What’s Ahead

The Thwaites Glacier is a major channel for ice loss in West Antarctica. (Image credit – James Youngel / NASA)

Science Committee to Spotlight Disappearing Glaciers and Ice Sheets

The House Science Committee has invited five scientists to testify at a hearing Thursday on the worldwide recession of glaciers and ice sheets. Alongside decreases in the seasonal coverage of sea ice, the retreat of permanent masses of land-based ice represents one of the most visible early effects of climatic warming. Melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet and the rapid deterioration of parts of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet are anticipated to be major sources of sea level rise over the remainder of this century and beyond. The disappearance of mountain glaciers, meanwhile, threatens to disrupt water supplies in many parts of the Earth. NASA, the National Science Foundation, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration all support research portfolios dedicated to studying these issues.

House Begins Floor Consideration of NDAA

The House is scheduled to consider its version of this year’s National Defense Authorization Act on the floor this week. The Rules Committee is meeting on Tuesday to decide which amendments will receive a vote, many of which relate to science and technology policy. The House is expected to pass the bill, sending it to a conference committee that will reconcile it with the version the Senate passed late last month. While neither the House nor Senate are entertaining major new R&D policy initiatives this year, numerous provisions under consideration would modify current efforts in areas such as research security, climate change resilience, artificial intelligence, microelectronics production, and quantum information science.

Export Control Conference to Focus on Emerging Technologies

The Department of Commerce’s annual conference on export controls begins this week with a spotlight on “emerging technologies, strategic trade, and global threats.” Responding to recent legislation, the department is currently developing export controls on emerging technologies, and identified 14 “representative” categories of interest last year, including quantum information technology, advanced materials, and artificial intelligence. A number of scientific societies and universities have warned that such controls could harm U.S. innovation if implemented too broadly. The department is also expected to implement analogous controls on “foundational technologies” but has not yet issued a notice of rulemaking. A number of major business associations have urged the department to provide 90 days for such a notice, as opposed to the 30 days initially provided for its emerging technologies notice. In a separate effort, the department recently implemented new multilateral controls in five emerging technology areas, including post-quantum cryptographic algorithms.

Science Committee to Consider Future of Space Station

NASA’s long-term plans for the International Space Station and other activities in low Earth orbit will be the focus of a hearing on Wednesday convened by the House Science Committee. The Trump administration has proposed to begin transitioning ISS operations to commercial entities by 2024, and in June NASA released a plan for expanding commercial use of the station and permitting private astronaut missions. Reacting to the plan, Space Subcommittee Chair Kendra Horn (D-OK) issued a statement indicating she intends to review the plan “as we thoughtfully consider the best pathway to transition beyond the long and successful operation of the unique ISS facility.” Among the witnesses for the hearing are the head of NASA’s human space exploration directorate, Bill Gerstenmaier, and NASA’s inspector general, Paul Martin.

Trio of Energy Research Bills Moving in House

On Wednesday, the Energy Subcommittee of the House Science Committee is meeting to consider three newly introduced research bills: the Solar Energy R&D Act, Fossil Energy R&D Act, and Wind Energy R&D Act. The text of the bills is not yet posted, though committee members previewed some of their interests and concerns at hearings on solar and wind technologies in May and fossil energy research in June. All three bills have Republican cosponsors, none of whom are on the Science Committee. At the May hearing, Subcommittee Ranking Member Randy Weber (R-TX) criticized spending increases recommended in the draft solar and wind bills, saying the industries are mature, obviating the need for intensified federal support for applied R&D in those areas.

Bipartisan Energy and STEM Bills on Deck in Senate

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee is meeting Tuesday to receive testimony from two Department of Energy officials on a number of bipartisan energy storage and R&D bills, including the Better Energy Storage Technology Act, Promoting Grid Storage Act, Expanding Access to Sustainable Energy Act, Joint Long-Term Storage Act, and the Launching Energy Advancement and Development Through Innovations for Natural Gas Act. The Committee will also consider the Reducing the Cost of Energy Storage Act, which currently does not have a Republican cosponsor. Later this week, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee will also hold a markup at which it will vote on the bipartisan Supporting Veterans in STEM Careers Act and Global Leadership in Advanced Manufacturing Act, among 11 other bills.

DOE Advisory Panel to Review Research Priority Reports

The Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee, which serves the Department of Energy, is meeting Thursday and Friday in Rockville, Maryland. Among the items on the agenda are discussions of two recently released National Academies reports. University of Texas chemical engineer Joan Brennecke will present on a study she chaired that outlines a research agenda for separations science. The field concerns the division of chemical mixtures into their distinct components and is employed in industrial and environmental applications, among other areas. Yale University chemist Nilay Hazari will discuss a separate study on research needs related to the utilization of gaseous carbon waste streams. Linda Horton, who heads DOE’s Materials Science and Engineering Division, will also report on a recent workshop the department sponsored on basic research needs related to manufacturing. Near the end of the meeting, Chris Fall, the newly confirmed director of the DOE Office of Science, will make his first presentation to a DOE advisory committee, offering a general update on the office’s activities.

NOAA Science Advisory Board Discussing New Tech

This week’s meeting of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Science Advisory Board will feature discussion of new technologies and data systems. The board will receive a briefing on the agency’s plans to establish an office that would coordinate the use of unmanned systems for ocean exploration and research. NOAA requested $4 million for the office in its budget request for fiscal year 2020, which would address requirements of the Commercial Engagement Through Ocean Technology Act signed last year. The agenda also includes a session on “data science and public-private partnerships” that will review cloud computing technologies developed by Microsoft and Amazon.

In Case You Missed It

An artist’s conception of a commercially provided lunar lander. (Image credit – NASA)

Additional Lunar Science Payloads Picked

NASA announced on July 1 that it has selected seven new science payloads and five technology demonstrations that will fly to the Moon on landers provided through the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. The 12 payloads join 12 others selected in February. A month ago, NASA also picked commercial lander missions that will convey as many as 23 of these payloads to three scientifically appealing destinations on the Moon’s near side between September 2020 and July 2021. The agency indicated at that time it would choose which payloads will fly on which landers by the end of this summer. NASA regards the CLPS program as pioneering a new model for missions that intertwines scientific and commercial activities and it intends for the program to pave the way for the crewed lunar landing planned for 2024.

STEM Education Proposals Proliferate in Congress

Last week, Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) introduced the Building Indigenous STEM Professionals Act, which would build on the federal government’s support for the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program to offer grant funding to STEM education programs for Native Alaskan and Native Hawaiian students. The legislation adds to a series of recently introduced bills focused on STEM education:

The Keep STEM Talent Act would waive caps on green cards for foreign nationals who earned a STEM master’s degree or higher from a U.S. institution and are employed or have a job offer in a STEM field in the U.S. This bill would also permit foreign nationals who are applying for student visas to declare their intent to seek permanent residency in the U.S. after graduation. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and three other Democratic senators are sponsoring the legislation.

The DOE National Labs Jobs ACCESS Act would create a program that provides five-year grants for pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship training activities focused on technical skills needed at the Department of Energy’s national laboratories. Several members of Congress with DOE labs in their states are sponsoring the bill in the House and Senate.

The STEM K to Career Act would provide loan forgiveness to eligible full-time STEM educators and create a tax credit for certain employers that hire STEM interns. It also would require universities to allocate at least 7% of their federal work-study program funds to STEM students. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Eric Swalell (D-CA), who first introduced it in 2015.

Swalwell has also reintroduced the Fairness in Forgiveness Act, which would enable full-time employees of DOE’s national labs to participate in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.
The bipartisan Building STEAM Education Act and STEM to STEAM Act would direct the National Science Foundation to incorporate art and design components into certain STEM education programs.

Events This Week

Monday, July 8

DOE: ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit (continues through Wednesday) Aurora, CO Atlantic Council: IEA Gas and Oil Technology Collaboration Program meeting (continues Tuesday) Atlantic Council Headquarters (1030 15th St. NW, DC) Politics and Prose: “The Weather Machine: A Journey Inside the Forecast” 7:00 - 8:00 pm, P&P at the Wharf (20 District Sq. SW, DC)

Tuesday, July 9

Commerce Department: Annual Export Control Conference (continues through Thursday) Courtyard Marriott (901 L St. NW, DC) AFRL/SUNY: “International Quantum Information Sciences Workshop” (continues through Friday) Utica, NY Chamber of Commerce: “Small Satellite Integration: Implications for Encryption, Interference, and Deorbit Assurance” 9:00 - 11:30 am, U.S. Chamber of Commerce (1615 H St. NW, DC) Senate: Energy Subcommittee Legislative Hearing 10:00 am, Energy and Natural Resources Committee (366 Dirksen Office Building) Carnegie Endowment: “Hypersonic Missiles: Assessing the Benefits and Risks” 10:30 - 12:00 pm, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (1779 Massachusetts Ave. NW, DC) CFR: “A Conversation with Former Defense Secretary Ash Carter” 12:30 pm, Council on Foreign Relations (1777 F St. NW, DC) Senate: “NASA Exploration Plans: Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Going” 3:00 pm, Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee (562 Dirksen Office Building)

Wednesday, July 10

American Astronautical Society: Inaugural John Glenn Memorial Symposium (continues through Friday) Cleveland, OH DOD: Defense Science Board meeting (continues Thursday) Closed to the public NOAA: Science Advisory Board meeting (continues Thursday) Hyatt Regency Seattle (Seattle, WA) Webcast available DOD: Defense Innovation Board meeting 9:30 am - 12:30 pm, Defense Innovation Unit Auditorium (Mountain View, CA) Webcast available House: “A Review of NASA’s Plans for the International Space Station and Future Activities in Low Earth Orbit” 10:00 am, Science Committee (2318 Rayburn Office Building) Senate: Commerce Committee Executive Session 10:00 am, Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee (216 Hart Office Building) House: Markup of solar, wind, and fossil energy bills 2:00 pm, Science Committee (2318 Rayburn Office Building) ITIF: “Is the U.S. Justified in Pushing Back Against Chinese Economic and Trade Policies?” 10:00 - 11:30 am, ITIF headquarters (1101 K St. NW, DC) Webcast available New America: “How Will We Govern Ourselves in Space?” 2:00 - 4:00 pm, New America headquarters (740 15th St. NW, DC) Webcast available

Thursday, July 11

National Academies: “Workshop on Forecasting Costs for Preserving, Archiving, and Promoting Access to Biomedical Data” (continues Friday) National Academy of Sciences building (2101 Constitution Ave NW, DC) EESI: Congressional Clean Energy Expo and Policy Forum 9:30 am - 3:30 pm, Rayburn House Office Building AAS: “Destination: Moon — The Past, Present, and Future Science of the Moon”
9:30 - 10:30 am, 2325 Rayburn House Office Building Aerospace Corporation: “Shooting for the Moon: Opportunities and Challenges for Cislunar Development” 9:30 - 10:30 am, Webinar House: “The Future of the Federal Coal Program” 10:00 am, Natural Resources Committee (1324 Longworth Office Building) House: “Earth’s Thermometers: Glacial and Ice Sheet Melt in a Changing Climate” 10:00 am, Science Committee (2318 Rayburn Office Building) DOE: Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee meeting (continues Friday) Rockville, MD Commerce Department: Commercial Remote Sensing Advisory Committee meeting 1:00 - 5:00 pm, Center for Strategic and International Studies (1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW, DC) House: “Bumper to Bumper: The Need for a National Surface Transportation Research Agenda” 2:00 pm, Science Committee (2318 Rayburn Office Building) New America: “My Favorite Movie with Lucianne Walkowicz: Mars Attacks!” 6:30 - 9:00 pm, Landmark E St. Cinema (555 11th St. NW, DC)

Friday, July 12

Wilson Center: “Double Jeopardy: Combating Nuclear Terror and Climate Change” 11:00 - 12:00 pm, Reagan International Trade Center (1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, DC)

Sunday, July 14

AAPM: 61st annual meeting (continues through Thursday) San Antonio, TX

Monday, July 15

National Academies: “Decadal Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics 2020,” kickoff meeting (continues through Wednesday) Keck Center (500 5th St. NW, DC) DARPA: 2nd Electronics Resurgence Initiative Summit (continues through Wednesday) Detroit, MI USRA: “Developing a New Space Economy Through Lunar Resources and Their Utilization” (continues through Wednesday) Columbia, MD Aerospace Corporation: “Changing Spaces and Places: National Security Space in a Time of Transition” 8:00 am - 12:00 pm, George Washington University (1957 E St. NW, DC) WRI: “Enhancing Paris Agreement Nationally Determined Contributions for 2020” 10:00 - 11:00 am, Webinar AEI: “Promoting accountability in higher education: Finding common ground” 4:15 - 5:30 pm, American Enterprise Institute (1789 Massachusetts Ave. NW, DC)

Opportunities

SRI Hiring S&T Policy Analyst

SRI International is seeking a research analyst to work in its Center for Innovation Strategy and Policy, which works to help organizations and countries “achieve long-term economic and social impact through effective investments in science, technology, and innovation.” Applicants must have a background in science, engineering, economics, or statistics and one to five years of relevant work experience.

Naval Research Lab Hiring Director for Materials S&T Division

The Naval Research Laboratory is seeking a director for its Materials Science and Technology Division, which supports the conception and formulation of materials technologies for the U.S. military. The director will guide the division’s research portfolio, which spans basic research, applied research, and technology development. Applications are due July 31.

National Medal of Technology Committee Nominations Open

The United States Patent and Trademark Office is seeking individuals to serve on the National Medal of Technology and Innovation Nomination Evaluation Committee. The committee makes recommendations of candidates for the nation’s highest honor for technological innovation, awarded directly by the president. Nominations are due Aug. 1.

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.