FYI: Science Policy News
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WEEK OF SEPT 9, 2024
What’s Ahead

RPI celebrates breaking ground on IBM Quantum System One

An IBM quantum computing system.

Hans Pennink / AP Images

US Places New Export Controls on Quantum and Other Emerging Tech

The U.S. has put new export controls on equipment and products related to quantum computing, semiconductor manufacturing, advanced chips, and additive manufacturing. The rule went into effect on Sept. 6 but does not apply to quantum computing items until Nov. 5. The rule includes exceptions for countries that have instituted similar controls on specific products, such as Germany, Japan, Canada, Australia, and the UK. The Bureau of Industry and Security, which issued the rule, is accepting public comments through early November, including on ideas for alternative ways of applying export controls to quantum technology. Specific items covered by the new controls include quantum computers as well as the software and equipment used to maintain and manufacture them.

House Republicans Press Case for China Initiative Reboot

The House plans to vote this week on a suite of bills that aim to counter actions of the Chinese government, including one that would bring back the Department of Justice’s controversial China Initiative under a new name. The Protect America’s Innovation and Economic Security from CCP Act would create a “CCP Initiative” focused on preventing “spying by the CCP on U.S. intellectual property and academic institutions,” according to chief sponsor Rep. Lance Gooden (R-TX), who first introduced the bill in 2023. Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jerry Nadler (D-NY) has opposed the bill, arguing the China Initiative harmed many innocent academics of Asian descent and that the committee should instead focus its oversight activities on ensuring DOJ is “not simply following the practices of the China Initiative in all but name today.” The Biden administration discarded the “China Initiative” label in 2022 in favor of a broader initiative focused on nation-state threats, stating the China-specific label created a “perception” it was biased against Asian researchers. Among the proposed floor amendments to the bill the Rules Committee will consider at a meeting today is a proposal from Rep. Jill Tokuda (D-HI) that the DOJ work with organizations representing Asian Americans to prevent racial profiling.

Among the other bills the House plans to vote on this week are:

  • The BIOSECURE Act, a bipartisan bill that would restrict federal agencies from obtaining biotechnology equipment or services from “countries of concern”;
  • A Republican bill that would prohibit the Department of Homeland Security from funding universities that have relationships with Confucius Institutes or other entities of concern in China;
  • A bipartisan bill requiring congressional notification if the State Department renews or enters into a science and technology agreement with China; and
  • A bipartisan bill to clarify the definition of which foreign talent recruitment programs are considered “malign.”

Senate to Discuss DOE AI and Quantum Legislation

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing Thursday to discuss the Department of Energy’s role in advanced computing research as the committee prepares to advance bills on the subject. Among them is the DOE AI Act introduced by Committee Chair Joe Manchin (I-WV), which recommends Congress appropriate $2.4 billion annually over five years for AI research at DOE, including by establishing a network of AI research clusters based at national labs and using AI to accelerate work across mission areas via DOE’s FASST Initiative. Formal support for the initiative has been building in Congress, with Senate appropriators proposing $100 million for the initiative for fiscal year 2025. Manchin’s bill would also formally authorize the DOE Office of Critical and Emerging Technology, currently led by Helena Fu, who is one of the hearing witnesses. Also testifying are Shaun Gleason, director of science-security initiative integration at Oak Ridge National Lab, and Divyansh Kaushik, a senior fellow at American Policy Ventures, a nonprofit advocacy organization. Another bill pending before the committee is the DOE Quantum Leadership Act introduced by Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Steve Daines (R-MT), which would recommend a significant increase to current funding levels for quantum information science and R&D within DOE for the next five years.

Optica Leaders Depart Amid Probe into Interactions with Huawei

Optica’s CEO, Elizabeth Rogan, and the director of its philanthropic foundation, Chad Stark, departed the organization last month following congressional scrutiny of their interactions with the Chinese telecommunications company Huawei. According to a statement last week by Optica’s president, its board conducted an independent review of the foundation’s decision to permit Huawei to anonymously finance a competition supporting early-career researchers despite the company being subject to various U.S. sanctions. The board did not find any violations of the law but concluded that “not all of the agreed controls associated with the program were implemented” and that there had been a “lack of transparency” with the foundation board, leading them to decide that “a change in leadership is in the best interest of the organization.” The president also thanked Rogan and Stark for their service to Optica. The leadership change was applauded by the chair and ranking member of the House Science Committee, which began the probe of Optica in May and expanded it in July after they were not satisfied with the organization’s initial response. (Optica is an AIP Member Society and Rogan was the Optica-appointed member of the AIP board.)

Also On Our Radar

  • The House Science Committee will consider amendments to nine AI-focused bills on Wednesday. These include versions of several AI bills advanced by a Senate committee at the end of July, including the NSF AI Education Act and the CREATE AI Act .
  • The National Institute of Standards and Technology will hold a standards forum on Wednesday to discuss the implementation of the National Standards Strategy for Critical and Emerging Technology.
  • The Nuclear Science Advisory Committee will meet Thursday to receive updates from NSF and DOE leaders and hear presentations on communicating the science enabled by the planned Electron-Ion Collider and neutrinoless double beta decay experiments.
  • The National Academies will host a webinar Tuesday to release a report that will identify “critical facilities, workforce, and technologies” needed to accomplish NASA’s long-term goals.
  • The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology will meet Thursday to discuss transportation innovation.
  • DOE announced $118 million in awards last week for ten Energy Frontier Research Centers and $125 million in awards for two Energy Innovation Hubs focusing on battery technology.
Relativistic effects on timekeeping in space prompt push for unified celestial clock standards, starting with the Moon.

International scientists are less drawn to the U.S. now than in the recent past, but solutions exist, report suggests.

A National Academies report recommends new funding to boost staff, infrastructure, and administrative capabilities.

Upcoming Events

All events are Eastern Time, unless otherwise noted. Listings do not imply endorsement. Events beyond this week are listed on our website.

Monday, September 9

Potomac Quantum Innovation Center: Quantum World Congress
(continues through Thursday)

National Academies: Biotechnology cooperation for the US-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET): Workshop three
(continues through Wednesday)

Brookings Institution: The promise and perils of AI: Issues at stake in the 2024 election
(continues Tuesday)

House: Meeting to consider amendments to China-focused legislation
4:00 pm, Rules Committee

Tuesday, September 10

U.S. Chamber of Commerce: Global Aerospace Summit
(continues Wednesday)

DOD: Air Force Scientific Advisory Board meeting
8:00 am - 5:00 pm

House: Risks and rewards: Encouraging commercial space innovation while maintaining public safety
10:00 am, Science Committee

DOE: 21st Century Energy Workforce Advisory Board meeting
11:05 am - 12:00 pm

National Academies: NASA at a crossroads: Maintaining workforce, infrastructure, and technology preeminence in the coming decades, report release event
3:30 - 4:30 pm

Senate: The US companies’ technology fueling the Russian war machine
3:30 pm, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

Wednesday, September 11

National Academies: Air Force Studies Board meeting
(continues Thursday)

NIST: Standards Forum
9:00 am - 5:00 pm

House: Meeting to consider AI legislation
10:00 am, Science Committee

Senate: Nomination hearing for Matthew James Marzano to be a member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
10:00 am, Environment Committee

NASA: The importance of sample return to the Artemis Program
1:00 pm

National Academies: A science strategy for the human exploration of Mars: Panel on geosciences
3:00 - 4:00 pm

NOAA: Science Advisory Board meeting
3:00 - 5:00 pm

Bipartisan Policy Center: Accelerating US energy infrastructure: The urgency of permitting reform
4:00 - 5:00 pm

National Academies: Research to policy: National Academies sustainability roundtable
6:15 - 7:30 pm

Thursday, September 12

NSF: Cyberinfrastructure Advisory Committee meeting
(continues Friday)

White House: President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology meeting
9:00 am - 4:00 pm

DOE/NSF: Nuclear Science Advisory Committee meeting
9:00 am - 5:00 pm

NASA: Balloon Program Independent Review Subcommittee meeting
9:00 am - 5:00 pm

House: Hearing to examine DOE’s role in advanced computing research
10:00 am, Energy and Natural Resources Committee

DOC: Materials and Equipment Technical Advisory Committee meeting
10:00 am - 3:30 pm

ITIF: AR/VR Policy Conference
10:00 am - 6:00 pm

NSF: Revision of NSF award terms and conditions implementing revised 2 CFR
2:00 - 3:00 pm

National Academies: Research agenda for reducing the climate impact of aviation-induced cloudiness and persistent contrails from commercial aviation
2:30 - 5:30 pm

National Academies: Quadrennial review of the National Nanotechnology Initiative meeting
3:00 - 4:00 pm

EESI/WRI: Exploring the policy landscape of carbon dioxide removal
3:00 - 4:30 pm

Friday, September 13

NOAA: Space Weather Advisory Group meeting
11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Monday, September 16

ITIF: Tech policy 101: Educational seminar series for congressional staff
(continues through Oct. 21)

DOD: Strategic Environmental R&D Program Scientific Advisory Board meeting
(continues through Thursday)

Federal Demonstration Partnership: Triannual meeting
(continues through Wednesday)

National Academies: Assessing research security efforts in higher education, kickoff meeting
(continues Tuesday)

National Academies: A science strategy for the human exploration of Mars: Panel on atmospheric science and space physics
12:00 - 1:00 pm

National Academies: Current STEM labor markets: Upstream consequences for industry and innovation
2:00 - 3:30 pm

Know of an upcoming science policy event either inside or outside the Beltway? Email us at fyi@aip.org.

Opportunities

Deadlines indicated in parentheses. Newly added opportunities are marked with a diamond.

Job Openings

◆MIT: Deputy director, Plasma Science and Fusion Center (ongoing)
◆Carnegie Mellon University: Executive director, Critical Technology Strategy Initiative (ongoing)
National Academies: Associate program officer, Board on Army R&D (ongoing)
FAS: Director of government capacity (ongoing)
FAS: Director of government affairs (ongoing)
◆ODNI: Scientific and Technical Intel Committee Chair (Sept. 12)
DOE: Program manager for Fusion Energy Science Enabling Technologies, Safety Research, and Facilities Studies (Sept. 12)
AAU: Senior coordinator for government relations and public policy (Sept. 13)
AAU: Legal analyst for government relations and public policy (Sept. 13)
◆DOE: Social scientist focused on workforce diversity (Sept. 18)
AAAS: Program associate, S&T Policy Fellowships (Sept. 28)

Solicitations

NSF: RFI on NSF’s merit review policy and processes (Sept. 18)
NSF: RFI on biomaterials program (Sept. 19)
NOAA: RFC on NOAA commercial data buys guidance (Sept. 25)
NASA: Request for input on LEO microgravity strategy (Sept. 27)
Commerce: Call for nominations to the Council for Inclusive Innovation (Sept. 30)
◆NASA: RFI on OSAM-1 partnership opportunity (Sept. 30)
◆National Academies: Call for experts on assessing research security efforts in higher education (Oct. 4)
◆NSF: Request for topic ideas for Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation program (Oct. 15)
DOD: RFI on financing support for covered technology categories (Oct. 22)
NIH: RFI on re-envisioning US postdoctoral research training and career progression (Oct. 23)
EPA: RFC on new technologies for quantifying facility methane emissions under the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (Oct. 28)
◆NSF: RFC on National Survey of College Graduates (Nov. 4)
NSF: RFI on research ethics provision in the CHIPS and Science Act (Nov. 15)

Know of an opportunity for scientists to engage in science policy? Email us at fyi@aip.org.

Around the Web

News and views currently in circulation. Links do not imply endorsement.

White House

White House: White House releases new research strategy to protect communities from PFAS

Congress

CRS: Enactment of appropriations measures during lame duck sessions (report)
House Science Committee: Republicans question NOAA’s data transparency in widespread weather disaster reports
House Science Committee: Committee leaders seek answers regarding the cancellation of NASA’s VIPER project

Science, Society, and the Economy

NIST: New report highlights economic value of neutron science to US industry
Wall Street Journal: Developers thought the pandemic era’s supercharged demand for life-science properties was sustainable, but they were wrong
AAS: What the AAS quasquicentennial means to me (perspective by Dara Norman)
Science: ‘We should know our own history’: India’s plan to teach traditional science sparks hope and concerns
Wall Street Journal: Scholarly associations aren’t entitled to their opinions (perspective by Daniel Diermeier)
Chemical & Engineering News: YouTube is home to 800 active chemistry channels

Education and Workforce

Science: As academic unions proliferate, new directory could ease contract process
Physics World: Researchers with a large network of unique collaborators have longer careers, finds study
NSF: NSF and New America partner on $3 million initiative to empower community and technical colleges nationwide
Research Professional: What could international student caps in Australia mean for research?
South China Morning Post: China-born neuroscientist Jane Wu lost her US lab. Then she lost her life
NPR: T.D. Lee changed science in China and my life. This is what I owe to him (perspective by Yangyang Cheng)

Research Management

Emerging Technology Observatory: New research tools for Chinese science and tech: Celebrating Scout’s first anniversary
Baker Institute: Workshop to discuss and study the emergent discipline of research on research security (report)
NIST: NIST report outlines strategic opportunities to advance forensic science in the US
Statecraft: How to build the British ARPA (audio)
Research Professional: Plan put forward for Europe-wide free research publishing platform
Nature: The human costs of the research-assessment culture
Research Professional: New office to coordinate European polar science
Science|Business: Natural sciences continue to dominate EU research funding
Research Professional: EU’s lump-sum research funding ‘very satisfying’, analysis finds

Labs and Facilities

NASA: NASA selects Langley Research Center support contractor
Research Professional: Research England finds ‘big backlog’ in lab and estate repairs
The Conversation: Here’s why scientists don’t want to see the JOIDES Resolution ocean drilling ship mothballed (perspective by Suzanne OConnell)

Computing and Communications

Bloomberg: Biden-Harris’ dream of US chip renaissance in doubt as Intel struggles
Nature: A day in the life of the world’s fastest supercomputer
NOAA: NOAA invests $100 million in a new high-performance computer system
Oak Ridge National Lab: DOE, ORNL announce opportunity to define future of high performance computing
HPCwire: xAI colossus: The Elon project
Research Professional: EU, UK, US and others sign AI human rights agreement
Brookings: The good, the not-so-good, and the ugly of the UN’s Blueprint for AI (perspective by Cameron Kerry)
Quantum.gov: NQIAC report on quantum networking

Space

Space.com: NASA clears Europa Clipper mission for Oct. 10 launch despite Jupiter radiation worries
SpaceNews: NASA reaffirms decision to cancel OSAM-1
Ars Technica: With NASA’s plan faltering, China knows it can be first with Mars sample return
Planetary Society: A billion dollars short: A progress report on the Planetary Decadal Survey
SpaceNews: China to launch Mars sample return mission in 2028, will follow planetary protection guidelines
Ars Technica: After another Boeing letdown, NASA isn’t ready to buy more Starliner missions
Space Review: Measuring the depth of India’s space program (perspective by Namrata Goswami)
Chemical & Engineering News: A new facility will harness plasma to upgrade interplanetary craft
NOAA: NOAA appoints members to new Advisory Committee on Space Commerce

Weather, Climate, and Environment

NOAA: NOAA invests $101.5 million for ocean observing systems
Inside Climate News: Fossil fuel funding is ‘embedded’ across academia. What does that mean for climate research?
Battelle: The adaptation solutions we need to navigate climate change
Financial Times: Geoengineering is worth the risk — provided we regulate it properly (perspective by Pascal Lamy)
MIT Technology Review: The UK is building an alarm system for climate tipping points
NASA: NASA mission gets its first snapshot of polar heat emissions
Undark Magazine: The golden age of offbeat Arctic research
Wired: Scientists plan ‘doomsday’ vault on Moon
Science: Hail chasers plan largest ever field campaign

Energy

American Nuclear Society: ANS response to Science article, ‘The weapons potential of high-assay low-enriched uranium’
American Nuclear Society: NRC to amend licensing rules for research reactors and other non-power facilities
The Guardian: The problem with nuclear power (interview with MV Ramana)
Science: UK researchers reveal glimpse of designs for novel fusion power plant
Oak Ridge National Lab: ORNL leads five public-private INFUSE projects to advance fusion technologies
Financial Times: Chinese start-up aims for nuclear fusion at half the cost of US rivals

Defense

National Defense: Defense Science Board urges Pentagon to prepare for climate change
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: Project 2025’s stance on nuclear testing: A dangerous step back (perspective by Tom Armbruster)
MIT: Enabled by a significant gift, MIT’s Security Studies Program launches the Center for Nuclear Security Policy
SpaceNews: Space Force defends plan to buy smaller, cheaper satellites to reinforce GPS

Biomedical

CNN: NIH cancels ‘Havana syndrome’ research, citing unethical coercion of participants
Nature: Why the next pandemic could come from the Arctic — and what to do about it (perspective by Christian Sonne)
Stat: Eight former CDC directors: Hollowing out the CDC is a prescription for disaster (perspective by William Foege, et al.)
The Guardian: The race to understand mpox (audio)
Science: Poliovirus that infected a Chinese child in 2014 may have leaked from a lab
Stat: Letting funding for the All of Us research program lapse will cost the US far more than it saves (perspective by Pradeep Natarajan)

International Affairs

New York Times: Russia imprisons top physicists, even as Putin touts their technology
South China Morning Post: Expiration of major US-China science treaty signals deep uncertainty amid high tensions
Science|Business: German companies step up research in China
New York Times: Japan tries to reclaim its clout as a global tech leader
Issues in Science and Technology: Global diplomacy for the Arctic (perspectives)
Scientific American: Cutbacks to US Antarctic science risk geopolitical shifts at the south pole
Nature: Brazil’s ban on X: How scientists are coping with the cutoff

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