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What’s Ahead
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| Aurora borealis over Canada, captured by crew on the International Space Station in 2017. (Image credit – NASA) |
Space Weather Sees Another Sunrise in Congress
Returning to a priority topic from the previous Congress, the House Science Committee is holding a hearing dedicated to space weather research, monitoring, and forecasting on Wednesday. Last year, the committee advanced legislation that would delineate federal agency responsibilities for space weather preparedness, but the bill did not reach the House floor. The Senate passed its own version of the legislation, which has been reintroduced this year. Federal witnesses for this week’s hearing are NASA Heliophysics Division Director Nicola Fox and Bill Murtagh, a program coordinator at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center. Murtagh led the development of the 2015 National Space Weather Strategy and Action Plan, which the White House updated this year. Also testifying are former NOAA Administrator Conrad Lautenbacher, now CEO of the small satellite company GeoOptics, and Harlan Spence, a professor of physics at the University of New Hampshire. Separately this week, the National Academies’ Committee on Solar and Space Physics is holding its fall meeting, with panel sessions focused on identifying types of science payloads that are suited to “rideshare” on launches of other satellites. (Update: Spence was removed from the witness list.)
Senators to Examine Research’s Contributions to the Economy
The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee is convening a hearing on Tuesday to discuss “the role that research and innovation play in ensuring U.S. leadership in the global economy.” The hearing is one of the few to be held so far by a subcommittee formed this year with a jurisdiction that includes the National Science Foundation, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The panel is chaired by Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO), who was one of the sponsors of the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act, the most recent legislation to offer broad policy direction for NSF and NIST. Testifying before the committee will be Diane Souvaine, a computer science professor at Tufts University and chair of the National Science Board (NSB), which oversees NSF; Sethuraman Panchanathan, chief research officer at Arizona State University and an NSB member; Rebecca Blank, chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a former deputy secretary of commerce; and David Shaw, provost at Mississippi State University and former director of NOAA’s Northern Gulf Institute.
Study Launching on Challenges to US Global Leadership in Science
On Thursday, the National Academies is holding the kickoff meeting for a study on challenges the U.S. faces in maintaining global leadership in science and what the implications would be of losing that standing. Federal sponsors of the study will speak at the meeting, including officials from the National Science Foundation, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. According to an NSF grant award funding the study, it will examine “potential costs and benefits associated with open science; discuss current market or institutional failures to accelerating research advances that have the potential for game-changing economic, human health, and national security leadership efforts; and consider how practices by other countries, including recruitment of top talent, large resource investments, and novel use of information technologies to advance their competitiveness and governance systems can, in a globalized world, affect U.S. institutions and capabilities.” The study committee is chaired by Erica Fuchs, a professor in Carnegie Mellon University’s Department of Engineering and Public Policy and an expert on advanced manufacturing; and Eric Lander, president of MIT’s Broad Institute and co-chair of President Obama’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
NSF Astronomy and Materials Research Divisions Up for Review
At its biannual in-person meeting this week, the advisory committee for the National Science Foundation’s Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate will review two reports examining the priorities and grant review procedures of the Astronomical Sciences and Materials Research Divisions. Known as “committee of visitors” reports, they offer a window into the internal mechanics of the agency. The report for the Physics Division released this summer asserted there is room for improvement in NSF’s efforts to spur interdisciplinary research in quantum information science and increase the diversity of the physics workforce. Aside from the COV reports, the advisory committee will also discuss “major obstacles being faced in science today,” synthetic biology, and recent initiatives to broaden participation in science, including a “Quantum Physics for All” project at the Boston Museum of Science.
Astro2020 Panel Examining ‘Enabling Foundations’ for Research
The latest decadal survey for astronomy and astrophysics is in full swing, with the study committee’s six science panels now meeting in closed sessions to review the hundreds of white papers submitted to the survey committee. Separate from the science panels, the survey’s six “program” panels are now also beginning their work, with the Panel on An Enabling Foundation for Research holding its kickoff meeting this week. The panel is responsible for identifying challenges and making recommendations on cross-cutting topics such as data processing and computation, facilities, laboratory astrophysics, technology development programs, and partnerships with international and private organizations. During an open session on Tuesday, it will hear from top officials at NASA, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Energy, as well as Science Philanthropy Alliance President Marc Kastner. It will also have a “listening session” to receive public input on priorities for research infrastructure for the coming decade. According to a progress update issued last week by the survey’s co-chairs, the program panels will meet three times over the next six months to “determine how well the projects presented in the white papers match to the overall science priorities emerging from Astro2020, along with an evaluation of the projects’ technical readiness, risk, and cost estimates.” They will offer further details in a town hall webinar next Monday.
Hudson Institute Hosting High-Intensity Laser Showcase
On Thursday, the Hudson Institute is hosting a daylong conference on emerging laser technologies in partnership with the Romania-based Extreme Light Infrastructure–Nuclear Physics (ELI–NP) project. ELI–NP hosts a 10 petawatt laser, which is currently the world’s most powerful, and is one of three facilities in Europe’s new Extreme Light Infrastructure network. In 2017, a National Academies report urged the U.S. to increase its investment in such lasers to restore its international competitiveness, and now laser power upgrade projects are in the works at the University of Michigan and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. At the Hudson Institute event, ELI–NP officials and leading American researchers will explore applications of advanced lasers in scientific research, defense, and medicine, and discuss the importance of international cooperation in the field.
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In Case You Missed It
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| Deputy Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette poses with the Summit supercomputer during a visit to Oak Ridge National Lab in August. (Image credit – DOE) |
Brouillette Picked to Succeed Perry as Energy Secretary
Energy Secretary Rick Perry officially announced on Oct. 17 that he intends to step aside from his position later this year, confirming earlier media reports. Although he has become entwined in the House’s impeachment inquiry, unnamed sources told Politico he has been planning his departure for months. On Oct. 18, President Trump tweeted that he will nominate Deputy Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette to take Perry’s place. Before Trump picked him for his current job in 2017, Brouillette served in a variety of executive positions, including as assistant secretary of energy for congressional and intergovernmental affairs, chief of staff for the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and as a vice president at the Ford Motor Company and financial services group USAA. As deputy secretary, Brouillette has been involved in most aspects of DOE’s work, from the negotiation of international energy agreements to the administration of its programs. He was, notably, the official who instituted the department’s policy of not permitting DOE employees or contractor personnel to participate in talent recruitment programs operated by China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
ARPA–E and Scientific Integrity Bills Advance with Bipartisan Support
At a meeting on Oct. 17, the Democrats and Republicans on the House Science Committee agreed to split the difference between their budgetary visions for the Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy. Amending the Democrats’ policy bill for the agency, they settled on a recommended funding ramp up to $750 million over five years and also attached provisions requiring ARPA–E to take steps to avoid funding projects that could attract private funding or that are duplicative of ones supported by other Department of Energy offices. The revised bill was approved by voice vote. At the same meeting, Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY) submitted an updated version of the scientific integrity bill he introduced earlier this year. The new version further details issues that federal agencies’ scientific integrity policies must address and includes additional controls over the policies’ implementation. After the committee approved an amendment from Ranking Member Frank Lucas (R-OK), striking a provision governing how agencies handle media requests, the updated bill advanced on a vote of 25 to 6. The committee also approved a third bill, the Sustainable Chemistry Research and Development Act, which has had bipartisan support since its introduction.
Key Appropriator Signals Reluctance to Fund 2024 Moon Landing
At an appropriations subcommittee hearing on Oct. 16, Subcommittee Chair José Serrano (D-NY) told NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine that he is disinclined to begin funding the agency’s plan to land astronauts on the Moon in 2024, four years earlier than previously planned. Observing that NASA has yet to state how much total funding it will need for the effort, Serrano said he sees no reason to pursue a crewed landing so quickly. He remarked, “The eyes of the world are upon us. We cannot afford to fail. Therefore, I believe that it is better to use the original NASA schedule of 2028 in order to have a successful, safe, and cost-effective mission for the benefit of the American people and the world.” However, he clarified at the end of the hearing that he had not decided to “kill the mission,” saying he was only asking questions that “need to be answered before we move forward or not.” Bridenstine told Serrano NASA will have a multiyear budget worked out by the time it submits its fiscal year 2021 budget request in February. He also noted that Senate appropriators have “fenced” their proposed fiscal year 2020 funding for the lunar return program until that multiyear budget is released. Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX), the House’s top Republican appropriator, said she fully backs the 2024 landing as a matter of “national security,” given the progress China is making in developing its own space capabilities.
NASA Picks New Head of Human Exploration
NASA announced on Oct. 16 that it has chosen Douglas Loverro to lead its Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. Loverro has spent the bulk of his career working in executive positions within space-related Defense Department agencies, serving most recently as deputy assistant secretary of defense for space policy, and holds master’s degrees in physics, political science, and business administration. At NASA, he will manage the development of space systems needed to land astronauts on the Moon and will oversee the Commercial Crew program, which will use commercial launch services to transport astronauts to the International Space Station from American soil for the first time since 2011. Loverro replaces Bill Gersteinmaier, who had led the agency’s human exploration activities since 2005 but was dismissed in July as part of NASA’s effort to expedite its crewed lunar landing. Ken Bowersox has been serving as acting head of human exploration and will now return to his previous role as the directorate’s deputy head.
Planetary Contamination Safeguards Reviewed in New Report
On Oct. 18, NASA released the report of an independent review board tasked with assessing the agency’s approach to planetary protection, entailing measures that prevent spacecraft and astronauts from biologically contaminating other planetary bodies and from returning possible extraterrestrial contaminants to Earth. NASA commissioned the board earlier this year to examine the agency’s planetary protection policies in view of the increasing array of planetary science missions being planned, including in the private sector. The board’s report offers numerous recommendations covering both general principles and procedures for reviewing and updating policies, as well as issues related to specific destinations, finding in some cases that current requirements are unnecessarily strict.
Senators Seek to Steer ‘EPIC’ Weather Modeling Initiative
On Oct. 15, Sens. John Thune (R-SD) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) introduced legislation that would provide further direction to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as it creates an Earth Prediction Innovation Center. Authorized by legislation enacted earlier this year that Thune sponsored, the center aims to accelerate the translation of research advances into operational weather forecast models through adoption of a “community” modeling paradigm that crowdsources code development. The new bill, called the Learning Excellence and Good Examples from New Developers (LEGEND) Act, would direct NOAA to adopt a phased approach to making its operational weather models and associated data available to the public and would require the agency to “periodically review” model improvements proposed by external researchers for potential integration into the model.
Reintroduced Bill Aims to Bolster Low-Dose Radiation Research
Reps. Bill Posey (R-FL), Dan Lipinski (D-IL), Randy Weber (R-TX), and Brian Babin (R-TX) introduced a new version of the Low-Dose Radiation Research Act on Oct. 18. The legislation made its first appearance in 2014, when the Department of Energy was winding down its work on the biological effects of low levels of ionizing radiation, before discontinuing it altogether in 2016. Last year, a provision requiring DOE to conduct work in the area became law as part of the DOE Research and Innovation Act, but it included no further policy direction. The more narrowly focused bill details the kinds of research activities DOE should support and how research on the subject should be coordinated across federal agencies. It also recommends DOE allocate $20 million to the program in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 and $30 million in fiscal years 2022 and 2023. In their latest spending proposal for DOE, House appropriators have specified that the department should spend up to $10 million on low-dose radiation research in fiscal year 2020.
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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, October 21
Tuesday, October 22
DOE: AI for Science Town Hall (continues Wednesday) Renaissance D.C. Downtown Hotel (999 9th St. NW, DC) National Academies: “Astro2020: Panel on An Enabling Foundation for Research,” kickoff meeting (continues through Thursday) Keck Center (500 5th St. NW, DC) Webcast available National Academies: Committee on Solar and Space Physics (continues through Thursday) National Academy of Sciences (2101 Constitution Ave. NW, DC) Webcast available Senate: “Energy Efficiency Efforts in the U.S. and Internationally” 10:00 am, Energy and Natural Resources Committee (366 Dirksen Office Building) Center for American Progress: “Confronting the Nature Crisis” 10:00 - 11:00 am, Center for American Progress headquarters (1333 H St. NW, DC) Webcast available DOE: “The Versatile Test Reactor: The Importance of Accelerating Nuclear Advanced Fuels and Materials in the U.S.” 11:30 am - 1:00 pm, 2045 Rayburn House Office Building House: “Solving the Climate Crisis: Natural Solutions to Cutting Pollution and Building Resilience” 2:00 pm, Climate Crisis Committee (1302 Longworth Office Building) Senate: “Research and Innovation: Ensuring America’s Economic and Strategic Leadership” 2:15 pm, Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee (562 Dirksen Office Building)
Wednesday, October 23
AAAS: “Science, Technology, and Human Rights Conference” (continues through Friday) AAAS headquarters (1200 New York Ave. NW, DC) NSF: Engineering Advisory Committee meeting (continues Thursday) NSF headquarters (Alexandria, VA) NSF: Math and Physical Sciences Advisory Committee meeting (continues Thursday) NSF headquarters (Alexandria, VA) DARPA: Spectrum Collaboration Challenge Los Angeles, CA Senate: “Improving American Economic Competitiveness through Water Resources Infrastructure: Federal Panel” 10:00 am, Environment and Public Works (406 Dirksen Office Building) House: “Examining the Oil Industry’s Efforts to Suppress the Truth about Climate Change” 10:00 am, Oversight and Government Reform Committee (2154 Rayburn Office Building) House: “Building a 100% Clean Economy: Solutions for Planes, Trains and Everything Beyond Automobiles” 10:30 am, Energy and Commerce Committee (2322 Rayburn Office Building) C2ES: “Direct Air Capture: A Guide to Private Sector Planning” 1:00 - 2:00 pm, Webinar JHU SAIS: “The Energy Transition: Approaches and Lessons” 1:00 - 5:00 pm, Kenney Herter Auditorium (1740 Massachusetts Ave. NW, DC) House: “Space Weather: Advancing Research, Monitoring, and Forecasting Capabilities” 2:00 pm, Science Committee (2318 Rayburn Office Building)
Thursday, October 24
COGR: October meeting (continues Friday) Washington Marriott (1221 22nd St. NW, DC) DOE: Biological and Environmental Research Advisory Committee meeting (continues Friday) North Bethesda, MD National Academies: “Catalyzing Opportunities for Research in the Earth Sciences,” meeting six (continues Friday) Denver, CO National Academies: “Science and Innovation Leadership for the 21st Century: Challenges and Strategic Implications for the U.S.” 8:30 am - 5:30 pm, Keck Center (500 5th St. NW, DC) Hudson Institute: “What the Scientific and Business Communities Expect from the Most Powerful Laser in the World” 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, Hudson Institute headquarters (1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, DC) Webcast available National Academies: Webinar on Federal Actions to Accelerate Innovation from Lab to Market 1:00 - 2:00 pm Engaging Scientists and Engineers in Policy: Annual Planning Meeting 2:00 - 5:00 pm, Webinar Story Collider: “Stories from the Deep Carbon Observatory” 8:00 - 10:00 pm, Busboys and Poets (2021 14th St. NW, DC)
Friday, October 25
Monday, October 28
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Opportunities National Academies Physical Sciences Division Hiring Director
The National Academies is accepting applications for the executive director position in its Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences, which currently has about 75 staff members and a revenue of $25 million. The division oversees research boards that span defense research, physics, space studies, materials research, and federal laboratories. The Academies is seeking candidates that have a doctoral degree, at least 15 years of management experience, and the ability to obtain a top secret security clearance.
GWU Hiring Space Policy Professor
George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs is accepting applications for a tenure track faculty position in the field of space policy. The position will be based in the Elliott School’s Space Policy Institute and begin as early as the 2020 academic year. Applicants must have a doctoral degree in a relevant field and a record of high-quality research. Application review will begin Dec. 2.
DOE Seeking STEM Educators for Einstein Fellowship
The Department of Energy Office of Science is currently accepting applications from K–12 educators for the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship program. Fellows spending 11 months in a federal agency or congressional office gaining experience working on national education and policy activities. Interested educators must have at least five years of classroom teaching experience in a STEM field. Applications are due Nov. 14.
Know of an upcoming science policy event either inside or outside the Beltway? Email us at fyi@aip.org.
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