Biden Nominees Continue to Advance
BU IN DC
College of Communication Dean Mariette DeChristina spoke about the future of science communications at the Science Public Engagement Partnership conference on July 28th.
Jonathan Levy of the School of Public Health addressed a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine meeting on how the Environmental Protection Agency can better assess the health impacts of underrepresented populations on July 28th.
BIDEN NOMINEES CONTINUE TO ADVANCE
Six months into his presidency, President Joe Biden continues to make progress in appointing key personnel and getting them confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Recent updates relevant to the BU community include:
- The President announced his intent to nominate Dr. Laurie Locascio as director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Dr. Locascio is currently the Vice President for Research at two University of Maryland campuses, and previously worked at NIST for more than two decades.
- Last week, the U.S. Senate confirmed Heidi Shyu as undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, which oversees research programs at the U.S. Department of Defense. Ms. Shyu has had an extensive career in both the military and private sector.
- The Senate also confirmed BU alumna Gina Ortiz Jones (CAS’03, GRS’03) as Under Secretary of the U.S. Air Force last week. Ms. Ortiz Jones, a former intelligence officer, is now the second-highest ranking civilian at the Air Force.
BUZZ BITS…
- On Monday, the U.S. Departments of State and Education issued a joint statement of principles in support of international education. Citing the value of collaboration between American and international students and researchers, the agencies pledged to work together to welcome and provide practical experiences for foreign scholars, and to expand access to international study opportunities for underrepresented populations.
- The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Science Foundation released a request for input on establishing a national artificial intelligence (AI) research infrastructure. Responses are due by September 1st and will be used to develop a roadmap for providing high quality AI resources to students and researchers across all disciplines.
- This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed several spending bills with robust funding for federal research agencies and student aid programs in fiscal year 2022. The U.S. Senate is expected to begin its appropriations process next week, and it is likely Congress will have to extend current funding authorities into the new fiscal year, which begins on October 1st.
GRANTS NEWS YOU CAN USE
The Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Children’s Health Protection is seeking proposals to support capacity building, outreach, and education activities to increase awareness of the wide range of disproportionate exposure to environmental hazards that impact children in school and childcare settings that primarily serve low-income and/or minority communities, with a focus on health outcome disparities from pollution and/or the COVID-19 pandemic. Cooperative agreements under this solicitation will support proposals that promote learning at schools and child care facilities; they will not support research. Applications are due by September 10th.
A Note to Our Readers: Due to the Congressional District Work Period, Beltway BUzz will be on hiatus for the month of August. See you in September!