Graduate Loans; NSF Input; NASA Administrator
BU IN DC
Naomi Caselli of Wheelock College of Education & Human Development participated in a Capitol Hill event highlighting terminated federal research grants hosted by the House Science Committee Minority on July 8th. Caselli also met with several Congressional offices to discuss her research on deaf children’s language acquisition.
NEW LAW CAPS GRADUATE LENDING, CREATES COLLEGE ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES
Last week, President Donald J. Trump signed into law a bill that will modify federal student aid options for graduate students, with most changes becoming effective on July 1, 2026. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Public Law 119-21) institutes lifetime limits on graduate and professional student loans of $100,000 and $200,000, respectively; the law also eliminates graduate PLUS loans. The measure establishes a new earnings accountability metric for colleges: degree programs must demonstrate that their undergraduate alumni earn more than individuals with a high school diploma, and their graduate alumni earn more than those with a bachelor’s degree. While the law also establishes a tiered endowment excise tax with rates as high as 8% for some colleges, Boston University will remain exempt from the endowment tax.
NSF SOLICITS FEEDBACK ON BREAKTHROUGH INNOVATION INITIATIVE
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Technology, Innovation, and Partnership (TIP) Directorate is collecting comments on the establishment of a new Breakthrough Innovation Initiative Application process. The agency plans to create an abbreviated grant submission procedure for researchers who want to apply “unconventional approaches to create game-changing technologies and translate discoveries into tangible applications and products.” The approach is modeled after the German Federal Agency for Breakthrough Innovation (SPRIND) Challenge system, which aims to accelerate timelines and emphasize the translation of high-risk, high-reward ideas. Stakeholders are asked to submit comments by September 2nd.
BUZZ BITS…
- President Donald J. Trump announced Thursday that Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy will serve as NASA’s interim leader. In May, the President withdrew Jared Isaacman’s nomination to lead the agency; the White House has not named a new nominee.
- Last week, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) published its 2025-2030 NIH Strategic Plan for Data Science. The plan includes goals for greater integration of data science into biomedical research, support for software tools and computational models, and strengthening training opportunities.
- The National Science Foundation (NSF) is soliciting input on the key technology focus areas for the NSF Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) Directorate. Stakeholders are asked to provide feedback by July 21st on whether the TIP’s current ten priority areas, including artificial intelligence, biotechnology, natural disaster prevention, robotics, and advanced communications technology, should be modified.