FY 23 APPROPRIATIONS NEWS
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Biden Signs Stopgap Spending Bill with $12.3 Billion in Aid to Ukraine
Congress gave final approval on Friday to a short-term spending package to keep the government open through mid-December and President Biden signed it soon afterward, staving off a midnight shutdown and sending about $12.3 billion in military and economic aid to Ukraine. The House passed the measure less than 12 hours before funding was set to lapse. It will keep the government open through Dec. 16, giving lawmakers time to iron out their considerable differences over the dozen annual spending bills. Still, most House Republicans opposed the measure, which passed on a largely party-line vote of 230 to 201. Ten Republicans joined every present Democrat in voting for the legislation. ( The New York Times - Sept. 30, 2022)
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NSF Hopes Big Data Will Finger Grantees Not Reporting Foreign Support
The National Science Foundation (NSF) will soon begin crunching several large databases to see whether there are scientists who failed to disclose ties to foreign institutions in their grant applications. It is arguably the boldest of several steps federal research agencies are taking to comply with a new law that aims to boost U.S. technological innovation–and prevent China and other foreign governments from pilfering federally funded research. In recent years, lawmakers and others have faulted federal research agencies for failing to be more vigilant against potential security problems. The list includes situations in which grantees have accepted foreign funding that comes with restrictions on publication or that creates a “conflict of commitment” for a scientist employed by a U.S.-funded entity. The CHIPS act enshrines some of those practices into law as well as requiring agencies to assess the types of research most vulnerable to theft, provide more training to scientists on how to reduce security risks, and gather more information from grantee institutions. ( Science Magazine - Sept. 30, 2022)
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NASEM Releases Report on Protecting U.S. Technological Advantage
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released a new report yesterday outlining what the federal government can do to protect the United States’ global leadership in science and technology, especially the scientific openness that forms the basis of research and innovation. Historically, the federal government has sought to protect its technological advantage by placing restrictions on certain areas of technology, particularly those related to the military. Recently, there has been talk of expanding controls to other areas, including biotechnology, quantum computing, and artificial intelligence. The report argues, however, that expanding such restrictions is unlikely to work because emerging technologies frequently span multiple disciplines and rely on multinational teams of researchers. ( Association of American Universities - Sept. 30, 2022)
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Ed Department: Debt Relief to Cost $300 Billion
The Biden administration’s student debt-relief plan will cost about $30 billion a year over the next 10 years, according to an estimate from the U.S. Department of Education. The estimate, released late Thursday, comes after the Congressional Budget Office, Congress’s nonpartisan research arm, said last week that the one-time relief would cost the federal government $400 billion over 30 years. According to the department, the government will see $305 billion in reduced cash flows over the next decade. Over a more than 30-year period, the cost is estimated to be $379 billion in today’s dollars. Estimates are based on “highly uncertain assumptions,” according to the release. The department is expecting about 81 percent of eligible borrowers to take advantage of the debt relief, based on participation in past relief programs. ( Inside Higher Ed - Oct. 3, 2022)
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Senate Republicans: Title IX Proposals Erase 50 Years of Progress
“The current Administration has seized our nation’s primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities, to enact political, social and cultural change, with no regard for the harmful repercussions or the rule of law.” That’s according to a letter signed by 13 Republican senators and 21 Republican members of Congress on Sept. 12 blasting President Biden’s proposed expansions to Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in K-12 schools and colleges. The proposed expansions would protect LGBTQ and pregnant students from discrimination. Among their list of arguments, they’re worried that the Biden Administration’s changes to Title IX would create unequal opportunities for student-athletes, particularly women. According to the letter, the proposed regulations erase 50 years of progress made toward equal opportunity for women in education all for the sake of progressive politics. ( University Business - Sept. 27, 2022)
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Office HoursStarting this fall, the Office of Federal Relations will begin offering general inquiry sessions, or “Office Hours,” several times per month for the Vanderbilt community via Zoom. If you have a question for our office or want to learn more about how we can collaborate, please schedule a time with us. Either Associate Vice Chancellor Christina West or Associate Director Heather Bloemhard will join the virtual meeting.
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