Congress to Focus on Budget Upon Return

BU IN DC

John Clarke of the College of Arts & Sciences participated in a meeting at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) regarding the MAVEN mission on August 12 and 13.

Keith Brown of the College of Engineering met with officials at Department of Defense research labs and the National Science Foundation on August 17 and 18.

CONGRESS TO FOCUS ON BUDGET UPON RETURN

When Members of Congress return to Washington next week, the agenda will be dominated by a debate over how to complete work on stalled spending bills prior to the start of the new federal fiscal year on October 1. Options include a continuing resolution (C.R.) to keep government agencies operating at their current funding levels for several months, a long-term C.R. to keep the government running for a full year, or a budget deal that lifts the current spending caps and allows lawmakers to set new spending levels for each agency. Universities will be closely watching to see how federal research agencies fare, as well as the status of expiring student aid programs like Perkins Loans. Two Senate committees are also poised to introduce bills this fall to renew the Higher Education Act and reauthorize research programs at the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, and the National Institutes of Health.

SENATE COMMITTEE RECEIVES RESEARCH POLICY IDEAS

On August 17, Boston University responded to a request by the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee for input on maximizing federal research investments. The University urged Congress to fund basic research across all disciplines, build a diverse pipeline for the scientific workforce, and simplify federal regulatory requirements. A variety of higher education and scientific societies submitted comments, with the Association of American Universities echoing many of BU’s priorities and advocating for further investments in major research facilities and instrumentation. The Consortium of Social Science Associations urged federal support for social and behavioral science, providing compelling examples of social science research that has made significant contributions to society.

Learn more

BUZZ BITS

Several appointments to key positions for federal science policy development and implementation were announced this summer: