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| FYI: Science Policy News from AIP |
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| What’s Ahead |
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| House Science Committee Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) speaks at an event celebrating Lawrence Livermore National Lab’s recent achievement of fusion ignition. Lofgren is the committee’s most vocal fusion energy proponent. (LLNL) |
Fusion Energy Leaders Testifying Before Science Committee
On Tuesday, the House Science Committee is holding a hearing on public and private efforts to accelerate the development of commercial fusion energy, including the Department of Energy’s progress in implementing new fusion programs authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act and earlier legislation. DOE’s Office of Science recently launched an inertial fusion energy research program and is supporting private fusion ventures through a new program that awards funds for achieving technological and programmatic milestones. The hearing will also address international partnerships and the status of the ITER facility under construction in France, where impending delays and cost increases have prompted concerns from the committee. The witnesses for the hearing are DOE Lead Fusion Coordinator Scott Hsu, U.S. ITER Project Office Director Kathy McCarthy, Fusion Industry Association CEO Andrew Holland, Helion Energy CEO David Kirtley, and General Atomics Vice President for Magnetic Fusion Energy Wayne Solomon. The committee is also meeting on Wednesday to advance legislation that would back expanded DOE partnerships with NASA and the National Science Foundation.
Science Spending Proposals Set for Release in House
The House Appropriations Committee is resuming work to advance its versions of the 12 spending bills that fund most federal agencies, with the bill covering the Department of Energy set for release this week. Given the recent agreement by Congress to hold overall non-defense spending essentially flat for the upcoming fiscal year, significant cuts could be proposed for some programs to free up funds for priority initiatives. Republicans may also allocate less money than permitted by the agreement to placate members of their caucus seeking steep cuts to federal spending. Meanwhile, some House Republicans are arguing that the 3% increase to defense spending permitted by the agreement is insufficient and that Congress should approve supplementary funds for defense programs. However, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has said he will oppose supplemental measures that aim to circumvent the terms of the agreement.
National Defense Authorization Act Moving Ahead
The House Armed Services Committee is holding subcommittee meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday to advance its draft of this year’s National Defense Authorization Act, a sprawling annual policy update for the Defense Department and National Nuclear Security Administration. Summaries of provisions are being posted in advance of the meetings and the subcommittee that handles the bulk of defense R&D policy is putting forward a series of proposals to reform how the Defense Department partners with private industry and transitions technology into operational use. Other major proposals are likely to be advanced when the full committee considers the bill. That meeting, which often lasts more than one day, is scheduled for next Wednesday. The Senate Armed Services Committee is planning on conducting all of its work on its counterpart draft next week.
US High-Performance Computing Benchmarked in New Report
The Department of Energy’s Advanced Scientific Computing Advisory Committee will discuss a new, 62-page report addressing U.S. competitiveness in high-performance computing during a meeting taking place this Monday and Tuesday. Aiming to spark a “new and potentially transformative national discussion” on the subject, the report credits DOE’s support for U.S. successes but warns the country’s leadership is “under threat,” with China reportedly aiming to deploy 10 exascale machines by 2025. It suggests DOE is in danger of losing talent amid the uncertain funding environment accompanying the upcoming conclusion of DOE’s Exascale Computing Project and recommends formulating a “decadal-plus post-exascale vision and strategy” to establish a clearer path forward. Other sessions on the meeting agenda include discussions of a recent National Academies report on post-exascale computing for nuclear security, a workshop on applications of artificial intelligence to “science and security,” and proposals for updates to the National Quantum Initiative.
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| Image from the cover of a new report from the CHIPS R&D Office on “grand challenges” in semiconductor metrology. (NIST) |
Leaders Picked for CHIPS Act R&D Programs
The Commerce Department announced last week that it has filled five leadership positions in the CHIPS Research and Development Office, which was created last year within the National Institute of Standards and Technology to administer the semiconductor R&D initiatives funded by the CHIPS and Science Act. The office will be directed by Lora Weiss, the vice president for research at Penn State University and an expert in uncrewed vehicles, and its deputy director will be Eric Lin, who formerly led NIST’s Material Measurement Lab and has been serving as the office’s interim director. Lin will be providing an update on the CHIPS program at a meeting of NIST’s primary advisory committee on Tuesday. The office’s associate director for integration and policy will be Richard-Duane Chambers, who has served in staff roles at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and, most recently, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. Marla Dowell, who previously led NIST’s Communications Technology Lab, is now director of the office’s metrology program, which will be guided by the recently released report, “Metrology Gaps in the Semiconductor Ecosystem.”
Republicans Introduce Bill to Remove NOAA from Commerce Department
House Science Committee Chair Frank Lucas (R-OK) and 13 other Republicans introduced a bill last week that would separate the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from the Commerce Department and make it an independent agency. The bill, which is mostly identical to a discussion draft released last December, would also provide a firm statutory grounding for NOAA’s existence for the first time since the agency was established by executive order a half-century ago. Democrats on the Science Committee have expressed openness to making NOAA independent but have so far refrained from taking a hard stance on the matter.
JPL Receives High Marks for Response to Psyche Delay Report
The independent review board that assessed last year’s delay of NASA’s Psyche asteroid mission states in a new follow-up report that the response to its recommendations has been “outstanding” and the mission is on track to launch during its next opportunity this fall. The board’s original report traced Psyche’s delay to staffing shortages across the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the center responsible for the mission, leading NASA to put off work on JPL’s VERITAS Venus probe to free up resources. The lab also set out on a hiring campaign and at a press event on the follow-up report, JPL Director Laurie Leshin highlighted successes in attracting back experienced personnel who had left the lab. The board now finds that both Psyche and the Europa Clipper, a JPL flagship mission scheduled to launch in October 2024, are fully staffed. In addition, the board lauds JPL’s decision to tighten its requirements for in-person work, finding it has “improved team interaction, problem-solving, efficiency, and trust.” However, the board also finds that the standing review boards NASA uses to keep tabs on its projects remain inadequate and recommends reforming their procedures to better identify emerging problems.
Next Steps for Quantum Initiative Pitched to House Science Committee
Experts in quantum science and technology offered ideas for expanding the National Quantum Initiative at a hearing held last week by the House Science Committee, which is preparing legislation to update the initiative. National Quantum Coordination Office Director Charles Tahan proposed creating a dedicated fund to support international partnerships in quantum R&D and pointed to steps the initiative’s advisory committee has proposed to make it easier for quantum researchers from other countries to work in the United States. Tahan also called for adding NASA, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Homeland Security, and the State Department to the agencies participating in the initiative. The committee expressed particular interest in adding NASA, inviting testimony from a quantum computing researcher at the agency, Eleanor Rieffel, who attested to its capabilities and interests in quantum technology. The call to add NASA was echoed by Paul Dabbar, who co-founded the quantum networking company Bohr Quantum after serving as the Department of Energy’s under secretary for science in the Trump administration. Dabbar proposed that NASA and DOE create a joint program focused on linking satellites to terrestrial quantum networks, stressing that China has invested heavily in such capabilities.
DOE Issues Hydrogen Energy Strategy
The Department of Energy released a “U.S. National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap” last week that examines the current status of hydrogen production, transport, storage, and use in the U.S. and proposes a framework for achieving large-scale production in the coming decades. It recommends targeting “high-impact” applications of hydrogen, such as industrial processes, heavy-duty transportation, and long-duration energy storage and outlines R&D and technology demonstration strategies for reducing the cost of clean hydrogen production. It also presents a plan for deploying new technologies through the network of regional hydrogen hubs DOE is planning to fund. The strategy incorporates feedback gathered on a draft released in September and incorporates findings from DOE’s “liftoff report” on hydrogen, which is part of a series that details commercialization timelines and challenges facing emerging energy technologies.
DOE Infrastructure Lead Confirmed
The Senate voted 56-43 last week to confirm David Crane as the Department of Energy’s under secretary for infrastructure. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Ranking Member John Barrasso (R-WY) staunchly opposed Crane’s nomination, accusing the former energy company CEO of being a “climate activist” and of “activism against companies that do not subscribe to his ideology.” However, six Republicans ultimately crossed the aisle to vote in favor of him: Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), John Hoeven (R-ND), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Dan Sullivan (R-AK). President Biden first nominated Crane to be under secretary last August and he has been serving since September as director of DOE’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, a position he will now oversee as under secretary. Crane is speaking at an event on energy innovation on Wednesday.
Technology Policy Central to New US-UK Partnership Framework
A visit by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to the White House last week occasioned the release of a new diplomatic framework that has a strong focus on technology. Named the Atlantic Declaration for a Twenty-First Century U.S.-UK Economic Partnership, it calls for the countries to cooperate on R&D in “critical and emerging technologies,” such as quantum technologies, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, advanced telecommunications, and synthetic biology, and to facilitate reciprocal flows of talent and mobilize private capital for technology development. The framework also outlines initiatives in areas such as critical-mineral and clean-energy supply chains, nuclear energy, defense, biological and health security, and space science and commerce. In addition, it sets out terms for coordinating policy on technology protection measures, including sanctions, export controls, and efforts to mitigate risks associated with outbound investment in “countries of concern.”
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| Events This Week |
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All times are Eastern Daylight Time, unless otherwise noted. Listings do not imply endorsement.
Monday, June 12
Tuesday, June 13
Wednesday, June 14
Thursday, June 15
Friday, June 16
Know of an upcoming science policy event either inside or outside the Beltway? Email us at fyi@aip.org.
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| Opportunities |
Argonne Hiring Deputy Director of Government Relations
Argonne National Lab is hiring a D.C-based deputy director for government relations, who will serve as a liaison to Congress and monitor activity across the federal government. Candidates must have knowledge of federal budget and legislative processes and experience building partnerships.
British Embassy Hiring Senior Policy Advisor for Science and Innovation
The British Embassy is hiring a senior policy adviser for its Science and Innovation Network, which works with the federal government, academia, and the private sector to increase scientific collaboration between the U.S. and UK. Candidates with knowledge of the science and innovation landscape in both the U.S. and UK and a doctorate in a scientific field are preferred.
Government-University-Industry Roundtable Hiring Program Officer
The National Academies is hiring a program officer for the Government-University-Industry Research Roundtable, which convenes senior representatives from each sector to discuss challenges facing the U.S. research enterprise. Candidates should have a master’s degree and three years of related professional experience, and experience with fundraising, foundation management, grant management, and project management is preferred.
Know of an opportunity for scientists to engage in science policy? Email us at fyi@aip.org.
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