Department of Energy Requires Plans to Promote Diversity from Grant Applicants
Researchers seeking funding from the United States’s single biggest funder of the physical sciences will now have to think about how they can structure their own efforts to promote greater participation by researchers and students of color and from other underrepresented groups. This week, the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Science, which has an annual budget of $7.5 billion, announced on its website that researchers responding to funding opportunities, including those at the office’s 10 national laboratories, must include a Promoting Inclusive and Equitable Research (PIER) Plan in their application. It “should describe the activities and strategies of the applicant to promote equity and inclusion as an intrinsic element to advancing scientific excellence in the research project.” The plan cannot merely restate university or institutional policy and will be evaluated as part of the application’s merit review. ( Science Magazine - Oct. 5, 2022)
| |
Lag in Biden’s NIH Nominee Creates Tougher Confirmation Scenario
Biomedical research and the NIH check off a lot of firsts for the Biden administration. The first biomedical innovation center known as the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, or ARPA-H, started under his leadership. Yet when it comes to appointing a new NIH director, it’s one of the last major science roles Biden needs to fill, one year after Collins said he’s stepping down. Whomever Biden puts forward will likely face a tougher confirmation process than under the current Senate makeup, with Democrats in charge and a bipartisan pair at the helm of the committee that would need to shepherd that nomination through the chamber. But the odds of installing a new NIH director before the end of the year—and before a new Congress begins—appear to be slipping away. ( Bloomberg - Oct. 6, 2022)
| |
NSTC Releases Biennial Report on International Science and Technology Cooperation
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Science and Technology Council recently published their biennial report to Congress on international science and technology cooperation. The report identifies areas where the United States excels in international science and technology engagement and areas where the nation is losing competitiveness. The September report also provides recommendations “to firmly establish U.S. leadership” on the global stage. The report finds that the United States excels in “annual overall R&D investment, research-driven efforts, setting global standards and norms, attracting and retaining STEM talent, and achieving diplomatic and national security goals with international S&T engagement.” In addition, the report says, certain immigration requirements as well as insufficient diversity in the STEM workforce may also be hampering global competitiveness. ( Association of American Universities - Oct. 5, 2022)
| |
Appeals Court Orders Another Review of Revised ‘DACA’
A federal appeals court Wednesday ordered a lower court review of Biden administration revisions to a program preventing the deportation of hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought into the United States as children. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said a federal district judge in Texas should take another look at the program following the revisions adopted in August. But it sends the case back to him for a look at a new version of the rule issued by the Biden administration in late August. The new rule takes effect Oct. 31. DACA recipients have become a powerful political force even though they can’t vote, but their efforts to achieve a path to citizenship through Congress have repeatedly fallen short. Any imminent threat to lose work authorization and to expose themselves to deportation could pressure Congress into protecting them, even as a stopgap measure. ( Politico - Oct. 5, 2022)
| |
Lawsuits Threaten Biden’s Debt-relief Plan
A flurry of lawsuits threaten the Biden administration’s plans to forgive up to $20,000 in federal student loans for eligible Americans. Four lawsuits seeking to block the student loan forgiveness plan have been filed in the last week, but more are expected. This first group highlights the challenges facing plaintiffs—all make similar arguments as to why the plan is unlawful, but the lawsuits are taking different approaches to prove the plaintiffs have been or will be harmed by debt relief and thus have legal standing to sue. The Arizona attorney general took a broader approach, arguing in his lawsuit that student debt relief would harm the state’s economy by reducing taxes collected and increasing inflation. Most recently, a group of taxpayers in Wisconsin filed suit, saying the plan would result in higher taxes and a less prosperous country. In the meantime, the Biden administration has agreed not to forgive any student loans before Oct. 17. ( Inside Higher Ed - Oct. 6, 2022)
| |
White House Warns of Student Loan Scams before Debt Relief Opening
The White House and Department of Education are warning student loan borrowers not to fall for scams related to debt relief before the Biden administration enacts student loan forgiveness. Applications for the student debt relief program President Biden announced over the summer are set to open up in October, with scammers likely to try to take advantage of any confusion that could surround the initiative, the White House said on Wednesday. The White House says borrowers should sign up for notifications for when the student loan debt forgiveness applications will be out, create a Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID, ensure loan providers have their current information and report scams to the Federal Trade Commission. The Education Department also released a list with more tips to avoid scams. ( Roll Call - Oct. 6, 2022)
| |
Office Hours Starting 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.
| |
|