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What’s Ahead
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| An image of the Yakutat Glacier in Alaska captured by Landsat 8 in 2013. The glacier is one of the fastest-retreating in the world due to a combination of natural and anthropogenic factors. NASA’s Acting Senior Climate Advisor Gavin Schmidt is giving a public address this week on climate change as seen from space as part of the National Academies’ Space Science Week. (Image credit – USGS and Robert Simmon / NASA Earth Observatory) |
National Academies Convenes Space Science Week
The National Academies’ annual Space Science Week is taking place Tuesday through Thursday and is online-only for a second straight year. The event brings together meetings of all the standing committees of the Academies’ Space Studies Board, which provides guidance to NASA, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Energy. Among the agenda highlights, the Committee on Biological and Physical Sciences in Space is holding a workshop on the prospects of conducting low-gravity experiments using commercial lunar landers, and the Committee on Planetary Protection is launching a new study on preventing biological contamination for missions to particular locations on Mars. The Committee on Astronomy and Astrophysics will receive updates on the status and future of the Arecibo Observatory, satellite interference with ground-based observations, and the forthcoming astronomical sciences decadal survey. This year’s plenary events include reflections from European, Russian, Chinese, and Japanese space research organizations on their work during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a presentation from President Clinton’s science advisor Neal Lane and former Lockheed Martin CEO Norm Augustine on the recent study they chaired, The Perils of Complacency: America at a Tipping Point in Science and Engineering. Acting NASA Senior Climate Advisor Gavin Schmidt will deliver a public keynote address on space-based climate change observations.
Geoengineering Research Governance Report Set for Release
On Thursday, the National Academies is releasing a report that will recommend governance approaches for research into solar geoengineering methods that would aim to curb global warming by altering the atmosphere to reflect more sunlight. The report will also suggest a research agenda for particular reflection strategies, such as brightening marine clouds and injecting aerosols into the stratosphere. The Academies launched the study in 2018 with the support of several private foundations and later received support from NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Department of Energy. The report builds on a solar geoengineering study released in 2015.
Congress Continues Exploration of Clean Economy R&D Strategies
This week, Congress is continuing its run of hearings focused on strategies for confronting climate change. The House Science Committee will examine R&D related to sustainable aviation on Wednesday before turning to technologies for buildings on Thursday. Meanwhile, on Monday the House Energy and Commerce Committee is holding a hearing to discuss infrastructure legislation introduced by committee Democrats that includes provisions aimed at supporting decarbonization and resiliency initiatives, among many other measures. Former Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz is among the witnesses for the hearing. On Wednesday, the committee will also hear testimony in support of the Climate Leadership and Environmental Action for our Nation’s (CLEAN) Future Act, which proposes a number of policy changes to sharply reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the power, building, and transportation sectors, with the goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. The bills are candidates for inclusion in an infrastructure package that Democrats are preparing to advance, which could provide funding exceeding $1 trillion.
Senate Panel to Examine Nuclear Power Technologies
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee is holding a hearing on Thursday to examine the prospects of new nuclear reactor technologies. The committee will hear from TerraPower CEO Chris Levesque and X-energy CEO Clay Sell, whose companies have been awarded cost-sharing grants from the Department of Energy to support reactor demonstration projects. Other witnesses include Tennessee Valley Authority CEO Jeffery Lyash, Uranium Producers of America President Scott Melbye, and nuclear regulatory lawyer Amy Roma. Last Congress, the committee led the drafting of the Energy Act of 2020, which included an authorization for DOE’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program.
Congress Revisiting Radiation Exposure Compensation Law
The House Judiciary Committee is holding a hearing on Wednesday to discuss the merits of expanding benefits granted under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. The 1990 law provides cash payments to “downwinders” who lived in particular counties surrounding the Nevada Test Site during the period when the U.S. conducted atmospheric nuclear weapons tests and who later developed certain forms of cancer. The law also compensates certain workers who were involved in the tests or in the mining and transportation of uranium ore. In recent years, a bipartisan group of House and Senate lawmakers has proposed to expand the law’s eligibility criteria and extend the deadline for filing claims, which is currently set at July 2022. Through its latest annual defense policy update, Congress stated it believes the deadline should be extended but did not comment on the eligibility criteria. As of this January, 37,740 people had received a total of $2.4 billion through the law.
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In Case You Missed It
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| Then-Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) speaking at a hearing on the International Space Station in 2012. (Image credit – Paul Alers / NASA) |
Former Sen. Bill Nelson Picked to Lead NASA
President Biden announced on March 19 that he is nominating former Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) to be NASA administrator. A career politician, Nelson served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1978 until he stepped down in 1991 after an unsuccessful bid to be Florida’s governor. He was then a senator from 2001 until 2019, when he departed after losing his campaign for a fourth term. When he was a congressman, Nelson’s district was home to Kennedy Space Center, and, through his position as chair of the House’s NASA policy subcommittee, he arranged to train as an astronaut and fly aboard the space shuttle Columbia in 1986, just before the Challenger disaster. In 2005, he became the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee’s NASA policy subcommittee and was its chair from 2007 to 2015. While working on the NASA Authorization Act of 2010, Nelson staked out positions as a champion of the controversial Space Launch System rocket and as a skeptic of NASA’s turn to using commercial services for low-Earth orbit operations. He served as the ranking Democrat on the full committee from 2015 to 2019, and since leaving Congress he has been a member of the NASA Advisory Council.
Former NOAA Head Jane Lubchenco Joins White House Staff
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy announced on March 19 that Jane Lubchenco is the office’s deputy director for climate and environment. A prominent marine ecologist, Lubchenco led the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from 2009 to 2013, and afterward served as the State Department’s first ocean science envoy until 2016. Most recently, she has been a professor at Oregon State University, where she worked for three decades prior to her government service. One of Lubchenco’s advisors at NOAA, Shalini Mohleji, was also recently hired as OSTP’s deputy chief of staff for policy. Lubchenco is the third official appointed by OSTP to a deputy director role that is not subject to Senate confirmation. Last month, former Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity head Jason Matheny joined OSTP as deputy director for national security and was also appointed to a role on the National Security Council staff. Lubchenco and Matheny will serve alongside Alondra Nelson, who was appointed OSTP deputy director for science and society in January.
Stefanie Tompkins Named DARPA Director
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency announced last week that Stefanie Tompkins has been named as its new director. A former Army intelligence officer with a doctorate in geology, Tompkins first joined DARPA in 2007 as a program manager in the Strategic Technology Office. She later led DARPA’s Defense Sciences Office from 2014 to 2017 and was the agency’s acting deputy director in 2017. Since 2018, Tomkins has been the vice president for research and technology transfer at the Colorado School of Mines. DARPA Deputy Director Peter Highnam had been leading the agency on an acting basis since the previous director, Victoria Coleman, departed in January after only four months in the role.
Science Committee Issues Report on Federal ‘Brain Drain’
At a hearing last week, Democrats on the House Science Committee presented a staff report on “brain drain” from the federal scientific workforce over the last decade that documents significant declines in staffing levels at the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Oversight Subcommittee Chair Bill Foster (D-IL) connected the staff departures to the Trump administration’s “hostility towards evidence-based decision-making,” arguing that violations of scientific integrity and political interference sapped morale among agency scientists. Subcommittee Ranking Member Jay Obernolte (R-CA) stressed that the declines documented in the report date back to 2009, saying, “I find that alarming, because that tells me that this wasn’t an isolated incident just tied to the policies of one administration, this is a long-term trend.” He added that he is concerned about the effect of the “sluggish” federal hiring process on the government’s ability to attract STEM talent. Members of the witness panel pointed to these and a number of other factors as contributing to employment declines, including budget instability, competition from the private sector and academia, and workplace culture.
Biden Endorses Bill to Combat COVID-19 Hate Crimes
Following the murder of six Asian Americans in Atlanta last week, President Biden urged Congress to pass the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, which aims to expedite the review of such cases, increase incident reporting, and reduce discriminatory descriptions of the coronavirus’ origins. While noting the motive for the Atlanta attacks is unclear, Biden observed they come amid a surge in violence against Asian Americans in the U.S., which he linked to language used to describe the coronavirus. The bill was introduced the week before the Atlanta attacks by Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) and Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI), who were also lead sponsors of a congressional resolution introduced last year that condemned labels connecting the coronavirus to China. The resolution was endorsed by a number of scientific societies, including AIP. Various research community leaders issued statements following last week’s attacks, including the head of NASA’s science directorate, the director of Berkeley Lab, the president of MIT, and the presidential line of the American Physical Society.
Academies Report Calls for Expanding USGCRP Mandate
The National Academies released a report last week that offers a 10-year roadmap for improving the National Climate Assessment process run by the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP). The study committee concludes that traditional climate research is not “fully meeting decision-maker needs” and recommends the USGCRP embrace new approaches to stakeholder engagement in order to increase the usability and relevance of its products. For instance, the committee recommends the government recommit to a “sustained” assessment process, a mechanism implemented late in the Obama administration as a way for stakeholders to engage more continuously with climate scientists but that was then disbanded under the Trump administration. The committee also calls for integrating voices from underserved communities throughout the USGCRP process and expanding the program’s mandate to facilitate the use of social science research in its reporting.
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Events This Week Monday, March 22
Carnegie Mellon University: Energy Week
(continues through Friday)
Tuesday, March 23
Wednesday, March 24
Thursday, March 25
Friday, March 26
Saturday, March 28
Monday, March 29
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Opportunities Input Sought for National STEM Education Study
The National Academies is accepting input for a forthcoming study committee that will develop a “Call to Action for Science Education.” The study will “outline recommendations for state and national policy makers and education leaders to support equitable, productive pathways for all students to thrive and have opportunities to pursue careers in science and related STEM fields.” The committee is hearing expert testimony on March 24 and is holding an event to accept public input on April 8.
Science Policy Memo Competition Open for Submissions
The National Science Policy Network and the Journal of Science Policy and Governance have launched their third annual policy memo writing competition for early career scientists. This year’s theme is “Intersectional Science Policy.” Memos can be submitted on any relevant topic by teams of at least three individuals that are members of a student science policy group. Submissions are due May 2.
AGU Hiring for Public Affairs Internship
The American Geophysical Union is accepting applications for its summer public affairs internship. Interns will monitor congressional events, write blog posts, and assist the public affairs team in organizing virtual advocacy days, among other responsibilities. Interested individuals must have completed at least two years of coursework towards a degree in Earth or space sciences.
Know of an upcoming science policy event either inside or outside the Beltway? Email us at fyi@aip.org.
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International Affairs
- Technology and innovation report 2021 (UN)
- Feature on the Asia Pacific (Nature Index)
- In newly released speech, China’s top leader emphasizes independent advancement in S&T (DigiChina, translation)
- Rubio and McCaul call for strengthening of Entity List rules for SMIC (Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL))
- Security agencies to give Australian universities an expanded list of ‘sensitive’ topics (Research Professional)
- ARIA is an oldie, but there’s no sign it will be a hit (Research Professional, perspective by James Wilsdon)
- ARPA, ARIA, defense, and innovation: When research goes to war (Wonke, perspective by David Kernohan)
- Britain has the perfect opportunity to become a science superpower (The Times, perspective by Simon Nixon)
- Research funding cut would damage ‘Global Britain’ (BBC News)
- Call for a vision to translate UK battery research to industrial outcomes (Science|Business)
- Switzerland pencilled back into quantum plans, but no access for UK, Israel (Science|Business)
- Horizon Europe’s first strategic plan 2021–2024: Commission sets research and innovation priorities for a sustainable future (European Commission)
- European Innovation Council launched to help turn scientific ideas into breakthrough innovation (European Commission)
- Conference speakers: Horizon Europe should fund technology infrastructures (Science|Business)
- More than a year into the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, some scientists say the possibility of a lab leak never got a fair look (Undark, perspective by Charles Schmidt)
- The original pandemic lab leak debate (The Honest Broker, perspective by Roger Pielke Jr.)
- With Iranian nuclear deal In limbo, some worry inspectors will lose access for good (NPR)
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