NSF & DOE Science Budgets, NIH Behavioral Health, SCOTUS Decisions
BU IN DC
College of Communication Dean Mariette DiChristina moderated a panel at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Climate Crossroads Summit on July 11th and 12th. Nicole Huberfeld of the School of Law participated in a National Cancer Policy Forum webinar on the impacts of the Dobbs decision on cancer care on July 10th. Linda Sprague Martinez of the School of Social Work moderated a panel during a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine symposium on long COVID on June 22nd and 23rd.
FACED WITH BUDGET CAPS, CONGRESS PROPOSES SCIENCE CUTS
Operating under discretionary spending caps imposed by the Fiscal Responsibility Act (Public Law 118-5) signed into law in June, this week lawmakers began releasing the annual spending bills that set fiscal year 2024 funding levels for federal science agencies. The Senate Appropriations Committee is proposing a $300 million decrease for the National Science Foundation (NSF) budget and a $454 million decrease for science activities at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, while the House Appropriations Committee proposed level funding for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science. Science accounts were not uniquely targeted; the stringent budget caps forced legislators to propose restrained spending for many federal programs. Proposed funding levels for other research and student aid accounts are expected to be released later this month, although final spending bills are unlikely to be negotiated by both chambers of Congress until late this year.
BUZZ BITS…
- Dr. Mandy K. Cohen took over as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on July 10th. President Joe Biden named Dr. Cohen as his choice for the role after Dr. Rochelle Walensky announced her departure from the agency in June. Dr. Cohen is an internal medicine physician who previously led North Carolina’s health department and served as chief operating officer of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
- The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that Dr. Jane M. Simoni will be the next NIH Associate Director of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research. Dr. Simoni is currently a clinical psychologist at the University of Washington. She will join the NIH on July 30th.
- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced that Dr. Prasun Desai will serve as acting associate administrator for the NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD). Dr. Desai has worked at NASA for 33 years and currently serves as STMD’s deputy associate administrator. He replaces Jim Reuter, who retired on June 30th after leading STMD since 2018.
SUPREME COURT STRIKES DOWN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION, STUDENT DEBT RELIEF
On June 29th, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against race-conscious college admissions, with the majority arguing that the practice violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. The opinion does permit colleges to consider applicants’ descriptions of the impact of race on their lives. The following day, the Court struck down the Biden Administration’s plan to forgive up to $20,000 in student loan debt for certain borrowers, finding that the U.S. Department of Education exceeded its statutory authority. In response, the Administration announced plans to pursue a new rule-making under the Higher Education Act to enact its loan forgiveness proposal in a different manner. It also finalized regulations allowing more borrowers to benefit from income-driven loan repayment plans, as well as plans to help borrowers ease back into repayment this fall.