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What’s Ahead
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| Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Jack Reed (D-RI) speaking with reporters about the National Defense Authorization Act in November 2022. (Image credit – Office of Sen. Reed) |
NDAA Heads to Senate With Extra Science Provisions in Tow
The House approved this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on Dec. 8 on a vote of 350 to 80, and the Senate is expected to pass it soon, with similarly little difficulty. One of the R&D provisions in the finalized version of the bill establishes a 10-year pilot program in the Department of Defense aimed at increasing research capacity at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other minority-serving institutions. Outside DOD, this year’s NDAA also incorporates legislation updating policy for U.S. intelligence agencies that includes provisions aimed at accelerating their adoption of emerging technologies they designate as priorities. In addition, attached provisions covering the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration include one aimed at spurring innovation in ocean technologies and another requiring the agency to make the computer code for selected environmental systems models publicly available. Another set of provisions outlines steps NOAA should take to help protect marine mammals from human threats, including underwater noise. The NDAA does not include bipartisan provisions to expand safeguards against the exploitation of U.S.-funded research by rival governments. Those provisions were opposed by Asian American advocacy groups, who argued they would have threatened the civil liberties of scientists of Chinese descent, a group already caught up in efforts to crack down on undisclosed connections to Chinese institutions.
FY23 Budget Deal Elusive as Funding Deadline Nears
With the stopgap measure funding the federal government set to expire on Friday, negotiators are intensifying their efforts to finalize spending levels for fiscal year 2023. Democratic appropriators reported making some progress over the weekend and are holding off on releasing a draft spending bill that is aimed at increasing the pressure on Republicans. While top appropriators from the parties have agreed to increase defense spending by about 10%, Republicans say they want Democrats to cut about $25 billion from their non-defense priorities. House Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) said last week that if a deal cannot be reached, Congress may resort to extending the current stopgap through the end of the fiscal year. Such an outcome is considered extreme as it would block all funding increases on the table and prevent agencies from starting new programs unless they secure special permission from Congress. If lawmakers are still negotiating at the end of the week, they can pass a short-term stopgap to give themselves additional time.
National Ignition Facility Expected to Announce Fusion Breakthrough
The Department of Energy is holding a press conference in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday to announce a “major scientific breakthrough” at Lawrence Livermore National Lab. Speakers include Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, President Biden’s science adviser Arati Prabhakar, National Nuclear Security Administration head Jill Hruby, and Laboratory Director Kim Budil. Over the weekend, reporters confirmed that the National Ignition Facility at the lab performed a laser fusion experiment that produced more energy than it consumed, apparently satisfying the criteria for the fusion ignition, though a spokesperson cautioned that “the exact yield is still being determined.” For years, there has been considerable doubt as to whether the facility would ever achieve its namesake goal. In August 2021, it reopened the question when it shattered its previous record for energy output, but was unable to achieve a similar result in subsequent attempts. Achieving ignition does not imply that generating energy from fusion is within reach, though, as the practical difficulties of doing so using laser pulses are formidable. Discussing the facility’s achievement last year, former NIF director Mark Herrmann estimated that developing a system capable of putting energy on the electric grid would be “definitely a multi-decadal task.”
Committees to Discuss Manufacturing, Regional Innovation Programs
Two hearings this week will address current and prospective Commerce Department initiatives to support domestic manufacturing and regional innovation. The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee is meeting Tuesday to explore the support that small and medium-sized businesses receive through the department’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership and the Manufacturing USA network of institutes. The recently enacted CHIPS and Science Act recommends Congress sharply increase funding for MEP and Manufacturing USA. It also authorizes the department’s Economic Development Administration to establish a new program dedicated to seeding “regional technology hubs” across the U.S. That program, which still requires funding, will be the focus of a House Science Committee hearing on Wednesday, at which EDA head Alejandra Castillo will testify alongside witnesses from Michigan, Iowa, and Florida discussing the prospects for economic development interests in their regions.
Academies Kicking Off Study on Scientific Misinformation
The National Academies is hosting a kickoff meeting on Wednesday and Thursday for a study that will assess the causes and extent of misinformation about science. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the study is motivated by growing concern about the subject and will recommend potential interventions to stem the spread of science misinformation and limit its harms. Kasisomayajula Viswanath, an expert in translational science communication inequalities and related health disparities at Harvard University, will chair the study. At this week’s meeting, the study committee will hear from academic researchers who study misinformation as well as speakers from NSF, the Pew Research Center, and the World Health Organization.
Water-Charting Satellite Ready for Launch
NASA’s Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission is scheduled to launch on Thursday from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. SWOT is a satellite that will enable high-resolution monitoring of both oceans and freshwater lakes and rivers with the goal of better tracking the movement of water across the Earth’s surface. SWOT data are expected to improve predictions of water levels, ocean currents, and droughts as well as long-term changes in sea level. The satellite was developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in cooperation with France’s national space agency and has an expected lifecycle cost of $822 million. That is about 9% higher than the mission’s originally approved baseline estimate, with the increase attributed primarily to pandemic-related disruptions that also pushed the mission’s launch date back eight months.
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In Case You Missed It
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| A researcher fabricates a component of a quantum photonic circuit at Oak Ridge National Lab’s Center of Nanophase Materials Sciences, one of the five Nanoscale Science Research Centers supported by the Department of Energy’s Basic Energy Sciences program. (Image credit – Oak Ridge National Laboratory) |
Panel to Dive Into DOE Basic Energy Sciences Strategy
The Department of Energy has asked its Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee to conduct two studies following up on a report that found the U.S. is falling behind other countries in research and facilities supported by the department’s Basic Energy Science (BES) program. The first charge asks the committee to propose strategies for prioritizing research in view of issues such as inflation, supply-chain difficulties, and competition for labor that are driving up costs. The charge also seeks advice on the program’s role in supporting technological innovation and commercialization, how to account for international competition, and the appropriate balance between grants for single investigators and larger-scale research hubs. The second charge directs BESAC to evaluate the five Nanoscale Science Research Centers it supports, covering questions such as how they complement one another and other DOE-funded facilities and how they could evolve to better address national priorities and the needs of the scientific community. The committee is asked to deliver both reports in summer 2024.
High Energy Physics Planning Processes Coming Into Focus
The Department of Energy and National Science Foundation’s High Energy Physics Advisory Panel heard updates last week from the various studies that are currently underway to set a future course for the field. These include the report from this past summer’s “Snowmass” community meeting, which is nearing completion, as well as a “benchmarking” study HEPAP is conducting to consider the international context of U.S. high energy physics. Both those efforts will feed into the Particle Physics Project Prioritization Panel (P5), which is ramping up now and is expected to propose a 10-year budget-constrained agenda to DOE and NSF next fall. P5 Chair Hitoshi Murayama presented a roster of his panel’s members at last week’s meeting and a notional schedule for their work. HEPAP also heard from Maria Spiropulu, who is a co-chair of the National Academies study, “Elementary Particle Physics: Progress and Promise,” which is expected to be finished about nine months after the P5 report. She explained that her study committee’s charge differs from the P5’s in that it is focused on “fundamental questions” and “new tools” in the field and will not prioritize projects or consider budget scenarios. The committee is holding its fourth meeting on Tuesday this week, featuring sessions on the “feasibility of a national future collider accelerator R&D program in a global context” and the “technical and timeline feasibility of a muon collider.”
US Global Change Research Program Inks Decadal Strategy
The interagency U.S. Global Change Research Program released a strategic plan last week that outlines priorities for the coming decade, organized under four “pillars”: advancing science, engaging the nation, informing decisions, and collaborating internationally. USGCRP leaders wrote in an accompanying blog post that the strategy includes an “increased emphasis on social science and Indigenous knowledge,” noting the White House also recently released cross-government guidance on how to take account of Indigenous knowledge. They continued, “The new plan envisions advances in our knowledge of the interactions between climate change and other complex changes like nature loss. The plan anticipates research investments in other societally relevant scientific unknowns, such as the potential for abrupt, widespread, and sometimes irreversible, changes — otherwise known as tipping points.” The new strategy arrives as USGCRP is wrapping up the Fifth National Climate Assessment and is planning for a parallel National Nature Assessment, which will aim to better estimate the economic value of U.S. land, water, and wildlife.
Work on Asteroid-Hunting Telescope Poised to Ramp Up
NASA announced last week that its Near-Earth Object Surveyor mission, a space-based infrared telescope, has passed a management milestone known as Key Decision Point C, moving it into its final design and early fabrication phase. The goal of NEO Surveyor is to increase the speed of discovery of asteroids and comets that could potentially present a hazard to Earth. NASA fast-tracked the mission around its usual competitive selection process in 2019 because it was at a disadvantage against projects that have scientific research goals. At that time, it was anticipated NEO Surveyor would have a development cost of between $500 million and $600 million, but NASA has now assigned it a $1.2 billion development cost baseline. Currently, there is some uncertainty surrounding the mission’s target launch date. To alleviate funding pressure within its planetary science portfolio, the agency has proposed reeling in the mission’s annual budget this year and pushing its launch back from 2026 to 2028 at the earliest. However, congressional appropriators have proposed to provide more than double the amount requested by NASA to help the mission stay closer to its original timeline. Another factor that could affect NEO Surveyor’s progress is overstretched staff at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the center that is building the telescope. That issue has already led NASA to push back the target launch date of a Venus orbiter JPL is building from 2027 to no earlier than 2031.
NASA Names Directors for Armstrong and Goddard Research Centers
NASA announced last week that Bradley Flick has been named director of the Armstrong Flight Research Center in California. Flick was appointed as Armstrong’s deputy director in February and has served as acting director since July. Prior to that, he led the center’s Research and Engineering Directorate for 12 years. He first joined NASA as a flight systems engineer in 1986. NASA also announced that Dave Mitchell will serve as acting director of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland beginning Jan. 1, when the center’s current director Dennis Andrucyk steps down. Mitchell first joined NASA in 1987 and has held various senior positions at Goddard, including leading the Flight Projects Directorate from 2015 to 2021. He has been NASA’s chief program management officer since January.
NSF and Antarctic Contractor Vow Reform at Harassment Hearing
At a House Science Committee hearing last week, leaders from the National Science Foundation and Leidos, a federal contractor, discussed actions they are taking to address sexual harassment and assault at U.S. Antarctic research facilities. Leidos operates the facilities on behalf of the NSF-led U.S. Antarctic Program, and a recent independent report implicated the company for failing to discipline perpetrators and retaliating against workers who filed complaints. The report noted that the complicated structure of the program, which includes multiple federal agencies and subcontractors, has hindered enforcement of anti-harassment policies. NSF Chief Operating Officer Karen Marrongelle testified that the agency has modified its contract with Leidos with the aim of improving personnel vetting, response times to allegations, and subcontractor management, and added that there may be additional changes when the contract expires in 2025. Kathleen Naeher, COO of the Civil Group at Leidos, said the company has formed a consortium to identify best practices and ensure its subcontractors are implementing policies consistently. The hearing was the last to be chaired by Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), who has led the committee’s Democrats since 2010 and is retiring at the end of the term. Johnson has long been an advocate for diversity and equity in STEM and was the lead sponsor of the Combatting Sexual Harassment in STEM Act, which became law as part of the CHIPS and Science Act.
Artemis I Splashes Down on 50th Anniversary of Apollo 17 Landing
The Orion crew module from NASA’s Artemis I mission splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on Dec. 11, bringing its 25-day uncrewed flight to a successful conclusion. The accomplishment earned widespread praise from NASA officials, the White House, and members of Congress, who cited it as a crucial step in returning astronauts to the Moon. By coincidence, the splashdown took place exactly 50 years after Apollo 17, the last crewed mission to the Moon, arrived on the lunar surface. The National Academies is commemorating that landing at an event on Wednesday featuring Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt, who was the only scientist to walk on the Moon and later served as a senator for New Mexico.
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Events This Week
All times are Eastern Standard Time, unless otherwise noted. Listings do not imply endorsement.
Monday, December 12
Tuesday, December 13
Wednesday, December 14
Thursday, December 15
Friday, December 16
Monday, December 19
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Opportunities National Academies Offering Grants for Ukrainian Researchers
The National Academies is seeking applications for its Scientists and Engineers in Exile or Displaced program, which will award research grants to teams of Ukrainian scientists hosted by the Polish Academy of Sciences. Teams will receive up to $200,000 per year for up to three years, which can be used to pay for salaries, housing in Poland, and research expenses. Applications are due Jan. 16.
NASA Hiring Director for ‘Earth Action’
NASA’s Earth Science Division is hiring an associate director for Earth Action, who will focus on developing strategies to help meet “rapidly increasing demands for the knowledge, data, projections, and assessment tools to help agencies, individuals, and communities adapt to and mitigate climate change.” Overseeing a budget of $100 million and a staff of 25 employees, the associate director will lead initiatives across the division and coordinate with external stakeholders across all levels of government as well as the private and philanthropic sectors. Applications are due Jan. 3.
Carnegie Science Hiring Federal Relations Adviser
The Carnegie Institution for Science is hiring a federal relations adviser who will work to build relations with federal agencies in support of the institution’s research agenda. Applicants should have a bachelor’s or higher degree in science, public relations, business, or a related field and preferably five to seven years of experience related to research grants from federal agencies.
Know of an upcoming science policy event either inside or outside the Beltway? Email us at fyi@aip.org.
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