AI Roadmap; NIH Reforms; Transformative Education Research
BU IN DC
Keith Brownof the College of Engineering moderated a panel discussion as part of the release of the National Academies Artificial Intelligence for Scientific Discovery workshop proceedings on May 13th. Brown is a member of the workshop committee.
Nathan Brewer and Ashley Slay of the Sexual Assault Response & Prevention Center met with White House officials to discuss sexual misconduct in scientific settings on May 14th.
Elizabeth Leary of Government & Community Affairs attended the New England Council Washington Leaders’ Conference on May 15th and 16th.
SENATE GROUP RELEASES ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ROADMAP
On Tuesday, the Bipartisan Senate Artificial Intelligence (AI) Working Group released a roadmap describing the bills the Senators believe Congress should consider to appropriately govern the use of AI. Among other proposals, the working group urges “funding for a cross-government AI research and development (R&D) effort, including relevant infrastructure that spans the Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Commerce (DOC), National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), National Institutes of Health (NIH), [and] National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).” The roadmap also recommends robust funding for the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource, which allows scientists to experiment with AI, and for AI-themed grand challenge competitions. The working group consists of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senators Todd Young (R-IN), Mike Rounds (R-SD), and Martin Heinrich (D-NM). The roadmap’s recommendations are not binding, but they are designed to guide Congressional involvement in AI going forward.
SENATOR OFFERS IDEAS FOR MODERNIZING NIH
Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), the senior Republican on the Senate’s health policy committee, released a report last week offering suggestions for modernizing the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Cassidy suggests updating NIH the peer review process to encourage scientists to submit innovative proposals that move beyond “incremental science,” rethinking how biomedical workforce training is funded, and providing more transparency about how NIH operates. While his proposals are unlikely to move forward during this session of Congress, they may gather more traction should Cassidy become chairman of the committee in the future.
GRANT NEWS YOU CAN USE
The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) is inviting applications for its fiscal year 2025 Transformative Research in the Education Sciences Grants Program. The agency is seeking proposals that have the potential to accelerate learning and reduce education inequities by combining principles from the learning sciences with advanced technology to create scalable technology solutions. The funding notice indicates that proposals should note the “transformative potential” of the submission and the innovation of the proposed research approach. IES estimates that awards will range from $300,0000 to $1.25 million per year for a project period of up to three years; a cost-sharing partner with experience developing technology products is required. The agency encourages applicants to submit a letter of intent by June 6th and discuss the proposal with a program officer.
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