Research & Student Aid Boosts, ARPA-H, Catalyzing Advocacy
BU IN DC
Loretta Lees and Katharine Lusk of the Initiative on Cities attended the winter meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors between January 17th and 20th.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Thursday that alumnus Hugh T. Clements, Jr. (MET ’05) has been tapped to lead the Community Oriented Policing Services office.
SPENDING PACKAGE BOOSTS STUDENT AID AND RESEARCH BUDGETS
President Joe Biden signed into law an omnibus spending bill for fiscal year 2023 on December 23rd, approving significant budget increases for the programs and agencies which support students and research. Highlights of the new law include:
- National Institutes of Health: $47.5 billion, a 5% increase
- National Science Foundation: $9.87 billion, an 11.7% increase
- Department of Energy Office of Science: $8.1 billion, an 8.4% increase
- NASA Science: $7.8 billion, a 2.4% increase
- Department of Defense Science & Technology: $22.4 billion, an 18.5% increase
- National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities: $207 million each, a 15% increase for both agencies
- Pell Grant maximum award: $7,395, a 7.2% increase
Read an analysis of the new budget
BUZZ BITS…
- Dr. Susan Monarez has been named Deputy Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Health (ARPA-H). Monarez has held leadership roles with the Health Resources and Services Administration, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
- Dr. Evelyn Wang was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E). Wang previously led the mechanical engineering department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
- Tsione Wolde-Michael has been chosen as the executive director of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities. The committee of leaders from around the country is tasked with advising President Biden on policies impacting the arts, humanities, and libraries. Wolde-Michael was previously the founding director of the Smithsonian’s Center for Restorative History.
EVENT NEWS YOU CAN USE
BU Graduate Affairs is now accepting applications from graduate students who would like to attend the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) science policy training in Washington, DC, in March. The AAAS Catalyzing Advocacy in Science and Engineering workshop educates PhD students in STEM disciplines about the role of science in policy-making, introduces them to the federal policy-making process, and empowers them to become a voice for basic research throughout their career. The University will sponsor attendance for up to four students. Applications are due by 9 a.m. on February 6th. Share the information with graduate students