COMPETES Act, China Initiative, Diversifying Biomedical Research
BU IN DC
Stephanie Curenton and Hank Fien of the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development spoke at the Institute of Education Sciences annual principal investigators meeting< on January 25th and 26th.
Joseph Fewsmith of the Pardee School of Global Studies testified before a U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission hearing on January 27th.
School of Law Dean Angela Onwuachi-Willig spoke at a virtual White House event about law schools’ work to help tenants facing eviction on January 28th.
Michelle Durham of the School of Medicine testified at a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing on mental health and substance use disorders on February 1st.
Ha Jin of the College of Arts & Sciences was featured at a virtual book talk at Politics & Prose bookstore on February 1st.
RESEARCH FUNDING & SECURITY BILL NEARS PASSAGE
The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to pass the America COMPETES Act (H.R. 4521) later today. The bill proposes funding increases for the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science over the next five years, as well as a new technology innovation directorate at NSF. It also would require universities to disclose more information about gifts and contracts from foreign sources, make it easier for international PhD holders in STEM fields to pursue American citizenship, and create new programs to broaden participation in federal research by underrepresented populations. The House bill is significantly different from the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act passed by the U.S. Senate last year; the chambers are expected to negotiate a final by this summer.
BUZZ BITS…
- Last week, a senior Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) official indicated the FBI is planning to change its approach on “China Initiative” cases involving scientists. He said the Department of Justice would use a regulatory approach to ensure scientific collaborations with China are appropriately disclosed, rather than prosecuting scientists for espionage. This would mark a reversal from the Trump Administration’s policies.
- The U.S. Senate confirmed Shelly M. Lowe as the chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities on Wednesday. Ms. Lowe is a member of the Navajo Nation and an Arizona native; she previously served as executive director of Harvard University’s Native American Program.
- President Joe Biden relaunched the Cancer Moonshot on Wednesday, revisiting the initiative he created as Vice President in 2016. Among other goals, the Administration plans “to expeditiously study and evaluate multicancer detection tests, [similar to] COVID-19 diagnostics, which could help detect cancers when there may be more effective treatment options.”
EVENTS NEWS YOU CAN USE
The Office of Research is hosting a virtual presentation on “Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Biomedical Research” on Thursday, February 17th at 3:30 p.m. Drs. Ericka Boone and Robert Rivers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) UNITE Initiative will highlight opportunities for diversifying the biomedical research workforce and building new career pathways in the field. They will also touch on how the NIH supports research addressing health disparities and building health equity. Attendees will be able to talk with the speakers about how to best work with the NIH to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in the life sciences.