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What’s Ahead
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| NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, which supports the annual Robert H. Goddard Memorial Symposium. (Image credit – NASA) |
Space Science Leaders to Gather at Goddard Symposium
On Wednesday and Thursday, space science and policy leaders will convene in Greenbelt, Md. for the 55th Goddard Memorial Symposium, focused on “ how a new Administration and Congress will impact our current space program.” Matt Mountain, president of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, will give an opening talk on the synergies between NASA’s science and human exploration activities, followed by a keynote from Acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot and an address by Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI). Among the many sessions, NASA’s Associate Administrator for Science Thomas Zurbuchen and Acting Chief Scientist Gale Allen will participate in a panel on “NASA Leadership in the Future of Science and Technology.” The full agenda is available here and the webcast will be available here.
NAS Convening Research Reproducibility Conference
The National Academy of Sciences is hosting a three-day conference starting on Tuesday evening dedicated to research reproducibility issues. NAS President Marcia McNutt, who was vocal on this subject during her tenure as editor-in-chief of Science magazine, will deliver opening remarks on Wednesday. The full agenda is available here. Congress recently directed the National Academies to “assess research and data reproducibility and replicability issues in interdisciplinary research and make recommendations for improving rigor and transparency in scientific research.”
House to Vote on NASA Transition and Earthquake Bills
On Tuesday, the House is scheduled to vote on the Senate-passed “NASA Transition Authorization Act,” which would provide comprehensive policy guidance to NASA for the first time since 2010. This vote was delayed one week, reportedly due to a procedural issue.
Also on Tuesday, the House plans to vote on the “Pacific Northwest Earthquake Preparedness Act,” which would direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency to develop a plan for creating an earthquake early warning system for the Cascadia Subduction Zone and establish an “Earthquake and Tsunami Task Force” that would work in partnership with the National Academies to develop a strategy to advance scientific understanding of earthquakes and tsunami preparedness in this region. UPDATE -- As of Monday evening, this bill is no longer listed on the voting schedule for the week.
FY17 Appropriations Action Resumes with Defense Bill
On Wednesday, the House is scheduled to vote on a $578 billion appropriations bill that would fund the Department of Defense for the remainder of fiscal year 2017. The bill text and the accompanying explanatory report are posted here. The legislation would provide $14 billion for DOD’s science and technology accounts, a 5.7 percent increase over fiscal year 2016, although the amount for basic research would be 1.4 percent below the prior year’s level. Current funding for the department and almost all other agencies is set to expire on April 28.
NSF Director and Auditor to Testify Before Science Committee
On Thursday, the House Science Committee is holding a hearing on the National Science Foundation at which the agency’s director, France Córdova, and its inspector general, Allison Lerner, will testify. The purpose of the hearing is to “provide an overview of NSF’s research and STEM education portfolio and priorities, and to update the Committee on oversight matters, including progress on implementation of accountability and transparency policies, a national interest requirement, large facilities management reform, and other provisions included in the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act.”
Senate Picks up Nuclear Energy Innovation Act Again
On Wednesday, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is holding a hearing on the “Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act,” which a bipartisan group of senators introduced last week. The bill would create a regulatory framework for licensing of advanced nuclear reactors and alter the process by which the Department of Energy disposes of excess uranium. The committee approved a bill with the same name last year by a vote of 17 to 3, but the full Senate did not vote on it.
Senate Panel to Examine Agency Use of Science in Rulemaking
On Thursday, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is holding a hearing to discuss proposals for improving the transparency and accountability of federal agencies’ use of science when promulgating regulations. Witnesses from George Washington University’s Regulatory Studies Center, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and the American Chemistry Council will testify.
Trump Expected to Issue New Immigration Order
As early as Monday, President Trump is expected to reinstate a temporary ban on the admission of foreign nationals from six nations to the U.S., following a federal court ruling that suspended the original ban. The new order is expected to follow the general contours of the original but will be “ tailored” to the court ruling. The president’s original ban stranded multiple researchers abroad and led to several being detained at U.S. airports. The U.S. scientific and university community quickly united in opposition to it.
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In Case You Missed It Steep Cuts to NOAA Budget Would Help Fuel Defense Boost
The Trump administration announced that it intends to offset its request for a $54 billion increase to defense spending in fiscal year 2018 with an equal decrease of about 10 percent to non-defense discretionary spending. Details of the proposed non-defense cuts have begun to emerge. The Washington Post reported on March 3 that the White House’s budget outline for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration includes a 26 percent cut to the agency’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, a 22 percent cut to the agency’s satellite data division, and zeros out funding for the $73 million Sea Grant research program. However, Congress will have the final say in setting spending levels and may substantially modify the budget request. A number of congressional Republicans have already signaled that they regard the administration’s overall proposal as unrealistic.
Senate Confirms Energy, Commerce, and Interior Secretaries
Energy Secretary Rick Perry, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke arrived at their agencies last week after the Senate voted to confirm each nomination by votes of 62 – 37, 72 – 27, and 68 – 31, respectively. Perry expressed his appreciation for the department and its R&D programs in his first speech to agency employees. Ross did not mention science in his first speech to employees of the Commerce Department, which houses the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, although he did mention “launching more satellites for NOAA” and “setting standards for our increasingly technical society” in a list of challenges facing the department.
Trump Touches on Science and Exploration in Address to Congress
On Feb. 28, President Trump delivered his first address to a joint session of Congress. Towards the end of the speech, after referencing the achievements of American inventors such as Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison, he said,
Trump Signs Two Bills Promoting Women in STEM
On Feb. 27, President Trump signed into law two bipartisan bills that leverage existing programs at NASA and NSF to promote the advancement of women in STEM fields. The bills, which both chambers of Congress passed easily, were Trump’s first encounter with science policy legislation.
Companion Scientific Integrity Bill Introduced in the House
With 77 Democratic cosponsors, Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY) introduced the “Scientific Integrity Act,” a bill that aims to further codify and strengthen scientific integrity policies across the federal government. The bill is a companion measure to a Senate bill bearing the same name that Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) introduced in early February. Describing his motivation for sponsoring the legislation, Tonko remarked,
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Events This Week
Biophysical Society: “The Plumbing System for Cells – Understanding Why it Matters”
12:00 – 1:15 pm, (2253 Rayburn House Office Building)
Contact eweiss@biophysics.org for info and to RSVP
Wednesday, March 8 American Astronautical Society: Goddard Memorial Symposium (continues Thursday)
Greenbelt Marriott (Greenbelt, MD)
Webcast available
Monday, March 13 American Physical Society: March Meeting (continues through Friday)
Ernest Morial Convention Center (New Orleans, LA)
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Opportunities Water, Weather, and Climate Day on Capitol Hill
The American Meteorological Society is seeking member volunteers to participate in a Congressional Visit Day taking place on May 17 focused on weather, water, and climate science. The goal of the event is to teach scientists about Congress and build relationships between scientists and congressional offices. The application deadline is April 7.
Atlantic Council Science and Policy Fellowship
The Atlantic Council is welcoming applications for its four-month, part-time Science and Policy Fellowship. Applicants should be African Americans who are between 25 and 35 years of age and working in a STEM field. The fellows will work with the Strategic Foresight Initiative at the council’s Brent Scowcroft Center for International Security, focusing on “global trends and technology.”
AGI Accepting Policy Internship Applications
The American Geosciences Institute is seeking applications from current or recently graduated geoscience students for its D.C.-based geoscience policy internships. The application deadline for the summer internship is March 15 and the deadline for the fall internship is April 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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