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What’s Ahead
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| A Government Publishing Office employees prepares President Trump’s fiscal year 2020 budget request for printing. (Image credit – GPO) |
White House Repeats Demands for Big Budget Cuts
The White House released its overview of President Trump’s budget request for fiscal year 2020 on Monday, outlining plans for major cuts in spending across the federal nondefense agencies. However, aside from agencies’ topline budgets, figures for science programs remain fragmentary as supplementary documents that usually accompany the overview were not included in the release. Over the coming days, federal agencies will post their own detailed budget justifications, and NASA has already released some additional information concerning its programs. Figures will be added to FYI’s Federal Science Budget Tracker as they become available.
Agency-by-agency figures that have been revealed so far include:
- DOE: Under the request, the Department of Energy Office of Science would receive $5.5 billion, a 16 percent cut from the current level. The administration proposes steep cuts across DOE’s applied energy offices, ranging from an 86 percent, $2 billion cut to the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy to a 24 percent, $178 million cut to the Office of Fossil Energy. The administration proposes for the third year in a row to eliminate the Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy.
- NASA: The budget includes $21 billion for NASA, a 2 percent cut, with $6.3 billion going toward the Science Mission Directorate, a 9 percent cut. Decreases for the four science divisions range from 2 percent for Heliophysics to 20 percent for Astrophysics, inclusive of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The administration states it “fully funds” JWST at $353 million, while proposing to cancel the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope for the second year in a row. It also again proposes to eliminate the Office of STEM Engagement and two earth science missions, PACE and CLARREO Pathfinder.
- NSF: The National Science Foundation would receive $7.1 billion, a 12 percent cut.
- NIST: The National Institute of Standards and Technology would receive $688 million, a 30 percent cut.
- DOD: A breakout of the budget for the Department of Defense’s Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation accounts is not yet available, though the department has indicated it is requesting $104 billion overall, about 10 percent more than Congress provided last year, which was the highest RDT&E budget in its history.
- NIH: The National Institutes of Health would receive $34 billion, a 12 percent cut.*
- EPA: The Environmental Protection Agency’s Science and Technology program would receive $463 million, a 35 percent cut.
Congress will now begin the months-long process of writing and negotiating the legislation that actually funds the government. In the past two cycles, lawmakers have essentially disregarded the administration’s proposed cuts to science programs, in most cases delivering steady or increased funding. One barrier to keeping budgets high this year is that statutory caps on spending are scheduled to tighten in fiscal year 2020, and the administration has indicated it does not want Congress to raise them. However, lawmakers will be loathe to accept cuts to programs they value, and in recent years science programs have generally benefited from strong bipartisan support.
*Number updated based on details from summary budget documentation released by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Committees to Take Broad Look at US’ Place in Space
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine is appearing before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee on Wednesday alongside Kevin O’Connell, director of the Office of Space Commerce at the Department of Commerce. They will discuss efforts to maintain U.S. global leadership in space and the competitiveness of the U.S. space industry. The House Science Committee is holding a concurrent hearing on issues in space policy and visions for the future. The witnesses will be National Air and Space Museum Director and former NASA Chief Scientist Ellen Stofan, former astronaut Peggy Whitson, and Frank Rose, a national security expert at the Brookings Institution.
House Panel to Review DOD Climate Change Preparedness
The House Armed Services Committee is holding a subcommittee hearing on Wednesday to examine the resiliency of military installations and operations to the impacts of climate change. In January, the Department of Defense released a congressionally mandated report that assessed the vulnerabilities of 79 military installations to recurrent flooding, drought, wildfires, and other natural hazards exacerbated by climate change. Democratic committee leaders have called on the department to reissue the report, criticizing it for failing to include a mitigation plan or estimate the costs of protecting at-risk installations as required by law.
DOE Fusion Program Ramping Up Long Range Planning
The Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (FESAC) is meeting this Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss a long-range strategic planning activity the Department of Energy set in motion late last year. DOE has charged FESAC with recommending investment priorities for the coming decade under two scenarios of budget growth and an “unconstrained” scenario. Nate Ferraro from the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory will update the committee on the first phase of the exercise, in which broad community input is being solicited through the American Physical Society’s Division of Plasma Physics. Donald Geesaman and Andrew Lankford, who chaired similar exercises for other DOE science programs, will offer their perspectives. FESAC will also hear presentations on recent National Academies studies that urge DOE to significantly increase its support for ultrafast, high-intensity lasers and burning plasma research.
National Nanotechnology Initiative Quadrennial Review Begins
A National Academies committee that will evaluate the federal government’s portfolio of nanotechnology R&D is holding its kickoff meeting this Thursday and Friday. The committee will review global trends in nanotechnology R&D and recommend whether the current set of programs that comprise the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) should continue in their present form. Federal agencies have contributed over $20 billion to the NNI since it launched in 2001, with the total annual investment standing at $1.6 billion in fiscal year 2017, the latest available figure. NNI is mandated by law to undergo periodic review. The last review, completed in 2016, suggested that NNI make better use of the Nanotechnology Signature Initiatives and “grand challenges” to focus its activities and spur technology commercialization.
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In Case You Missed It
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| National Academy of Sciences President Marcia McNutt testifying before the House Science Committee alongside University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Patrick Gallagher and Council on Competitiveness Chair Mehmood Khan. (Image credit - NAS) |
US S&T Leadership in Precarious Position, NAS President Warns
National Academy of Sciences President Marcia McNutt testified at a House Science Committee hearing last week about challenges to U.S. leadership in scientific and technological fields posed by an increasingly competitive global environment. McNutt cited a recent drop in international applications to U.S. graduate programs as a worrying sign and said foreign students are increasingly drawn home by better funding prospects. She stressed that large budget swings can be highly disruptive to science, citing the recent government shutdown as a prime example. McNutt urged Congress to provide stable funding to science and said federal agencies should focus on using existing resources to support more high-risk, high-reward research, arguing they have become too risk averse. The U.S. must also do more to help women and minorities pursue STEM careers, McNutt said, pointing to recent National Academies reports on Minority Serving Institutions and sexual harassment in academia as offering roadmaps for policymakers.
Murkowski and Manchin Team Up on Climate Change
On March 5, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held its first hearing dedicated to climate change since 2012, focusing on its impacts on the electricity sector and ways it can reduce its carbon footprint. Committee Chair Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) said the committee has a “considerable role to play” in addressing climate change, highlighting its acute impacts on her state. Ranking Member Joe Manchin (D-WV) likewise said the committee should promote energy diversity, innovation, and efficiency to help reduce electricity sector emissions. Stating that “fossil fuels are not going anywhere any time soon” because of their contributions to base-load power and increased use abroad, Machin argued that developing viable carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration technologies will be critical. Both Murkowski and Manchin highlighted the importance of supporting rural communities while advancing low-carbon technologies. Following the hearing, they published an op-ed underscoring the need for “reasonable policies” that support development of energy storage, advanced nuclear energy, and carbon capture technologies.
Science Committee Delves into Energy-Water Nexus
At a March 7 hearing, the House Science Committee discussed how the Department of Energy and other agencies could better address problems that flow from the interdependencies of energy production and water supply. Energy Subcommittee Chair Conor Lamb (D-PA) noted DOE plans to establish an Energy-Water Desalination Hub, though he lamented that the department disbanded an Energy-Water Nexus Crosscut Team established in 2012 and called on it to restore a “comprehensive focus” on the subject. Committee Chair Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) and Ranking Member Frank Lucas (R-OK) both highlighted the competing demands for water by residents, the agricultural sector, and oil and gas operations in their states. The two are sponsors of the Energy and Water Research Integration Act, a bill originally introduced in 2009 that directs DOE to “integrate water considerations” into its R&D programs.
White House Creates Quantum Coordination Office
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy announced last week that it has created an interagency coordination office for quantum R&D as required by the National Quantum Initiative Act. The interim director of the office will be Jake Taylor, who is OSTP’s point person for quantum information science. Such coordination offices have previously been established to oversee national initiatives in nanotechnology and information technology R&D. In conjunction with the move, OSTP also established a Subcommittee on Economic and Security Implications of Quantum Science within the National Science and Technology Council, a separate interagency coordination body. The subcommittee will be co-chaired by the National Security Agency, Department of Energy, and Department of Defense.
Advisory Panel to Look at DOE’s Strategy for Basic Energy Sciences...
At its meeting on March 7, the Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (BESAC) received a new charge from the Department of Energy instructing it to take a broad look at the department’s strategy for its Basic Energy Sciences (BES) program. The study is to identify research areas and facility capabilities in which U.S. global leadership is most threatened and to advise on how BES can best allocate its resources and foster new collaborations. DOE is also asking for advice on how BES can leverage its programs and facilities to foster a talented scientific workforce, focusing on career development and attracting and retaining talent from abroad.
...and Examine the Case for a New Research Reactor
BESAC also received a separate charge to deliver input on the BES program’s strategy for the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR), a major user facility located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Now more than 50 years old, HFIR is expected to remain in operation well into the future. Nevertheless, the charge notes its “long-term future requires careful thought and planning.” The committee is also instructed to examine the “scientific justification for a U.S. domestic high-performance reactor-based research facility, taking into account current international plans and existing domestic facility infrastructure.” The study is to consider such a facility’s utility for a variety of applications, including neutron scattering and imaging, irradiation, isotope production, and dark matter research. It will also explore the possibility of using low enriched uranium (LEU) or high assay LEU as a fuel in a new reactor and examine the feasibility of upgrading HFIR.
Fuel Element Fault to Keep HFIR Facility Offline for Months
At last week’s BESAC meeting, the director of DOE’s Basic Energy Sciences program, Harriet Kung, reported that Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) has been out of operation since November. At that time, the laboratory reported detecting a “slightly elevated” radiation level in the reactor’s primary cooling system. Kung said there had been no release of radioactivity from the reactor and that no staff had been exposed. She said an investigation revealed that 45 of the reactor’s 540 fuel plates had been “deflected,” and that, although a cause has not been definitively determined, the incident is “most likely” attributable to an inadequate weld. She also said that 252 experiments will have been cancelled by May 1 and that Oak Ridge is working to restart HFIR by the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. Paul Langan, who heads the neutron sciences program at Oak Ridge, said efforts have been made where possible to accommodate HFIR users at the lab’s Spallation Neutron Source facility. In addition to serving as a major neutron source user facility, DOE uses the reactor to produce radioactive isotopes, including for medical applications and fuel on deep space probes.
*Update: The original headline for this item was “Damaged HFIR Facility to Remain Offline for Months.” Oak Ridge would like to make clear that the plate deflection was confined to a single fuel element that had just been inserted into the reactor and that it caused no damage to other components of the reactor facility.
Senate Advances Set of DOE Nominations
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee advanced three nominees for research positions in the Department of Energy on a voice vote last week: Chris Fall to lead the Office of Science, Rita Baranwal to lead the Office of Nuclear Energy, and Lane Genatowski to lead the Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy. The committee already approved their nominations last year but the full Senate did not hold a vote on them before the end of the Congress. Their path to confirmation in the current Congress may not be smooth sailing either, as Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) has said she plans to place a hold on the nominations until DOE ceases “secret” shipments of plutonium to her state. DOE has defended the shipments, stating it is complying with a court order and that Nevada officials had been informed of them. The Energy Sciences Coalition, a group that advocates for the Office of Science, has submitted a letter to the Senate in support of Fall’s nomination. (AIP and several of its Member Societies are signatories.)
GAO Removes NOAA from ‘High Risk List,’ Flags NASA Program Delays
On March 6, the Government Accountability Office released its biennial High Risk List, which spotlights programs across the government that are vulnerable to “fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, or that need transformation.” GAO removed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from the list due to its progress in mitigating the potential for gaps in weather satellite data. NOAA successfully launched the first in a series of next-generation polar-orbiting weather satellites in 2017. In contrast, GAO finds that NASA’s acquisition management performance has declined. GAO notes that although NASA has made improvements in its project management, “cost and schedule performance of NASA’s portfolio of major projects deteriorated.” It cites ongoing troubles with its human exploration programs as well as the 81 months of launch delay and 95 percent cost growth that the James Webb Space Telescope has experienced since 2009.
NASA Cancels Europa Clipper Instrument Due to Rising Costs
NASA announced on March 5 it is cancelling an instrument that it had planned to fly on the Europa Clipper mission, which is currently in its planning stages. In a memorandum to stakeholders, NASA Science Mission Directorate head Thomas Zurbuchen reported that the Interior Characterization of Europa Using Magnetometry (ICEMAG) instrument had experienced continual upward creep in its anticipated cost, ultimately reaching $45.6 million, well above cost thresholds that trigger a decision to reconsider its inclusion on the mission. Zurbuchen wrote NASA is now seeking a “simpler, less complex” replacement. Recently, the agency has sought to mitigate cost increases early in science missions’ planning and to avoid committing to technologies with low maturity levels. A cost estimate for the Europa Clipper mission has not yet been finalized. In 2013, the Planetary Society expected it to total at least $2 billion. Congress directed $545 million to the project this year.
Ralph Hall, Former Chair of House Science Committee, Dies at 95
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| The official portrait of Ralph Hall as House Science Committee chair. (Image credit - Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives / painted by John Boyd Martin) |
Former House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chair Ralph Hall (R-TX) died on March 7 at the age of 95. First elected to Congress in 1980, Hall served for much of his career as a Democrat, and was the ranking Democrat on the Science Committee from 1999 until he switched to the Republican Party in 2004. Retaining his seniority on the committee, he then became its ranking Republican in 2007. After the Republicans won control of the House in the November 2010 election, he was named committee chair, serving in the role for two years. Hall was a strong supporter of NASA, and as committee chair he reinstituted the word “Space” as part of the committee’s full name. He gained notoriety when, in 2012 at the age of 89, he became the oldest person ever to serve in Congress. He retired in 2015 only after losing a primary election battle the previous year.
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Events This Week Monday, March 11
IHS Markit: CERAWeek 2019 (continues through Friday) Hilton Americas-Houston (Houston, TX) Carnegie Endowment: International Nuclear Policy Conference (continues Tuesday) Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (1779 Massachusetts Ave. NW, DC) Webcast available National Academies: “A Decadal Assessment of Plasma Science,” meeting three (continues Tuesday) Open session: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm, Mon, Keck Center (500 5th St. NW, DC) Webcast available National Academies: “Symposium Highlighting Evidence-Based Interventions to Address the Underrepresentation of Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine” 9:00 - 4:00 pm, National Academy of Sciences (2101 Constitution Ave. NW, DC) Webcast available NASA: Budget request release event 1:00 pm, Kennedy Space Center (Merritt Island, FL) Webcast available American Council on Education: “Science, Security, and Foreign Influence: Insights from Federal Agencies and Higher Education Leadership” 2:30 - 3:45 pm, Philadelphia Marriott Downtown (Philadelphia, PA) Closed to the media
Tuesday, March 12
National Academies: “Challenges in Initiating and Conducting Long-Term Health Monitoring of Populations following Nuclear and Radiological Emergencies in the U.S.” (continues Wednesday) 8:30 am - 5:15 pm, Tue; 8:00 am - 12:30 pm, Wed Keck Center (500 5th St. NW, DC) Webcast available DOE: Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee meeting (continues Wednesday) 8:30 am - 5:00 pm, Tue; 8:30 am - 12:00 pm Canopy by Hilton (Bethesda, MD) Webcast available House: “ The President’s 2020 Budget” 10:00 am, Budget Committee (210 Cannon Office Building) House: “Engineering Our Way to a Sustainable Bioeconomy” 10:00 am, Science Committee (2318 Rayburn Office Building) Stimson Center: “Finland is Combating Nuclear Terrorism - Learn How” 12:00 - 2:00 pm, Stimson Center (1211 Connecticut Ave. NW, DC) CSIS: “Rebooting the Innovation Economy,” report launch 1:00 - 2:30 pm, CSIS headquarters (1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW, DC) Senate: “Artificial Intelligence Initiatives within DOD” 2:30 pm, Armed Services Committee (232A Russell Office Building) NIST: Earthquake Hazards Reduction Advisory Committee meeting 3:00 - 5:00 pm, Webinar Government Accountability Project: “Assaults on Science in the Trump Era” 6:00 - 8:00 pm, OpenGov Hub (1110 Vermont Ave. NW, DC)
Wednesday, March 13
Consortium for Ocean Leadership: “U.S. Ocean Policy: Past, Present, and Future” 9:30 am - 5:00 pm, Reserve Officers Association Building (1 Constitution Ave. NE, DC) House: “America in Space: Future Vision, Current Issues” 10:00 am, Science Committee (2318 Rayburn Office Building) Senate: “The New Space Race: Ensuring U.S. Global Leadership on the Final Frontier” 10:00 am, Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee (G50 Dirksen Office Building) Senate: “A New Approach for an Era of U.S.-China Competition” 10:15 am, Foreign Relations Committee (419 Dirksen Office Building) DOE: Electricity Advisory Committee meeting (continues Thursday) 12:00 - 6:00 pm, Wed; 8:00 am - 12:00 pm, Thu National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (Arlington, VA) C2ES: “Making Cents of the Cost of Climate Change” 1:00 - 2:30 pm, Webinar House: “Ensuring Resiliency of Military Installations and Operations” 2:00 pm, Armed Services Committee (2212 Rayburn Office Building) AAU/APLU: “Student Visas, International Students, and the American Innovation Ecosystem,” congressional briefing 2:00 - 3:00 pm Senate: “President’s Fiscal Year 2020 Budget Proposal” 2:30 pm, Budget Committee (608 Dirksen Office Building) NSF: Informational Webinar on Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes 3:30 - 4:30 pm
Thursday, March 14
National Academies: “Catalyzing Opportunities for Research in the Earth Sciences,” meeting three (continues Friday) 8:15 - 11:00 am, Houston Marriott North (Houston, TX) Webcast available DOD: Defense Innovation Board meeting 9:30 am - 12:00 pm, Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA) Webcast available Senate: “Department of Defense Budget Posture” 9:30 am, Armed Services Committee (G50 Dirksen Office Building) National Academies: “Quadrennial Review of the National Nanotechnology Initiative,” kickoff meeting (continues Friday) Open sessions: 10:30 - 4:00 pm, Thu; 11:00 am - 2:00 pm, Fri National Academy of Sciences (2100 Constitution Ave. NW, DC) Hudson Institute: “International Perspectives on Nuclear Materials Security” 11:45 am - 1:30 pm, Hudson Institute (1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, DC) ESEP: Science Policy Happy Hour 5:30 - 7:30 pm, Elephant and Castle (1201 K St. NW, DC)
Friday, March 15
Monday, March 18
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Opportunities APLU Hiring for Research Advocacy and Policy Position
The Association of Public Land-grant Universities is seeking an assistant vice president for research advocacy and policy. The individual will work with the association’s 241 member universities to advance federal policies that strengthen public research universities. Applications are due March 20.
US Council on Competitiveness Seeking Vice President
The Council on Competitiveness is hiring a vice president to work on its innovation policy team. The individual will manage the council’s recently launched National Commission on Innovation and Competitiveness Frontiers, among other initiatives. Applicants must have 5 to 10 years of experience working on science, technology, and innovation policy issues.
Wilson Center S&T Program Internship Closes Soon
The Wilson Center is accepting applications for summer graduate research internship positions in its Science and Technology Innovation Program. Interns will conduct research and write articles related to special project areas in S&T policy, such as open science, emerging technologies and governance, and international science policy. Applications are due March 15.
Know of an upcoming science policy opportunity? Email us at fyi@aip.org.Know of an upcoming science policy event? Email us at fyi@aip.org.
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