What’s Ahead

Work continues on ProtoDUNE, a pair of neutrino detectors under construction at the CERN physics laboratory in Europe. They are prototypes for the DUNE detector, to be built in South Dakota, which will be 20 times as large and serve as the target of a neutrino beam generated at Fermilab outside of Chicago. (Image credit – CERN)

High Energy Physics Panel to Reflect on Field’s Progress

A significant portion of the High Energy Physics Advisory Panel meeting this Thursday and Friday is devoted to evaluating progress in implementing the recommendations of the 2014 Particle Physics Project Prioritization Panel (P5) report. The P5 process establishes an authoritative 10-year agenda for the field that guides funding decisions at the Department of Energy and National Science Foundation. The latest report charted a course for U.S. particle physics following the shutdown of Fermilab’s Tevatron collider, reorienting the laboratory’s focus toward neutrino physics. It also recommended work on an array of experiments geared toward understanding the nature of dark energy and dark matter. Enabled by budgets that have exceeded anticipated levels, the development of many projects prioritized by the report is well underway. Discussions are now beginning about scheduling a new “Snowmass” meeting, which will kick off the next P5 process.

Workshop to Examine Role of Prizes in Innovation Ecosystem

On Wednesday, the National Academies is holding a workshop on the role of prize competitions in spurring innovation, which will inform an in-progress study of the topic. The event will review how federal agencies have implemented prize competitions and survey lessons learned. Agencies’ use of prizes has increased considerably in recent years, and several agencies commissioned the study to improve understanding of the circumstances in which prizes are most effective.

Work on Spending and Defense Policy Bills Awaits After Recess

Congress is on recess this week in conjunction with the Memorial Day holiday. Lawmakers will return on June 3 with a full plate of work remaining on the annual appropriations process. The House Appropriations Committee has approved spending bills covering the lion’s share of federal science agencies, and the bills will now head to the floor where further amendments will be considered. While the House committee is proposing substantial increases to science programs, final spending levels will hinge on the outcome of ongoing negotiations between the House, Senate, and White House to raise caps on federal spending and avert sharp spending cuts that would otherwise automatically occur. A point of contention in the current talks is how increases would be distributed between the defense and nondefense portions of the budget, the latter of which funds most science programs. Lawmakers will also continue work on this year’s National Defense Authorization Act. The Senate Armed Services Committee approved its version of the bill last week, a summary of which is now posted, and the House committee is scheduled to consider its version in the first week of June.

In Case You Missed It

Chris Fall addresses the ARPA–E Innovation Summit in March 2018.

Chris Fall Confirmed as Director of DOE Office of Science

The Senate confirmed Chris Fall to be director of the Department of Energy Office of Science by voice vote on May 23, a full year after his nomination. Fall, who holds a doctorate in neuroscience, previously served for a short period as the Trump administration’s top official at the Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy. Before that, he held a series of positions with the Office of Naval Research, including acting chief scientist, and from 2014 to 2017 he was detailed to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy as its assistant director for defense programs and later as acting head of its national security and international affairs division. The Office of Science, which administers a $6.6 billion portfolio of fundamental research, has been without a director for the duration of the Trump administration. During that time, the top civil servant in the office, Steve Binkley, has been standing in as director. The same day as the vote on Fall, the Senate also confirmed former Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory weapons scientist William Bookless as the principal deputy administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration by voice vote. President Trump’s nominees for ARPA–E director and head of the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy are still awaiting confirmation.

DOE Science Programs See Boosts Under House Proposal

The House Appropriations Committee advanced spending legislation for the Department of Energy last week that would provide funding increases across a variety of science programs. The Office of Science budget would increase almost $300 million, or 4%, and funding for a number of major construction projects, including the LBNF/DUNE neutrino experiment, would ramp up. The bill also includes $230 million for the U.S. contribution to the France-based ITER fusion energy project, partially making up for shortfalls in previous years. In the face of the Trump administration’s particularly steep proposed cuts to DOE’s applied energy research programs, the legislation would increase the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s budget 11% to $2.65 billion and increase the Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy’s budget 16% to $425 million. Overall funding for DOE’s Offices of Fossil Energy and Nuclear Energy would remain about the same, and the Versatile Test Reactor project at Idaho National Laboratory would maintain its current $65 million funding level as work continues on its conceptual design. The National Nuclear Security Administration budget would rise $665 million, or 4%, falling short of the administration’s requested 8% increase.

House Appropriators Support WFIRST, Europa Missions

The House Appropriations Committee also advanced its spending proposal for NASA, which includes a 4% increase for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate. The committee proposes $511 million for the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope, which the Trump administration proposed to cancel. While the amount represents a significant increase over last year, it is short of the $542 million NASA Astrophysics Division Director Paul Hertz has said the telescope needs to stay on schedule and under its $3.2 billion cost cap. The proposal also provides the requested $593 million for the Europa Clipper. It includes no funding for a follow-on lander mission, stating that its funding for the current fiscal year will be enough for next year as well. The administration has proposed canceling the project, noting it was not recommended in the last planetary science decadal survey, but House appropriators maintain it is a “priority.” The proposal does not address NASA’s recent request for additional funds to achieve an expedited crewed landing on the Moon in 2024.

House Bill Includes Substantial Bump for NSF Budget

The National Science Foundation’s budget would increase 7% to $8.6 billion under the House’s proposal, with the agency’s main account for research activities rising 9% to $7.1 billion. The bill would also provide the requested amount of funding for construction of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, upgrades to the Large Hadron Collider, modernization of Antarctic research facilities, and a new mid-scale research infrastructure program. Appropriators do however express concern about the agency’s preparations for the next generation of large facilities, calling on NSF to “develop a comprehensive and prioritized list of large-scale facilities requested by NSF-supported science disciplines.”

Other Science Agencies Also Favored

Several other science agencies would also see substantial budget increases under the House Appropriations Committee’s legislation:

NOAA: The budget of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s main science office would rise 14% to $644 million, with the largest increases channeled to supercomputing, climate research, and weather research.
NIST: The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s budget would rise 6% to just over $1 billion, with increases spread across accounts supporting the agency’s laboratory programs, manufacturing services, and facility construction.
USGS: The U.S. Geological Survey’s budget would increase 7% to $1.2 billion. The appropriators reject the administration’s proposed reorganization of science mission areas and propose a 50% budget increase to the agency’s climate science centers.
DOD: In a break with the broader trend, the Defense Department’s Science and Technology accounts would collectively decrease 7% to $14.8 billion, near their fiscal year 2018 level, though overall funding for basic research programs would decrease only slightly.

Interagency Council on Extreme Weather Proposed

In their budget proposal for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, House appropriators included language that would direct the office to “create and convene an Interagency Council on Extreme Weather Resilience, Preparedness, and Risk Identification and Management.” OSTP and the new council would also be required to develop an agency-by-agency plan to implement resilience, preparedness, and risk priorities within six months of the proposal’s enactment. The language notes that “extreme weather events are complex, crosscutting problems that pose risk to agriculture, infrastructure, commerce, and human health while presenting a significant financial risk to the federal government.” While the language does not mention climate change directly, Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA) said at an Appropriations Committee meeting on May 22 that the proposal is intended to address “the many risks of climate change and extreme weather.”

USGS Restricts Climate Projections to Two Decades

According to a May 27 New York Times report on the state of climate science in the Trump administration, U.S. Geological Survey Director Jim Reilly has ordered that the agency’s climate models should project climate change impacts only through the year 2040. Many other climate models, including the National Climate Assessment, offer projections through 2100, which allows them to capture the more severe impacts expected in the latter half of this century. According to the Times, Reilly defended the change as a way to focus on more certain projections, explaining, “We’re looking for answers with our partners and to get statistical significance from what we understand.”

NASA Drops Plans for ‘Moon to Mars’ Directorate

In a message to employees on May 23, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine reported that the agency is calling off its plans to create a new Moon to Mars Mission Directorate. He first announced his intention to create the directorate shortly after Vice President Mike Pence directed NASA to undertake a crewed lunar landing in 2024, four years ahead of the previous schedule. However, according to Bridenstine, the proposed reorganization has not found support in Congress. In view of the decision, NASA’s point person for its Moon to Mars planning, Mark Sirangelo, tendered his resignation on May 20, just over one month after he was hired. In his resignation letter, Sirangelo stated he had anticipated receiving another position associated with the reorganization and that with those plans now abandoned he felt his “planning role is complete.”

Two Bipartisan Energy Storage Bills Introduced

Last week Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL) introduced an updated version of the Better Energy Storage Technology (BEST) Act, which was first introduced during the last Congress. The bill would direct the Department of Energy to develop a 10-year energy storage strategic plan and, by the end of fiscal year 2023, enter agreements to conduct up to five grid-scale energy storage demonstration projects. The new version of the bill also supports projects addressing both short-term and seasonal energy storage needs. Another bipartisan bill, the Promoting Grid Storage Act, which is sponsored by Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) and Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL), would recommend funding of more than $1 billion over five years to support grants for grid-scale energy storage implementation efforts. The bill would also aim to improve coordination across DOE’s various energy storage R&D programs. The new bills join three other energy storage bills introduced earlier this year.

Senate Committee Turns to Renewable Energy

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee continued its ongoing work on energy innovation on May 21 with a hearing on renewable energy and energy efficiency. The discussion largely focused on the barriers to improving energy efficiency and deploying renewable energy, including costs and incentive structures. National Renewable Energy Laboratory Director Martin Keller spoke about R&D projects at the lab, including a recent $100 million, 10-year agreement with ExxonMobile to research the commercial-scale use of biofuels and carbon capture and storage. Later in the hearing, he said the cost and scalability of renewable-generated energy storage remains a problem in need of additional research and innovation. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee has announced it will hold a hearing dedicated to grid-scale energy storage on June 4.

National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Proposed

Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Rob Portman (R-OH) introduced legislation on May 21 to establish a National Artificial Intelligence Initiative that is a companion to a bill introduced in the House in April by Reps. Dan Lipinski (D-IL) and Tom Reed (R-NY). The bills would create an interagency office to coordinate investments in AI research and education across government agencies. They would also direct the National Science Foundation and Department of Energy to each establish up to five AI research centers and require the National Institute of Standards and Technology to support measurement and standards development for commercial AI applications, including by convening consortia of public and private sector stakeholders. The structure of the proposed initiative is substantially similar to that of the National Quantum Initiative enacted earlier this year.

Events This Week

Tuesday, May 28

Mission Innovation: 4th Ministerial Meeting (continues through Wednesday) Vancouver, CA NASA: Human Exploration and Operations Advisory Committee meeting (continues Wednesday) NASA headquarters (300 E St. SW, DC) Webcast available ASU CSPO: “Empowering Communities to Shape the Future” 8:30 - 10:30 am, ASU DC center (1800 I St. NW, DC) NASA: STEM Engagement Advisory Committee meeting 12:00 - 3:30 pm, Webinar C2ES: “Pathways to 2050: Alternative Scenarios for Decarbonizing the U.S. Economy” 1:30 - 3:30 pm, National Union Building (918 F St. NW, DC) World Resources Institute: “Xcel Energy: Setting Ambitious Carbon Goals for System-Wide Transition” 3:30 - 4:30 pm, Webinar

Wednesday, May 29

Hudson Institute: “The Arms Control Landscape” 8:45 - 11:00 am, Hudson Institute headquarters (1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, DC) Webcast available National Academies: “Workshop on the Role of Inducement Prizes” 9:00 am - 5:30 pm, Keck Center (500 5th St. NW, DC) Webcast available STEM Education Coalition: “The Challenges of Workforce Retraining in STEM Fields” 2:00 - 3:00 pm, 2325 Rayburn House Office Building

Thursday, May 30

DOE: High Energy Physics Advisory Panel meeting (continues Friday) Rockville Hilton (Rockville, MD) Webcast available NASA: Advisory Council Meeting (continues Friday)
NASA headquarters (300 E St. SW, DC) Webcast available AAAS: Webinar on S&T Policy Fellowship Program 2:00 - 3:00 pm National Academies: “Decadal Assessment of Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Science” (continues Friday) Milwaukee, WI

Friday, May 31

NSF: STEM Education Advisory Panel meeting Closed to the public

Monday, June 3

NOAA: Integrated Ocean Observing System Advisory Committee meeting (continues Tuesday) Consortium for Ocean Leadership (1201 New York Ave. NW, DC) New America: “Next Generation Wi-Fi: Accelerating 5G for All Americans” 12:00 - 2:00 pm, New America headquarters (740 15th St. NW, DC) NSF: Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee meeting 12:00 - 3:00 pm, Webinar National Academies: “Enhancing U.S. Nuclear Forensics and Attribution Support Capabilities,” meeting three (continues through Friday) Closed to the public

Opportunities

DOE Seeking Input on Quantum Centers Funding Opportunity

The Department of Energy is soliciting input for an upcoming funding opportunity announcement on establishing new quantum research centers. The agency is seeking help from the community to identify topic areas of importance, management options, and review criteria for centers, among other items. Submissions are due July 5.

FAS Collecting Testimonials of International Collaboration Benefits

The Federation of American Scientists is collecting testimonials from scientists on the benefits of international collaboration in research and the contributions of foreign nationals to the U.S. research system. It is also seeking volunteers to serve as an “on-call scientist” on the topic or meet with members of Congress. The effort is motivated by Senate Finance Committee Chair Chuck Grassley’s (R-IA) recent series of inquiries into how science agencies guard against exploitation by foreign nations. FAS states Grassley is planning to hold a hearing on the subject in early June.

NSF Hiring Deputy Director for Physics Division

The National Science Foundation is accepting applications for the deputy director position in its physics division. Applicants must have a PhD in physics or a closely related field and demonstrate broad understanding of university research and grant administration. Submissions are due July 15.

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? Email us at fyi@aip.org.