The DC Digest

In Today's Issue:

Duke's Fundamental Research Can Turn Viruses into Marvels
Association Letter Requesting Additional Student Visa Guidance
NIH Joins Forces with Private Sector to Streamline COVID-19 Vaccine Efforts
Higher Education Community Letter to DHS and State Department on Student Loan Borrower Relief Priorities
NEH Announces New Grant Guidelines Designed to Rapidly Distribute CARES Act Funding
Senate Meets Tuesday Afternoon to Fast-Track Nearly $500 Billion in Pandemic Relief
U.S. Supreme Court to Allow Additional Brief on Coronavirus in DACA Case
Department of Energy Releases 2 Preliminary Reports Focused on AI and Innovation
STEM Corps' Bill Aims to Address Department of Defense Talent Needs
Office of Management and Budget Approves Final Foreign Gift and Contract Reporting Information Collection Request
COVID-19 Research Resources for the Duke Community
Tweet of the Week!

DUKE'S FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH CAN TURN VIRUSES INTO MARVELS
Duke's Vice President for Research, Lawrence Carin, recently authored a blog post on how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted the American university research enterprise. The blog highlights the work of several researchers who are working to address and understand the novel COVID-19 virus and the important role of fundamental research. You can read more about the critical work from our researchers funded by federal agencies like the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense and others, on Duke's Office of Government Relations website, which has cross-posted this overview with permission.

Sharing is Carin

AAU LETTER TO STATE AND DHS ON STUDENT VISA GUIDANCE
Mary Sue Coleman, president of the Association of American Universities (AAU), of which Duke is a member, addressed a letter to the leaders of the U.S. Department of State and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requesting additional guidance on student visa and immigration issues during the COVID-19 pandemic. Coleman urges State and DHS to coordinate the release of additional guidance, identification of the overlapping functions in the visa and immigration process and clarification for when State and DHS authorities will honor the other agencies issued guidance. Coleman also provided several recommendations for the agency's to consider from previous higher education community letters addressed to DHS and State.

Virtual Visa

NIH JOINS FORCES WITH PRIVATE SECTOR TO STREAMLINE COVID VACCINE EFFORT
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and major drug companies recently announced a plan to stage carefully designed clinical trials of the drugs and vaccines they have decided are the highest priorities for testing and development. The public-private partnership involves NIH, and other U.S. government agencies, 16 pharma companies and biotechs and the nonprofit Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH). The initiative, called Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines (ACTIV), aims to make efficient use of NIH funding and its clinical trial networks by working with companies to evaluate data on early candidates, selecting those that have the most promise and are not already part of rigorous human tests.

Vaccine Efforts

HIGHER ED LETTER ON STUDENT LOAN RELIEF
The Association for American Universities (AAU) and American Council on Education (ACE), of which Duke is a member, along with other members of the higher education community addressed a letter to U.S. House of Representative leadership calling for short-term and long-term relief for student loan borrowers. The letter walks through a list of recommendations for providing relief in order to provide, "both the greatest stimulative benefit - freeing individuals with limited resources from unmanageable debt burdens- as well as addressing equity issues in student debt that has grown more pronounced in recent years."

Loans from Home

NEH ANNOUNCES NEW GRANT GUIDELINES DESIGNED TO RAPIDLY DISTRIBUTE CARES ACT FUNDING
The National Endowment of the Humanities (NEH) announced new grant guidelines designed to rapidly distribute CARES Act funding to cultural nonprofits (including universities) affected by the coronavirus pandemic. This new funding opportunity, NEH CARES: Cultural Organizations, will provide grants of up to $300,000 to sustain humanities organizations and preserve jobs in the cultural sector.

NEH of Your Business

SENATE MEETS TODAY TO EXPEDITE MORE COVID-19 RELIEF FUNDS
The U.S. Senate is expected to meet this afternoon for a previously unscheduled pro forma session, in which Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will try to fast-track nearly $500 billion in pandemic relief for small businesses, hospitals and coronavirus testing. Negotiations over an "interim" package stalled out on several points yesterday, but the House has advised a vote as early as Wednesday, according to POLITICO Pro.

SCOTUS TO ALLOW ADDITIONAL COVID-19 BRIEF IN DACA CASE
The U.S. Supreme Court will now consider the efforts of undocumented immigrants who work as health care providers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic in their decisions on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. In a request to file a supplemental brief, which was filed on April 2, the petitioners argued that the public health pandemic is highlighting DACA recipients' contributions to "employers, civil society, state and local governments and communities across the country, and especially by health care and other essential services providers."

Let's DACA About It

DOE RELEASES 2 REPORTS ON AI AND INNOVATION
The Department of Energy (DOE) released two reports with findings recommended to the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board (SEAB) on artificial intelligence and innovation. The preliminary findings of the SEAB to Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette regarding DOE and AI report is from a working group dedicated to DOE's capabilities and future in artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML). The SEAB Innovation Working Group report is from a working group dedicated to DOE's capabilities and future regarding innovation based on expert opinion and a call for information on DOE innovation efforts.

SEAB to Secretary Report on AI

SEAB Innovation Report

STEM CORPS' BILL TO ADDRESS DOD TALENT NEEDS
Reps. Jim Banks (R-IN) and Andy Kim (D-NJ) introduced a bill on April 14 that would establish a "STEM Corps" program within the Department of Defense covering two years of students' tuition in exchange for four years of service in the department. The legislation follows a recommendation in a report released in December by the Ronald Reagan Institute's Task Force on 21st Century National Security Technology and Workforce.

Talent Show

OMB APPROVES FOREIGN GIFT AND CONTRACT REPORTING INFORMATION COLLECTION REQUEST
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has concluded its review and approved the Department of Education's revised proposed expansion of foreign gift and contract reporting requirements under Section 117 of the Higher Education Act. The final version of the information collection request is essentially unchanged from the draft version the department released in February, which higher education associations believe exceeds the statutory authority set out in Section 117.

O(h), M(y) B

FEDERAL COVID-19 INFO FOR THE DUKE COMMUNITY
Federal agencies continue to release updated guidance and other information related to COVID-19. The Association of American Universities (AAU), of which Duke is a member, also created a page for frequently asked questions about federal guidance on coronavirus. The Duke community can also access resources and additional relevant updates related to research operations on the Duke Research Agency-Specific COVID-19 Updates page.

Duke Research COVID-19 Updates

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