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What’s Ahead
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| President Biden test drives a hybrid Jeep Wrangler at a clean car event hosted by the White House. (Image credit – Adam Schultz / The White House) |
Congress Sends Infrastructure Bill to Biden
On Nov. 5, the House approved the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act on a vote of 228 to 206, sending it to President Biden for his signature. Thirteen House Republicans joined all but six Democrats in supporting the measure. Over a multiyear period, the bill will provide more than $1 trillion in spending, about half of which is beyond what is already provided through the annual appropriations process. The new spending includes around $25 billion for energy technology demonstration projects, most of which will be managed by a new Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations in the Department of Energy, representing a sea change in the department’s support for areas such as carbon mitigation technology and hydrogen production. The bill will provide the U.S. Geological Survey with more than $500 million, most of which is for expanding its Earth Mapping Resources Initiative and establishing an academic energy and minerals research facility. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will receive nearly $3 billion for environmental protection and restoration activities, a small portion of which is for data and computing infrastructure. The version of the bill the House passed is unchanged from what the Senate passed in August on a vote of 69 to 30. Legislative attention now turns to Democrats’ efforts to pass the Build Back Better Act, which currently includes billions of dollars for science agencies out of a total price tag of nearly $2 trillion. House Democrats plan to vote on the bill next week, but the Senate may yet make significant changes to gain the unanimous support of all 50 Democrats needed to pass the bill using Congress’ budget reconciliation process.
COP26 Climate Negotiations Continue
The UN’s 26th annual climate change conference continues through Friday this week, with representatives of nearly 200 countries aiming to reach consensus on actions to limit global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius. Public events will occur in parallel with the negotiations, including sessions on Tuesday focused on science and innovation. Among the major commitments made during the first week of the conference, more than 100 countries pledged to reduce global methane emissions by more than 30% by 2030 and, in line with that goal, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed strict limits on domestic emissions of methane. The Department of Energy also announced a series of decarbonization initiatives, including a “Carbon Negative Shot” to achieve gigaton-scale removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere within a decade with a capture and storage cost of less than $100 per net metric ton. DOE also launched a “Net Zero World” initiative through which experts from its national laboratories will assist low- and middle-income countries in designing and implementing decarbonization strategies. In addition, it was announced that in September 2022 Pittsburgh will host the next ministerial meeting of Mission Innovation, a mechanism through which countries have pledged to ramp up spending on energy R&D.
NASA to Present Update on Lunar Exploration Plans
NASA is holding a press event on Tuesday to present an update on its Artemis lunar exploration program. Since 2019, the program has been focused on conducting a crewed lunar landing by the end of 2024, following directions from the Trump administration, and the Biden administration has not yet formally changed that plan, even though it is highly unlikely the timetable can be achieved. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson has previously said the agency would provide updated plans pending the resolution of challenges that the company Blue Origin lodged against NASA’s decision to award a contract to the company SpaceX for a crewed lunar lander. Last week, a court put an end to those challenges, dismissing a suit Blue Origin filed in August after its initial protest of the contract failed. NASA indicated in a statement it will now resume work with SpaceX “as soon as possible.” Under current plans, once the Artemis program undertakes its first crewed landing, it will begin building up a sustained presence on and around the Moon, enabling the demonstration of new astronautical capabilities, the exploitation of lunar resources, and the conduct of an intensive program of scientific research.
Hearing to Showcase Windstorm Impact Reduction Program
On Wednesday, the House Science Committee is holding a hearing to make the case for updating the interagency National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program, which coordinates research on the nature of windstorms and aims to develop cost-effective mitigation measures. The program was created in 2004 and last reauthorized in 2015. Witnesses for the hearing include officials from three of the four main agencies that contribute to the program: the National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Science Foundation, and Federal Emergency Management Agency. The committee last held a hearing on the subject in 2019, at which Committee Chair Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) argued the program currently operates on a “shoestring budget at best,” given the high cost of windstorm damage across the U.S. In its last biennial report to Congress, the program reported spending $36 million in fiscal year 2019 across the four participating agencies, which also include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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In Case You Missed It
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| An artist’s impression of a habitable exoplanet. Searching for and characterizing potentially habitable exoplanets is one of the top science goals identified in the latest decadal survey for astronomy and astrophysics. (Image credit – ESA / Hubble, M. Kornmesser) |
Decadal Survey Updates Priorities for Astrophysical Science
The National Academies released its latest decadal survey for astronomy and astrophysics on Nov. 4 after nearly three years of work. Known as Astro2020 for short, the survey sets priorities for research and major projects on behalf of the U.S. astrophysical sciences community and will guide decision-making at NASA, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Energy. The survey recommends NASA’s next flagship astrophysics mission be an infrared/optical/ultraviolet space telescope with an aperture of about six meters that would launch in the early 2040s and be able to study around 25 potentially habitable exoplanets while also serving as a versatile astrophysical observatory. In addition, the survey recommends NASA establish a program to mature technologies, science goals, and mission architectures before fully committing to developing flagship missions so as to avoid some of the pitfalls that past large-scale missions have encountered. The survey’s top recommendation for ground-based astronomy is for NSF to support at least one, and preferably both, of the Thirty Meter Telescope and Giant Magellan Telescope, completing construction in the mid-2030s. The survey also offers extensive direction on other projects and initiatives and it is the first iteration of the exercise to devote extensive attention to the state of the astronomy and astrophysics profession. The survey co-chairs and officials from NASA, NSF, and DOE will be speaking on Monday and Tuesday at a meeting of the Academies’ Committee on Astronomy and Astrophysics.
Survey Backs Proposal to Terminate SOFIA Telescope
Among its recommendations, the Astro2020 decadal survey advocates that by 2023 NASA cease operating the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, an airborne telescope. The survey argues that SOFIA’s scientific productivity is “very low” and often exceeded by smaller missions despite it having an annual $85 million budget comparable to that of flagship missions such as the Hubble Space Telescope. The survey also concludes, “There is no evidence that SOFIA could transition to a significantly more productive scientific future.” In the last two years, the Trump and Biden administrations each proposed to zero out the mission’s funding. However, Congress has so far shielded it from termination. In their appropriations bills for the current fiscal year, the House proposes to continue funding SOFIA while the Senate is silent on the matter. The telescope saw first light in 2010 following a lengthy and costly mission development process and began operating at full capacity in 2014.
LHC Upgrade and LBNF/DUNE Face Budget Crunch
At last week’s meeting of the High Energy Physics Advisory Panel, Department of Energy official Mike Procario reported that the Biden administration’s budget request and Congress’ responding appropriations proposals have threatened to leave upgrade projects at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider short of necessary funding. According to Procario, shortly before releasing the request, the administration reduced the allocation for the projects to a combined total of $40 million, less than half the anticipated requirement. He recounted that DOE’s High Energy Physics program was told at the time that further funding for the projects would be provided through the partisan spending bill now known as the Build Back Better Act. However, while those funds were included in an early draft of the bill, they have since been removed. Procario said that, pending congressional approval, DOE now may shift $25 million from other activities as a stopgap to avoid the “worst impacts” of a cut.
Meanwhile, the HEP program is also stretching out the future funding profile for its flagship project, the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility and Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment. Procario reported that appropriators have not ramped up project funding as quickly as expected and the situation is apt to be exacerbated by the need to allocate additional funds to the LHC upgrades in fiscal year 2023. However, the main issue affecting the profile is the increase in LBNF/DUNE’s total expected cost to DOE from less than $2 billion in 2019 to about $3 billion now. Fermilab official Chris Mossey, who directs the U.S. portion of the international project, told HEPAP that the current, budget-constrained plan is to complete work on two underground detectors in South Dakota in 2029 and delay completing Fermilab-based components of the project until 2031 and 2032. Mossey said the strategy would allow scientific work to begin as early as possible, albeit only on science goals not requiring the neutrino beam Fermilab will ultimately transmit to the South Dakota detectors. The Democrats’ Build Back Better Act had included $1.3 billion for LBNF/DUNE, but that funding has likewise been removed.
Richmond Confirmed as Top DOE Science Official
The Senate confirmed physical chemist Geri Richmond as the Department of Energy’s under secretary for science and energy by voice vote on Nov. 5, days after the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee advanced her nomination. She is the first nominee for a science-focused Department of Energy position to clear the confirmation process. The committee also advanced the nominations of Asmeret Asefaw Berhe to lead DOE’s Office of Science and Brad Crabtree to lead its Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, though both are still awaiting approval by the full Senate. While Richmond’s and Crabtree’s nominations were approved by voice votes from the committee, Berhe’s was advanced on a 12-to-8 roll call vote, with Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) joining committee Democrats in supporting her. Ranking Member John Barrasso (R-WY) reiterated his argument before the vote that Berhe’s expertise in soil science is not well-matched to the Office of Science’s research portfolio, and her confirmation may have to wait until a roll call vote can be scheduled on the floor.
US Chief Data Scientist Appointed
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has appointed data strategist Denice Ross as the U.S. Chief Data Scientist, a role created under President Obama that has not been filled since 2017. Ross previously worked in the White House from 2014 to 2017, first as a presidential innovation fellow and then in the Office of Management and Budget, where she focused on data initiatives related to police reform and disaster recovery. Most recently, she worked as a senior fellow at the National Conference on Citizenship, leading a task force to improve Census data. In a blog post announcing her appointment, Ross reflected on the link between data science and policymaking in the face of national crises, emphasizing how the pandemic and other disasters have amplified social disparities. “As chief data scientist, I’m focused on addressing these questions: What data do we need to design an equitable recovery? How will we use that data responsibly and to ensure we are building back better? What can we do to support the federal, tribal, state, and local data practitioners so they can help deliver better outcomes for the American people?” she wrote.
Report Reviews Progress in Antarctic Research
On Oct. 28, the National Academies released its mid-term assessment of the 2015 Antarctic research decadal survey, which recommended the National Science Foundation prioritize efforts to understand sea-level rise, the evolution of Antarctic organisms, and certain astrophysical phenomena. The assessment concludes that progress on the recommendations has generally fallen short, partly because “logistical constraints have affected the available support for science” across all three research priorities. It states that even before the pandemic “several supported projects experienced serious delays, and scientifically highly rated proposals have been declined due to logistical constraints,” such as increased aircraft costs. It adds that the research community is “deeply concerned about sustaining an adequate Antarctic science program over the next 5-to-10 years given these logistical constraints, the age of the U.S. Antarctic Program research vessels, and the lack of a polar-class research vessel.” The assessment notes that the planned construction of a new U.S. polar-class research vessel by around 2030 may help alleviate the situation. The report also draws attention to workforce issues, stating that the 2015 report “failed to address the lack of diversity, equity, and inclusion in polar sciences and the systemic cultural issues that contribute to this shortcoming in the Antarctic sciences.”
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Events This Week
All times are Eastern Daylight Time and all congressional hearings are webcast, unless otherwise noted. Listings do not imply endorsement.
Monday, November 8
Tuesday, November 9
Wednesday, November 10
Thursday, November 11
Veterans Day
Friday, November 12
Monday, November 15
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Opportunities Fermilab Seeks Input on Search for New Director
The committee conducting a search for the next director of Fermilab is accepting recommendations for candidates for the role as well as input on the search process. The current director, Nigel Lockyer, is stepping down in Spring 2022. Confidential comments can be sent to Fermilab@spencerstuart.com.
NIST Assessing China’s Influence on International Standards
The National Institute of Standards and Technology is accepting input for a congressionally mandated study that will examine the “effect of the policies of the People’s Republic of China and coordination among industrial entities within the People’s Republic of China on international bodies engaged in developing and setting international standards for emerging technologies.” NIST specifically requests comments on the implications of the “Made in China 2025” plan and the “China Standards 2035” plan, such as whether international standards for certain emerging technologies are “being designed to promote or favor” Chinese entities. Submissions are due Dec. 6.
DOE Seeking Input on Scientific Software Stewardship
The Department of Energy Office of Science is seeking input on “factors relevant to the development of a software stewardship model suitable for sustaining the software ecosystem for scientific and high-performance computing.” Specific areas of interest include training and workforce needs, software dependencies, governance processes, engineering resources, and project support. Comments are due Dec. 13.
Know of an upcoming science policy event either inside or outside the Beltway? Email us at fyi@aip.org.
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- Undergraduate physics in the age of COVID-19 (Physics Today, perspective by Brad Conrad, et al.)
- The real cost of grad school in the US (Chemical and Engineering News)
- Great science begins with nurturing early-career researchers (Issues in Science and Technology, perspective by Adriana Bankston)
- Reaffirming NIH’s commitment to workforce diversity (NIH)
- Why it’s time for the term ‘minority’ to disappear in STEM disciplines (Forbes, perspective by Marshall Shepherd)
- US academics of Chinese descent organize and speak out (ScienceInsider)
- Embattled professor Charles Lieber to go on trial in December (Harvard Crimson)
- Massachusetts court questions Harvard professor Lieber’s ‘elitist’ legal fee claim (Reuters)
- Jury convicts Chinese intelligence officer of espionage crimes, attempting to steal trade secrets (DOJ)
- Chinese students being ‘harassed and interrogated’ in US, education ministry says (South China Morning Post)
- Visa restrictions on Chinese students endanger US innovation edge, universities say (Wall Street Journal)
- Without STEM immigration reforms, the US will not stay ahead of China (CSIS, report)
- The US is still beating China in human capital — for now (Foreign Policy, perspective by Ryan Hass and Jude Blanchette)
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