Congress Debates the Future of NSF
BU IN DC
Kevin Outterson of CARB-X and the School of Law addressed a webinar on combating microbial resistance, featuring Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO), on May 12th.
CONGRESS DEBATES THE FUTURE OF NSF
On Wednesday, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee passed the Endless Frontier Act (S. 1260), a bill that would create a new National Science Foundation (NSF) directorate for commercializing technologies and dramatically increase the portion of NSF funds reserved for institutions in states without significant research capacity. Senators advanced the bill, which would pair the NSF changes with new rules governing the security of research, as part of a package designed to improve American competition with China. On the other side of Capitol Hill, a subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee approved the NSF for the Future Act (H.R. 2225) on Thursday. The House bill would be the first comprehensive renewal of the agency in over a decade; it would create a scientific solutions directorate at NSF, increase support for trainees, and direct specific funding to Minority Serving Institutions. Both bills are expected to advance in their respective chambers this summer, and Congress will need to resolve their considerable differences before a final measure could be sent to the President.
BUZZ BITS…
- On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced the availability of funds for colleges and students impacted by COVID-19 via the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund III (HEERF III). In a change from previous HEERF distributions, the Biden Administration has determined that undocumented and international students with significant financial need are eligible for the funds.
- Yesterday, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Catherine Lhamon to lead the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Right (OCR), which oversees colleges’ compliance with federal anti-discrimination and anti-harassment rules. Ms. Lhamon previously led OCR between 2013 and 2016, and was known for her strict enforcement of the Obama Administration’s rules on campus sexual misconduct.
- The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) at the National Institutes of Health has released its strategic plan for 2021-2025. The strategic plan outlines the research goals and priorities that NIGMS plans to pursue over the next five years, and includes cross-cutting themes of equity and inclusion, optimizing programs through data, and transparent communication with stakeholders.
- CORRECTION: Last week, Beltway BUzz erroneously stated that National Aeronautics and Space Administration Administrator Bill Nelson had flown to the moon, but he did not. He flew on the Space Shuttle while he was a U.S. Senator. We apologize for our error.
GRANTS NEWS YOU CAN USE
The Department of Defense released a new funding opportunity announcement for its signature university-led social science research program, the Minerva Research Initiative. The agency is interested in research touching upon the following nine topics:
- Social Implications of Environmental Change
- Resource Competition, Social Cohesion, and Strategic Climate Resilience
- Security Risks in Ungoverned, Semi-Governed, and Differently-Governed Spaces
- Analysis of Foreign Influence Operations in Cross-Cultural Perspective
- Community Studies on Online and Offline Influence
- Computational Social Science Research on Difficult-to-Access Environments
- Social and Cultural Implications of Artificial Intelligence
- Humans and Outer Space
- Management and Information in the Defense Environment
White papers are strongly encouraged and must be submitted no later than June 23rd.