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What’s Ahead
Astronomers Gathering in Austin for AAS Meeting
The American Astronomical Society is holding its 230th meeting this Sunday through Thursday in Austin, Texas. A number of policy related sessions are on the agenda, including National Science Foundation, NASA, and laboratory astrophysics town hall events and an update on the NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program. The society is also hosting a session to discuss the first overhaul of the society’s governance model in more than 50 years. See Upcoming Events for more information.
Perry to Visit Fukushima, Attend Energy Innovation Ministerial
Axios reports that Energy Secretary Rick Perry will travel to Japan this week to visit Fukushima, where reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant melted down following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. Perry will then attend the second Mission Innovation ministerial meeting in China, which runs from June 6 to 8. At the inaugural Mission Innovation meeting, several countries, including the U.S., pledged to double their investment in clean energy R&D over a five-year period.
Interagency Nuclear Science Advisory Committee To Meet
The Department of Energy and National Science Foundation-supported Nuclear Science Advisory Committee will be holding its first meeting of 2017 on Friday. Speakers will include the acting director of the DOE Office of Science Steve Binkley, NSF’s acting assistant director for Mathematical and Physical Sciences Jim Ulvestad, as well as the officials in charge of DOE’s and NSF’s nuclear physics programs. President Trump’s budget request calls for a 17 percent cut to the DOE Office of Science and an 11 percent cut to NSF. The meeting will also offer updates on several ongoing nuclear science facility projects and research initiatives. The full meeting agenda is available here, and the meeting will be webcast here.
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In Case You Missed It
Trump’s ‘Drastic’ Cuts to Science Prompt Alarm
President Trump’s fiscal year 2018 budget request, released on May 23, proposes to slash the budgets of the federal science agencies, including the complete elimination of the Advanced Projects Research Agency–Energy. The cuts are being framed by the administration as part of a broader reduction in non-defense spending needed to offset a boost in military and border security spending. Responses from policymakers and the scientific community have ranged from skeptical to alarmed to outraged.
House Science Committee Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) warned that, “Instead of preserving and promoting America’s leadership in science and technology, this budget would put our nation on a path of decline.” Senate Energy-Water Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) cautioned that, “We should not pretend to balance the budget by cutting national laboratories, national parks, and the National Institutes of Health.” Physicist congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) called it “ a devastating blow to the United States’ position as a leader in science and innovation.” And a group of over 150 scientific, engineering, and medical organizations and academic institutions sent a letter to Congress last week calling the cuts “ drastic” and warning they “ would cripple the science and technology enterprise, severely harming discovery science programs and critical mission agencies alike.” See Around the Web for more community and media responses to the Trump budget.
Research Overhead Costs Examined by House Committee
On May 24, the Research and Technology and Oversight subcommittees of the House Science Committee held a joint hearing to explore the indirect costs of research that are funded through the National Science Foundation and other agencies. Questions explored included whether the scope of the costs claimed by grant recipients is reasonable and whether the government’s method of setting indirect cost rates through institution-by-institution negotiation is sound. Committee Chair Lamar Smith (R-TX) suggested that recently there has been an expansion in overhead costs, and asked whether the amounts funded might be excessive and whether those funds are being used wisely. Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) urged that indirect costs not be used as a justification for slashing research funding. She pointed to Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price’s recent claim that reducing indirect cost funding could pay for proposed cuts to the National Institutes of Health budget with minimal harm to research.
Science Committee Hears From EPA Science Panel Chair
Much of the discussion at a May 23 House Science Committee hearing on the role of the states in EPA rulemaking revolved around Administrator Scott Pruitt’s controversial decision not to renew the terms of nine members of its Board of Scientific Counsellors (BOSC). Among the witnesses was BOSC Chair Deborah Swackhamer, who testified that Pruitt has the authority to shape the agency’s advisory panels as he sees fit, but called the decision “unusual.” She also noted in her written testimony that the move “may lead to the perception that science is being politicized and marginalized within EPA.” Committee Chair Lamar Smith (R-TX) did not directly discuss BOSC, but claimed that during the Obama administration EPA’s scientific advisory panels were “packed with ‘experts’ of one mindset, acting as a rubberstamp to the agency’s agenda.” Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) argued that the non-renewal is “just the latest example of [the Trump] administration’s efforts to silence scientists.”
DOE Deputy Secretary Nominee Pledges Support for Labs
On May 25, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a generally uncontentious confirmation hearing for Dan Brouillette as deputy energy secretary. In his written statement, Brouillette spoke on the importance of the Department of Energy’s national laboratories, saying that because of the labs, DOE “plays a central role in advancing America’s leadership in scientific research and development, energy technology, and nuclear security.” During his discussion with committee members, Brouillette said he would work with Congress on developing a budget that supports DOE programs and labs, pledging that if confirmed he will be an “advocate” for the programs.
Democrats Continue to Pressure DOE on Funding Obligations
On May 23, a group of 59 House Democrats wrote to Energy Secretary Rick Perry concerning the Department of Energy’s failure to distribute funds for previously awarded Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy grants . While DOE has claimed it is merely reviewing ARPA–E’s grants, the letter asserts that the department is not within its rights to review funds already obligated for prior fiscal years. Moreover, it suggests that DOE’s Office of Management, which is conducting the review, does not have the technical expertise to do so. The letter demands the immediate release of all presently frozen funds. This issue first arose in April when Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) initiated an inquiry on the matter. DOE recently announced that it had released funds for three ARPA-E grants.
Trump Aims to Fill Out Nuclear Regulatory Commission
On May 22, President Trump nominated Annie Caputo and David Wright to fill the two remaining vacant seats on the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Caputo currently serves as a senior policy advisor for the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee majority and has a bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Wright heads a strategic consulting and communications business in the energy sector and served a president of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners. Trump also reappointed nuclear engineer and former Senate staffer Kristine Svinicki, who was named chair in January, to serve a full five-year term. Svinicki has been serving as a commissioner since 2008. All three nominees now await Senate confirmation.
Perry and Alexander Visit Oak Ridge National Laboratory
On May 22, as part of his plan to visit all the Department of Energy’s national labs, Energy Secretary Rick Perry joined Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), chairman of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee for DOE, and Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN) for a tour of Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. Asked about proposed budget cuts to the national labs, Perry replied:
President Trump’s fiscal year 2018 budget, released last week, would cut funding for the DOE Office of Science by 17 percent and the base budget of Oak Ridge National Laboratory by $206 million or 16 percent. Bill Promoting Women and Minorities in STEM Introduced
In the wake of the sweeping cuts to STEM education proposed in the Trump budget request, House and Senate Democrats introduced the “STEM Opportunities Act of 2017.” The bill, according to sponsor and House Science Committee Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), “attempts to systematically address the full suite of issues facing both female and minority STEM researchers, from work-life balance policies, to campus climate, to better data collection, to recruitment and retention practices.” Johnson introduced similar legislation in previous congressional sessions.
DOD Research Leaders Host Lab Day at Pentagon
On May 18, the Department of Defense hosted its second biennial Lab Day at Pentagon Center Courtyard. Scientists, engineers, and other leaders in DOD’s sprawling research enterprise showcased basic research enabling new U.S. military capabilities. DOD’s news release on the event is here.
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Events This Week
Monday, May 29 Memorial Day
Sunday, June 4 AAS: 230th Meeting (continues through Thursday)
JW Marriott Austin (Austin, TX)
Selected policy events:
—National Science Foundation Town Hall, 12:45 - 1:45 pm, Mon.;
—New AAS Governance Model Town Hall, 12:45 - 1:45 pm, Tue.;
—NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program Update, 2:00 - 3:30 pm, Tue.;
—Laboratory Astrophysics Division Town Hall, 6:30 - 7:30 pm, Tue.;
—NASA Town Hall, 12:45 - 1:45 pm, Wed.
NSF: Spring Grants Conference (continues Tuesday)
Hyatt Regency (Louisville, KY)
Webcast will be available after the meeting
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Opportunities Nominations Open for EPA Board of Scientific Counselors
The Environmental Protection Agency is accepting nominations for several new members on the Board of Scientific Counselors, following the agency’s decision not to renew appointments of several members. The board’s members are appointed by EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and serve for three years as special government employees on one of the board’s five subcommittees or its executive committee. Self nominations are accepted, and nominations are due by June 30.
Nominations Open for Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate
The National Academies is currently accepting nominations for new members on the Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate. Members typically serve for three years and advise on policy and technical issues in atmospheric science, meteorology, and climate sciences. Interested individuals should apply by June 23.
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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