Biden Looks to Bolster Long-term Research and Development
President Biden is seeking to ramp up government funding of research projects with injections of cash through both his 2022 budget and a major infrastructure package. Biden’s budget request, released earlier this month, and his infrastructure proposal from March call for billions of dollars in government research and development, including the creation of health and climate centers modeled after the famed Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Biden has proposed a 20 percent increase to the National Science Foundation, as well as numerous new investments totaling $180 billion in his $2.3 trillion infrastructure package. The focus on research is an attempt to boost American competitiveness and productivity, and an admission that some of Biden's loftiest goals rely on creating new technologies. ( The Hill - Apr. 18, 2021)
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Biden Administration Scraps Human Fetal Tissue Research Restrictions
The administration of President Joe Biden is reversing restrictions imposed by former President Donald Trump’s on federal funding for medical research using human fetal tissue from elective abortions. A notice released today by the U.S. National Institutes of Health does away with both a ban on such studies by researchers within NIH and a layer of ethical review that had torpedoed funding applications from external researchers. The secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Xavier Becerra, “has determined there are no new ethical issues that require special review,” NIH said in a statement. ( Science Magazine - Apr. 16, 2021)
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Senators Push Quantum Computing at DoD
America’s and the Pentagon’s race to harness a new generation of powerful quantum computers could get a boost from a bipartisan pair of senators, fueled in part by a fear of growing competition with China. Legislation set to be introduced Friday in the Senate is intended to improve Defense Department’s workforce in the highly specialized computing field. It’s aimed at improving pipelines for the military with the private sector and for students graduating with quantum-related degrees. The proposed bill is also intended to add Defense Department research efforts into the National Quantum Initiative, a program Washington established in 2018 to accelerate quantum research and development. The initiative is already made up of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Science Foundation and Energy Department. ( C4ISRNET - Apr. 16, 2021)
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APARD Guide Released
Yesterday, AAU and APLU released a Guide to Accelerate Public Access to Research Data. The document is designed to help institutions develop and promote systems that support data transparency and access. It includes information about the infrastructure and support that may be required to facilitate data access, and specific examples of how various institutions are approaching challenges to sharing research data and results. The guide been developed with support from the NSF and NIH; it is based on information gleaned from a series of workshops and national summits involving 261 campus representatives from 111 institutions, representatives from several federal agencies, and other key stakeholders. AAU has launched a companion website with resources including past AAU and APLU public-data-access reports and information about our upcoming four-part webinar series, which will feature institutions that are implementing recommendations contained in the guide. ( Association of American Universities - Apr. 16, 2021)
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Nelson Confirmation Hearing Set for April 21
A Senate committee will take up President Biden’s nomination of former Senator Bill Nelson to be NASA Administrator next week. It is another step along the path to confirmation, which Nelson is expected to win, but his opposition to another politician taking the job in 2018 could prompt some pushback during the hearing. Nelson served three terms in the Senate that ended when he lost his final bid for reelection in 2018. During that time, along with 12 years in the House (1979-1991), he gained a reputation for bipartisanship along with his passion for human spaceflight. In January 1986, while a Congressman from Florida, he flew on a space shuttle mission, STS 61-C. At 78, Nelson also is viewed as representative of NASA’s past more than its future, with a preference for cost-plus contracts to big aerospace companies rather than the Public-Private Partnerships NASA increasingly has embraced over the past decade. ( SpacePolicyOnline.com - Apr. 15, 2021)
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White House Nominates Melroy to be NASA Deputy Administrator
The White House announced April 16 it will nominate former astronaut Pam Melroy to be NASA’s deputy administrator. Melroy’s nomination was one of eight the White House announced to fill positions across the government. The position will require confirmation by the Senate. Melroy, who served on the incoming Biden administration’s NASA transition team, had been considered a leading candidate to be nominated for NASA administrator. Melroy, a U.S. Air Force test pilot, was part of the 1994 NASA astronaut class. She commanded the STS-120 shuttle mission in 2007, becoming only the second woman, after Eileen Collins, to command a shuttle mission. All three missions were devoted to assembly of the International Space Station. She served as . . . deputy director of the Tactical Technology Office for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Most recently, she had been working as a consultant, including supporting the new Australian Space Agency. She also served on the National Space Council’s Users’ Advisory Group. ( SpaceNews - Apr. 16, 2021)
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