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What’s Ahead
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| Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) speaks at a July 28 press conference on the Senate’s bipartisan infrastructure bill. (Image credit – J. Scott Applewhite / AP) |
Senate Infrastructure Spending Package Enters End Game
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is aiming to proceed quickly toward a final vote this week on a multiyear infrastructure spending package that has been the focus of intense bipartisan negotiations over the course of the summer. The text of the legislation was released over the weekend after senators cleared the 60-vote threshold to begin debate on the bill late last week. The package contains a slightly modified version of the energy infrastructure bill approved by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee last month as well as funds to implement its research and technology initiatives. These include more than $20 billion for clean energy demonstration projects to be coordinated by a new office proposed in President Biden’s budget request for the Department of Energy, as well as about $500 million for efforts at the U.S. Geological Survey. The package also includes nearly $3 billion for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a portion of which is dedicated to improving environmental observation and modeling systems. Additional funds for R&D programs could be added through floor amendments.
Senate Appropriators Advancing DOE Spending Bill
The Senate Appropriations Committee will begin advancing its fiscal year 2022 spending bills on Wednesday, including the one that funds the Department of Energy. The House passed its version of the bill by a 219-to-208 vote on July 29 as part of a seven-bill spending package. That bill would provide the DOE Office of Science with a topline increase of 4% to $7.32 billion, $120 million short of the Biden administration’s request, and includes major increases for DOE’s applied energy offices. Senate appropriators will release their version of the bill this week shortly before or after it is considered. Among the potential points of tension, the House proposes to zero out funding for early work on the Versatile Test Reactor, a proposed multibillion-dollar facility that would provide a U.S.-based capability for testing materials required by certain reactor designs currently under development. In the past, Senate appropriators have also been skeptical of the project, though they always included funds for it to proceed. In a statement on the House bill, the Biden administration asked Congress to continue funding the facility, calling it “an essential tool for America to regain its global nuclear energy leadership role in the development of advanced reactors.”
Senate Energy Panel to Review DOE Science Nominees and Programs
On Tuesday, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee is holding a joint hearing for President Biden’s nominees for two key science roles at the Department of Energy, physical chemist Geri Richmond and soil scientist Asmeret Berhe. Richmond, who has longstanding ties to DOE, has been nominated to serve as under secretary for science and energy, a position that oversees both DOE’s applied energy R&D programs and its Office of Science. Berhe has been nominated to direct the Office of Science, which oversees 10 of the department’s national labs and large research portfolios in areas such as materials science, high energy and nuclear physics, and biological and environmental research. On Thursday, the committee is holding a hearing dedicated to the Office of Science and its research programs. The House recently passed the DOE Science for the Future Act, which provides extensive policy guidance for the Office of Science and recommends a significant increase in its funding. By contrast, provisions recommending funding infusions for DOE in the Senate’s U.S. Innovation and Competition Act include little policy direction for the department. Committee Chair Joe Manchin (D-WV) has insisted DOE should play a key role in achieving the legislation’s science and technology goals.
NSF Names Karen Marrongelle as Chief Operating Officer
Karen Marrongelle is taking over from Fleming Crim this week as the National Science Foundation’s chief operating officer. Marrongelle is an expert in STEM education and has been serving as head of NSF’s Education and Human Resources Directorate since 2018, when she took leave from her position as a professor of mathematics and statistics at Portland State University. She was previously dean of the university’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The EHR Directorate will be led on an acting basis by its current deputy director, Sylvia James, as NSF conducts a search for Marrongelle’s replacement. Crim will remain with the agency as a senior advisor before retiring later this year.
National Science Board Reflects on Vision 2030 Roadmap
The National Science Board, the governing body of the National Science Foundation, is holding its quarterly meeting this Tuesday and Wednesday, which will highlight topics related to the Vision 2030 strategic roadmap the board released one year ago. NSB Vice Chair Victor McCrary will provide an overview of the board’s actions to implement the roadmap and its priorities for the coming year. In addition, board member Geri Richmond will moderate a panel discussion on the role of community colleges in increasing access to higher education and broadening participation in STEM. The director of the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s STEMM Equity Achievement (SEA) Change program, Shirley Malcom, will discuss opportunities for federal science agencies to “leverage existing processes to spur systemic change for the ‘missing millions’ and enhance the broader impacts of research.” The board will also vote in closed session on actions related to the Rubin Observatory and the cleanup of the Arecibo Telescope site.
Nuclear Security Summit Convenes
The news publication Exchange Monitor is holding its annual Nuclear Deterrence Summit this Tuesday through Thursday, bringing together officials from the National Nuclear Security Administration and leaders from other stakeholder organizations across the U.S. nuclear security enterprise. Featured speakers include the directors of Los Alamos, Lawrence Livermore, and Sandia National Labs, NNSA Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs Charles Verdon, and Senate Strategic Forces Subcommittee Ranking Member Deb Fischer (R-NE). Sessions will address matters such as the development of plutonium pit production capabilities at Los Alamos and NNSA’s Savannah River Site, the modernization of the U.S. nuclear arsenal, and nuclear nonproliferation.
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In Case You Missed It
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| Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) is the main sponsor of the House Science Committee’s NIST for the Future Act. She is chair of the committee’s Research and Technology Subcommittee and is a professed fan of the agency. (Image credit – Office of Rep. Stevens) |
House Science Committee Fleshes Out Innovation Policy Priorities
The House Science Committee unanimously approved five innovation policy bills last week, including legislation to update policy for the National Institute of Standards and Technology, create regional innovation programs at the Departments of Commerce and Energy, enhance DOE technology transfer programs, and require the White House to develop a national science and technology strategy. The House is expected to bundle the bills with ones from other committees as it prepares to negotiate a legislative compromise with the Senate’s U.S. Innovation and Competition Act. The House has already passed bills updating policy for the National Science Foundation and DOE Office of Science that will also factor into the negotiations. Before approving the NIST for the Future Act, the Science Committee adopted 15 amendments, including a revised version of the bill that increased the recommended funding profile for the agency so that its annual budget would grow to nearly $1.8 billion by fiscal year 2026, nearly $200 million more than the original target. Among the other amendments are provisions that would mandate a review of NIST’s research security policies, support work in forensic science standards and sustainable chemistry activities, and establish a National Supply Chain Database.
House Releases Early Drafts of Annual Defense Legislation
Last week, the House Armed Services Committee completed its subcommittee work on the National Defense Authorization Act, Congress’ annual comprehensive defense policy update. The subcommittee drafts of their respective components of the bill include a number of provisions related to R&D, but more controversial provisions are typically not debated until the bill is taken up by the full committee, which is scheduled to occur on Sept. 1. The provisions that have been introduced so far include proposals to improve the mechanisms that facilitate the Defense Department’s access to science and engineering talent and its interactions with private-sector technology producers. The legislation also includes a proposal to consolidate the administration of department efforts in electromagnetic spectrum operations. The Senate Armed Services Committee completed work on its counterpart bill on July 22 and has released a summary of its provisions but not the full legislative text. The Senate Intelligence Committee advanced a separate policy bill last week covering intelligence agencies, which, according to a press release, includes provisions concerning those agencies’ adoption of emerging technologies and their efforts to address threats posed by China in areas such as technology, infrastructure, and digital currencies.
Nuclear Weapons Council Weighs In on NNSA Budget Request
Satisfying a provision in last year’s National Defense Authorization Act, the interagency Nuclear Weapons Council wrote to Congress on July 23 evaluating the Biden administration’s budget request for the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. The letter states that the proposed increase of less than 1% meets requirements for the coming fiscal year, but it conveys “unanimous and grave concern” from council members, most of whom are military officials, that continuing flat budgets will “not provide a sound foundation” for efforts to modernize the U.S. nuclear arsenal. The letter also stresses that the U.S. nuclear production complex has “significantly atrophied” and that “there is no area in need of more immediate attention than our Manhattan Project-era nuclear security enterprise facilities.” The top Republicans on the House and Senate Armed Services Committees issued a statement on July 27 that highlights the letter and calls the Biden administration “irresponsible” for issuing a request that they assert puts the U.S. in a “dangerous position” with respect to rival nuclear powers Russia and China. Congress has increased NNSA’s annual budget by almost 60% over the last five years to $19.7 billion, largely in support of nuclear modernization efforts.
Frank Rose Confirmed as NNSA Deputy
On July 29, the Senate confirmed Frank Rose by voice vote as principal deputy administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration. Rose previously served in the Obama administration as deputy assistant secretary of state for space and defense policy and later as assistant secretary for arms control, verification, and compliance. Most recently, he was co-director of the Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology at the Brookings Institution. The Senate confirmed NNSA Administrator Jill Hruby on July 22. To stay up to date on nominations for key positions in the government, consult FYI’s Federal Science Leadership Tracker.
Biden Names Picks for Key Positions at NOAA and USDA
On July 28, the White House announced Jainey Bavishi as President Biden’s nominee for deputy administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. An expert in climate adaptation, Bavishi is currently director of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Climate Resiliency. During the Obama administration, she served as associate director for climate preparedness at the White House Council on Environmental Quality and before that as director of external affairs and senior policy advisor at NOAA. The White House also announced the selection of Agricultural Research Service Administrator Chavonda Jacobs-Young to be the Department of Agriculture’s under secretary for research, education, and economics, a position she currently holds in an acting capacity.
NASA to Update Lunar Plans After GAO Upholds Lander Contract
NASA issued a statement on July 30 indicating it will release an updated plan for its Artemis lunar exploration program “as soon as possible” now that the Government Accountability Office has ruled against protests to the contract NASA awarded to the company SpaceX for crewed lunar lander services. The company Dynetics and a multi-company team led by Blue Origin had alleged that in selecting SpaceX as the sole lander provider NASA departed significantly from its original bid solicitation, putting their competing offers at a disadvantage. However, GAO states that because NASA released its solicitation as a “broad agency announcement,” federal acquisition rules gave the agency “broader discretion in selecting the proposals most suitable to meeting their research and development needs.” Currently, some lawmakers in Congress are pushing to pass legislative direction and funding that would lead NASA to support a second lander. To encourage such an outcome, Blue Origin owner Jeff Bezos wrote to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson on July 26 indicating his team is willing to waive all payments for its lander project over the present and next two fiscal years, up to $2 billion, to allow “time for government appropriation actions to catch up” to the ongoing requirements of a two-lander program.
Science Committee Examines NASA Infrastructure Funding Needs
At a hearing last week, House Science Committee leaders expressed general support for upgrading NASA’s facilities and other infrastructure. NASA official Robert Gibbs reported that the agency’s maintenance backlog totals more than $2.6 billion and NASA Administrator Bill Nelson has previously proposed that Congress include $5.4 billion for the agency’s infrastructure in a special spending bill alongside an equal amount to add a second crewed lander to the Artemis lunar exploration program. However, the bipartisan infrastructure legislation currently advancing in the Senate does not include such funding. Committee Chair Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) said at the hearing, “While the path forward in Congress may not yet be totally clear, my commitment to addressing our R&D infrastructure needs is steadfast.” Space Subcommittee Ranking Member Brian Babin (R-TX) noted that, Nelson’s overtures notwithstanding, the Biden administration has never formally requested an infrastructure spending surge for the agency. “I think we can all agree that NASA’s infrastructure is critical to its overall mission success, but it needs to be incorporated and prioritized in the formal budget process, not as an off-budget wish-list,” he remarked.
NSF Expands Network of AI Research Institutes
Last week, the National Science Foundation announced the establishment of 11 new artificial intelligence research institutes, which will each receive about $20 million over five years to pursue research in one of seven areas: Human–AI Interaction and Collaboration, AI for Advances in Optimization, AI and Advanced Cyberinfrastructure, AI in Computer and Network Systems, AI in Dynamic Systems, AI-Augmented Learning, and AI-Driven Innovation in Agriculture and the Food System. The combined $220 million in award funding includes contributions from the Departments of Agriculture and Homeland Security as well as Google, Amazon, Intel, and Accenture, and builds on the $140 million awarded to an initial set of seven institutes selected last year. NSF is highlighting the institutes’ role in “expanding the geography of innovation,” noting that their reach now encompasses 40 states and the District of Columbia.
Ninety Democrats Accuse DOJ of Ethnically Profiling Scientists
Led by Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA), 90 congressional Democrats wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland on July 30 concerning alleged racial profiling of Asian Americans by the Department of Justice. They pointed to various espionage-related cases DOJ has brought against scientists of Asian descent that have later been dropped, as well as to the recent case against University of Tennessee researcher Anming Hu for nondisclosure of connections to Chinese institutions, which resulted in a mistrial in June. Noting that DOJ announced in 2016 that it would implement implicit-bias training, the lawmakers request an update on that training as well as for it to investigate whether it has “written or unwritten” policies that discriminate against people based on racial or other characteristics in matters such as surveillance, arrests, or security clearance denials. While DOJ recently dropped a series of cases against Chinese researchers accused of concealing ties to China’s military, it has not announced any changes in policy relating to research security investigations, and on July 30 department prosecutors filed their intent to retry the case against Hu. Lieu and two other lawmakers have previously written to Garland seeking an investigation into FBI conduct in Hu’s case specifically, but the Justice Department’s inspector general replied there was “insufficient predicate” to launch such a probe, stating it did not find evidence to support a news report’s claim that an FBI agent admitted to misconduct during the trial.
Labs and Publishers Partner to Facilitate Transgender Name Changes
Led by Berkeley Lab, all 17 Department of Energy national labs announced last week that they have partnered with 17 scientific publishing companies and organizations to assist authors in changing their name on past publications. The participants include major commercial publishers such as Elsevier, Springer Nature, and Wiley, as well as key publishers in the physical sciences, such as the American Physical Society, American Meteorological Society, and the arXiv preprint repository. (APS and AMS are AIP Member Societies.) The collaboration is specifically intended to reduce the “administrative and emotional” burden on transgender researchers who are engaging in the name-change process, but it is also open to anyone who wishes to change the name on their papers for any reason “where supported by the policies in place” at the publishing partners. Whereas previously individual researchers would have to contact individual publications to request such name changes, researchers will now be able to initiate the process through their research institutions, which can then submit the request to the participating publishers on their behalf.
Workshops Highlight Regional STEM Workforce Challenges
The National Academies released a report last week on regional workforce needs in STEM and medicine in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report was assembled by a committee led by former senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) that convened workshops in five geographically and demographically distinct regions of the U.S. While the committee did not attempt to establish conclusions or recommendations for future actions, it identified regional and common national concerns in matters such as equity issues, educational and digital infrastructure, and data needs, as well as opportunities for the future design of workforce training.
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Events This Week Monday, August 2
Tuesday, August 3
Wednesday, August 4
Thursday, August 5
Friday, August 6
Monday, August 9
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Opportunities Academies Seeking Input on High Energy Density Physics
The National Academies is seeking input for its assessment of the future of high energy density science. The study panel will focus on material phases and conditions of interest to the National Nuclear Security Administration, which is sponsoring the assessment. Submissions are due Sept. 17.
AAAS Publication Accepting Submissions on Emerging Tech
Science and Diplomacy, an online publication of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, is accepting submissions for a special issue exploring the intersection between emerging technologies and diplomacy. The call seeks perspective pieces and longer-form research articles that address governance issues concerning technologies such as artificial intelligence, gene editing and synthetic biology, cybersecurity, and quantum technology, among other topics. Submissions are due Sept. 10.
Think Tank Seeking a Senior Energy Policy Analyst
The Bipartisan Policy Center is hiring a senior energy policy analyst. The individual will “leverage and apply their expertise to assess data and produce research insights; identify policy opportunities to advance energy innovation in the U.S.; draft memos, policy briefs, and communications products; and help manage external relationships with key stakeholders to build effective coalitions for federal policy action.” Applicants should have at least four years of experience in policy development or business related to energy R&D, technology development, or finance.
Know of an upcoming science policy event either inside or outside the Beltway? Email us at fyi@aip.org.
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