First Round of Hearings by Congress Back a More Muscular NSF
The U.S. Congress this week got its first chance to weigh in on proposals to expand the mission and massively boost the budget of the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the initial response was positive. During three committee hearings, most legislators seemed to like the idea, although some expressed reservations about its size and scope—up to $100 billion over 5 years, with half going to a new technology directorate. And everybody wanted more details. Supporters said a budget boost at the $8.5 billion agency would reverse years of underfunding and help the country develop the emerging technologies needed to outinnovate China and other economic competitors. Opponents questioned whether NSF could handle such rapid growth and whether an agency that mostly funds academic research is also the best home for efforts to commercialize those discoveries. Some legislators worried that too much of that research could wind up in the hands of China because of lax safeguards against espionage. ( Science Magazine - Apr. 15, 2021)
| |
House Science and Armed Services Chairs Seek Collaboration with Biden to Address Risks to U.S. Research Enterprise
Leaders of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee and the House Armed Services Committee recently sent President Biden a letter expressing interest in collaborating with the administration on science and security policy. “We strongly support a measured and balanced approach to this issue, one that promotes research integrity and security without impeding academic freedom, international collaboration, and the global competition for talent, all of which are critical to our continued leadership in science and innovation,” said the letter, which was signed by Science Committee Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX); Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-WA); Research and Technology Subcommittee Chairwoman Haley Stevens (D-MI); and Cyber, Innovative Technologies, and Information Systems Subcommittee Chairman Jim Langevin (D-RI). On Monday, AAU tweeted appreciation for the letter, noting the authors’ past bipartisan efforts on research security. ( Association of American Universities - Apr. 14, 2021)
| |
AAU Responds to RFI from NIH on Advancing Racial Equity, Diversity, Inclusion in Biomedical Research
AAU has filed a response to an NIH notice for a request for information inviting feedback on actions NIH can take to advance racial equity, diversity, and inclusion within the biomedical research workforce and expand research to eliminate or lessen health disparities and inequalities. AAU’s comments encompassed information on obstacles in training and mentoring, barriers in recruiting and retention, successful actions some institutions are currently taking to improve representation, and best practices to build or improve partnerships between research institutions. ( Association of American Universities - Apr. 14, 2021)
| |
Biden Administration Poised to Change Trump Restrictions on Fetal Tissue Research
The Biden administration is preparing to announce Friday that it will alter Trump-era restrictions on federal funding of research that uses fetal tissue, according to the nation’s top health official, potentially allowing a resumption of thwarted scientific studies into covid-19 treatments, HIV and other diseases. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra told Capitol Hill lawmakers Thursday that the National Institutes of Health would make an announcement about what he characterized as a fetal tissue ban. Becerra did not disclose details of the imminent policy shift. Still he made clear, as he has before, that he opposes the research-restricting rules President Donald Trump established in 2019 at the urging of abortion foes and other social conservatives crucial to the president’s political base. ( The Washington Post - Apr. 15, 2021)
| |
Senate Committee Likely to Approve Kvaal
President Biden’s nominee for under secretary of education, James Kvaal, appears likely to be headed to the full Senate for a vote on his confirmation after a relatively drama-free committee hearing on his nomination. Kvaal appeared before the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Thursday . . . [and if] confirmed, Kvaal, who previously served as deputy under secretary of education during the Obama administration and was most recently president of the Institute for College Access and Success, would have a significant hand in carrying out and forming higher education policy for the federal government. Senators focused much of their questioning of Kvaal on student loan debt, public college tuition and equity, areas where he has backed progressive proposals from the White House. ( Inside Higher Ed - Apr. 16, 2021)
| |
Follow the Office of Federal Relations on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube!
| |
|