What’s Ahead

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine speaking at a briefing on NASA’s accelerated lunar landing program for the Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues. Bridenstine often says the program will send “the first woman and the next man” to the Moon. (Image credit – Aubrey Gemignani / NASA)

NASA’s Lunar Landing Plans in the Hot Seat

The House appropriations subcommittee for NASA is holding a hearing Wednesday to review the Trump administration’s Artemis program, which is aiming to return humans to the moon by 2024, four years earlier than the agency had previously planned. The administration requested $1.6 billion in supplemental funding for fiscal year 2020 to kickstart the initiative. However, Subcommittee Chair José Serrano (D-NY) has questioned the motives for moving up the target date, saying this summer that while he is not opposed to a lunar return, “arbitrarily changing the schedule will have grave consequences for the vital programs across the science fields and other programs across the government.” The spending bill he advanced for NASA does not provide the supplemental funding, but the Senate’s version would partially meet the request. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine and Ken Bowersox, acting head of the agency’s human exploration directorate, will be the two witnesses for the hearing, which comes days before NASA is due to produce a plan for “sustainable” lunar surface exploration that enables a follow-on mission to Mars.

Conference to Review Risks of HEU-Fueled Space Reactors

While much of the current space policy debate in D.C. is focused on near-term questions surrounding NASA’s Artemis program, an event this Thursday aims to draw attention to the risks posed by using highly enriched uranium (HEU) to power long-duration human surface operations on the Moon and Mars. NASA is currently funding development of an HEU reactor concept called Kilopower that could meet the expected surface power needs for human-occupied bases. Critics of the idea are urging NASA to develop an alternative reactor concept that does not rely on weapons-grade material. Organized by the University of Texas at Austin’s Nuclear Proliferation Prevention Project, the event will feature remarks by Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL), a leading advocate in Congress for developing alternatives to HEU in naval and space applications. The organizers note the White House’s recently revamped launch authorization policy for spacecraft containing nuclear materials recognizes the additional risks of HEU reactors by requiring presidential approval for such launches.

Academies Looks to Re-envision STEM Faculty Career Assessment

The National Academies is hosting a two-day conference this week to discuss new approaches for assessing faculty in STEM fields as they progress in their careers. The organizers aim to identify policies and practices that reward faculty for participating in outreach activities, using evidence-based teaching practices, developing interdisciplinary coursework, and creating novel ways to broaden participation in science among underrepresented groups. The conference is intended as a step leading up to the launch of a major National Academies study on promotion and tenure policies.

Set of Science Advisory Panels Convening

Several advisory committees for the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, and NASA are scheduled to meet this week:

On Wednesday, NASA’s Regulatory and Policy Advisory Council will discuss electromagnetic spectrum management, extraction and utilization of extraterrestrial resources, and procurement reform. NASA created the committee last year to support efforts to increase public-private partnerships and spur commercialization of space resources. NASA’s Science Advisory Council will also hold a brief teleconference on Friday.
The NSF Geosciences Advisory Committee’s meeting on Thursday and Friday will feature discussion of a draft report recommending priorities for the agency’s programs in earth, oceans, and atmospheric sciences. The report is a successor to the committee’s “Dynamic Earth” study published in 2014.
NSF’s Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering will also meet on Thursday and Friday, with two panel discussions focused on supporting persons with disabilities in STEM disciplines.
The advisory panel for nuclear science programs at NSF and DOE is meeting on Friday to review a forthcoming report on “the relative importance and potential benefits of quantum information science to nuclear physics.” The agenda also includes a presentation on diversity and inclusion efforts in the DOE Office of Science, among other items.

In Case You Missed It

Lithium-ion battery cells being prepared for testing at the Electrochemical Analysis and Diagnostics Laboratory at Argonne National Lab. (Image credit – ANL)

Nobel Prize Discoveries Paved Way for Current Policy Priorities

This year’s Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded last week to Princeton University cosmologist James Peebles for his theoretical work offering a foundational account of the cosmic microwave background, and to Swiss astrophysicists Didier Queloz and Michel Mayor for their discovery of the first confirmed exoplanet in 1995. Both cosmology and exoplanet studies are currently a high priority for astronomical observation, and the National Academies astronomy and astrophysics decadal survey is reviewing concepts for multi-billion dollar space telescopes that would advance research in these and other areas into the 2040s. The Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to John Goodenough, an engineering professor at the University of Texas at Austin; Stanley Whittingham, a chemist at Binghamton University; and Japanese researcher Akira Yoshino for pioneering work on the lithium-ion battery. Now that rechargeable lithium-ion batteries have become commonplace in electronics, with strong prospects for growth in electric vehicles and grid-scale storage, battery R&D is a top priority for the Department of Energy. At 97 years old, Goodenough himself remains engaged in a search for a successor battery technology.

Science Agency Leaders Send Follow-up Letters on Research Security

On Sept. 30, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Kelvin Droegemeier and four top science agency officials responded to a letter that 60 scientific societies sent them earlier in the month conveying their “escalating concern” that current efforts to secure federally funded research from exploitation by foreign governments could backfire. The response reiterates points from Droegemier’s recent open letter to the U.S. research community on research security, committing to listening to a broad range of stakeholders and adopting a “risk-based approach” that balances security considerations with the benefits of openness in science. The other signatories are the directors of the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health and the top science officials at the Departments of Defense and Energy. DOD also issued a separate letter to the academic research community on Oct. 10 that outlines the department’s approach to securing research and intellectual capital. The letter explains DOD’s new disclosure requirements for grantees and encourages institutions to participate in the Academic Security and Counter Exploitation Working Group and consider implementing a set of policy guidelines developed by university associations.

Amid Visa Slowdown, Trump Says He Welcomes Chinese Students

During a press conference last week on a preliminary trade deal between the U.S. and China, President Trump was asked about difficulties Chinese students have faced in securing visas. Trump replied the U.S. will not treat China any differently than other countries, adding, “We have incredible talent coming in from China. They occupy a big space in our universities, and we want to keep it that way. Okay? Because there was a false — there was false rumors going on that we were going to close the schools to China.” (In 2018, White House immigration policy aide Stephen Miller reportedly proposed barring Chinese nationals from receiving student visas.) Asked whether he would do anything to reassure Chinese students, Trump replied, “I can give them my word. I want them coming here.” Apparently referencing internal deliberations about the administration’s stance toward Chinese students, Trump added, “And there have been discussions about that — not by me, because I ended them very quickly. I want to let you know, I end those discussions very quickly.” The remarks come as many U.S. university presidents have reported that international students and scholars have faced increasing visa troubles, though they have not said publicly if Chinese students have been disproportionately impacted. Last week, in one of the latest letters sent to Congress on the matter, 58 leaders of universities in New York raised concerns about “dramatic” increases in visa processing delays.

NSF Creating Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes

The National Science Foundation announced last week it is leading a new interagency program that will create up to six research institutes focused on different facets of artificial intelligence research. Among the six initial priority areas for the institutes are “AI for discovery in physics” and “AI for accelerating molecular synthesis and manufacturing.” According to the grant proposal solicitation for the new program, NSF plans to make about eight institute planning grants and between one and six full institute awards, altogether totalling up to $124 million. Examples provided of potential topic areas for the physics-focused institute are “(i) improving and optimizing operations, real-time event selection, classification, feature extraction, reconstruction, and analysis at dataflow-intensive facilities; (ii) accelerating multi-scale, multi-physics simulations for multi-messenger astrophysics, quantum chromodynamics, cosmology, and plasma physics; (iii) exploring the very large space of potentially viable string theories (“string landscape”); (iv) developing and validating predictive dynamical models of complex, far-from-equilibrium systems; (v) improving the understanding of the physics principles behind genome packing and the resulting genome architecture and dynamics; (vi) and co-developing improved physical models of brain function and new AI architectures.”

Science Committee Presses on with NOAA Probe

The House Science Committee sent a second letter to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross last week requesting new details about the circumstances surrounding the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s unattributed statement that defended President Trump’s inaccurate claim about the forecast for Hurricane Dorian. The letter notes Acting NOAA Administrator Neil Jacobs answered questions from the committee on the drafting process for the statement and identified Commerce Department political aides who were involved. The committee asks for detailed records related to the statement drafting and that the aides meet with the committee by Oct. 25

Science Committee Chair to Seek Final Term, Top Appropriator Retiring

House Science Committee Chair Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) announced last week that she will run for a 15th and final term in Congress. Johnson explained that while she “fully intended to retire” after the current term, “with much pressure and encouragement, I have agreed to one more term.” A member of the committee since she was first elected in 1993, Johnson became its ranking member in 2010 and this year she became the first woman and African American to chair it. Separately last week, House Appropriations Committee Chair Nita Lowey (D-NY) announced she will not run for re-election in 2020. Lowey became the first woman to chair the committee this year, after having served in Congress for three decades. Potential successors on the committee include Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), who currently chairs the subcommittee responsible for Department of Energy funding.

Events This Week

All times are Eastern Daylight Time and all congressional hearings are webcast, unless otherwise noted. Listings do not imply endorsement.

Monday, October 14

Georgia Tech: Atlanta Conference on Science and Innovation Policy (continues through Wednesday) Atlanta, GA

Tuesday, October 15

Nuclear Science Week (continues through Thursday) House: “Addressing the Lead Crisis Through Innovation and Technology,” field hearing 10:00 am, Science Committee (Bloomfield, NJ) R Street Institute: “National Security Implications of Patents” 12:00 pm, 215 Senate Visitors Center New America: “Can We Imagine Our Way to a Better Future?” 6:00 - 8:00 pm, Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice (New York, NY)

Wednesday, October 16

DOE: Electricity Advisory Committee meeting (continues Thursday) Arlington, VA American Security Project: “Battlefields of the Future: The Next Generation of Nuclear Reactors” 8:00 - 9:15 am, American Security Project (1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, DC) EPA: Environmental Modeling Public Meeting 9:00 am - 4:30 pm, Environmental Protection Agency headquarters (Arlington, VA) Department of Commerce: Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee meeting 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, Department of Commerce headquarters (1401 Constitution Ave. NW, DC) House: “NASA’s Proposal to Advance the Next Moon Landing by Four Years” 9:45 am, Appropriations Committee (2362-B Rayburn Office Building) NASA: Regulatory and Policy Advisory Committee meeting 10:00 am - 3:00 pm, NASA Headquarters (300 E St. SW, DC) Webcast available Bipartisan Policy Center: “The Future of AI Featuring Reps. Bill Foster (D-IL) and Will Hurd (R-TX)” 10:00 am - 12:00 pm, Bipartisan Policy Center (1225 Eye St. NW, DC) Webcast available House: “Resiliency of Military Installations to Emerging Threats” 2:00 pm, Armed Services Committee (2118 Rayburn Office Building) Potomac Institute: “The Future of Deep Space Exploration” 2:00 - 3:30 pm, 2325 Rayburn House Office Building

Thursday, October 17

Georgetown University: Nuclear Security Summit (continues Friday) Georgetown University Medical School (3800 Reservoir Rd. NW, DC) National Academies: “Convocation on Re-envisioning Promotion and Advancement for STEM Faculty: Aligning Incentives with Values” (continues Friday) Keck Center (500 5th St. NW, DC) NSF: Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering meeting (continues Friday) NSF headquarters (Alexandria, VA) NSF: Geosciences Advisory Committee meeting (continues Friday) NSF headquarters (Alexandria, VA) Wilson Center: “The Nixon Forum on U.S.-China Relations” 9:00 am - 4:30 pm, Reagan International Trade Center (1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, DC) Webcast available House: “Solving the Climate Crisis: Cleaner, Stronger Buildings” 9:00 am, Climate Crisis Committee (2020 Rayburn Office Building) House: “The Case for Climate Optimism: Realistic Pathways to Achieving Net-Zero Emissions” 10:00 am, Natural Resources Committee (1324 Longworth Office Building) Senate: “Reducing Emissions While Driving Economic Growth: Industry-led Initiatives” 10:00 am, Environment and Public Works Committee (406 Dirksen Office Building) ADDED -- House: Markup of the Scientific Integrity Act, the Sustainable Chemistry R&D Act, and the ARPA-E Reauthorization Act 10:00 am, Science Committee (2318 Rayburn Office Building) NPPP: “Nuclear Energy in Space: Nonproliferation Risks and Solutions” 11:00 am - 3:00 pm, University of Texas DC Office (1750 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, DC)

Friday, October 18

DOE/NSF: Nuclear Science Advisory Committee meeting 9:00 am - 4:30 pm, Doubletree-Crystal City (Arlington, VA) Webcast available University of Nebraska: “Global Perspectives on Space Law and Policy” 10:45 am - 5:00 pm, National Press Club (529 14th St. NW, DC) University of Iowa: “The Future of Public Higher Education at America’s Leading Research Universities” 1:00 - 2:00 pm, University of Iowa (Iowa City, IA) NASA: Advisory Council Science Committee teleconference 1:00 - 3:00 pm

Saturday, October 19

National Academy of Medicine: “The Evolution of Technology in Biomedical Science: Promises and Challenges” (continues through Monday) National Academy of Sciences building (2101 Constitution Ave. NW, DC) Wichita Space Initiative: “Celebrating the Scientific Legacy of NASA and Apollo” 9:00 am - 6:00 pm, Wichita State University (Wichita, Kansas)

Monday, October 21

International Astronautical Federation: International Astronautical Conference (continues through Friday) American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics headquarters (Reston, VA) ASU: “The Science of Bureaucracy: Risk Decision-Making and the Legitimacy of the EPA” 8:30 - 10:30 am, Arizona State University DC Office (1800 I St. NW, DC) Webcast available NIH: Advisory Committee to the Director teleconference 12:00 - 1:00 pm NASA: National Space Council Users’ Advisory Group meeting 1:00 - 5:00 pm, Washington Convention Center (901 L St. NW, DC)

Opportunities

OSTP Spring Internship Application Closes Soon

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy is currently seeking applicants for its spring internship program. Students who are enrolled at least half-time in a post-secondary degree program are encouraged to apply. Applications are due Oct. 18.

NSF ‘Science of Science’ Program Seeking Director

The National Science Foundation is seeking a program director for its Science of Science: Discovery, Communication, and Impact program, a reconfigured version of its former Science of Science and Innovation Policy Program. Candidates must have a doctorate in a social science field and at least six years of research or management experience. Applications are due Nov. 1.

AAU Hiring VP for Federal Relations

The Association of American Universities is seeking an assistant or associate vice president for federal relations to work on policy and funding matters relevant to the National Science Foundation and NASA as well as regulatory and compliance issues affecting university research. Applicants should have a graduate degree and at least seven years of relevant experience for the assistant position or at least ten years for the associate position.

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 either inside or outside the Beltway? Email us at fyi@aip.org.