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What’s Ahead
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| At a meeting of the National Academies Space Studies Board last week, NASA officials Steve Clarke and Ben Bussey said the Moon’s South Pole-Aitken Basin region will be a focus for science missions in advance of a planned crewed landing there in 2024. Water resources detected in the region could be used for life support and rocket fuel. The false colors in this image represent elevation. (Image credit - NASA / GSFC / University of Arizona) |
Science Committee to Examine NASA’s Expedited Lunar Plans
At a Space Subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, House Science Committee members will scrutinize NASA’s plans to push up a crewed lunar landing from 2028 to 2024. The witnesses will include Bill Gerstenmaier, the head of NASA’s human exploration program, and Mark Sirangelo, who just joined NASA to spearhead planning for the accelerated lunar program. Subcommittee Chair Kendra Horn (D-OK) has previously expressed concern over what she called the “radical shifts, changes, and instability being sprung upon Congress” in association with the new goal. The hearing’s title, “Keeping Our Sights on Mars,” suggests committee members are also worried the lunar program will distract from the longer-term goal of flying a crewed mission to that destination. Currently, few details concerning NASA’s plans are available as the agency prepares to request supplemental funding to achieve the new lunar landing date. NASA officials have indicated they do still plan to build the proposed Gateway outpost in lunar orbit and to conduct robotic science and technology demonstration missions ahead of the landing. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine has also said the agency will not divert funds from its science programs.
Major Study on Reproducibility in Science Set for Release
On Tuesday, the National Academies is holding a webinar to accompany the release of its study on reproducibility and replicability in science. The study was launched in late 2017 at the request of the National Science Foundation to take stock of difficulties across the sciences in replicating experimental findings and reproducing results on the basis of reported data. Critics have asserted that such difficulties reflect widespread shortcomings in scientific methods and practices, at least in certain fields, and some have suggested the situation represents a “crisis” for science. Ongoing concerns about the issue have led to calls for researchers to make their data, computer code, and other research materials more readily available as well as for reproduction and replication to become more integral to scientific work. The new report follows two other recent National Academies reports on “detrimental” research practices and the movement toward open science.
OSTP Creating Committee on ‘Improving Research Environments’
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy announced on Monday it is creating an interagency committee dedicated to “improving research environments.” Established within the National Science and Technology Council, the committee will focus on addressing “administrative burdens on federally funded research; rigor and integrity in research; safe, inclusive, and equitable research settings; and protecting American research assets.” It will be co-chaired by OSTP Director Kelvin Droegemeier, National Science Foundation Director France Córdova, National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins, Department of Energy Under Secretary for Science Paul Dabbar, and National Institute of Standards and Technology Director Walter Copan.
NSF Director and Board Chair Testifying on Budget
The House Science Committee will review the National Science Foundation’s budget request for fiscal year 2020 at a hearing on Wednesday. NSF Director France Córdova and National Science Board Chair Diane Souvaine will testify on the proposal, which would cut the agency’s budget by about $1 billion, or 12 percent, from its current enacted level. Committee Chair Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) has already criticized the budget as representing a “damaging step backward” for the agency, while also expressing support for NSF’s proposed investments in 10 Big Ideas and two “Convergence Accelerators.” She has nevertheless raised concerns that such programs could detract from NSF’s “core” research if pursued under a constrained budget.
Science Committee Delving Into STEM Workforce Diversity
The House Science Committee is holding a hearing Thursday on ways to increase the diversity of the STEM workforce, a priority of Committee Chair Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX). Johnson has long sought to advance the STEM Opportunities Act, a bill she has repeatedly introduced that would direct science agencies to collect and report demographic data on grantees, among other actions. Introducing the legislation in the last Congress, Johnson remarked, “A very similar bill passed the House as part of the America COMPETES Act of 2010, but unfortunately didn’t make it into the enacted law. As a result, every Congress since then, I have worked hard to keep the legislation updated and to convince my colleagues of the urgency of the challenges this bill addresses.”
Workshop Looks to Future of US Low Dose Radiation Research
The National Academies is hosting a symposium Wednesday and Thursday on the future of U.S.-based research on the biological effects of low doses of ionizing radiation. The Department of Energy and National Institutes of Health traditionally supported the bulk of U.S.-based work in the area, but DOE began to phase out funding for its program in 2012 and terminated it in 2016. Congress then directed DOE to continue its low dose work through the bipartisan DOE Research and Innovation Act, which was signed into law in September last year. However, the department did not mention low dose research in its latest budget request and its plans for the program remain unclear. Representatives from an array of federal agencies, including DOE, are scheduled to appear at the workshop, which will consider the history of the field, work in other countries, models for research coordination, and potential future directions.
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In Case You Missed It
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| House Appropriations Committee Chair Nita Lowey (D-NY) spoke about Democrats’ priorities for biomedical research at a hearing last week on the panel’s spending bill for the National Institutes of Health. (Image credit – House Appropriations Committee) |
House Spending Panel Proposes Another Boost for NIH
Last week, the House Appropriations Committee released its first spending bills of the fiscal year 2020 appropriations cycle, including its proposal for the National Institutes of Health. The bill would increase NIH’s budget 5 percent, or $2 billion, to $41.1 billion, continuing the pattern of budget increases that Congress has provided in recent years and rejecting the Trump administration’s proposed steep cuts. The committee will meet to consider amendments to the bill on Wednesday. Senate appropriators have not released any of their counterpart spending bills and Congress is still working on an agreement to raise the overarching spending caps currently in place for fiscal years 2020 and 2021. Final funding levels for NIH and other agencies will hinge on the outcome of those negotiations.
House Moves to Refund Office of Technology Assessment
The House Appropriations Committee’s bill to fund the Legislative Branch of government includes $6 million for the Office of Technology Assessment. The agency was established in 1974 to provide Congress with access to nonpartisan science and technology expertise, but it was defunded in 1995 and repeated efforts to restore it have been unsuccessful. Last year, Congress began to explore ways to augment the technical advice it receives, and the Government Accountability Office is already implementing plans to expand its science and technology assessment capabilities. In an op-ed last week, Reps. Mark Takano (D-CA) and Sean Casten (D-IL) argued further steps are needed to keep Congress properly informed, writing, “In the ecosystem of congressional support agencies [the Congressional Research Service] summarizes; GAO evaluates; and the OTA anticipates.”
Droegemeier Elaborates on ‘American Values’ at AAAS Forum
At the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s annual Forum on Science and Technology Policy last week, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Kelvin Droegemeier repeated and expanded on the agenda he outlined at the AAAS annual meeting in March. Defining how “American values” apply in the research context, Droegemeier said they encompass the “highest standards of ethical behavior, capability, openness, transparency, and collaboration” and noted their relevance to current concerns over topics such as reproducibility and research security. He also said OSTP is hiring an “assistant director for academic engagement” who will focus on reducing administrative burdens on researchers, ensuring research integrity, and protecting research assets.
Moniz Details ‘Green Real Deal’ in AAAS Lecture
Delivering the William D. Carey Lecture at the AAAS forum, former Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz further outlined his proposal for a “Green Real Deal” that will lead to “deep carbonization” by mid-century. He stressed that energy innovation will be essential to achieving dramatic reductions in carbon emissions by 2050, while noting that breakthroughs cannot be expected to make a “material” contribution to decarbonization over the next decade. He also emphasized the role of carbon capture in achieving net zero emissions and said the organization he now leads, the Energy Futures Initiative, plans to release a report in June detailing opportunities for R&D and demonstration projects. Noting that federal investment in the area is currently “very, very minimal,” he said the program would necessitate a broad doubling of energy R&D budgets in line with the goals of the international Mission Innovation initiative.
Nuclear Energy and Waste Bills Showcased at Hearing
On April 30, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on U.S. nuclear energy leadership, focusing on the bipartisan Nuclear Energy Leadership Act (NELA). The bill, which committee leaders introduced in March, is part of broader Congressional efforts to spur the development of advanced reactor designs. Idaho National Laboratory Director Mark Peters thanked the committee for their work in enacting two laws on the topic last session — the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act and the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act — and said NELA would be the “third leg of this stool.” While committee members expressed broad support for NELA, Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Angus King (I-ME) raised concerns the bill does not address nuclear waste storage. Committee Chair Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) said addressing the nuclear waste stalemate is also one of her “top priorities,” pointing to her recent reintroduction of the Nuclear Waste Administration Act with Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA).
Technology Transfer and Critical Minerals Bills Reintroduced in Senate
Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Cory Gardner (R-CO) reintroduced the Energy Technology Maturation Act on May 3, which would provide congressional authorization to the grant program the Department of Energy currently administers through its Energy Technology Commercialization Fund. The program provides national laboratories and other DOE facilities with funding to work with private industry partners to commercialize new technologies. Heinrich and Gardner first introduced the bill in September 2017. Also on May 3, Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chair Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Ranking Member Joe Manchin (D-WV) reintroduced the American Mineral Security Act, which, among its provisions, would support R&D on the processing, recycling, and replacement of critical minerals such as rare earth elements. The bill would also require the Labor Department, National Academies, and National Science Foundation to conduct a study of the nation’s mineral workforce.
Path Cleared for Confirmation of Remaining DOE Nominees
A procedural hurdle slowing the progress of Department of Energy nominees was removed last week, opening the way for the Senate to more quickly confirm appointees to lead the Office of Science, Office of Nuclear Energy, and Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) had placed a hold on the nominations after DOE transported plutonium to her state in response to a court order that the department remove it from the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. She agreed to stand down after DOE stated it would remove the plutonium from Nevada beginning in 2021. With the hold removed, the nominees could receive an expedited vote, though it remains unclear if the Senate plans to do so soon.
Democrats Introduce K–12 STEM Education Diversity Bill
Last week, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) and four other Democrats introduced the 21st Century STEM for Girls and Underrepresented Minorities Act, which would direct the Education Department to create a new STEM diversity grant program. The bill recommends that the department allocate $40 million over four years to activities such as mentoring programs, extracurricular activities, educational materials, and professional development for teachers and administrators. Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH) introduced companion legislation in the House, where a number of bills relating to STEM education are pending. Harris, a candidate for president, is also the lead sponsor on the Senate version of the Combating Sexual Harassment in Science Act.
NOAA Updates Science Committee on Spectrum Study
At a budget hearing last week, Neil Jacobs, acting administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, updated the House Science Committee on efforts to assess the impact of a controversial FCC spectrum auction on its satellite programs. Jacobs reported that an interagency study to identify what emissions levels would be acceptable is planned for completion on May 15. He also warned that “if the out of bounds emission thresholds [from telecommunications spectrum usage] are too large, essentially these instruments will just blind our satellites and we won’t be able to detect water vapor.” Asked by Ranking Member Frank Lucas (R-OK) whether continued investment in satellites would be worthwhile if spectrum interference limits their utility, Jacobs replied, “If it’s impacted to such that we can’t meet the emission requirements, then it would be prudent to rethink the investments in future polar orbiting satellites.”
NAS Approves Rule Change Permitting Member Expulsion
The governing council of the National Academy of Sciences voted on April 30 to allow the organization to reprimand or expel elected members for code of conduct violations, including proven cases of sexual harassment, if two-thirds of the council approves. In an interview, NAS President Marcia McNutt explained, “Some members have been asked to resign before, but we never had the capability to force the member to resign.” The full NAS membership will now vote on the change, with a simple majority required for it to pass. NAS expects the process to be complete by mid-June.
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Events This Week Monday, May 6
Tuesday, May 7
Wednesday, May 8
National Academies: “The Future of Low-Dose Radiation Research in the U.S.” (continues Thursday) 8:30 am - 5:00 pm, Wed; 8:30 am - 5:30 pm, Thu National Academy of Sciences building (2101 Constitution Ave. NW, DC) Webcast available House: NSF budget request hearing 10:00 am, Science Committee (2318 Rayburn Office Building) Senate: “New Entrants in the National Airspace: Policy, Technology, and Security Issues for Congress” 9:30 am, Commerce Committee (G50 Dirksen Office Building) House: “Smart Competition: Adapting U.S. Strategy Toward China at 40 Years” 10:00 am, Foreign Affairs Committee (2172 Rayburn Office Building) Senate: DOD budget request hearing 10:00 am, Appropriations Committee (192 Dirksen Office Building) House: Markup of Labor-HHS-Education spending bill 10:30 am, Appropriations Committee (2359 Rayburn Office Building) National Academies: U.S. Global Change Research Program Advisory Committee teleconference 1:00 - 3:30 pm USGS: National Geospatial Advisory Committee teleconference 1:00 - 4:30 pm House: “Keeping Our Sights on Mars: A Review of NASA’s Deep Space Exploration Program and Lunar Proposal” 2:00 pm, Science Committee (2318 Rayburn Office Building) Senate: “DOE’s Atomic Defense Activities and Programs” 2:30 pm, Armed Services Committee (222 Russell Office Building)
Thursday, May 9
ASU: “Second Decadal Rightful Place of Science Conference” (continues Thursday) Tempe, AZ National Academies: Seismology and Geodynamics Committee spring meeting (continues Friday) Open session: 8:00 am - 2:00 pm PDT, Thu University of California-Berkeley (Berkeley, CA) Webcast available Bipartisan Policy Center: “Near-Term Policy Opportunities for Carbon Removal with Direct Air Capture,” congressional briefing 9:30 am - 11:00 am, 385 Russell Senate Office Building House: “Achieving the Promise of a Diverse STEM Workforce” 10:00 am, Science Committee (2318 Rayburn Office Building) Commerce Department: Materials Technical Advisory Committee meeting 10:00 am, Commerce Department headquarters (1401 Constitution Ave. NW, DC) House: DOE budget request hearing 10:15 am, Energy and Commerce Committee (2123 Rayburn Office Building) House: “Oversight of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office” 2:00 pm, Judiciary Committee (2141 Rayburn Office Building) Brookings: “Assessing China’s growing role in the world: A conversation with Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA)” 4:30 - 5:30 pm, Brookings Institution (1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW, DC) CSIS: “Double Jeopardy, Combating Nuclear Terror and Climate Change” 5:00 - 6:30 pm, CSIS headquarters (1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW, DC) Webcast available
Friday, May 10
No events start today.
Sunday, May 12
Monday, May 13
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Opportunities National Science Board Seeking Nominees
The National Science Board is accepting nominations for its 2020-2026 class. The board oversees the National Science Foundation and advises the federal government on science, engineering, and education policy. A “Dear Colleague” letter issued by NSB Chair Diane Souvaine includes additional information on the nomination process and lists particular areas for which the board is seeking expertise. Nominations are due May 31.
APLU Hiring for Federal Affairs Positions
The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities is recruiting for two positions in its Office of Congressional and Governmental Affairs. The assistant director will help develop science policy and budget priorities for the association, and the director will focus on higher education policy. Applications will be accepted until each position is filled.
AIP Hosting ComSciCon Conference
The American Institute of Physics is accepting applications for ComSciCon-AIP, a science communication conference for graduate students, organized by graduate students. The workshop will be held at AIP in College Park, Maryland, on September 23 to 24 and will feature panel discussions on media engagement, policymaking, and storytelling. Attendees must be recent or current U.S. graduate students and be members of an AIP Member Society or Affiliated Society. Applications are due May 31.
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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