What’s Ahead
NASA Aims to Launch Artemis Lunar Exploration Mission
NASA called off the planned launch of the first mission in its Artemis lunar exploration campaign on Monday morning, but may be able to use backup launch windows on Friday and next Monday. Should those opportunities prove unviable, the next launch opportunities will be weeks from now. The launch scrub stemmed from difficulties encountered when fueling the Space Launch System, which is NASA’s most powerful rocket to date and has never before been launched. In its initial configuration, the SLS is designed to propel the new crew vehicle Orion into lunar orbit. Orion will launch aboard Artemis I, but without a crew, and if all goes well it will travel on a 42-day trajectory that includes two close orbits around the Moon. Also launching with the mission are 10 cubesats that will deploy from the SLS, variously to study the Moon, investigate space weather and cislunar radiation, and demonstrate technologies. However, the cubesats were installed as payloads a year ago and half employ batteries that may now be too drained to provide adequate power.
Future Artemis missions aim to establish a sustained human presence on the Moon and develop technologies for the eventual crewed exploration of Mars. The missions will also offer opportunities for astronaut-assisted scientific research , such as geologic sample collection campaigns. In addition, robotic missions that are expected to start launching later this year will markedly expand the reach of future lunar research. However, the most recent decadal survey for planetary science urged NASA to better coordinate the crewed and robotic aspects of the agency’s lunar activities, arguing that planning to date has been inadequate.
DARPA Kicks Off Regional Outreach Event Series
Through the end of this year, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is holding a series of six public conferences at universities across the country to raise awareness about its programs among researchers and spur regional partnerships. Called DARPA Forward, the series begins this week at Colorado State University, and the hosts for the subsequent conferences are Washington State University, Ohio State University, Georgia Tech, Texas A&M University, and the University of California, San Diego. DARPA Director Stefanie Tompkins explained in a recent interview that the agency has periodically held university symposia, but they tended to be held in coastal states and mainly attended by researchers with longstanding ties to the agency. “If you’re going to take the time, and you’re going to pay the money, and you’re going to travel, you have to have some sense that there is a real value for you. And my worry is always that there are amazing people with amazing ideas hidden across the country for whom we have not reached that threshold … and so it really feels like we need to find a way to come find them.”
NOAA Science Advisory Board Convenes
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Science Advisory Board is meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday. Among the speakers is NOAA Chief Scientist Sarah Kapnick, who is presenting to the board for the first time since her appointment in July. In addition, NOAA officials will discuss the agency’s response to recent recommendations from the board on improving Earth system prediction . The board also will vote on whether to approve its review of NOAA’s 2020 report to Congress on subseasonal-to-seasonal forecasting , its review of the agency’s Cooperative Institute for Modeling the Earth System , and a strategic plan for tsunami research .
In Case You Missed It
US to Require Immediate Public Access to Federally Funded Research
In a surprise move, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy issued a memorandum on Aug. 25 that directs all federal agencies to require peer-reviewed publications resulting from research they fund to be made freely available upon publication. This requirement is scheduled to take effect no later than the start of 2026 and also applies to data that are necessary to validate scientific findings reported in the publications. The memorandum updates a 2013 policy from OSTP that granted publishers a one-year embargo period before papers had to be made freely available. In an interview with Science, interim OSTP Director Alondra Nelson said the new policy is not meant to favor any particular publishing business models, such as journals that charge authors fees to make their articles freely available.
Alongside the memorandum, OSTP published an economic analysis of the publishing industry that argues the benefits of immediate access to research “greatly outweigh” the costs and that eliminating the embargo period will spur further innovation in publishing business models that have matured since 2013. Implementation of the new policy will be coordinated by a newly rechartered Subcommittee on Open Science within the National Science and Technology Council, an interagency body. Open-access advocates were quick to celebrate the embargo elimination while publishers had mixed reactions , with both groups cautioning that its ultimate impact will depend considerably on how agencies implement it. (FYI is published by AIP, a nonprofit federation of scientific societies. AIP is partially supported by revenues from AIP Publishing, a wholly owned but independently operated subsidiary that produces scholarly journals.)
Biden Creates Council to Steer CHIPS Act Initiatives
President Biden issued an executive order last week that creates a steering council for implementation of the CHIPS and Science Act’s semiconductor initiatives , led by the heads of the National Economic Council, National Security Council, and White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The order also outlines six broad priorities for those initiatives: ensuring U.S. leadership in semiconductor R&D, reducing “reliance on vulnerable or overly concentrated foreign production for both leading-edge and mature microelectronics,” catalyzing private-sector investment, building up regional manufacturing and innovation centers, and ensuring programs “protect taxpayer dollars” and benefit disadvantaged communities. Implementation updates will be reported on CHIPS.gov , a new website hosted by the Department of Commerce, which is managing most of the $52 billion appropriated by the act.
Report Urges Expanding Data on NASA-Funded Researchers
The National Academies released a report last week to help NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) assess the “health and vitality” of research communities it supports and inform future decadal surveys’ assessments of the “state” of those communities. It identifies six key attributes that should be tracked: clear scientific goals, a diverse workforce, engagement with broader society, sufficient funding, the ability to adapt to new challenges, and shared standards of conduct. It specifically recommends NASA collect data on “demographic aspects beyond race and gender,” such as the type of higher education institutions its researchers attended, to better understand “cultural and opportunity differences” that they faced. To facilitate assessments of the funding available within a field, the report recommends creating a “dashboard of annual priorities and budget allocations” to enable “at-a-glance” assessments of program progress. It also suggests tracking trends in funding distribution across disciplines and locations, the ratio of directed to competed research dollars, grant application success rates per principal investigator, and hours per week expected to support specific research contracts, among other project attributes.
DOE Creates New Set of Energy Frontier Research Centers
The Department of Energy announced last week that it will provide $400 million to its latest round of Energy Frontier Research Centers, which includes 43 new and continuing centers . Managed by the Office of Science’s Basic Energy Science program, the four-year awards will support research at over 100 universities and national laboratories that addresses a broad spectrum of scientific challenges. Since the program launched in 2009, it has funded 88 centers, including 41 that are currently active . Seven centers whose awards are ending this year were not renewed in the latest funding round.
Events This Week
All times are Eastern Daylight Time, unless otherwise noted. Listings do not imply endorsement.
Monday, August 29
ARIO: Association of Research Integrity Officers annual meeting
(continues through Wednesday)
Tuesday, August 30
DARPA: DARPA Forward conference at Colorado State University
(continues Wednesday)
NOAA: Science Advisory Board meeting
(continues Wednesday)
NDIA: “U.S. Microelectronics Ecosystem Strategy”
(continues through Thursday)
CSIS: “U.S. Technological Leadership and Patents: What Can the Data Tell Us?”
11:00 am - 12:30 pm
ITIF: “How Can the U.S. Address the Data Divide?”
12:00 - 1:15 pm
RTI: “Increasing STEM Participation Among Students Historically Underrepresented in STEM Fields”
1:00 - 2:00 pm
JSPG/NSPN: Science policy paper writing workshop
6:00 - 7:30 pm
CSIS: “A Fireside Chat with CDC Director Rochelle Walensky”
4:00 - 5:00 pm
Wednesday, August 31
NASA: Aeronautics Advisory Committee meeting
(continues Thursday)
National Academies: “Review of the U.S. Global Change Research Program’s Decadal Strategic Plan,” pre-release briefing
12:30 - 1:30 pm
Wilson Center: “Pioneering Space Force: A Fireside Chat with General Jay Raymond”
1:00 - 2:00 pm
Thursday, September 1
Resources for the Future: “An Updated Social Cost of Carbon: Calculating the Cost of Climate Change”
1:00 - 2:15 pm
National Academies: “The Targeting of Scientists and Public Health Professionals”
2:30 - 4:15 pm
Friday, September 2
No events.
Monday, September 5
TU Eindhoven: “European Technological Sovereignty: Where to Draw the Line?”
3:00 - 4:45 pm CET
Opportunities
US Meteorological Council Seeking Input
The White House is soliciting input to inform a decadal strategic plan for the Interagency Council for Advancing Meteorological Services. The council is especially interested in input on ways to “improve societal resilience in response to global climate change and other challenges,” as well as opportunities for federal agencies to improve coordination. Comments are due Oct. 3.
Mirzayan Science Policy Fellowship Applications Open
The National Academies is accepting applications for the 2023 Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship Program, which will run from March 6 to May 26. Fellows will work at the National Academies in Washington, D.C., supporting policy studies. Applicants must have earned a graduate degree in a STEM-related field within the last five years or be a current graduate student. Applications are due Oct. 31
European Fusion Group Hiring Director
Fusion for Energy, which oversees Europe’s contribution to the international ITER fusion experiment, is seeking a director. The director will be located at the organization’s headquarters in Barcelona and serve a five-year term, which can be renewed. Candidates must be citizens of an EU member state, with exceptions possible for citizens of the U.K. and Switzerland. Applications are due Sep. 23.
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
The Brief: Analysis of OSTP’s public access memo
Scholarly Kitchen: Some initial observations and questions about the OSTP public access memo (perspective by Rick Anderson)
Plan S: cOAlition S welcomes the updated open access policy guidance from OSTP
SPARC: Taxpayers to get immediate access to publicly funded research
Association of Research Libraries: ARL celebrates Biden-Harris administration’s historic policy to make federally funded research immediately available
Association of American Universities: Statement on OSTP decision to make federally funded research publicly available
Association of American Publishers: Statement on decision by OSTP to make private sector publications freely available
AAAS: Statement on OSTP federally funded research guidance
OSTP: RFI on federal evidence agenda on LGBTQI+ equity
Army Research Lab: OSTP director visits Army researchers
Environment Systems and Decisions: Science advocacy in political rhetoric and actions: Analysis of keywords in SOTU addresses and presidential budget messages from Truman to Trump (paper by Mark Quigley and Jeremy Silver)
Congress
Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA): Murray highlights investments in research and innovation CHIPS and Science Act will bring to Tri-Cities
The Hill: Let’s talk about the next CHIPS Act (perspective by Anastasios Arima)
Bloomberg: ‘Dual use’ of small business research set-aside touted amid attack by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)
Forbes: What happened to the bills on employment-based immigration? (perspective by Stuart Anderson)
Science, Society, and the Economy
National Academies: Innovation, global value chains, and globalization measurement (report)
Wall Street Journal: US companies on pace to bring home record number of overseas jobs
Wall Street Journal: A three-century history of the university traces the link between elite education and world leadership (book review)
Grid: Anthony Fauci is stepping down: How did he become the bogeyman of COVID-19 conspiracy theories?
Wall Street Journal: Fauci’s long service is laudable, but his pandemic legacy includes more public mistrust (editorial)
ScienceInsider: Almost everything Tucker Carlson said about Anthony Fauci this week was misleading or false
Science Fictions: Why did I have misgivings about Science’s debunking of Tucker Carlson’s piece on Anthony Fauci? (perspective by Stuart Ritchie)
Union of Concerned Scientists: Renowned physicist and UCS co-founder Kurt Gottfried dies at 93
Education and Workforce
Physics World: Early-career researchers in large research groups are more likely to leave academia, finds study
Issues in Science and Technology: Making scientific and technical careers more accessible for people with disabilities (perspective by Rory Cooper)
Space Review: A portrait of the scientist as a young woman (book review)
JSPG: The need for American scientific diaspora networks (perspective by Isabel Warner, et al.)
The Wire China: China’s educational resurgence is much less a threat than an opportunity for American and other international universities (perspective by William Kirby)
Brookings Institution: Strengths and weaknesses of China’s national human capital development (audio)
Research Management
AIP Publishing: Lack of grants from funding agencies biggest barrier to open access publishing in the physical sciences, study finds
IOP Publishing: IOP Publishing makes read and publish agreements with 5 universities
APS News: American Physical Society appoints Rachel Burley as first chief publications officer
Physics Today: New tool measures thoroughness of peer review reports
Science|Business: Rooting out fake papers takes a patient human touch (perspective by Philippe De Wilde)
Nature: Wellcome says it has perpetuated ‘systemic racism’ in science
NSF IG: Audit of MIT’s administration of Graduate Research Fellowship Program funding (report)
Labs and Facilities
Exchange Monitor: DOE drops most COVID restrictions; masks still mandatory in risky locales
LLNL: Carolyn Zerkle named Lawrence Livermore’s deputy director
Brookhaven National Lab: From RHIC to the EIC: Taking our exploration of matter to the next frontier (perspective by Doon Gibbs)
SpaceNews: JHU Applied Physics Laboratory’s future vision (interview with Robert Braun)
Science: All-seeing Argus Array telescope will snap exploding stars, may spy a hidden world
Boulder Daily Camera: NCAR Aviation facility reopens
USGS: Environmental assessment initiated for planned Energy and Minerals Research Facility in Colorado
Chemical and Engineering News: For sale: the entire federal helium system
Computing and Communications
New York Times: ‘The eye of the storm’: Taiwan is caught in a great game over microchips
IEEE Spectrum: The godfather of South Korea’s chip industry
New York Times: Xi Jinping’s vision for semiconductor self-reliance in China runs into reality
Bloomberg: Energy-efficient computer chips need lots of power to make
Day One Project: AI for science: creating a virtuous circle of discovery and innovation (interview with Tom Kalil)
Future: How to build a GPT-3 for science (perspective by Josh Nicholson)
New York Times: We need to talk about how good AI is getting
NSF: Provisioning advanced cyberinfrastructure to further research on the monkeypox virus
Argonne National Lab: How the five National Quantum Information Science Research Centers harness the quantum revolution
IEEE Spectrum: As China’s quantum-encrypting satellites shrink, their networking abilities grow
Financial Times: The quantum computing industry has yet to demonstrate any real utility, despite the fanfare, billions of VC dollars and three Spacs (perspective by Nikita Gourianov)
Reuters: US court upholds SpaceX satellite deployment plan
Ars Technica: Forget 5G wireless, SpaceX and T-Mobile want to offer zero-g coverage
Space
Ars Technica: The SLS rocket is the worst thing to happen to NASA — but maybe also the best?
The Economist: NASA’s newest rocket is a colossal waste of money
SpaceNews: Lunar Trailblazer faces NASA review after cost overruns
SpaceNews: Astrobotic wins NASA funding for CubeRover mission
Planetary Society: Who gets to use JWST and what’s it like?
SpaceNews: ‘State of the space industrial base’ report calls for national plan to compete with China
Chatter: The Moon, Mars, and national security with Fraser Cain (audio)
Weather, Climate, and Environment
New York Times: Inflation Reduction Act defines carbon dioxide as pollution, making new climate regulations tougher to challenge in court
New York Times: Cloud wars: As climate change makes the region hotter and drier, the UAE is leading the effort to squeeze more rain out of the clouds
NIST: To remove CO2 from the atmosphere, imagine the possibilities
National Security Science: Climate security = national security (audio)
Washington Post: EPA finally moves to label some ‘forever chemicals’ as hazardous
Eos: New USGS director: Partnerships are our superpower (interview with David Applegate)
Energy
Wall Street Journal: Inflation Reduction Act’s real climate impact is a decade away: Law could speed emerging technologies (perspective by Greg Ip)
CNBC: Honda and LG Energy Solution to build $4.4 billion EV battery plant in US
New Yorker: Could coal waste be used to make sustainable batteries?
DOE: DOE announces $60 million to advance clean hydrogen technologies and decarbonize grid
ANS: Ultra Safe Nuclear opens pilot-scale TRISO fuel facility in Oak Ridge
NEI Magazine: American Bureau of Shipping to look at nuclear propulsion
AP: Japan considering development of new nuclear reactors
Washington Post: Nuclear fusion power inches closer to reality
Defense
DOD: Deputy defense secretary discusses roles for universities in nation’s defense
ARFL: Deputy defense secretary visits Air Force Research Lab
Government Matters: DOD office works to transform scientific breakthroughs into military tech (interview with Barbara McQuiston)
Govini: The national security scorecard: Critical technologies edition (report)
Defense News: US Army digs new sandbox for laser weapons
Defense One: ‘We need to own the heat the way we now own night,’ Pentagon climate leader says
House Energy and Commerce Committee: NRC urged to address dirty bomb threat after GAO report exposes security gaps
SAIIA: Safety and security of nuclear facilities and materials in Africa (report)
Biomedical
Nature: ‘He has saved countless lives’: US scientists on Fauci leaving NIH role
Politico: The next Anthony Fauci
Fox News: Fauci owes Americans answers about COVID-19 origin, and House GOP is determined to get them (perspective by Rep. James Comer (R-KY))
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: NIH partially terminating EcoHealth Alliance grant after its Wuhan partners refuse to deliver information on coronavirus studies
EcoHealth Alliance: Regarding NIH termination of coronavirus research funding
CSET: Mapping biosafety level-3 laboratories by publications (report)
ScienceInsider: CDC Director Rochelle Walensky on how she hopes to reform her battered agency (interview)
House Coronavirus Committee: The Trump White House’s relentless attacks on FDA’s coronavirus response (report)
Science: FDA and scientific priorities (perspective by Robert Califf)
New York Times: Moderna sues Pfizer and BioNTech over COVID vaccine technology
New Atlantis: The case for a pandemic moonshot (Tom Ridge and Asha George)
China Talk: Industrial policy for biotech? (audio)
New Science: How the Rockefeller Foundation revolutionized biology (perspective by Samir Unni)
Endpoints News: Dana-Farber CEO Laurie Glimcher resigns from GSK board — is she the next NIH director nominee?
International Affairs
JSPG: Special issue on innovations in science diplomacy
Slate: The ISS is not the future of science diplomacy: It’s time to look toward the ocean (perspective by Clare Fieseler)
High North News: Important Arctic research could be lost in the wake of Russia’s war
Foreign Policy: Technology controls can strangle Russia — just like the Soviet Union (perspective by Maria Shagina)
Wired: Boycotting Russian scientists is a hollow victory (perspective by Yangyang Cheng)
NBC News: Ukrainian nuclear plant reconnected to grid after Zelenskyy says Europe narrowly avoided disaster
South China Morning Post: US adds seven Chinese aerospace and chip firms to export blacklist
Times Higher Education: Beijing boosts early student participation in research as world becomes ‘less friendly’
Science|Business: Back to school: The research and innovation stories to follow this autumn
Research Professional: Top EU official calls for tech self-sufficiency
Optica: Optica launches new campaign to celebrate its global community
National Academies: Toward a transformational Africa-US STEM university initiative (report)