NIH & Student Aid Budgets; DOE Science Leader; Africa
BU IN DC
Dean Sandro Galea and Lisa Sullivan of the School of Public Health addressed the ASPPH Annual Meeting for Academic Public Health on March 21st and 22nd.
Robert Tsai of the School of Law discussed his new book on lawyer Stephen Bright during a book talk with National Public Radio journalist Carrie Johnson at Politics & Prose on March 20th.
Mary Churchill of the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development attended the American Council on Education’s Women’s Network Leadership Conference and Dinner on March 20th and 21st. She is a member of the Network’s executive committee.
Arielle Derival-Joseph and Emily Walton of the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development attended the Council on Opportunity in Education Policy Seminar and discussed BU’s TRIO and Upward Bound programs with Massachusetts Congressional offices between March 17th and 20th.
Vice President for Marketing & Creative Services Amy Hook and Rachel Lapal Cavallario and Dave MacDonald of Public Relations | Social Media attended the Association of American Universities Public Affairs Network meeting between March 17th and 19th.
NIH AND STUDENT AID FUNDING STAY STABLE, DEFENSE RESEARCH CUT
Congress is poised to approve a spending package today that sets funding for student aid and biomedical and defense research for the remainder of fiscal year 2024. The Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 will keep the budgets for the National Institutes of Health and the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Health (ARPA-H) similar to their current levels. Within the U.S. Department of Education, the bill maintains the current funding level for the Pell Grant maximum award, the Federal Work Study program, and research programs at the Institute of Education Sciences. However, basic research programs at the Department of Defense will be cut slightly, while DARPA will increase slightly. President Joe Biden is expected to sign the measure shortly after it is approved by Congress.
BUZZ BITS…
- Science magazine reported last week that Dr. Asmeret Asefaw Berhe will step down as the director of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science on March 28th. Dr. Berhe joined the office in 2022 after being nominated by President Joe Biden in April 2021. Deputy Director Harriet Kung will serve as acting director; Dr. Kung has been with the DOE Office of Science for more than two decades.
- Dr. Greg Hager will become the new leader of the National Science Foundation’s Computer and Information Science and Engineering (NSF CISE) directorate on June 3rd. Hager is currently a computer science professor at Johns Hopkins University and has served as chair of the Computing Community Consortium. Dilma da Silva has been serving as acting director of NSF CISE.
- NSF Assistant Director Erwin Gianchandani will visit the Charles River Campus on Thursday, March 28th for a fireside chat. RSVP today and learn how you can engage with the NSF Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships directorate, the agency’s first new directorate in more than 30 years.
EVENTS NEWS YOU CAN USE
The BU Office of Research will host a Research on Tap session entitled “BU and Africa: Culture, Development, Health, Environment, and Governance” on April 8th at 4 p.m. Scholarship and research related to Africa are on the rise at BU, with the BU African Studies Center celebrating its 70th anniversary and a growing, multidisciplinary portfolio of African research programs spanning the Charles River and Medical Campuses. Faculty hosts Kevin Gallagher, Peter Rockers, and Mark Storella will convene BU experts across fields, campuses, and colleges for microtalks to expand researchers’ knowledge of this strategically vital region and plant seeds for deeper collaboration.
A Note to Our Readers: Due to the Congressional District Work Period, Beltway BUzz will temporarily pause publication. Be sure to check our website and social media for updates.