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What’s Ahead
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| An artist’s concept of the DART spacecraft moments before impacting the asteroid Dimorphos. (Image credit – NASA / Johns Hopkins APL) |
NASA Mission to Collide With Asteroid in Deflection Test
The first-ever attempt to deflect a near-Earth object is taking place Monday evening, when NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft uses autonomous navigation to slam itself into the asteroid Dimorphos at a speed of about 6 kilometers per second. Dimorphos and a larger asteroid it orbits called Didymos are currently in close proximity to Earth, and ground-based telescopes will seek to verify expectations that the collision will change the orbital period of Dimorphos by about 1%. While the asteroids present no danger to Earth, the mission will inform any future attempt to alter the trajectory of an asteroid that does. Imagery of the collision will be captured by an Italian Space Agency-built cubesat that accompanied DART, and in 2024 the European Space Agency is planning to launch a mission called Hera to investigate the impact site in more detail. DART has a lifecycle cost of $331 million and is the first mission NASA has launched through its Planetary Defense program.
Lawmakers Face Deadline for Stopgap Spending Bill
Funding for government operations is expiring on Saturday with the start of fiscal year 2023 and Congress is expected to pass a stopgap measure this week to buy time for negotiating a final appropriations bill. The stopgap will maintain current funding levels until sometime in December and the White House has asked Congress to add tens of billions of dollars for activities related to the war in Ukraine, pandemic and monkeypox response efforts, and natural disaster recovery. The Ukraine proposal includes $1.5 billion for the Department of Energy to reduce U.S. reliance on Russia for supplies of low-enriched uranium and high-assay low-enriched uranium, as well as $35 million for DOE to prepare for “potential nuclear and radiological incidents” in Ukraine. Aside from the emergency requests, the White House is also seeking to quickly scale up the Rapid Defense Experimentation Reserve, the latest Defense Department initiative to accelerate the prototyping and fielding of new technologies. Negotiations over the stopgap have been complicated by a push from Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) to attach a measure that would expedite permits for energy projects, but the proposal has faced pockets of resistance from lawmakers across the political spectrum.
Congress Set to Renew and Reform Small Business R&D Programs
With legislative authorization for the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs also expiring at week’s end, Congress is poised to approve a three-year extension that includes various policy updates. The Senate introduced and passed a reauthorization bill last week by unanimous consent and the House is scheduled to vote on the bill on Wednesday. Negotiations on the extension have occurred behind the scenes over the past year and revolve around allegations by Senate Small Business Committee Ranking Member Rand Paul (R-KY) that the programs lack adequate research security measures and are exploited by companies that win a disproportionate share of grant awards. Accordingly, among other changes, the legislation caps the number of phase one SBIR/STTR grants that companies can win if they do not meet certain performance standards and it bars federal agencies from issuing SBIR/STTR grants to applicants who have certain institutional ties to China or other “countries of concern.”
Nuclear Physics and Computing Advisory Panels Meeting
The Nuclear Science Advisory Committee, which advises the Department of Energy and National Science Foundation, is meeting on Wednesday. The committee will consider a draft interim report that assesses the U.S. Nuclear Data Program, which stewards databases of atomic structures and reactions relevant to basic research and applications in medicine, energy, and nonproliferation. The committee will also hear an update on the long-range planning exercise it launched earlier this year. Separately, the advisory committee for DOE’s Office of Advanced Scientific Computing Research is meeting on Friday to discuss its recently completed review of DOE’s collaboration with the National Cancer Institute and its in-progress international benchmarking exercise. It will also hear presentations on the office’s research priorities, General Motors’ interest in exascale computing, and an upgrade to DOE’s scientific computing network ESnet.
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In Case You Missed It
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| Arati Prabhakar at her nomination hearing on July 20. (Image credit – Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee) |
Arati Prabhakar Confirmed as White House Science Director
On Sept. 22, the Senate confirmed Arati Prabhakar as director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy on a vote of 56 to 40, clearing her to take up that position as well as the complementary role of President Biden’s chief adviser on science and technology. The jobs have been split since the previous OSTP director and science adviser Eric Lander resigned in February, when deputy director Alondra Nelson stepped in to lead the office and former National Institutes of Health director Francis Collins became interim science adviser. Like Lander, Prabhakar will also serve as a member of Biden’s Cabinet and co-chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. She arrives at a pivotal moment in science and technology policy, as the administration implements the new CHIPS and Science Act and the ambitious clean energy initiatives in the Inflation Reduction Act and last year’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
CHIPS Leadership Team Picked, PCAST Releases R&D Vision
On Sept. 20, the Commerce Department announced a slate of officials who will oversee $50 billion in semiconductor initiatives funded by the CHIPS and Science Act. The department’s chief economist, Ronnie Chatterji, will move to the White House to manage the CHIPS Implementation Council that President Biden created last month. Treasury Department senior adviser Michael Schmit will join the National Institute of Standards and Technology to lead the CHIPS Program Office, which will run the act’s $39 billion domestic manufacturing incentive program. NIST Material Measurement Laboratory Director Eric Lin will serve as interim director of the CHIPS R&D Office, which will oversee the $11 billion appropriated for the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC), National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program, and intramural NIST R&D programs. The Commerce Department outlined each office’s responsibilities in a strategy document published earlier this month, and last week the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology issued a report offering its perspective on how to structure these R&D programs. Among its recommendations, PCAST calls for the NSTC to consist of up to six coalitions that are organized around specific technical thrusts and distributed across the U.S., with one dedicated to implementing the advanced packaging program.
‘China Initiative’ Prosecutions Winding Down
Three academics prosecuted under the Department of Justice’s “China Initiative” all saw tempered outcomes in their cases last week, though none escaped punishment entirely.
- A judge acquitted University of Kansas (KU) chemistry professor Franklin Tao of defrauding the Department of Energy and National Science Foundation by failing to disclose to them he was employed part-time by a Chinese university. The judge ruled the fraud statute did not apply because the Department of Justice could not show Tao engaged in a scheme to deprive the agencies or KU of something of value. A jury already acquitted Tao of half the fraud charges DOJ brought against him but found him guilty of the others and also of making false statements to KU about his relationship with the Chinese university. The judge let the false statement verdict stand and sentencing will follow later.
- In another case also involving connections to Chinese universities, materials scientist Zhendong Chen pleaded guilty to making false statements to NASA on a grant application in exchange for DOJ dropping fraud and conspiracy charges. Chen, who was fired by Texas A&M University in 2020, agreed to a prison sentence of 13 months that he already served following his arrest as well as to repayment of the $86,876 grant plus a $20,000 fine.
- In the third case, Southern Illinois University mathematician Mingqing Xiao received a year’s probation and a $600 fine plus court fees for failing to report a Chinese bank account on his tax returns. Although a jury convicted him on that charge, for which DOJ sought a year of prison time, it acquitted him of making a false statement to NSF by not disclosing a connection to a Chinese university. The judge in the case previously threw out two other fraud charges.
DOJ discontinued the “China Initiative” label earlier this year and declared it would change its prosecutorial policy, but some cases brought under the initiative have not yet been fully resolved.
New Study Documents Fear Among Scientists of Chinese Origin
Last week, the Asian American Scholars Forum, an advocacy group formed in response to the Justice Department’s China Initiative, released a study that charts the reverse migration of scientists from the U.S. to China and surveys the sentiments of scientists of Chinese origin. Analyzing affiliations listed in publications over time, the study found scientists have been relocating to China in steadily increasing numbers, measured against a baseline average number from the period 2005 to 2010. Based on 1,304 survey responses, the study asserts scientists of Chinese origin are increasingly motivated by fear, including from the Justice Department’s prosecutions of academics for not reporting ties to China. The survey found 35% felt “unwelcome” in the U.S., 45% of those who have obtained federal grants now wish to avoid applying for them, 65% are worried about collaborating with Chinese scientists, and 61% have thought about leaving the U.S. The study was conducted by researchers at Princeton University, Harvard University, and MIT. They acknowledge the survey was not of a randomized sample but note the results are similar to those found in surveys conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan and the University of Arizona.
Senators Consider Revamping Counterintelligence Center
Last week, the Senate Intelligence Committee held the first in a series of hearings to consider legislative reforms for the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC), with a focus on better equipping the agency to deal with “non-traditional” forms of espionage that target unclassified research and technology. The committee also released a 153-page “organizational assessment” of NCSC conducted by committee staff members from both parties. The report concludes the center lacks authorities and resources necessary to address the current threat landscape, though it notes there are widely varying views on what the center’s mission should be and whether it should be made into a standalone agency. The report suggests that institutions without their own counterintelligence authorities could benefit from greater support from NCSC, stating that the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and academic institutions are frequently targeted by foriegn intelligence services. In offering examples of cases involving academia, the report cites various cases pursued through the Justice Department’s China Initiative, including the one against MIT professor Gang Chen, which the department later dropped. NCSC has increased its outreach to academia in recent years and has just released a “Safeguarding Science Toolkit” that compiles resources for cybersecurity, physical security, supply-chain security, and insider-risk mitigation.
DOE Establishes Program to Support Commercial Fusion Efforts
The Department of Energy announced the launch last week of a program for reimbursing for-profit fusion energy companies that partner with universities, DOE national labs, and others to address specified technical milestones toward building a pilot fusion power plant. For the program’s first milestone, DOE plans to award up to $50 million for “pre-conceptual designs and technology roadmaps” to be delivered within 18 months, with additional funding available over a five-year span if teams meet early milestones. Companies are expected to make “significant” financial contributions to projects and teams must implement a “community benefits plan” aligned with DOE’s equity and justice priorities. Congress directed DOE to create the program through the Energy Act of 2020 but did not provide funding for it until this year.
Senate Ratifies International Agreement to Reduce HFC Use
On Sept. 21, the Senate voted 69 to 27 to ratify the 2016 Kigali amendment to the Montreal Protocol, under which signatory countries agree to phase down the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), a potent class of greenhouse gases used as refrigerants. It requires the U.S. and other industrialized nations to reduce production and consumption of HFCs to 15% of 2012 levels by 2036, while other nations are allowed to phase down their use over longer timescales. Congress already enshrined the agreement’s requirements in statute through a provision attached to its fiscal year 2021 appropriations legislation, and EPA announced last year it would issue a corresponding rule. Because companies have been anticipating the shift away from HFCs for some time — and because the agreement will place trade restrictions on non-signatory countries starting in 2033 — the phasedown has garnered bipartisan political acceptance. The ratification passed with unified Democratic support and 21 Republicans also voting in favor. Prior to the vote, the Senate approved a Republican amendment requiring the secretary of state to propose reclassifying China as a developed nation under the agreement, accelerating its timeline for reducing HFC use.
DOE Unveils Latest ‘Earthshot,’ Infrastructure Funding Opportunities
In conjunction with the first annual Global Clean Energy Action Forum it hosted in Pittsburgh last week, the Department of Energy announced new actions to spur the development and deployment of clean energy technologies.
- Industrial heat emissions target. DOE is launching its sixth Energy Earthshot, the Industrial Heat Shot, which sets the goal of cost-competitively reducing greenhouse gas emissions from industrial heating by at least 85% by 2035, potentially reducing emissions from the U.S. industrial sector by 575 million metric tons by 2050.
- Clean hydrogen hubs. DOE released the funding opportunity announcement for a $7 billion program to establish between six and 10 Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs that will demonstrate the production, processing, delivery, storage, and end-use of clean hydrogen. The department also released a National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap as well as draft guidance for a Clean Hydrogen Production Standard that establishes a target limit of 4 kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions per kilogram of hydrogen across the full production lifecycle.
- Carbon capture projects. DOE also announced funding opportunities for $4.9 billion in carbon management projects, including $2.54 billion for six “integrated carbon capture, transport, and storage demonstration projects” that can be deployed at fossil energy power plants and major industrial facilities and $2.25 billion for commercial carbon storage projects that can store at least 50 million metric tons of carbon.
The funding for the hydrogen and carbon capture opportunities is being provided through last year’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This week, DOE is hosting a summit on energy storage, where it will discuss next steps for its Energy Earthshot focused on long-duration storage.
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Events This Week
All times are Eastern Daylight Time, unless otherwise noted. Listings do not imply endorsement.
Monday, September 26
Tuesday, September 27
Wednesday, September 28
Thursday, September 29
Friday, September 30
Monday, October 3
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Opportunities White House Seeks Input on Draft Microelectronics Strategy
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy is seeking comments on a draft National Strategy on Microelectronics Research developed in response to the CHIPS for America Act. The office is seeking comments on key R&D areas required for future generations of microelectronics, approaches for developing the microelectronics workforce at all levels, and mechanisms for accelerating the commercialization of new technologies, as well as any additional suggestions on how the strategy can support the broader CHIPS effort. Comments are due Oct. 17.
NASA Hiring Head for Science Mission Directorate
NASA is hiring a head for its Science Mission Directorate, which oversees a $7.6 billion research portfolio spanning Earth science, planetary science, heliophysics, astrophysics, and biological sciences. The directorate’s current head, Thomas Zurbuchen, is departing at the end of the year after more than six years in the role. Candidates must have experience leading complex technical organizations and scientific programs, and those with a doctorate in a STEM field are preferred. Applications are due Nov. 21.
ARPA–H Hiring Legislative Affairs Director
The National Institutes of Health is hiring a director of legislative and governmental affairs for the Advanced Research Projects Agency–Health. Candidates should have significant experience shaping and executing federal policy initiatives and engaging with congressional leaders and other stakeholders. Applications are due Oct. 11.
Know of an upcoming science policy event either inside or outside the Beltway? Email us at fyi@aip.org.
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