White House Explains Research Security Concerns
BU IN DC
Michael Siegel of the School of Public Health addressed the Vapor Technology Association’s national meeting on September 16.
Julie Wickstrom of Financial Assistance discussed federal student aid with Congressional staff during the Higher Education Loan Coalition’s fall meeting on September 16 and 17.
WHITE HOUSE EXPLAINS RESEARCH SECURITY CONCERNS
White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Kelvin Droegemeier issued a letter to American researchers on Monday outlining the Trump Administration’s plans to address concerns over foreign influence in the research enterprise. Droegemeier explained that the recently formed Joint Committee on the Research Environment (JCORE) will focus on: collecting examples of foreign research exploitation across the research enterprise, coordinating disclosure requirements among federal research agencies, providing a list of best practices to address scientific security, and developing strategies for minimizing and managing malign foreign influence. Members of JCORE plan to visit universities across the country this year in order to hear directly from the research community.
BUZZ BITS…
- The House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis recently released a Request for Information seeking public input on policies to address climate change, specifically in the areas of innovation, decarbonization, agriculture, non-CO2 greenhouse gases, carbon removal, and resilience and adaptation. The Committee will use the responses it receives by November 22 to inform its legislative recommendations to Congress next year.
- The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) released its 2020 strategic plan on Wednesday. The plan identifies health disparities, infectious disease, disease prevention, nutrition, and global health as cross-cutting topics to integrate into NICHD’s scientific research.
- The House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing yesterday examining the difficulties loan borrowers have faced navigating the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Members of Congress alternately criticized the U.S. Department of Education, loan servicers, and the policymakers who created the program.
EVENTS NEWS YOU CAN USE
Throughout the country, people are talking about sexual harassment—and academia is no exception. Join the Office of Research and Federal Relations for a conversation with two of the leaders behind the landmark report “Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine,” issued last year by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Come learn about the report’s findings and the next steps in the movement to end gender-based harassment in higher education on Thursday, September 26th at 3 p.m. in the Kilachand Center.