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What’s Ahead
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| Matthew Olsen, the head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, has been reviewing the department’s China Initiative, which it launched in 2018. (Image credit – Amanda Andrade-Rhoades / AP) |
DOJ Signals China Initiative Reform, Societies Seek ‘Accountability’
Following a three-month review by the head of its National Security Division, the Department of Justice expects to announce changes to its China Initiative “soon,” according to reports from Reuters and the New York Times. The initiative is focused on combating economic espionage allegedly orchestrated by the Chinese government, including the exploitation of federally funded research. However, DOJ’s efforts to prosecute academic researchers with undisclosed connections to Chinese institutions have come under strain as some cases have fallen apart and critics charge the prosecutions are ensnaring innocent individuals, targeting ethnically Chinese researchers, and spreading fear in the research community. DOJ’s changes may involve shifting some cases from criminal to civil proceedings and dropping the initiative’s exclusive focus on China. (Update: The head of DOJ’s National Security Division is scheduled to speak at a Wednesday event on the department’s “role in combatting nation state threats.”)
Meanwhile, the American Physical Society and four other scientific societies have joined Temple University physicist Xiaoxing Xi’s effort to obtain restitution for his 2015 arrest, which predates the China Initiative. DOJ accused Xi of illegally sharing technology with China but dropped the charges four months later when it became clear investigators had misunderstood the technical content of Xi’s communications. Xi first filed suit in 2017, alleging aspects of the investigation violated his civil rights. In an amicus curiae brief filed on Feb. 14, the societies assert Xi’s case and other unmeritorious prosecutions have not only harmed those directly involved, they have chilled international scientific collaboration and made the U.S. a less attractive destination for foreign researchers. “The federal government has not yet been held accountable for its wrongful arrests and prosecutions of scientists. If this lack of accountability continues, the international perception that the federal government is unconcerned by its damaging errors will continue to grow,” the brief argues. The other societies signing onto the brief are the American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Geophysical Union, American Statistical Association, and the Gerontological Society of America. (APS is an AIP Member Society.)
FY22 Budget Stopgap Continues as Congress Nears Final Deal
With Congress on recess this week, work will continue behind the scenes to flesh out a bipartisan framework agreement reached this month to fund federal agencies for the remainder of fiscal year 2022. To allow more time for the negotiations, President Biden signed legislation last week that extends to March 11 the stopgap measure that is currently funding the federal government. As of Monday morning, congressional leaders had not revealed how they plan to apportion budget increases across agencies, but last week Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Pat Leahy (D-VT) stated the framework agreement will “provide the biggest increase in non-defense programs in four years.” In fiscal year 2018, Congress raised the cap on non-defense spending by 12%.
National Science Board to Discuss DEI, Regional Innovation Strategies
The National Science Board, the governing body of the National Science Foundation, is holding its first meeting of the year on Wednesday and Thursday. The open sessions on Wednesday include a presentation on the agency’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility initiatives and a discussion with the director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. On Thursday, NSB member and IBM Director of Research Darío Gil will lead a panel discussion on proven approaches to creating public-private partnerships that “leverage regional scientific and technical expertise and interest, catalyze regional workforce development, and are sustainable long term.” The discussion will inform NSB’s Vision 2030 strategy, which includes the goal of expanding the “geography of innovation” across the U.S.
NSF Continues Roadshow on Proposed Tech Directorate
As the National Science Foundation works to build support for its proposed Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP), the agency is kicking off a series of outreach sessions with administrators and faculty at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and two-year institutions. President Biden proposed to create the new directorate in his fiscal year 2022 budget request for the agency, and Congress is currently debating legislation that would define its scope. Each event will include a focus on the TIP Directorate’s Regional Innovation Accelerators, which would seek to expand community capacity to conduct “use-inspired research, solutions-oriented” projects in a range of technology areas, such as artificial intelligence, quantum information science, advanced wireless, advanced manufacturing, and semiconductors, as well as other priority research areas such as climate change. The agency has requested $200 million in fiscal year 2022 to create up to 20 such accelerators, anticipating each would receive $10 million per year over 10 years. The outreach sessions for HBCUs and HSIs are this Thursday and Friday, respectively.
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In Case You Missed It
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| Francis Collins, left, and Alondra Nelson. (Image credits – NIH, Dan Komoda) |
Collins and Nelson Step In as Lander Steps Down at White House
President Biden announced on Feb. 16 that former National Institute of Health Director Francis Collins will temporarily serve as presidential science advisor and that sociologist Alondra Nelson will be acting director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Nelson has led OSTP’s Science and Society Division and will now oversee all six of the office’s divisions, while Collins will spearhead Biden’s Cancer Moonshot and Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health efforts as well as serve as one of three co-chairs of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Both positions were previously held by Eric Lander, who stepped down last week following revelations he had been verbally abusive to OSTP staff members. In remarks to OSTP staff after entering the director role, Nelson said, “I’m committed to making sure OSTP is a model for the science and technology ecosystem we envision for the nation — to making us a mirror of the possibilities we hope to achieve in policy.” She also said her priorities include developing “data-driven guidance” for implementing the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, creating a “people’s Bill of Rights for automated technologies,” and advancing efforts to “ensure the United States remains a magnet for the world’s top scientists, engineers, and innovators.”
Senate Releases Policy Proposals for DOE Office of Science
On Feb. 18, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee introduced its response to provisions in the House’s America COMPETES Act of 2022 that cover the Department of Energy Office of Science. The counterpart to the COMPETES Act that the Senate passed last summer, the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, proposed that Congress provide DOE $17 billion in additional funding to support work on strategically important technologies, but offered little additional policy direction. The new bill, which will inform the negotiations of an upcoming House-Senate conference committee, closely tracks the COMPETES Act provisions. It recommends Congress increase the Office of Science’s annual budget over the next five years from its current $7 billion level to about $12 billion, cumulatively representing an additional $14.5 billion, close to the $16 billion proposed in the COMPETES Act. The committee’s proposals for fusion energy R&D are less ambitious than those in the COMPETES Act, but the Senate bill includes some proposals not in the House bill. For instance, it would expand the office’s EPSCoR program, which funds projects in states and territories that have received smaller shares of research funding. In addition, it would require the office to undertake a “risk-assessment” process to evaluate and mitigate security threats posed by proposed projects’ links to foreign “entities of concern,” similar to what the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is implementing. Like the House’s Office of Science provisions, the bill was developed with bipartisan input and is backed by Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chair Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Ranking Member John Barrasso (R-WY), and by Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), who represent states with DOE national labs.
Microelectronics Workforce Needs Probed by Science Committee
At a House Science Committee hearing on Feb. 15, witnesses argued there is a need for Congress to strengthen microelectronics workforce pathways as it seeks to jumpstart U.S. semiconductor R&D and manufacturing capacity through the CHIPS for America Act. Tsu-Jae King Liu, dean of engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, highlighted a 2017 survey that found 82% of semiconductor industry executives reported a shortage of qualified job candidates. “The challenge of finding qualified workers has increased since then, and it is now acute at all skill and education levels, from technicians to doctoral-level engineers,” she testified, adding that the need is expected to “more than double as the CHIPS Act manufacturing incentives will likely create tens of thousands of new jobs” within the next few years. SEMI Foundation Executive Director Shari Liss outlined eight actions Congress could take to address workforce gaps, such as increasing investment in relevant K–12 STEM education programs, initiatives that raise awareness of career opportunities in the industry, and efforts to attract and retain students from Minority Serving Institutions and veterans who are reentering the civilian sector.
Administration Advances Decarbonization Agenda
Last week, the Biden administration announced actions to promote industrial decarbonization and clean energy technology development as part of its implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The Department of Energy issued requests for input on three clean hydrogen R&D and deployment initiatives established by the infrastructure law, including an $8 billion effort to create regional hydrogen production hubs, and it launched an “H2 Matchmaker” tool to facilitate hub development by connecting hydrogen producers with nearby end users. The department also launched a $140 million effort to develop a commercially viable critical minerals refinery, soliciting input on facility design, construction, and operation. Meanwhile, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy kicked off an Initiative for Interdisciplinary Industrial Decarbonization Research, and DOE’s Advanced Manufacturing Office announced plans to establish an Industrial Technology Innovation Advisory Committee. In addition, the Council on Environmental Quality issued guidance on how to “responsibly” deploy carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS) technologies, which will influence DOE’s implementation of the over $12 billion in CCUS initiatives funded by the infrastructure law.
USGS Outlines Plans for Infrastructure Act Funding
Last week, the U.S. Geological Survey released its spend plan for the roughly $500 million it is receiving through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Of the total, $167 million will be spent this year to build an Energy and Minerals Research Facility that will be owned by the federal government and located at an academic institution. The new building will house USGS’ Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center and its Central Energy Resources Science Center, which are currently located in a deteriorating building at the Denver Federal Center. Over the next five years, USGS will also spend $64 million annually to expand its Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI), which involves working with public-sector partners and private contractors on geologic and geochemical mapping projects, geophysical surveys, and lidar surveys to locate potential deposits of critical minerals and mine waste sites. Another $24 million over five years will fund the preservation of geological and geophysical data resources.
Chairs Named for Rebooted Defense Science and Innovation Boards
The Department of Defense announced on Feb. 14 that it has reappointed electrical engineer Eric Evans as chair of the Defense Science Board. Evans is currently the director of the MIT Lincoln Laboratory, a federally funded R&D center that undertakes technology development and system prototyping for DOD and other government agencies. He has served on the board since 2009 and was originally appointed as chair in 2020. A year ago, though, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin launched a “zero-based review” of DOD’s advisory bodies, dismissing all their members. The move was a response to the Trump administration’s replacement of a large number of members of some boards after the 2020 election. Evans’ reappointment follows DOD’s announcement on Feb. 9 that financial media magnate and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg will chair the Defense Innovation Board. The Defense Science Board was established in 1956 and focuses on military R&D. DOD created the innovation board in 2016 with former Google CEO Eric Schmidt as its first chair to focus on subjects such as emerging technologies, software and cyberinfrastructure, management practices, and working with fast-moving businesses.
Senate Confirms Key Defense Technology Leaders
The Senate confirmed David Honey as deputy under secretary of defense for research and engineering on Feb. 16 on a vote of 94 to 1. Honey holds a doctorate in solid state science and has previously served as deputy assistant secretary of defense for research and as director of science and technology in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Earlier this month, the Senate also confirmed Doug Bush, a former congressional staff member, as assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics, and technology; and Andrew Hunter, a defense acquisition policy expert, as assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology, and logistics. The responsibilities of those positions include overseeing service-level R&D activities. President Biden has not named a nominee for the equivalent role of assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development, and acquisition. Shortly after Hunter’s confirmation, the Defense Department announced he will temporarily act as under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, a position that includes responsibility for contracting for military technologies. Draper Laboratory President Bill LaPlante is currently awaiting Senate confirmation of his nomination for that job.
FCC and NTIA Chart Steps to Fix Spectrum Allocation Coordination
The Federal Communications Commission and National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced an initiative on Feb. 15 to improve coordination across federal agencies on radio spectrum management. Spectrum management has become a troublesome science and technology policy issue over the last several years as FCC has clashed with various agencies over its allocation of spectrum bands for commercial telecommunications applications that could interfere with specialized uses such as weather observations and the Global Positioning System. Most recently, a highly public dispute erupted in January over whether the rollout of 5G networks would disrupt navigation equipment on commercial airliners. These serial controversies have been traced to a lack of coordination between FCC and other federal agencies, which it is generally NTIA’s role to facilitate, as well as a lack of technical capacity for analyzing potential interference. Among steps FCC and NTIA now resolve to take are updating an outdated memorandum of understanding between them, revamping technical collaboration among industries and agencies, and developing a national spectrum strategy. In a related move, NTIA announced on Feb. 14 it has reappointed 16 members of the Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee and appointed 13 new members.
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Events This Week
All times are Eastern Standard Time, unless otherwise noted. Listings do not imply endorsement.
Monday, February 21
Federal holiday
Tuesday, February 22
Wednesday, February 23
Thursday, February 24
Friday, February 25
Monday, February 28
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Opportunities Nominations Requested for National Medal of Science
The National Science Foundation is seeking nominations for the National Medal of Science, which is awarded by the president to individuals who have made “outstanding cumulative contributions to knowledge” in science or engineering. Nominations are due May 20.
NSF Hiring Senior Advisor for Partnerships
The National Science Foundation is hiring a senior advisor for innovation, strategic engagements, and partnerships within the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE) Directorate. Among the evaluation criteria are awareness of potential academic-industry-government partnerships and “knowledge of the relevance of SBE science to national priority areas such as climate change, public safety/disaster response, economic resilience and recovery, equity, social justice and well-being.” Applications are due March 9.
UCS Seeking Climate Science Litigation Fellow
The Union of Concerned Scientists is accepting applications for its Hitz Family Climate Fellowship, a two-year postdoctoral fellowship focused on science relevant to climate litigation, particularly climate attribution research. Applicants should have a doctoral degree in climate science or a relevant field. Applications are due March 6.
Know of an upcoming science policy event either inside or outside the Beltway? Email us at fyi@aip.org.
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Around the Web
News and views currently in circulation. Links do not imply endorsement.
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Science, Society, and the Economy
- BIS to ‘soon’ issue new set of emerging, foundational tech controls, official says (Export Compliance Daily)
- ‘We’re in an economic war:’ White House, Congress weigh new oversight of US investments in China (Politico)
- Midwestern states want to become ‘hard-tech’ hubs (The Economist)
- America needs a talent strategy that includes the heartland (The Hill, perspective by Richard Florida)
- How to build American science back better (Wall Street Journal, perspective by Nathaniel Taplin)
- One-fourth of federal obligations for R&D are directed to two states: California and Maryland (NSF)
- A 21st century S&T policy that works to solve society’s problems must fully incorporate engineering’s unique perspective (Issues in Science and Technology, perspective by William Hammack and John Anderson)
- Patent publication and innovation (NBER, paper by Deepak Hegde, et al.)
- Climate change risk disclosures and the Securities and Exchange Commission (CRS, report)
- Poll shows Americans across political spectrum support federal investment in research (Research!America)
- Americans’ trust in scientists, other groups declines (Pew Research Center)
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