Budget Caps, Senator Markey, NIH Common Fund
BU IN DC
Diane Baldwin and Ryan Russell of Sponsored Programs attended a Federal Demonstration Partnership meeting on May 25th and 26th.
Jeanne Kelley of the International Students & Scholars Office discussed the visa process for students with staff for Congressman Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) while attending the NAFSA: Association of International Educators annual conference from May 30th through June 2nd.
Megan Macgarvie of the Questrom School of Business spoke at an Information Technology & Innovation Foundation forum on the importance of the innovation ecosystem on May 31st.
Joshua Semeter of the College of Engineering attended a meeting of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Independent Study committee, of which he is a member, on May 31st.
Maria Dykema Erb of the Newbury Center visited the BU Washington program to talk about internship opportunities for first-generation students on June 5th.
Associate Provost for Computing & Data Sciences Azer Bestavros discussed digital privacy policy with staff for Rep. Lori Trahan (D-MA) and attended a meetingof the National Science Foundation Computer & Information Science & Engineering Advisory Committee, of which he is a member, from June 7th through 9th.
Ibram X. Kendi of the Center for Antiracist Research and Joel Christian Gill of the College of Fine Arts participated in a conversation about their new book at Busboys and Poets on June 7th.
FISCAL AUSTERITY AHEAD AFTER LAWMAKERS AVERT U.S. DEFAULT
President Joe Biden signed into law last week the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (Public Law 118-5), which raises the nation’s debt ceiling limit. Under the agreement negotiated by Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), the new law also caps discretionary federal spending for the next two years, making it more difficult to increase spending on scientific research and student aid through fiscal year 2025. The law also rescinds $40 million for research on pandemic-related learning loss from the Institute of Education Sciences budget and prohibits the Biden Administration from extending the student loan repayment pause beyond August 2023.
BU HOSTS WASHINGTON VISITORS
- The School of Public Health hosted Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) and U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy for a conversation on youth mental health on June 5th. The Senator and the Surgeon General discussed the causes of youth anxiety, the impact of social media on mental health, and what parents can do to support children experiencing mental health challenges.
- School of Public Health Dean Sandro Galea welcomed Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) during the latest installment of his Public Health Conversation Starters series on May 1st. Congresswoman Pressley discussed the importance of a holistic approach to advancing health, health equity, and political engagement.
- Sustainability hosted Congressional staff from the offices of Massachusetts Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey and Reps. Ayanna Pressley, Jake Auchincloss, and Katherine Clark for a tour of the Center for Computing & Data Sciences on Tuesday. The staff learned about the building’s environmental sustainability, met with BU students at BU Spark!, and visited researchers in the Cyber Physical Systems Lab.
GRANTS NEWS YOU CAN USE
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Common Fund released a request for information soliciting responses from relevant stakeholders to address NIH-wide challenges and opportunities that may be of interest to the Common Fund. The Common Fund supports bold scientific programs that are not traditionally supported by any individual NIH institute or center and that have the potential to catalyze discovery across the biomedical and behavioral research enterprise. The NIH invites investigators to submit cross-cutting, high-impact ideas for research challenges and emerging opportunities that have the potential to become new Common Fund programs. Responses are due by August 11th.