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What’s Ahead
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| This high-intensity witness linac uses plasma wakefields to accelerate electrons more quickly over shorter distances than conventional methods. This technique is seen as a promising method that could enable future linear colliders to be more compact and reach higher energies. A National Academies decadal survey launching this week will assess opportunities for advancing such novel applications in plasma science. (Image credit - Argonne National Laboratory) |
Plasma Science Decadal Survey Heating Up
This week, the National Academies is holding the kickoff meeting for a study of progress in the field of plasma science over the past decade and opportunities over the next ten years. Leaders of several scientific associations requested the study in 2016 on the grounds that the pace of achievement in the field warrants updating the decadal survey released in 2007. The study committee will assess the current structure and scale of federal and private sector efforts, benchmark U.S. programs against international activities, and comment on opportunities for organizing national programs around user facilities or other major research instrumentation, among other tasks. The committee is co-chaired by Mark Kushner, a professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the University of Michigan, and Gary Zank, director of the Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research at the University of Alabama. At the meeting, which will be webcast, the committee will hear from the study’s sponsors: the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and Office of Naval Research.
Solar and Space Physics Panel Convening
The National Academies Committee on Solar and Space Physics is convening on Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday’s session includes updates from NASA, the National Science Foundation, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, including Nicky Fox’s first advisory committee appearance as director of the NASA Heliophysics Division. On Wednesday, much of the morning will be devoted to space weather, followed by a discussion of the recent National Academies report on open source software policy for NASA’s Earth and space science programs. The afternoon will feature discussions on the use of CubeSats. The meeting will be webcast.
Advisory Panel to Discuss NIST Quantum Plans, Lab Programs
The advisory committee for the National Institute of Standards and Technology is convening at the agency’s campus in Boulder, Colorado, on Tuesday and Wednesday. The meeting features sessions on the agency’s plans for creating a Quantum Economic Development Consortium, the NIST-on-a-chip program, and its Return on Investment Initiative to improve federal lab-to-market technology transfer efforts. The committee will also receive an update on renovations of the Boulder campus and will discuss the contributions of NIST’s joint institutes to the agency’s mission, with a focus on JILA. A webcast of the meeting is available on request.
NSF Detailing New Broadening Participation in STEM Efforts
The National Science Foundation’s efforts to broaden participation of underrepresented minorities in STEM fields will be a focus of two advisory committee meetings this week. On Thursday and Friday, NSF’s Education and Human Resources Directorate Advisory Committee and its Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering will hear updates on the INCLUDES program, a signature initiative of NSF Director France Córdova, and the new Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) program, among other efforts. NSF recently issued $45 million in HSI grants and awarded SRI International a five-year, $10 million grant to manage a “coordination hub” for INCLUDES activities across the U.S. A session on public–private partnerships may address Boeing’s recent $11 million contribution to NSF in support of curriculum development efforts and the INCLUDES program.
Other Science Advisory Committees Also Meeting
Several other federal science advisory committees are convening in the coming days, including those for the Energy Department’s Biological and Environmental Research program, the National Science Foundation’s Geosciences Directorate, and NASA’s Astrophysics and Heliophysics divisions. See “Upcoming Events” for details.
Former EPA Heads to Discuss Science Policy Controversies
Harvard University’s School of Public Health is hosting an event on Friday titled “Conflicts over Science and Policy at the Environmental Protection Agency: Where Are We Headed?” Among the speakers are former EPA Administrators Gina McCarthy and William Ruckelshaus, Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM), and Harvard law professor Wendy Jacobs. One focus of the event is to identify “steps forward to nurture and protect the principles of peer-reviewed environmental science” in light of current and potential regulatory rollbacks. The event will be livestreamed and a recording will be made available following the event.
Senate Begins Pre-Election Recess, Delaying DOE Hearings
Senators left Washington, D.C., ahead of schedule last week after reaching a deal to confirm a set of judicial nominees and free up more time to campaign for the upcoming midterm election on Nov. 6. Accordingly, the Senate cancelled all committee business scheduled for this week, including confirmation hearings on President Trump’s nominations of William Bookless to be deputy administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration and Rita Baranwal to lead the Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy. Pending nominees must now wait until after the Senate begins its “lame duck” session on Nov. 13 to advance in the confirmation process.
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In Case You Missed It
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| In an Oct. 4 speech detailing the Trump administration’s grievances against China, Vice President Mike Pence asserted the Chinese government has “masterminded the wholesale theft of American technology.” (Image credit - White House) |
Technology Theft Allegations Central to Rising US–China Tensions
A series of developments in the past two weeks underscore the role of technological competition as a primary driver in rising tensions between the U.S. and China. On the heels of its arrest last month of a Chinese engineer for alleged espionage activities, the Justice Department announced on Oct. 10 it had arrested an alleged Chinese intelligence official named Yanjun Xu for conspiring to steal trade secrets from U.S. aerospace companies. Xu’s extradition from Belgium apparently marks the first time the U.S. has brought an accused Chinese government spy to the U.S. to face charges. The arrests come as the U.S. government continues a broader initiative to combat the Chinese government’s efforts to obtain U.S. intellectual property by both legal and illegal means. In a major policy speech on Oct. 4, Vice President Mike Pence identified intellectual property theft as among the causes of the recent deterioration in U.S.–China relations. China’s ambassador to the U.S., Cui Tiankai, called Pence’s allegations “groundless and not fair to the Chinese people.”
Also on Oct. 10, the Treasury Department released initial regulations implementing recently enacted legislation that makes it easier for the government to block certain foreign investments, with nanotechnology and optical equipment manufacturing among the industries subject to new controls. Curbing Chinese investment in U.S. technology companies was a primary goal of the legislation. The next day, the Energy Department announced new China-specific export controls to combat “illegal diversion” of civil nuclear technology. These actions complement a series of recent government reports detailing China’s “economic aggression” in technological sectors, with the latest study, released on Oct. 5, focusing on threats to the U.S. defense industrial base.
Astrobiology Strategy Emphasizes Biosignature Identification
The Astrobiology Science Strategy released by the National Academies on Oct. 10 highlights developments in the field in the three years since the release of the 2015 version of the document. It focuses particularly on critical problems in identifying signs of life, or “biosignatures,” on other planetary bodies within and beyond the Solar System. Such problems include defining biosignatures that would be agnostic to the molecular makeup or metabolism of other forms of life, and cataloging signatures that could constitute false positives and negatives. The strategy also considers how the co-evolution of life and its planetary environment would bear on the search for life on exoplanets in various stages of development. Unlike the Exoplanet Science Strategy released last month, the astrobiology strategy does not endorse specific science missions or facilities, though it does recommend that “high-contrast starlight suppression technologies,” such as coronagraphs and starshades be implemented in near-term space-based and ground-based efforts to directly image exoplanets.
Trump Says Climate Scientists Have ‘Very Big Political Agenda’
President Trump commented on the validity of climate science for the first time since his presidential campaign during a wide-ranging interview with 60 Minutes journalist Leslie Stahl on Oct. 11. Asked by Stahl whether he still thinks climate change is a “hoax,” Trump replied, “I think something’s happening. Something’s changing and it’ll change back again. I don’t think it’s a hoax. I think there’s probably a difference. But I don’t know that it’s manmade.” When Stahl mentioned that U.S. government climate scientists’ views are contrary to his, Trump replied, “You’d have to show me the scientists because they have a very big political agenda.” He also said, “We have scientists who disagree with that,” apparently referring to scientists who challenge the scientific consensus on climate change. On Oct. 9, Trump told reporters he had not yet formed an opinion on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change special report released the previous day, saying he wanted to “look at who drew it.” In his interview with Stahl, Trump also repeated his argument that addressing climate change would be prohibitively expensive, saying, “I don’t want to give trillions and trillions of dollars. I don’t want to lose millions and millions of jobs.”
Senate Confirms NASA Deputy Administrator
Just before leaving for its pre-election recess, the Senate confirmed James Morhard to be deputy administrator of NASA on a voice vote. Although Morhard has not previously worked in the space industry, senators pointed to his managerial experience as deputy sergeant-at-arms in the Senate and policy background as a staff member on the Senate Appropriations Committee as sound qualifications for the post. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine welcomed the confirmation, stating that Morhard’s “legislative and managerial talents will serve NASA well as we accomplish stunning achievements.”
NASA Human Spaceflight Setbacks Could Impact Science
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| Astronaut Nick Hague, left, meets with NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine after safely ejecting from an aborted launch to the International Space Station on Oct. 11. (Image credit - NASA / Bill Ingalls) |
On Oct. 10, the NASA Office of Inspector General released a report that sharply criticizes Boeing’s contractor performance in building the core stage of the Space Launch System (SLS) and questions whether NASA can meet its production goals. A heavy-lift rocket, SLS is central to NASA’s current plans to advance human space exploration beyond low-Earth orbit and to launch robotic deep space missions on high-speed trajectories. The report notes that delays in the SLS program could disrupt plans to launch the Europa Clipper mission as early as 2022.
In a separate development, a Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying a U.S. astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut to the International Space Station aborted its mission following a technical failure following launch on Oct. 11. The three current occupants of ISS will now likely have to cut back on their time devoted to scientific experiments. Although NASA expects new crew members to launch to the space station in the near future, the incident has raised the specter the station could eventually have to be left without a crew. NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which aims to relieve the agency’s reliance on Russian launch services, is scheduled to begin test flights in the coming months.
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Events This Week
National Association of Science Writers: Government Information Access Summit (continues Wednesday)
8:30 am - 5:00 pm, Tue; 8:30 am - 12:00 pm, Wed
George Washington University (800 21st St. NW, DC)
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Opportunities Congressional Science Policy Fellowship Applications Open
Several AIP Member Societies are currently accepting applications for their 2019-2020 Congressional Science Policy Fellowship programs. Fellows spend a year working in a congressional office in Washington, D.C., gaining experience in the policymaking process. More information on each fellowship is available here.
NSF Hiring Foreign Affairs Specialist
The National Science Foundation is hiring a foreign affairs specialist to focus on China and the East Asia Pacific region. Responsibilities include reporting on major scientific developments in the regions and identifying their impact on U.S. science policy, among other duties. Individuals should have at least one year of specialized experience performing science and foreign policy work in the East Asia Pacific region. Applications are due Oct. 19.
CRS Seeking Military Innovation Expert
The Congressional Research Service is accepting applications for an analyst position focused on military space, missile defense, and defense innovation. Responsibilities include providing objective policy analysis and other assistance to congressional members and staff throughout the legislative process, among other duties. Individuals with a science and engineering background are encouraged to apply. Applications are due Oct. 25.
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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