continues through Thursday)

Tuesday, May 10

National Academies: “Workshop on High Temperature Materials Systems, Emerging Applications, Materials and Science Gaps”
(continues Wednesday)

National Academies: “Workshop on Benefits, Applications, and Opportunities of Natural Infrastructure”
(continues Wednesday)

Task Force on American Innovation: “U.S. Research and Innovation: Where Are We Amidst Global Competition?”
9:00 am

Senate: Hearing to receive testimony on worldwide threats
9:30 am, Armed Services Committee

Wednesday, May 11

NOAA: U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System meeting
(continues Friday)

NSF: Biological Sciences Advisory Committee meeting
(continues Thursday)

Lunar and Planetary Institute: “Apophis T-7 Years: Knowledge Opportunities for the Science of Planetary Defense”
(continues Thursday)

Harvard Belfer Center: “Managing the Atom 25th Anniversary”
9:00 am - 1:30 pm

Harvard Belfer Center: “Imagining a New National Security Act for the 21st Century”
10:00 am - 3:00 pm

House: NIH budget request hearing
10:00 am, Appropriations Committee

Senate: Hearing to advance nine bills, including the PRECIP Act
10:00 am, Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee

House: “Securing the Digital Commons: Open-Source Software Cybersecurity”
10:00 am, Science Committee

Senate: “Oversight of the Council on Environmental Quality: A Year in Review”
10:00 am, Environment and Public Works Committee

House: Subcommittee meeting to advance the ARPA–H Act
10:15 am, Energy and Commerce Committee

Foundation for the Defense of Democracies: “Leveraging American Innovation to Counter Beijing and Protect U.S. National Security”
10:15 - 11:15 am

House: Defense Department budget request hearing
10:30 am, Appropriations Committee

House: “Targeted Policies to Expand Local Economic Opportunities for Underserved Communities”
12:00 pm, Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth

House: NSF budget request hearing
2:00 pm, Appropriations Committee

AAAS: “Adapting to Climate Change: Insights from Indigenous Peoples”
2:00 - 3:00 pm

House: “FY23 Strategic Forces Missile Defense and Missile Defeat Programs”
2:00 pm, Armed Services Committee

Senate: Commerce Department budget request hearing
2:00 pm, Appropriations Committee

House: DOE National Nuclear Security Administration and Environmental Management budget request hearing
2:15 pm, Appropriations Committee

Senate: “Countering the People’s Republic of China’s Economic and Technological Plan for Dominance”
2:30 pm, Intelligence Committee

Thursday, May 12

Senate: “U.S. Efforts to Support Ukraine Against Russian Aggression”
9:30 am, Foreign Relations Committee

House: Commerce Department budget request hearing
9:30 am, Appropriations Committee

House/Senate: First meeting of the conference committee for the America COMPETES Act/USICA
10:00 am

House: “Space Situational Awareness: Guiding the Transition to a Civil Capability”
10:00 am, Science Committee

House: “The Workforce and Innovation Needs of the Aviation and Aerospace Industry”
10:00 am, Small Business Committee

Senate: “Addressing Climate Change with Energy-Efficient and Resilient Housing”
10:00 am, Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee

BIS: Materials and Equipment Technical Advisory Committee meeting
10:00 am

CSIS: “Building Skills for National Security and Competitiveness: Best Practice from Indiana,” with Sen. Todd Young (R-IN)
10:30 am - 1:15 pm

House: “Modernizing Hydropower: Licensing and Reforms for a Clean Energy Future”
10:30 am, Energy and Commerce Committee

Columbia University: “Technology for a Clean Energy Transition”
12:00 - 1:00 pm

Ars Technica: Inaugural Ars Frontiers conference
12:00 - 4:30 pm

Science Counts: “Assessing How Americans Want to Engage with Science”
12:00 pm

White House: “Sustainable Chemistry Webinar on Chemical Enterprise Needs”
1:00 pm

National Academies: “Assessing and Improving Strategies for Preventing Countering and Responding to WMD Terrorism: Chemical Threats,” meeting five
1:00 - 4:00 pm

House: Hearing to advance seven bills, including the Desalination Research Advancement Act
2:00 pm, Natural Resources Committee

Senate: “The Global Food Security and COVID-19 Crises: U.S. Response and Policy Options”
2:00 pm, Appropriations Committee

White House: President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology meeting
2:00 - 4:15 pm

Commerce Department: Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee meeting
2:00 - 3:30 pm

House: DOE science and energy programs budget request hearing
2:30 pm, Appropriations Committee

National Academies: “Co-Producing Knowledge with Communities: Equity in Federal Research Programs”
4:00 - 7:00 pm

House: “Reviewing DOD S&T Strategy, Policy, and Programs for FY23: Accelerating the Pace of Innovation”
4:30 pm, Armed Services Committee

Friday, May 13

NIH: Board of Scientific Counselors meeting
10:00 am - 1:00 pm

Senate: “Developing the Aviation Workforce of the 21st Century”
11:00 am, Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee

Monday, May 16

CSIS: “China’s Human Capital Landscape”
1:30 - 2:30 pm

Opportunities

NSF Seeking Advisory Committee Members

The National Science Foundation is seeking nominations for 15 of its advisory committees. There is a committee for each of NSF’s research and education directorates as well as committees dedicated to astronomy, STEM education, broadening participation in STEM, and agency operations. Committees generally meet twice per year and term lengths vary by committee. Nominations will be accepted on a rolling basis.

APS Hiring for DEI Roles

The American Physical Society is hiring for three positions focused on diversifying the physics workforce, including a head of STEM equity and inclusion who will oversee activities such as the APS Bridge Program and the National Mentoring Community. Candidates should have 10 years of related experience and hold a graduate degree in a STEM field. The society is also hiring a program manager for equity, diversity, and inclusion and a diversity program lead . The program manager position requires a bachelor’s degree and four years of work experience, while the program lead requires a master’s degree and eight years of experience.

Science|Business Hiring Editor and Reporters

Science|Business, a Brussels-based media company focused on European R&D policy, is hiring an executive editor and two reporters, one focused on strategic industries across Europe and the other on central and eastern Europe . Candidates for the executive editor position should have at least seven years of professional journalism experience covering areas including science and technology, R&D policy, or European Union affairs. The reporter positions require one to three years of journalism experience and relevant topical knowledge. Applications are due May 31 for the reporter positions and June 30 for the editor position.

For additional opportunities, please visit www.aip.org/fyi/opportunities . Know of an opportunity for scientists to engage in science policy? Email us at fyi@aip.org .

Know of an upcoming science policy event either inside or outside the Beltway? Email us at fyi@aip.org .

Around the Web

News and views currently in circulation. Links do not imply endorsement.

White House

White House: Remarks by President Biden on the bipartisan innovation act

White House: Biden administration celebrates launch of AM Forward and calls on Congress to pass bipartisan innovation act

Bloomberg: Biden accuses China trying to meddle with competition bill

White House: Council on Environmental Quality appoints Jalonne White-Newsome as senior director for environmental justice

Senate Commerce Committee: Ranking Member Roger Wicker (R-MS) calls on Biden administration to fill leadership gap at OSTP

OSTP: FY19–20 federal prize and citizen science authority report

OSTP: RFI on national strategy for in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing

Politico: Fauci privately miffed about the message sent by the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner

Congress

Axios: More than four dozen former national security leaders call on Congress to exempt advanced STEM degree holders from green card caps

Association of American Universities: The COMPETES Act must retain provisions designed to attract and keep international STEM talent (perspective by Barbara Snyder)

Bloomberg Law: Semiconductor tax break sought by senators in competition bill

The Hill: Boosting science is a good investment (perspective by Gary Michelson and Sudip Parikh)

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL): Seven Republicans introduce bill to prevent US research from being used to benefit the People’s Liberation Army

E&E News: Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) open to methane fee in climate, energy talks

Science, Society, and the Economy

Nieman Lab: When political reporters get training on science issues, they improve the sourcing in their science-related stories months later

Undark: Trolling is taking a toll on science journalism (perspective by Lisa Palmer and Silvio Waisbord)

NSB: Science and technology: Public perceptions, awareness, and information sources (report)

New York Times: The myth of the genius tech inventor

Why Evolution Is True: Pinker vs. the AAAS on the politicization of climate change — and science in general

New York Times: Sheldon Krimsky, who warned of profit motive in science, dies at 80

Brookings: The nuanced relationship between cutting-edge technologies and jobs: Evidence from Germany (report)

Issues in Science and Technology: Unmet desire: Many local policymakers want to develop more informal collaborations with researchers (perspective by Adam Seth Levine)

Education and Workforce

NIH: How many researchers: The FY21 cumulative investigator rate

The Physics Teachers: A look at disparities in STEM AP offerings in Northern California public high schools (paper by David Marasco and Bree Barnett Dreyfuss)

The Atlantic: Americans are missing a key stratum of modern knowledge: Earth science (perspective by Kendra Pierre-Louis)

BAMS: High-flying interns: NASA’s Student Airborne Research Program (paper by Emily Schaller, et al.)

Science: Faculty must lead inclusion (perspective by Freeman Hrabowski III)

Nature: Scientific collaborations are precarious territory for women

ScienceInsider: Biologist accused of sexual harassment quits NYU job quest

DOJ: Swiss scientist convicted of conspiracy to steal trade secrets belonging to GlaxoSmithKline

Research Management

NSF: National Robotics Initiative to sunset

NSF: NSF and DOE announce partnership on clean energy

Times Higher Education: Could China be on the verge of breaking up database publishing?

Andrew Gelman Blog: How should journals handle submissions of non-reproducible research?

Scholarly Kitchen: The new STM Integrity Hub

European Commission: Openness in science and IP protection and uptake (report)

Research Professional: Europe pushes for stronger research management

Times Higher Education: China crackdown ‘hit US scientists’ research quality’

Labs and Facilities

Research Professional: Flagship UK fusion facility JET gets stay of execution, on course to shut down in 2024

DESY: Andreas Maier becomes lead scientist at DESY

NSF: Opportunities to participate in the construction and operation of a new Antarctic Research Vessel

Los Alamos National Lab: Lab and Los Alamos County to move to ‘set’ stage on Monday as precaution due to wildfires; there is no emergency and no evacuation

Computing and Communications

Reuters: Germany wants to attract chip makers with €14 billion state aid

NJ.com: Could a chip manufacturer be lured to new New Jersey tech hub? Biden official says yes

Wall Street Journal: Global chip shortage’s latest worry: Too few chips for chip-making

CSET: Preserving the chokepoints: Reducing the risks of offshoring among US semiconductor manufacturing equipment firms (report)

Cato Institute: Five market‐oriented policies to help the US semiconductor industry

Optics.org: BT and Toshiba launch commercial trial of quantum secured network

University of New Mexico: Quantum New Mexico Symposium highlights QIS efforts across state

Science|Business: Finland punches above its weight in quantum

National Academies: Fostering responsible computing research: Foundations and practices (report)

Nature: Developers of AI must learn to collaborate with social scientists and the people affected by its applications (perspective by Mona Sloane)

Science|Business: Parliament gives EU a push to move faster on AI

Space

SpaceNews: NASA defends decision to shut down SOFIA

ESA: LISA mission moves to final design phase

SpaceNews: ExoMars official says launch unlikely before 2028

NASA: Ingenuity helicopter in contact with Perseverance rover after communications dropout

NPR: NASA is bringing rocks back from Mars, but what if those samples contain alien life?

DARPA: DARPA seeks proposals leading to in-space demonstration of nuclear thermal rocket

Space Review: Lessons from a new era of destinations

Space Review: Act now on contingencies for Russian non-participation in ISS (perspective by Srikanth Raviprasad and Steve Hoeser)

Weather, Climate, and Environment

New York Times: John Doerr gives Stanford $1.1 billion for climate school

Stanford University: Arun Majumdar named inaugural dean of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability

ScienceInsider: Use of ‘too hot’ climate models exaggerates impacts of global warming

AP: How climate scientists keep hope alive as damage worsens

AGU: AGU strongly represented on new Climate Security Roundtable

ScienceInsider: Pandemic delays to afflict polar science until late this decade

GAO: Earthquakes: Opportunities exist to further assess risk, build resilience, and communicate research (report)

SpaceNews: NOAA seeks input on new satellite sensors and digital twin

Energy

DOE: DOE launches $2.25 billion infrastructure law effort to increase CO2 storage sites

DOE: Biden administration announces $3.16 billion from infrastructure law to boost domestic battery manufacturing and supply chains

Argonne National Lab: Workshop examined how to put the US on a path to long-term global competitiveness in battery manufacturing

CRS: US solar photovoltaic manufacturing (report)

BBC News: Mine e-waste, not the Earth, say scientists

Bloomberg: Is this a nickel mine Elon Musk and Joe Biden can both support?

American Nuclear Society: Biden makes two picks for Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Reuters: US working on uranium strategy, should not import from Russia, Granholm says

Physics World: Realizing the STEP fusion dream will require cryogenic innovation at scale and at pace

Vox: This is what we need to invent to fight climate change

Defense

Defense News: Defense Innovation Unit chief to resign in September

Defense News: In new directive, US Army reins in Army Futures Command

Wired: To win the next war, the Pentagon needs nerds

Leave it to BVR: The biggest DOD tech incubator is stuck in the past

ScienceInsider: US military should match rhetoric with action to help minority institutions, report says

DOD IG: Evaluation of DOD’s transition from a trusted foundry model to a quantifiable assurance method for procuring custom microelectronics (report)

DOD: DOD announces $117 million Defense Production Act agreement with GlobalFoundries to strengthen the domestic microelectronics industrial base

SpaceNews: Report: US defense and intelligence agencies slow to embrace small-satellite revolution

New York Times: Ukraine’s battlefield is haunted by Putin’s chemical weapons legacy

GAO: How does DHS combat weapons of mass destruction, and how could their efforts improve?

GAO: DOE needs greater leadership stability and commitment to accomplish nuclear waste cleanup mission (report)

Biomedical

Washington Post: Duke medical school dean Mary Klotman is under consideration to be the next NIH head

Stat: The panel was supposed to improve efficiency at the NIH. It hasn’t even met for seven years

Buzzfeed News: This activist group tapped into partisan COVID politics to make big trouble for Anthony Fauci and the NIH

Stat: White House documents detail a looming squeeze on COVID-19 boosters

Nature: Risky ‘gain-of-function’ studies need stricter guidance, say US researchers

DOD: DOD reignites cancer research initiative to ‘end cancer as we know it today’

NRC: NRC proposes $3,500 fine for Defense Health Agency’s loss of medical purpose radioactive material

Nature: China expands control over genetic data used in scientific research

International Affairs

Bureau of Industry and Security: Keynote address at Association of University Export Control Officers conference

National Defense: Industrial base should prepare for export control reforms

CSET: China’s draft export control regulations for dual-use items (translation)

Bloomberg: US threat to sanction Hikvision shows China ties near a tipping point

Wall Street Journal: Fearful of getting cut off, China pushes for self-reliance

AP: Ukraine’s scientists continue work as kind of ‘resistance’

Nature: How three Ukrainian scientists are surviving Russia’s brutal war

University World News: ‘Retaining scholars in Ukraine is key’: Zelenskyy advisor

New York Times: Putin’s failure to hold on to the educated could be the world’s gain (perspective by Peter Coy)

Scholarly Kitchen: Weaponizing the research community (perspective by Joseph Esposito)

UK Government: Tech transfer leader Alison Campbell appointed as CEO of government’s new technology transfer unit

Soft Machines: An index of issues in UK science and innovation policy — part 1: the strategic context

Physics Today: Northern Ireland physicists face a unique post-Brexit situation

Science|Insider: Swiss on the hunt for new research partners outside the EU as Horizon Europe exclusion continues

Research Professional: Leading MEP slams recent turns in European Commission R&D policy

Nature: Australia must abolish law that allows politicians to veto research grants (editorial)

Nature: Science in Africa: Lessons from the past, hopes for the future

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