Research Spending Could be Lone Bright Spot for U.S. Science after Election Sets Up Divided Government
This week U.S. voters appear to have ended Democratic control of Congress, with Republicans now favored to win back at least the House of Representatives if not the Senate. And that could mean a bumpy ride for researchers over the next 2 years. The results of the 8 November midterm elections will likely open the way to aggressive Republican-led investigations into how the National Institutes of Health (NIH) responded to the COVID-19 pandemic . . . as well as closer scrutiny of President Joe Biden’s efforts to combat climate change and keep pace with China’s push to become a technological superpower. Republican control of the House also increases the likelihood of political stalemate, precluding major new policy initiatives—such as deep cuts to federal spending or new climate regulations—by either party. But science advocates are hopeful the partisan battles and gridlock won’t undermine the traditional bipartisan support for research funding [and maybe] provide stable budgets—and perhaps even funding increases—for federal research agencies. ( Science Magazine - Nov. 11, 2022)
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DOE Seeks Input on R&D Strategies for Emerging Technologies
The Department of Energy Office of Science is seeking input on strategies for accelerating innovation in 10 “key technology focus areas”: artificial intelligence, microelectronics, quantum information science, advanced manufacturing, advanced communications technology, biopreparedness, biotechnology, data management and cybersecurity, advanced energy technologies, and materials science. These areas are essentially the same as those prioritized in the CHIPS and Science Act and that will be focal points for the National Science Foundation’s new Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP) Directorate. Like the TIP Directorate, the Office of Science is specifically interested in research approaches that can bridge the “valley of death” between basic research and technology commercialization, especially “trans-disciplinary” and “place-based” approaches that draw on regional resources and expertise from national laboratories, regional universities, and industry. ( American Institute of Physics - Nov. 14, 2022)
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Energy Technology Nominees Face Senators
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee is holding a hearing on Thursday to consider the nomination of energy industry executive David Crane to be the Department of Energy’s under secretary for infrastructure, a newly reconfigured position that oversees DOE’s clean energy demonstration and deployment efforts. Crane has been leading DOE’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations since September, a role not requiring confirmation that he took on shortly after his nomination. The committee will also consider the nominations of Jeff Marootian to lead the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and Gene Rodrigues to lead the Office of Electricity. Nominated in July and September, respectively, the two are among the last nominees for DOE R&D leadership positions to remain unconfirmed, along with Evelyn Wang, who is awaiting a floor vote on her nomination to lead the Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy. ( American Institute of Physics - Nov. 14, 2022)
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Science Committee Celebrating Webb Telescope Results
The House Science Committee is returning to business with a hearing on Wednesday spotlighting early science results from the James Webb Space Telescope. The telescope launched last December following a protracted and troubled development, and began science operations in July. For the most part, it has performed superbly, discovering far-distant galaxies formed during the earliest history of the universe and imaging closer objects with unprecedented clarity. It is also enabling more detailed examinations of planets orbiting other stars and could eventually discover potential signatures of life. Appearing at the hearing will be new NASA Astrophysics Division Director Mark Clampin, University of Texas at Austin astronomer Steve Finkelstein, and University of California, Santa Cruz astronomer Natalie Batalha. ( American Institute of Physics - Nov. 14, 2022)
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U.S. Appeals Court Blocks Debt-relief Program
Last week a federal district judge ruled the Biden administration’s student debt relief plan unconstitutional. On Monday the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit dealt an additional, and potentially more potent, setback to borrowers and to the White House. The court’s decision essentially blocks debt relief for tens of millions of borrowers from taking effect unless and until the U.S. Supreme Court or the Eighth Circuit itself overturns Monday’s ruling, in which a three-judge panel unanimously backed a preliminary injunction blocking the administration’s plan to offer debt relief. The Eighth Circuit had issued a temporary stay last month but ordered emergency arguments by the government and the six states (Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and South Carolina) that had sued to block the plan, which the Biden administration announced in August. ( Inside Higher Ed - Nov. 14, 2022)
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Biden Aides Consider Extending Student Loan Freeze after Court DefeatsWhite House officials are weighing extending a pause on student debt payments after a federal appeals court blocked President Biden’s plan to cancel up to $20,000 in debt per borrower, according to two people with knowledge of the matter. Although the Biden administration has vowed to defend the program in court, White House officials have in recent days discussed the possibility of extending the debt freeze again if they are unable to move forward with the president’s initial program. Payments had been scheduled to resume on Jan. 1 in conjunction with the loan forgiveness. No decisions have been made, and the people briefed on the matter stressed that the conversations were preliminary. ( The Washington Post - Nov. 15, 2022)
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FY 23 APPROPRIATIONS NEWS
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Lawmakers Face Funding Crunch before Expected GOP Takeover of HouseLawmakers are facing a serious time crunch to hash out government funding for fiscal 2023 as they return to the Capitol with Republicans poised to take a narrow House majority. Congress has until Dec. 16 to agree on new funding levels to avert a government shutdown. And while they can punt the deadline if negotiations require more time, lawmakers on both sides have been adamant that Congress finish its work before January, when a new Congress will be sworn in. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on Sunday that he’s already begun telling colleagues to prepare for “heavy work” and “long hours” ahead of lawmakers’ return this week. “We’re going to try to have as productive a lame-duck session as possible,” he said. ( The Hill - Nov 15, 2022)
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Ad Hoc Group Urges Congress to Finalize FY 23 Funding for NIH
Nearly 300 members of the Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research [including Vanderbilt University] sent a Nov. 8 letter to House and Senate Appropriations Committee leaders urging swift passage of a final FY 2023 Labor-HHS-Education spending bill including at least the House Appropriations Committee-passed $47.5 billion for the NIH base budget. The letter also urged members to avoid another continuing resolution (CR) beyond the current CR that extends FY 2022 funding levels through Dec. 16, and encouraged passage of final FY 2023 spending bills by the end of the calendar year. ( Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research - Nov. 14, 2022)
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International Enrollment Rebounds
International student enrollment bounced back last year after a steep pandemic-fueled decline, according to a new “Open Doors” report from the Institute for International Education. The total number of international students in the U.S. increased by 4 percent in the 2021–22 academic year and an additional 9 percent this fall, following a 15 percent drop in 2020–21. In 2020–21, new international enrollments in U.S. colleges and universities dropped by over 100,000, cutting the previous year’s numbers almost in half, according to the report. But last year, new international student enrollment increased by 80 percent, returning to just below pre-pandemic levels. The report also found that 90 percent of enrolled international students returned to in-person learning last year, and that international students accounted for 4.7 percent of U.S. higher education’s total student population. ( Inside Higher Ed - Nov. 14, 2022)
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Fiscal Winter Is Coming: Lawmakers' 5 Chilly Hills to Climb
Remember the fiscal cliff? This holiday season, Congress’ to-do list will make that look like a jump off a diving board. Lawmakers will return to session on Monday barreling at full speed toward a series of high-stakes fiscal hurdles while control of the House remains unsettled. Before year’s end, they’ll have to keep the government open after current funding expires Dec. 16, and tackle Medicare cuts on the horizon—making for a hectic post-election session, given the other fights looming as soon as 2023 begins. And the dynamics of a new Congress are already making legislating even harder. House Republicans could clinch a majority that’s much narrower than expected, although Democrats still have a shot at keeping the lower chamber. Senate control is now firmly in Democrats’ hands. Here are the five fiscal barriers Congress has to leap over in the lame duck and beyond: Government funding; The debt ceiling; Ukraine aid; Recession relief; and Medicare cuts. ( Politico - Nov. 14, 2022)
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