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What’s Ahead
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| Maunakea is the highest point in Hawaii and the site of 13 telescopes, some of which are just visible at the summit in this photo. The proposed Thirty Meter Telescope would be the largest observatory on the mountain, but a group of Native Hawaiian protestors has blocked work on the project in defense of Maunakea’s sacred status. (Image credit – Aiden Relkoff / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0) |
Thirty Meter Telescope Controversy a Focus at Astronomy Meeting
Astronomers have gathered in Honolulu, Hawaii, this week for the annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society. A number of sessions will focus on the ongoing controversy surrounding the Thirty Meter Telescope, a state-of-the-art observatory that is set to begin construction on Maunakea, the highest point in the state. Native Hawaiian protestors have blocked work on the project, citing Maunakea’s sacred status and the history of the other observatories that were built there without Native consent. Last month, state law enforcement officials withdrew from the protest site, though Hawaii Governor David Ige said he still wants the project to go forward. The conference will also feature a special session on the challenges that large satellite constellations pose to astronomy as well as 13 town hall meetings, including an update from the astronomy and astrophysics decadal survey due for release late this year. In addition, the survey’s panel on the state of the profession is holding a listening session to gather input on issues such as diversity, workplace climate, and professional development.
Meteorologists Convene for AMS Centenary
The American Meteorological Society is celebrating its 100 year anniversary at its annual meeting that begins Sunday in Boston, Massachusetts, where the society was founded. Among the three presidential town hall sessions are a discussion of topics the society plans to focus on in the coming 100 years. AMS states that member feedback showed a strong interest in three themes: advance science, applications, capabilities, and ourselves; amplify our impact on society; and respond to society’s growing needs and opportunities.” The other presidential sessions are a panel on confronting bullying, discrimination, and harassment in the geosciences and an address by Boston’s environment commissioner. There will also be a two part session on “policy leadership in weather, water, and climate” featuring the heads of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Science Committee to Revisit Space Weather Bill
The House Science Committee will meet Thursday to consider bipartisan legislation that would delineate the roles of different federal agencies in space weather research, forecasting, and preparedness. Reintroduced by Reps. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) and Mo Brooks (R-AL), the bill resembles the Senate’s counterpart bill and is substantially different from the version the committee advanced in 2018. Among provisions the bill no longer includes are ones directing the government to launch a pilot program for collecting space weather data from private companies and to more generally obtain commercial space weather data where practicable and cost-effective.
Panel to Examine Coordination of AI Research Across DOE
Next Monday, the Department of Energy’s Advanced Scientific Computing Advisory Committee will begin a two day meeting in Washington, D.C. The committee is slated to receive a new charge to examine the coordination of work on artificial intelligence across the DOE Office of Science. AI has become a major focus for the Trump administration and Congress, and annual funding for it within the office is increasing to $71 million this year. The committee will also consider reports from subcommittees charged with reviewing the past four decades of DOE investment in advanced computing and examining what elements of DOE’s Exascale Computing Initiative need to be transitioned as it nears completion.
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In Case You Missed It
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| A figure from the final report of AIP’s National Task Force to Elevate African American Representation in Undergraduate Physics and Astronomy (TEAM-UP). (Image credit – AIP) |
‘Systemic’ Changes Called For to Support African Americans in Physics
On Jan. 5, a national task force empaneled by AIP issued recommendations for addressing the persistent underrepresentation of African American undergraduate students in physics and astronomy, concluding “systemic changes” are necessary to make significant progress. The task force explains it focused on African Americans in physics and astronomy because the fraction of bachelor’s degrees awarded to that group has been “appallingly low,” hovering near 4% over the past two decades, in contrast to gains seen in other STEM fields and by other underrepresented groups. The task force concluded primary factors contributing to this underrepresentation is a lack of supportive environments in academic departments and “enormous financial challenges” faced by African American students and the programs that support their success. Accordingly, the task force identifies ways of fostering a sense of belonging and “physics identity” among African Americans and bolstering financial support. Among its recommendations, the task force calls for raising a $50 million endowment through a new consortium of physical science societies, half of which would directly support African American students in physics and astronomy while the remainder would go toward other “financially marginalized” groups and to implementing the task force’s other recommendations.
EPA Science Advisors Criticize Agency’s Transparency Rule
Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Science Advisory Board published a draft review of the agency’s proposal to restrict the use of scientific studies with nonpublic data in regulatory decision-making. The board identifies various ambiguities in the proposal and states that lack of clarity could lead the transparency requirements to be viewed as a “license to politicize” scientific evaluations. The board also raises concerns about a provision that would enable EPA to grant case-by-case waivers to the requirements. It argues that “exclusion of segments of the scientific literature with the possibility of inclusion of selected elements based on non-scientific considerations represents a significant shift in science-based decision making” that could “easily undercut the integrity of environmental laws.” Beginning Jan. 17, the board is holding public teleconferences to discuss the draft report along with three others that are similarly critical of other pending rules. EPA plans to clarify the scope of the transparency rule through a supplementary document set for public release and comment early this year.
STEM Ed and Grant Data Bills Signed
Late last month, President Trump signed into law the Building Blocks of STEM Act and the Grant Reporting Efficiency and Agreements Transparency (GREAT) Act. The former directs the National Science Foundation to increase its focus on early childhood education research when making award decisions on STEM education project proposals. The GREAT Act directs the White House Office of Management and Budget to “establish government-wide data standards for information reported by recipients of federal awards” and requires that “data reported by recipients of federal awards that is collected from all agencies” be published on a government-wide website. The legislation is not specific to science and technology grants.
NSF Looking to Future of Troubled Ecological Facility
The National Science Foundation issued a dear colleague letter on Dec. 26 that outlines plans for conferences, workshops, and research awards to help scientists leverage the new National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON), which began operating at full capacity last year. NSF also released a solicitation for bids to run the network, which comprises 81 field sites across the U.S. NEON is currently managed by Battelle, which took over its construction in 2016 after the original contractor failed to meet the project’s cost and schedule benchmarks. That experience attracted congressional scrutiny and led NSF to reconsider how it manages large facility projects. NEON experienced further turbulence last year when its chief scientist abruptly resigned and Battelle dismissed the network’s 20 member science advisory board before quickly reversing course. Battelle announced last month that University of South Dakota biologist Paula Mabee will take up the reins as NEON’s new chief scientist on Feb. 3. NSF’s solicitation indicates it expects the new management contract to begin in November 2021, when its recently extended contract with Battelle expires.
Large Synoptic Survey Telescope Renamed After Vera Rubin
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| The Vera C. Rubin Observatory under construction in Chile in December 2019. The National Science Foundation and Department of Energy are funding the project. (Image credit – LSST Project / NSF / AURA) |
On Dec. 20, President Trump signed into law a bill that designates the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope as the “Vera C. Rubin Observatory.” Rubin, who died three years ago, was an American astronomer who is best known for her work observing the motion of galaxies and firmly establishing the existence of dark matter. The Rubin Observatory, which is scheduled to begin full scientific operations in 2022, will make routine scans of the night sky and gather unprecedented volumes of astronomical data. The designation act states that the observatory will honor Rubin’s legacy by cataloging billions of galaxies and further probing the nature of dark matter.
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Events This Week Monday, January 6
Tuesday, January 7
Wednesday, January 8
Thursday, January 9
Friday, January 10
Sunday, January 12
Monday, January 13
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Opportunities Panel on State of Astronomy Profession Accepting Input
The Astro2020 decadal survey’s Panel on State of the Profession and Societal Impacts is seeking input from all stakeholders as it works to assess the health and demographics of the astronomy and astrophysics community. The panel is tasked with suggesting actions to take on topics such as diversity and inclusion, workforce development, public outreach, and public policy. Comments are due March 6.
Commerce Department Seeking Members for Technical Panels
The Commerce Department is recruiting candidates from industry and academia to serve on its seven Technical Advisory Committees, which inform its development of export controls for dual-use items. The committees span areas such as materials, sensors, information systems, transportation systems, and emerging technologies. The recruitment call closes Dec. 31.
National Academies Energy and Environment Board Hiring Program Officer
The National Academies is hiring an associate program officer for its Board on Energy and Environmental Systems. The officer will help oversee policy studies produced by the board, which focuses on topics such as supply and demand for energy resources and the environmental impacts of energy activities. Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree in a related field and at least three years of relevant experience.
Know of an upcoming science policy event either inside or outside the Beltway? Email us at fyi@aip.org.
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