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What’s Ahead
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| House Science Committee Chair Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) speaks about Democrats’ pandemic relief proposal on Feb. 3. (Image credit – C-SPAN) |
Media Credits
Science Committee Crafting Pandemic Recovery Proposal
With the outline of a roughly $2 trillion pandemic relief package now set in place via a congressional budget resolution, lawmakers are preparing specific proposals for inclusion. The resolution divides this responsibility across congressional committees, allocating each a specific amount of the topline figure. The House Science Committee, which has jurisdiction over non-defense and non-biomedical research, is allocated up to $750 million, the smallest share of all the committees. Responding to the allocation, Committee Chair Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) remarked last week, “$750 million represents just a fraction of what is needed, including to recover all the science and, more importantly, the talent that is hemorrhaging from the STEM pipeline as a result of this crisis. I will continue to push for such funding as part of the stimulus discussions.” The House is aiming to vote on a pandemic bill within two weeks and send a final bill to the president in March. Because the resolution triggers a process known as budget reconciliation, the Senate will be able to sidestep the filibuster and pass the relief package on a simple majority vote.
House Panel to Preview Climate Priorities
On Tuesday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee is holding a hearing to discuss legislative actions that could help the U.S. achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions. Last Congress, committee Democrats introduced a bill that aimed to completely transition the nation’s economy to clean energy by 2050, such as by setting net-zero carbon emissions goals for each state and creating a national clean energy standard for the power sector, while also attending to environmental justice considerations. Many of the bill’s proposals did not make it into Congress’ expansive energy policy bill enacted at the end of last year.
AAAS Holds Annual Meeting
The American Association for the Advancement of Science’s annual meeting runs through Thursday this week. Among the plenary lectures, on Monday National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci will discuss the remaining challenges to ending the COVID-19 pandemic, and on Thursday National Science Foundation Director Sethuraman Panchanathan will talk about strategies for “strengthening the symbiosis of exploratory and translational research at speed and scale.” The program also features a series of workshops on science advocacy, including a session for early career scientists moderated by Kei Koizumi, chief of staff at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. In addition, the Journal of Science Policy and Governance is highlighting its forthcoming special issue marking the 75th anniversary of the Science — The Endless Frontier report, for which it is currently seeking submissions. Among a number of sessions focused on diversity and inclusion, Fermilab physicists Jessica Esquivel and Brian Nord will facilitate a panel discussion featuring Black STEM professionals speaking about the movement against racism in science.
Study Seeks Ways to Diversify NASA Science Mission Leaders
On Monday and Tuesday, the National Academies is holding a kickoff meeting for a study that will recommend actions to increase diversity and inclusion in the leadership of space mission proposals submitted to NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. The meeting will review the successes and challenges of NASA’s current mission proposal process and data on the current demographics of the space science workforce. The study committee is co-chaired by Frances Bagenal, a senior research scientist with the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder, and Wanda Ward, a senior research administrator at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
APS Spotlighting Meyerhoff Scholars Program
The American Physical Society is hosting a webinar on Wednesday that will present strategies for supporting Black students in STEM fields. University of Maryland Baltimore County President Freeman Hrabowski and former National Institute of Standards and Technology Director Willie May will discuss factors that have contributed to the particular success of UMBC’s Meyerhoff Scholars Program. The webinar is part of an ongoing discussion series APS launched last June on inclusivity and equitability in the physics profession. (APS is an AIP Member Society.)
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In Case You Missed It
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| The NIST Center for Neutron Research in Gaithersburg, Maryland. In this photo, the reactor’s confinement building can be seen at the back left of the center. (Image credit – NIST) |
NIST Research Reactor Shuts Down After Radiation Incident
On Feb. 3, the National Institute of Standards and Technology quickly shut down its 20 megawatt research reactor in Gaithersburg, Maryland, after detecting elevated radiation levels in the confinement building that houses it. The incident occurred as the reactor was restarting following scheduled maintenance and several workers within the building who were exposed were sent home after undergoing decontamination. According to a statement from NIST, the agency is still working to quantify their exposure but has determined that no employee received a dose exceeding the established limits for radiation workers. It notes that radiation also increased outside the confinement building to levels still “significantly below” regulatory limits and that they have since returned to normal. The reactor remains shut down and the agency is working to determine the cause of the incident. The facility is one of two research reactors that serve as national user facilities for neutron scattering research. The other, the 85 megawatt High Flux Isotope Reactor at Oak Ridge National Lab in Tennessee, has been shut down since September after a new fuel element was discovered to have a flaw similar to one that led to the facility’s closure for almost a year in 2018 and 2019. It is scheduled to resume operations on Feb. 23. The NIST incident will put further pressure on the neutron source user community as, even under normal conditions, demand for instrument time outstrips availability by a factor of between two and three in any given year.
Judge Voids Science Transparency Rule at EPA’s Request
On Feb. 1, a federal judge voided a new rule that required the Environmental Protection Agency to give less weight to scientific studies without accessible datasets when developing regulations or certain informational products. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler implemented the measure last month after it had been in the works for nearly three years. The judge’s move was requested by the Biden administration, which agreed with the plaintiffs in the case that Wheeler’s EPA had improperly cited its “housekeeping authority” as an adequate basis for the rule. The judge had already blocked its implementation in an earlier ruling, which concluded that EPA offered inadequate justification for requiring the rule to take effect immediately. Wheeler maintained the rule was a common-sense transparency measure that would increase public trust in EPA’s decision-making by curbing the use of research that could not be independently scrutinized. However, congressional Democrats argued the rule was designed to hamstring regulatory activity and had urged Biden to act quickly in reversing it, including by probing irregularities in the process by which it was implemented.
Acting DOE Under Secretary for Science and Energy Named
E&E News reported last week that Kathleen Hogan has rejoined the Department of Energy to serve as acting under secretary for science and energy. Before leaving DOE in 2018, Hogan served as the deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, where she played a key role in advancing a series of energy efficiency initiatives. The Biden administration is reinstating the under secretary job in a form originally put in place by Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz in 2013, giving it unified responsibility over the DOE Office of Science and the department’s applied energy offices. The Trump administration split up these responsibilities four years ago and the new administration is reunifying them as part of its efforts to prioritize advancing technologies that address climate change and other challenges. Hogan could hold the job for some months as Biden’s nominee, once announced, will require Senate confirmation. Keep track of changes in the top jobs at science agencies with FYI’s Federal Science Leadership Tracker.
Energy and Commerce Secretary Nominees Advance
Biden’s nominations of Jennifer Granholm to lead the Department of Energy and Gina Raimondo to lead the Department of Commerce were approved at the committee level last week with bipartisan support. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee advanced Granholm’s nomination to the Senate floor on a 13 to 4 vote, with Committee Ranking Member John Barrasso (R-WY) voting against Granholm alongside Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT), Hyde-Smith (R-MS), and Bill Cassidy (R-LA). Although the vote suggests Granholm is virtually certain to win confirmation by the full Senate, Barasso’s opposition reflects Republicans’ coalescing resistance to Biden’s aggressive climate change mitigation policies. In an op-ed last week, Barrasso criticized a remark Granholm made at her nomination hearing that some jobs “might be sacrificed” during the transition to a clean energy economy. Raimondo’s nomination advanced on a 21 to 3 vote, with Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Rick Scott (R-FL) voting against. Her responses to written questions from committee members are posted here.
House Armed Services Committee Reorganizes Technology Panels
The House Armed Services Committee announced its roster and leadership positions last week as well as a realignment of some of its subcommittees. The Intelligence and Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee, which handled most issues related to research and technology, is now replaced by a Cyber, Innovative Technologies, and Information Systems Subcommittee that has the same chair, Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI), and ranking member, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY). A new Intelligence and Special Operations Subcommittee has a jurisdiction that includes efforts to counter chemical, biological, and radiological weapons, among other issues. It is chaired by Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) with Rep. Trent Kelly (R-MS) as ranking member. The Strategic Forces Subcommittee, which handles matters involving the U.S. nuclear arsenal, is unaffected by the reorganization and Reps. Jim Cooper (D-TN) and Mike Turner (R-OH) will continue as chair and ranking member, respectively. To stay up to date on congressional committee changes, consult FYI’s Federal Science Leadership Tracker.
Pandemic Recovery, Integrity, and Helium Bills Reintroduced
As the 117th Congress picks up steam, lawmakers continue to reintroduce science-focused legislation that expired at the end of the previous Congress. Among the bills reintroduced last week are ones focused on helping researchers recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, reinforcing federal scientific integrity policies, and stabilizing helium supplies for scientists:
- The Research Investment to Spark the Economy (RISE) Act, sponsored by Reps. Dianna Degette (D-CO) and Fred Upton (R-MI), recommends that Congress appropriate about $25 billion across science agencies to address disruptions to research projects and support research on pandemic preparedness, among other purposes. Sens. Ed Markey (D-MA) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) also reintroduced the bill in the Senate.
- The Emergency Support for STEM Act, sponsored by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), would create a Department of Education grant program focused on offsetting disruptions to hands-on STEM instruction caused by the pandemic.
- The Scientific Integrity Act, sponsored by Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY), would codify standards for scientific integrity policies across federal agencies. The House passed the bill last year as part of pandemic recovery and energy policy packages, but it did not advance in the Senate.
- The Securing Helium for Science Act, sponsored by Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO), would enable federal research grantees to purchase helium at a discounted rate for eight years following the sale of the Federal Helium Reserve. Neguse first introduced the bill last December at the request of members of the American Physical Society, which has raised concerns about how the congressionally mandated sale of the reserve could exacerbate helium shortages. (APS is an AIP Member Society.)
NASA Creates New Climate Advisor Position
NASA announced on Feb. 3 that it has created the new position of senior climate advisor to help integrate the agency’s work into the Biden administration’s sprawling climate change agenda. The advisor’s specific activities will include communicating with other agencies and the public about climate change, as well as promoting NASA’s Earth science research and R&D on technologies for reducing carbon emissions in aeronautics and other sectors. Until a long-term advisor is selected, the position will be held on an interim basis by Gavin Schmidt, director of the agency’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York City. Schmidt, who has spent most of his career at the institute, is well known for his work on climate modeling and as a communicator and advocate on issues related to climate change. Aside from creating the new advisor role, the Biden administration has also installed appointees in a number of senior roles at NASA that do not require Senate confirmation, including Bhavya Lal as acting chief of staff. Lal previously was a researcher at the Science and Technology Policy Institute, a nonprofit organization that performs policy analyses for the White House and federal agencies.
Study Charts Out Rapid Decarbonization Plan
The National Academies released a report last week that presents a technical and policy road map to achieve net zero carbon emissions in the U.S. by 2050. It outlines nine technological and socio-economic goals for the next decade, which include doubling the share of electricity generated without emitting carbon, halving total energy use in new buildings, and electrifying energy services in transportation, buildings, and industry. It also states that net-zero policies should aim to strengthen the U.S. economy, particularly the manufacturing sector, while striving to eliminate inequities that disadvantage historically marginalized and low-income populations. Specific policy recommendations include implementing an economy-wide price on carbon that increases with time, tripling funding for clean energy R&D, and establishing a $30 billion “Green Bank” to spur investment in clean energy industries. The study committee was chaired by Princeton University climate expert Stephen Pacala and included Jennifer Wilcox, who has been appointed principal deputy assistant secretary and acting head for the Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy.
NIST Issues Security Standard for Controlled Unclassified Information
On Feb. 2, the National Institute of Standards and Technology issued a set of recommended practices for non-federal organizations to better protect controlled unclassified information (CUI) from “advanced persistent threats,” such as state-sponsored hackers. Although the practices are not mandatory, federal agencies could choose to require some or all of them through grant and contract terms. During the drafting phase, a number of university associations raised concerns that agency officials might misapply the requirements to fundamental research projects. However, the final document does not explicitly exclude fundamental research from its scope as the associations had requested. The Department of Defense has already moved to adopt the NIST CUI protection standard through contract regulations and university associations have asked the department to explicitly exclude fundamental research from the enhanced security requirements.
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Events This Week Monday, February 8
Tuesday, February 9
Wednesday, February 10
Thursday, February 11
Friday, February 12
Saturday, February, 13
Monday, February 15
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Opportunities DOE and NASA Seeking Input on Partnership Opportunities
The Department of Energy and NASA have issued a joint request for information on potential collaborations in high energy physics and space-based astrophysics. Input is particularly sought in three focus areas: (1) near and longer term partnerships or technologies to support future NASA lunar work, such as a radio telescope on the Moon’s far side (2) opportunities for fundamental physics experiments on the International Space Station, (3) options for enhancing data that will come from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, and the European Space Agency’s Euclid mission. Comments are due March 8.
Reviewers Sought for IPCC Report
The State Department is seeking experts to review the second-order draft of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s assessment of climate mitigation methods. The review will also include the first draft of the summary document produced for policymakers. Comments are due Feb. 22.
Energy Futures Initiative Hiring Senior Analyst
The Energy Futures Initiative, a nonprofit clean energy think tank, is seeking a senior analyst to provide project management support to its director of research. Applicants with an advanced degree in environmental science, climate science, public policy, engineering, economics, or a related field are preferred.
National Academies Hiring Chief Operating Officer
The National Academies is hiring a chief operating officer, responsible for upholding the culture of the organization and helping to implement its 2021-2026 strategic plan. Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree with at least 15 years of related experience and the ability to obtain a security clearance.
Know of an upcoming science policy event either inside or outside the Beltway? Email us at fyi@aip.org.
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