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What’s Ahead
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| A conceptual illustration of a future lunar crew vehicle. (Image credit – NASA) |
House Aiming Bipartisan Broadside at NASA’s Lunar Plans
On Wednesday, the House Science Committee’s Space Subcommittee will consider a bipartisan NASA policy bill that committee leaders introduced late last week. If enacted in its current form, the legislation would substantially alter the agency’s Artemis lunar exploration program. In particular, it would push back the target date for a crewed landing from 2024 to as late as 2028 and deprioritize efforts to establish a sustained lunar presence and exploit lunar resources. Instead, it would require NASA to use the Moon primarily as a stepping stone toward a crewed mission that would orbit Mars by 2033. NASA’s current plans do call for eventual crewed Mars exploration, and in statements the bill’s Republican sponsors emphasized its continuities with existing policy. Committee Democrats, though, have questioned the depth of NASA’s focus on Mars in its efforts to accelerate a lunar return. The House bill also includes extensive direction for science programs. For example, rather than stipulating that the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope adhere to a $3.2 billion cost cap, the bill simply instructs NASA to abide by the baseline plan it establishes after the upcoming mission confirmation review. It also directs NASA to develop plans for undertaking a Mars sample return mission and maintaining its Mars-orbiting communications infrastructure into the 2040s. Extensive negotiations are likely to precede the enactment of any legislation as a substantially different NASA policy bill has already advanced out of committee in the Senate.
Hearing to Examine US Standing in ‘Critical’ Technology Areas
On Wednesday, the House Science Committee will hold a hearing titled, “Losing Ground: U.S. Competitiveness in Critical Technologies.” The witnesses are former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, who founded a research and technology philanthropic initiative and currently chairs the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence and the Defense Innovation Board; Georgia Tech Vice President for Research Chaouki Abdallah; and National Science Board Chair Diane Souvaine. The board recently released its biennial Science and Engineering Indicators report that benchmarks U.S. R&D investments and STEM workforce trends relative to those of other countries. The report documents the increasingly multipolar state of global R&D leadership, particularly as China continues to rapidly increase its investments. The National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence has released an interim report on U.S. competitiveness in AI and is expected to release its final report in March.
Top Physicists to Discuss International Ties, US–China Tensions
On Thursday, the American Physical Society is holding an International Leadership Forum in Washington, D.C., that will feature panel discussions about international collaboration and competition in science. A press invitation for the event notes that the tensions between international participation in U.S. research and concerns over the exploitation of the American research enterprise by the Chinese government will be part of the agenda. Among the keynote speakers is physicist and former Energy Secretary Steven Chu, who has expressed deep concerns that recent government efforts to crack down on academic espionage is fomenting bias against Chinese scientists and stifling international collaborations. Other panelists include the director of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, the director of Canada’s national particle accelerator laboratory, the director of South Africa’s Square Kilometer Array, the president of the European Physical Society, the principal scientific adviser to the government of India, and a former director of Los Alamos National Lab.
Veterans in STEM Bill Up for House Vote
The House will vote Monday on the version of the Supporting Veterans in STEM Careers Act that the Senate passed by unanimous consent last month. The bill would require the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to establish an interagency working group to coordinate federal programs and policies for transitioning veterans and military spouses into STEM careers. It would also direct the National Science Foundation to develop a plan for enhancing outreach to veterans. If passed by the House, the bill will be sent to President Trump for his signature. The House passed an earlier version of the bill by voice vote last February.
Lawmakers Launching Women in STEM Caucus
The new Congressional Women in STEM Caucus is holding a launch event on Wednesday. The caucus will seek to “bring public and congressional awareness to policies, programs, and initiatives that support women in STEM fields” and is co-chaired by Reps. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Haley Stevens (D-MI), and Jackie Walorski (R-IN). The launch event will feature a panel discussion with Melanie Kornides, a nursing professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and Kelly Mack, vice president for undergraduate STEM education at the Association of American Colleges and Universities and president of the Society of STEM Women of Color.
Study to Review Radioactive Source Alternatives
The National Academies is holding a kickoff meeting on Thursday and Friday for a new study that will survey applications of high-risk radionuclides in research, medicine, industry, and commerce and review the status of nonradioactive alternatives. The study will update a 2008 report and inform the activities of the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Office of Radiological Security. At the meeting, members of the study committee will hear briefings from experts from both inside and outside the government, including two representatives of the study’s sponsor, Sandia National Laboratories. The study chair is Bonnie Jenkins, who was the State Department’s coordinator for threat reduction programs from 2009 to 2017 and is the executive director of Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security, and Conflict Transformation.
PCAST Holding Joint Meeting With National Science Board
The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology will convene next Monday and Tuesday for its second meeting, which will be held partially in tandem with the National Science Board’s winter meeting. The council will discuss the three areas that White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Kelvin Droegemeier has asked it to focus on: advancing “Industries of the Future,” bolstering the U.S. STEM workforce, and better engaging federal laboratories in the U.S. research enterprise. The council will also discuss the new edition of the National Science Board’s Science and Engineering Indicators and the board’s Vision 2030 strategic planning effort. Over the rest of this year, PCAST is planning to develop recommendations with the aim of making immediate contributions to national policy. However, with only nine out of an expected 16 appointees on board, the council remains short-handed more than three months after President Trump officially reconstituted it.
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In Case You Missed It
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| Image credit – Shealah Craighead / The White House |
Trump Touts Technological Optimism at Davos Meeting
In his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last week, President Trump made some of his most extensive remarks to date on the subject of innovation. Lauding his administration’s economic and deregulatory policies, he called the present a “time of tremendous hope and joy and optimism and action.” He also warned that “to embrace the possibilities of tomorrow, we must reject the perennial prophets of doom and their predictions of the apocalypse.” Contrasting past concerns about overpopulation, famine, and oil shortages with breakthroughs in medicine, agriculture, and transportation, he declared, “We continue to embrace technology, not to shun it. When people are free to innovate, millions will live longer, happier, healthier lives.” In more specific remarks, Trump said it is important for U.S. workers to acquire “cutting-edge skills” in fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and 5G telecommunications — three areas his administration has identified as “Industries of the Future.” He also referenced the energy potential of “clean coal,” natural gas, next-generation nuclear power, and gas hydrates. Trump did not mention climate change, despite the topic’s prevalence at the forum. He did say the U.S. would join the “one trillion tree” initiative launched at the meeting and asserted the country is committed to environmental protection, though his administration has advanced numerous rollbacks of environmental regulations.
Project Floats S&T Policy Ideas for Next Presidential Term
Last week, a coalition of science and technology groups launched the Day One Project, which aims to identify 100 compelling policy proposals that could be put into action in the next presidential term, whoever occupies the Oval Office. At the launch event, Day One Project Director Dan Correa described the effort as “dedicated to democratizing the science and tech policymaking process and cultivating the next generation of science and tech leaders for public service.” The project has released an initial set of 15 policy papers, including blueprints for increasing federal spending on basic and applied research to its historical average as a share of GDP, creating a Health Advanced Projects Research Agency, and launching a National Energy Storage Initiative to spur development of a “strategic new domestic manufacturing sector.” The co-chairs of the project are John Holdren, who was President Obama’s science advisor, and Susan Eisenhower, an expert in national security and energy policy.
NASA Names Directors of Goddard and Glenn Centers
Last week, NASA named Dennis Andrucyk as director of Goddard Space Flight Center, where he has been acting director since Dec. 31. Andrucyk, an electrical engineer, joined NASA in 1988 and previously served as the deputy head of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate and as the agency’s acting chief technologist. The agency also named Marla Pérez-Davis as the director of the Glenn Research Center where she had been acting director since October. Pérez-Davis, who holds a doctorate in chemical engineering, first joined Glenn in 1983. With these two appointments, five of the 10 NASA centers have now completed leadership changes since Jim Bridenstine became the agency’s administrator in 2018.
‘Chaotic’ Spectrum Decisions Prompt Call for Investigation
Citing recent heated debates over reapportionment of electromagnetic spectrum bands used by federal agencies, last week the chair and ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee requested that the Government Accountability Office evaluate the process for managing such disputes. They allege that many federal agencies “circumvented” the proper statutory process, adding that “inefficient management and chaotic processes ensued, which among other things, undermined the U.S. government’s efforts in international spectrum coordination proceedings.” The committee leaders specifically ask GAO to update a 2011 assessment of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, which serves as an arbiter for federal spectrum allocations. The weather forecasting community has recently contended with the prospect that their observations will be degraded by 5G telecommunications equipment operating in newly opened portions of the spectrum adjacent to sensitive satellite observation bands. Scientists have also raised concerns about other bandwidths important for Earth science and astronomical observations.
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Events This Week
All times are Eastern Standard Time and all congressional hearings are webcast, unless otherwise noted. Listings do not imply endorsement.
Monday, January 27
Tuesday, January 28
DOE: InnovationXlab Summit on Biomanufacturing (continues Wednesday) Berkeley, CA House: “Out of Control: The Impact of Wildfires on our Power Sector and the Environment” 10:00 am, Energy and Commerce Committee (2123 Rayburn Office Building) NSF: “Towards Usability, Transparency, and Trust for Data-Intensive Computations” 11:00 am - 12:00 pm, NSF headquarters (Alexandria, VA) Webcast available NSF: “Natural Disaster Resiliency: Brought to You By NSF” 1:00 - 3:00 pm, 2325 Rayburn House Office Building Commerce Department: Spectrum Management Advisory Committee meeting 1:00 - 4:00 pm, Morgan, Lewis, and Bockius (1111 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, DC) MIT: “NextGen Computing @ Quantum Speed” 6:00 - 9:30 pm, Foley & Lardner LLP (3000 K St. NW, DC)
Wednesday, January 29
Commerce Department: Information Systems Technical Advisory Committee meeting 9:00 am, Herbert Hoover Building (1401 Constitution Ave. NW, DC) House: “Losing Ground: U.S. Competitiveness in Critical Technologies” 10:00 am, Science Committee (2318 Rayburn Office Building) Senate: “Stakeholder Perspectives on the Importance of the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board” 10:00 am, Environment and Public Works Committee (406 Dirksen Office Building) Secure World Foundation: “Examining the Socioeconomic Benefits of the International Space Station” 1:00 - 3:30 pm PST, SETI Institute (Mountain View, CA) House: Women in STEM Caucus launch event 1:30 - 2:30 pm, 1539 Longworth Office Building House: Subcommittee markup of NASA Authorization Act 2:00 pm, Science Committee (2318 Rayburn Office Building) CSIS: “American Innovation in the Quantum Future” 4:30 - 5:30 pm, Center for Strategic and International Studies (1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW, DC) Webcast available
Thursday, January 30
APS: Annual Leadership Meeting (continues through Saturday) JW Marriott (1331 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, DC) National Academies: “Radioactive Sources: Applications and Alternative Technologies,” kickoff meeting (continues Friday) Keck Center (500 5th St. NW, DC) Webcast available INSA: “Investing in National Security Innovation” 8:00 - 11:30 am, INSA Conference Center (Arlington, VA) BPC: “A New Course for Higher Education: Strengthening Access, Affordability, and Accountability” 9:30 - 11:30 am, Bipartisan Policy Center (1225 Eye St. NW, DC) Webcast available National Academies: “DARPA’s Ocean of Things Program” 1:00 - 2:00 pm, Webinar
Friday, January 31
No events start today.
Monday, February 3
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Opportunities Presidential Transition Project Accepting S&T Policy Pitches
The Day One Project, which aims to develop “actionable ideas” for the first day of the next presidential term, is currently accepting S&T policy proposals for its “policy accelerator.” Up to 25 of the proposers will be selected to continue developing their ideas over a 45 day period. Submissions are due Feb. 6.
Science Policy Journal Seeking Associate Editor
The Journal of Science Policy and Governance is seeking an associate editor for a one-year term. The position requires a 1-3 hour weekly time commitment and is unpaid. Candidates of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply but must be currently enrolled in a graduate or postdoctoral program, or in a policy fellowship. The position will remain open until filled.
NASA Astrophysics Advisory Committee Seeking Members
NASA is accepting nominations for individuals to serve on the advisory committee for its Astrophysics Division. Committee members are uncompensated and must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents that are employed at a U.S. institution. Nominations are due March 31.
Know of an upcoming science policy event either inside or outside the Beltway? Email us at fyi@aip.org.
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