What’s Ahead

The fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union is taking place this week in San Francisco. (Image credit – Rich Niewiroski Jr. / Wikimedia Commons)

Science Policy in Spotlight at Annual AGU Meeting

The American Geophysical Union’s 100th annual meeting begins on Monday, drawing thousands of scientists to the San Francisco Bay area for a weeklong conference that includes a number of science policy sessions and keynote lectures. Former California Governor Jerry Brown, who is currently executive chair of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, will speak on the science and politics of climate change with AGU President and glaciologist Robin Bell. Coincident with the meeting, AGU is releasing a revised position statement on climate change that explicitly frames it as a “crisis.” Other keynotes include addresses by former astronaut Mae Jemison, who is chairing a forthcoming National Academies study on ways to increase the representation of women in the sciences, and White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Kelvin Droegemeier. Other sessions include legal advice workshops for scientists and federal agency town halls, some of which will be webcast.

NSF Releasing Long-Awaited Research Security Study

On Wednesday, the National Science Foundation is holding a teleconference with reporters coinciding with the release of a study it commissioned from the JASON advisory group on ways to better secure U.S.-funded basic research from exploitation by foreign governments. National Science Foundation Director France Córdova told the House Science Committee this spring that the study is a “risk assessment on research protection,” adding, “As we take more steps to protect the integrity of research, we need to be careful that we don’t overdo something or under do it.” The call will include Rebecca Keiser, head of NSF’s Office of International Science and Engineering, and Jim Ulvestad, NSF’s Chief Officer for Research Facilities. Keiser will also discuss the topic at a Friday meeting of the advisory committee for her office.

Deadlock Broken on Annual Defense Policy Bill

The House and Senate are near agreement on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, with votes possible on a finalized version of the bill this week. The legislation has been stalled for months while a conference committee has sought to work through a number of controversial provisions related to such issues as border wall funding and the deployment of a new low-yield nuclear warhead. Among the final sticking points was standing up the proposed Space Force, which Democrats have reportedly agreed to in exchange for expanding parental-leave policies for federal workers. The Armed Services Committees have not yet posted the final text and conference report, which will indicate how negotiators ultimately reconciled the various proposals in the original bills, many of which pertain to science and technology policy.

House to Vote on STEM Ed, Chemistry, and Biology Bills

The House is scheduled to vote on several science-focused bills Monday evening. They include the Minority Serving Institution STEM Achievement Act, one of a trio of bills recently advanced by the House Science Committee that focus on broadening participation of underrepresented groups in STEM, and the Building Blocks of STEM Act, which would nudge the National Science Foundation to increase its focus on early childhood education research. Also up for consideration are bills that would direct federal science agencies to pursue initiatives in engineering biology and sustainable chemistry.

Science Committee Reviewing Research on Critical Materials

At a hearing on Tuesday, the House Science Committee will discuss how research can help address challenges in supply chains for “critical materials,” which are generally defined as relatively uncommon elements or substances with unique properties underpinning key technologies. Among the witnesses is Adam Schwartz, director of Ames Laboratory, which hosts the Department of Energy’s Critical Materials Institute. Launched in 2013, the institute focuses on developing solutions to domestic shortages of rare earth metals that are used in energy technologies, such as the magnets used in wind turbines. Among the three other witnesses is Sophia Hayes, a chemistry professor at Washington University in St. Louis who has worked to raise awareness about acute shortages of liquid helium, which is used for conducting ultra-low-temperature research and as a coolant for scientific and medical equipment, including the superconducting magnets used in magnetic resonance imaging. Helium is one of 35 substances that the U.S. Geological Survey identified as a “critical mineral” pursuant to an executive order issued in 2017.

Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Science Review Set for Release

The National Academies is releasing a “decadal assessment and outlook report” on Wednesday for atomic, molecular, and optical (AMO) science, a field which is centrally concerned with light–matter interactions and material behavior at the atomic scale. The assessment committee, co-chaired by JILA physicist Jun Ye and MIT physicist Nergis Mavalvala, was charged with reviewing the field’s recent accomplishments, identifying emerging opportunities, and describing its impacts on the development of new technologies. The committee was also instructed to compare U.S. investments in the field with those of other countries, but it was not asked to provide ranked priority lists as some other decadal exercises do. Members of the committee will discuss their findings and recommendations during a webinar on Wednesday afternoon.

Researchers to Chart Out Science for Expanded Neutron Source

Oak Ridge National Laboratory is holding a workshop on Monday and Tuesday to explore the science that could be conducted with the proposed Second Target Station at the lab’s Spallation Neutron Source. The neutron source provides world-leading capabilities in neutron scattering research to hundreds of users each year. However, overall capacity for such research in the U.S. is smaller than that in Europe and Asia, and future facilities such as the European Spallation Source will raise the bar for experimental capabilities. The Second Target Station project would significantly increase both the capacity and capabilities of the existing Oak Ridge facility. Although the station is not expected to be completed before the early 2030s, the workshop is intended both to help refine its design requirements and bolster the scientific rationale for building it. Currently, Congress is facing a decision about whether to significantly accelerate planning for the facility, which is projected to cost more than $1 billion to construct.

In Case You Missed It

Image of a previous defense policy forum at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. (Image credit - U.S. Navy / Peter Lawlor)

Defense Panel Proposes STEM Corps, Innovation Visa

A bipartisan task force organized by the Reagan Institute issued a policy blueprint last week on ways to strengthen the “National Security Innovation Base” in light of increasing technological competition with China. Among its recommendations, the task force proposes the U.S. create a national “STEM Corps” modeled on the National Guard and Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program that would provide free university tuition to students in fields relevant to national security in exchange for “active” or “reserve” service in the government. It also calls for Congress to create a special visa category designed to “encourage appropriately vetted, highly skilled workers to come to the United States or foreign national students graduating with relevant degrees to stay in the United States.” The four congressional members of the 13-person task force are Reps. Andy Kim (D-NJ), Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Jim Banks (R-IN). Banks is co-chair of the Future of Defense Task Force that the House Armed Services Committee stood up this fall to identify policy options for improving the National Security Innovation Base.

Science Committee Weighs Options for S&T Advice

At a hearing on Dec. 5, members of the House Science Committee discussed the various options that have been presented for increasing Congress’ access to advice on matters related to science and technology. Committee Chair Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) pointed out that, although the committee does not have legislative jurisdiction over the matter, the committee’s own history is intertwined with the debates that originally led Congress to establish its now-defunded Office of Technology Assessment in 1972. She and most other committee members did not take a firm position on whether OTA should be revived, weighing the benefits against options such as further expanding the S&T capacity of the Government Accountability Office. The committee also considered questions such as congressional offices’ ability to retain S&T experts on staff and the drawbacks of overreliance on lobbying groups and federal agencies for expertise. Two of the committee’s OTA advocates, Reps. Bill Foster (D-IL) and Sean Casten (D-IL), continued to make their case for reviving the office, though Foster said a recent National Academy of Public Administration report was right to point out the office’s political vulnerabilities.

Brouillette Confirmed as Energy Secretary

The Senate confirmed Dan Brouillette as secretary of energy on Dec. 2 in a 70 to 15 vote. Brouillette previously served as deputy to Rick Perry, who stepped down from the secretary role the day before the vote. In a statement on the vote, Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chair Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) congratulated Brouillette and said she “looks forward to working with him even more closely to build on his strong record as deputy secretary.” Among those who voted against the nomination was Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), who said Brouillette was not being forthcoming about Perry’s role in the administration’s policy toward Ukraine, a focal point of the current presidential impeachment inquiry.

Sandia National Labs Names New Director

Sandia National Laboratories announced last week that James Peery has been selected as its new director and will officially take the helm on Jan. 1, when current director Stephen Younger steps down. Peery is currently associate director for national security sciences at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, but he has spent much of his career at Sandia. He originally joined the lab in 1990 after receiving his doctorate in nuclear engineering from Texas A&M University and remained until 2002 when he accepted a senior position at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Peery returned to Sandia in 2007 and rose to become associate director for defense systems and assessments in 2015. In announcing Peery’s appointment, Sandia board chair Stevan Slijepcevic said, “James rose as our clear choice because of his familiarity with the [lab’s nuclear security] mission, knowledge of Sandia, vast national laboratory leadership experience and deep knowledge of nuclear weapons, cybersecurity, computational science, high performance computing and systems engineering.”

Case Made for Strengthening Interagency Windstorm Program

House Science Committee Chair Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) said at a hearing last week that one of her priorities for the coming year is to update policy for the interagency National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program (NWIRP). She argued the program is currently operating on a “shoestring budget” and deserves more support from Congress given the value of mitigation activities, saying “$1 invested in resilience is $10 saved.” Ranking Member Frank Lucas (R-OK) also expressed support for increasing windstorm preparedness, stating that tornadoes have caused an average financial loss of $10 billion per year over the past 10 years. Ryan Colker, executive director of the Alliance for National and Community Resilience, noted that the last reauthorization bill for NWIRP recommended the program receive $21 million annually, contrasting that amount with the budget for the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program, which he said currently stands at $165 million.

Senate Breaks Logjam Blocking HBCU Funding Stream

On Dec. 5, the Senate passed an amended version of legislation that would make permanent a mandatory funding stream that provides $255 million per year to minority serving institutions of higher education. The funding, much of which goes to STEM programs, has been in limbo following its expiration on Oct. 1. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) had blocked attempts to renew the funding while holding out the prospect of perpetuating it as an incentive to advance a broader set of policy updates for the Higher Education Act. Alexander, who chairs the Senate’s education policy committee, ultimately reached an agreement with the committee’s top Democrat, Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), to couple the funding with a provision he championed to simplify the process of applying for federal student aid. While that provision could cause some friction in the House, the path forward for the funding seems clearer and President Trump has tweeted his approval of the agreement as well.

Speier Reintroduces Bill Targeting Sexual Harassment in Academia

Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA), a vocal proponent of combating sexual and gender harassment, has reintroduced the Federal Funding Accountability for Sexual Harassers Act. First introduced by Speier in 2016, the bill is similar to the previous version in that it would require universities to report substantiated instances of sexual or gender harassment or discrimination to federal agencies that have provided research funding to the institution in the previous 10 years. It would also require agencies to consider this information in awarding future competitive funding. Though it would not require agencies to take punitive actions against offenders or the institutions that employ them, it would authorize agencies to condition future grant support on the removal of a principal investigator who has been found to have engaged in harassment or discrimination. The bill would also direct the National Academies to assess the progress of federal agencies, universities, and other institutions in implementing the recommendations of the 2018 National Academies study on sexual harassment in the sciences.

Events This Week

All times are Eastern Standard Time and all congressional hearings are webcast, unless otherwise noted. Listings do not imply endorsement.

Monday, December 9

AGU: Fall Meeting (continues through Friday) San Francisco, CA National Academies: Astro2020 Decadal Survey, meeting two (continues through Wednesday) Pasadena, CA Oak Ridge: Science at the Second Target Station Workshop (continues Tuesday) Oak Ridge, TN NSF: Business and Operations Advisory Committee meeting (continues Tuesday) National Science Foundation headquarters (Alexandria, VA)

Tuesday, December 10

House: “Research and Innovation to Address the Critical Materials Challenge” 10:00 am, Science Committee (2318 Rayburn Office Building) Senate: “Better, Stronger, Smarter: Building Community Resilience in a Future of Extremes” 2:30 pm, Democrats’ Special Committee on the Climate Crisis (210 Senate Visitors Center) Atlantic Council: “A Candle in the Dark: U.S. National Security Strategy for Artificial Intelligence” 3:30 - 5:00 pm, Atlantic Council headquarters (1030 15th St. NW, DC) Webcast available National Press Club: “Science Reporting in a Changing Climate: How Can We Do Better?” 6:00 pm, National Press Club (529 14th St. NW, DC)

Wednesday, December 11

CSIS: Project on Nuclear Issues winter conference 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, CSIS headquarters (1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW, DC) NSF: Media call on JASON research security study 9:30 am Senate: Business meeting to consider pending legislation 10:00 am, Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee (G50 Dirksen Office Building) National Academies: “Depicting Innovation in Information Technology,” meeting three 10:30 am - 1:00 pm, Keck Center (500 5th St. NW, DC) Harvard Belfer Center: “Climate Crisis and Truth Decay: The Global Threats of Our Time” 12:00 - 1:15 pm, Harvard University (Cambridge, MA) ITIF: “Spreading Tech Hubs to More of America: A Proposal” 1:30 - 3:00 pm, 208 SVC Capitol Visitor Center House: “Climate Change in the Era of Strategic Competition” 2:00 pm, Armed Services Committee (2118 Rayburn Office Building) House: “Creating a Climate Resilient America: Smart Finance for Strong Communities” 2:00 pm, Climate Crisis Committee (210 Cannon Office Building) National Academies: “Decadal Assessment of Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics: Report Release” 3:30 - 4:30 pm, Webinar

Thursday, December 12

NSF: Computer and Information Science and Engineering Advisory Committee meeting (continues Friday) National Science Foundation headquarters (Alexandria, VA) NSF: Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Advisory Committee meeting (continues Friday) National Science Foundation headquarters (Alexandria, VA) NIH: Advisory Committee to the Director meeting (continues Friday) NIH headquarters (Bethesda, MD) Webcast available Senate: Business meeting to consider pending legislation 10:00 am, Energy and Natural Resources Committee (366 Dirksen Office Building) Senate: “Expanding Opportunities, Challenges, and Threats in the Arctic: A Focus on the U.S. Coast Guard Arctic Strategic Outlook” 10:00 am, Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee (562 Dirksen Office Building) Hudson Institute: “The Chinese Threat to America’s Industrial and High-Tech Future: The Case for a U.S. Industrial Policy” 11:30 am - 1:30 pm, Hudson Institute headquarters (1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, DC) CSIS: “U.S.-China Bilateral Relations: The Lessons of History — A Speech by Assistant Secretary of State David Stilwell” 1:30 - 2:30 pm, CSIS headquarters (1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW, DC) Webcast available DNFSB: Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board meeting 1:00 - 4:00 pm, DNFSB headquarters (625 Indiana Ave. NW, DC)

Friday, December 13

NSF: International Science and Engineering Advisory Committee meeting 9:00 am - 5:30 pm, Webinar

Monday, December 16

NOAA: Science Advisory Board meeting (continues Tuesday) Sheraton Silver Spring Hotel (Silver Spring, MD) Webcast available National Academies: “Review of the Report of the NASA Planetary Protection Independent Review Board,” meeting two (continues Tuesday) National Academies: “Solar Climate Intervention Strategies Scenarios” 10:00 - 11:00 am, Webinar National Academies: “Illustrating the Impact of the Mathematical Sciences,” kickoff meeting 2:00 - 5:00 pm

Opportunities

AIP Congressional Fellowship Application Closing Soon

The application for the American Institute of Physics’ Congressional Science Fellowship program closes on Dec. 15. Fellows spend a year working in a congressional office gaining experience in the policymaking process. Interested individuals must have a Ph.D. in the physical sciences and be a current member of at least one AIP Member Society.

APS Hiring Senior Federal Relations Associate

The American Physical Society’s Office of Government Affairs is seeking a federal relations associate to serve as their “point person” for federal science policy issues related to the National Science Foundation, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and STEM Education. The associate will also manage APS’ Panel on Public Affairs, which advises the society and produces policy reports. Applicants should have an advanced degree in physics or a related field and at least two years of relevant work experience.

AAAS Seeking Civic Science Fellow

The American Association for the Advancement of Science is seeking a Civic Science Fellow to “explore effective strategies for connecting science to everyday issues and solutions and opportunities for positive culture change in the science-society relationship.” The 18-month position is based at their D.C. office and is part of the inaugural class of Civic Science Fellows. Applications are due Dec. 31.

For additional opportunities, please visit www.aip.org/fyi/opportunities. Know of an opportunity for scientists to engage in science policy? Email us at fyi@aip.org.

Know of an upcoming science policy event either inside or outside the Beltway? Email us at fyi@aip.org.