Government Shutdown Drags On
BU IN DC
Provost of the Medical Campus and Dean of the School of Medicine Karen Antman spoke about sexual harassment in medical schools during the opening panel of the American Health Lawyers Association annual meeting on January 24.
School of Public Health Dean Sandro Galea delivered the first National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities Director’s Seminar of 2019 on January 22.
Graham Wilson and Katharine Lusk of the Initiative on Cities presented the findings of the fifth annual Menino Survey of Mayors at the National Press Club on January 22.
GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN DRAGS ON
The U.S. Senate was unable to pass two bills aimed at ending the partial government shutdown this week, so the impasse will continue into its second month. BU Federal Relations and Sponsored Programs are documenting the impact at the University and sharing it with policymakers; investigators are encouraged to communicate with both offices as they encounter shutdown impacts. Meanwhile, research advocates have developed resources for impacted investigators and policymakers alike. For example:
- BU Sponsored Programs has a blog with updates from federal grant-making agencies.
- The National Humanities Alliance has guidance for humanities scholars who plan to submit grants to the National Endowment for the Humanities.
- The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is tracking the impact at the National Science Foundation.
MORE COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS FOR MA LEGISLATORS
The U.S. House of Representatives continued to fill out Committee rosters for the 116th Congress, with members of the Massachusetts delegation appointed to many key committees:
- Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-7th) was appointed to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. She is one of several progressive freshmen members on the panel, which is expected to investigate Trump Administration activities.
- Rep. Lori Trahan (D-3rd) has been named to the Committee on Education and Labor and its subcommittee on higher education policy. She outlined college affordability as one of her priorities for the Committee.
- Rep. Bill Keating (D-9th) was assigned to the Committee on Armed Services, joining fellow Massachusetts members Trahan and Seth Moulton (D-6th) who are focused on the Department of Defense and national security.
- Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-8th) will join the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Lynch has an interest in noise pollution at Logan Airport, among other issues.
GRANTS NEWS YOU CAN USE
The Department of Defense (DOD) Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) released its fiscal year 2019 Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program solicitations. The DOD intends to make $350 million available across 49 topic areas, including antimicrobial resistance, emerging infectious diseases, and tissue regeneration. CDMRP utilizes a two-tiered review process that includes both scientific and programmatic review, so investigators are urged to carefully review the submission requirements.