House Passes Final Budget For Fiscal Year 2015
BU IN DC
Hee-Young Park of the School of Medicine attended the Council on Graduate Schools annual meeting on December 4 and 5.
HOUSE PASSES FINAL BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2015
The U.S. House of Representatives approved a $1.1 trillion spending bill (H.R. 83) Thursday night that will set nearly all federal agency budgets for the remainder of fiscal year 2015. Research and student aid programs of interest to Boston University fared well under the measure, particularly compared to other domestic programs which are slated for flat funding. Compared to current fiscal year 2014 levels, the bill provides:
– National Institutes of Health: $30.08 billion, a $150 million increase
– National Science Foundation: $7.34 billion, a $172 million increase
– NASA Science: $5.24 billion, a $93 million increase
– Department of Defense basic research: $2.27 billion, a $112 million increase
– U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science: $5.07 billion, no increase
– National Endowment for the Humanities: $146 million, no increase
– Pell Grants: Maximum award changes to $5,830, a $100 increase
– Federal Work Study: $989 million, a $15 million increase
– Ebola response: $5.4 billion, divided among health agencies, foreign assistance programs, and the Department of Defense
The U.S. Senate is expected to approve the bill shortly and send it to the President, who has indicated he will sign it.
SENATE COMMITTEE HOLDS HEARING ON CAMPUS ASSAULT
The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Tuesday to examine the role of local law enforcement in college sexual assault adjudication. Senators Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), authors of the Campus Accountability and Safety Act (CASA), testified to the need for better coordination between universities and local police departments when investigating a reported sexual assault. Cornell University’s chief of police shared concerns that mandating memoranda of understanding between colleges and police departments, as proposed in CASA, may not be feasible nor helpful to students. A student affairs professional from Southern Oregon University described the institution’s approach to confidential advising for assault survivors. The Senate is expected to consider a revised version of CASA in 2015.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT SEEKS RESEARCH ADVICE
The Department of Defense (DOD) has released a Request for Information (RFI) on its new Long Range Research and Development Plan (LRRDP), calling on stakeholders to identify current or emerging technologies that should be harnessed by DOD in the coming years to bolster the nation’s military advantage. This RFI is expected to be influential in forming DOD’s new Defense Innovation Initiative. DOD is looking for suggestions pertaining to space technology, undersea technology, air dominance and strike technology, and air and missile defense technology. Comments are due by January 14, 2015.
A NOTE TO OUR READERS
With Congress heading towards adjournment, Beltway BUzz will take a break from publication until next year. BU Federal Relations will continue to track developments in Washington, D.C. We wish you a happy holidays!