News
Hazing; Health Inequity; NSF MultiPLEx
BU IN DC
Dean ad interim Elise Morgan of the College of Engineering joined the United for Medical Research coalition to meet with National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Monica Bertagnolli on September 24th. The group also met with House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Robert Aderholt (R-AL) to advocate for NIH funding.
Dean Scott Taylor of the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies hosted Pardee at the Park at Nationals Stadium for an evening of baseball and networking with Washington-area alumni on September 24th.
Associate Provost for Graduate Affairs Daniel Kleinman attended the Association of Graduate Schools meeting between September 22nd and 24th.
Vice President for Strategy & Innovation Jasmin Patel attended the American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellows 150th Anniversary Gala on September 21st.
Benjamin Sovacool of the Institute for Global Sustainability addressed a National Academies workshop on "Macroeconomic Implications for Decarbonization Policies and Strategies" on September 13th.
BUZZ BITS...
- President Joe Biden signed a continuing resolution to keep the government running at its current funding level until December 20th, nearly three months past the start of the October 1st federal fiscal year. Congress will return after the November elections to resume work on the annual spending bills that determine federal agency budgets.
- On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously approved the bipartisan Stop Campus Hazing Act (H.R.5646), which would require universities to report publicly both hazing incidents and hazing prevention policies. The Senate has not advanced the bill but passed a National Hazing Awareness Week resolution.
- David B. Berkowitz is the new assistant director for Mathematical and Physical Sciences at the National Science Foundation (NSF). Berkowitz previously led NSF's Chemistry Division; he serves on the faculty of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He oversees an approximately $1.7 billion budget that covers the divisions of Astronomical Sciences, Chemistry, Mathematical Sciences, Materials Research, and Physics.
EVENT NEWS YOU CAN USE
The Office of Research resumes its popular Research on Tap series this fall with "Health Inequity Meets Health Economics," hosted by Sarah Gordon of the School of Public Health. The session will feature micro-talks by BU faculty in public health, economics, business, social work, and medicine who are exploring how policies and economic conditions shape inequities in health care access, quality, and outcomes. Refreshments and a reception will follow the presentations, allowing researchers to network with potential collaborators across the BU campuses.
GRANT NEWS YOU CAN USE
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has released a new international funding program: the Multilateral Partnerships Leveraging Excellence (MultiPLEx). The MultiPLEx program will support U.S. teams in multilateral research partnerships that "advance understanding on critical topics of regional or global importance." Proposers are encouraged to include at least two partner countries outside the United States and to contact the relevant NSF program director before submitting a proposal.
A Note to Our Readers: Due to the Congressional District Work Period, Beltway BUzz will temporarily pause publication. Be sure to check our website or follow us on LinkedIn for updates.
Career Development Professorships Awarded to Five BU Researchers
This year’s recipients are rising stars in the study of Latin American literature, molecular and cellular processes, religious history, chemistry, and physics-inspired computing.
Inauguration 2024 Research on Tap Celebrates BU’s Power to Bring Scholars Together to Better Our World
Event showcased some of BU’s star researchers, celebrating how they cross and blur disciplinary boundaries in the pursuit of change.
Boston University Climbs to No. 41 in US News Best College Rankings
Up two rungs among national universities, BU also rises in business, computer science, and psychology programs
Is Higher Education Ignoring Inequality and Failing Disadvantaged Students?
New book from BU’s Anthony Abraham Jack says colleges admit students from diverse backgrounds, but forget cultural support.
Whip Clark, Drug Pricing, Nicotine Warnings
BU IN DC
BU President Gilliam Visits Capitol Hill
BU President Melissa L. Gilliam met with House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA), Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), and Rep. Lois Frankel (CAS’70) (D-FL) during a visit to Washington earlier this month.
FACULTY EXPERT
Conti Testifies on Prescription Drug Pricing Reform
BU Questrom School of Business Professor Rena Conti told the Senate Finance Committee that reforms to prescription drug spending enacted under the Inflation Reduction Act benefit seniors and do not harm innovation.
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT
E-Cigarette Brands Are Skirting the Rules about Health Warning Labels on Instagram, Study Finds
Using artificial intelligence, BU researchers with funding from the National Institutes of Health found that the vast majority of social media posts didn’t include health labels warning of the harms of flavored nicotine.
THOUGHT LEADERS
In Case You Missed It...
BU reached agreement with its resident assistant union on a 3-year contract, with vote pending... BU School of Law Professor Julia Dahlstrom comments on the broader usage of sex trafficking laws by prosecutors, such as in the case against Sean Combs, in The New York Times... Elaine Nsoesie of the BU School of Public Health explains how African researchers are using artificial intelligence to design their own health solutions in Nature... BU College of Communication Professor Joan Donovan says that Americans are being targeted with disinformation tactics pioneered by populist authoritarians in The Atlantic... BU welcomed more than 70 Boston Public Schools graduates who will be attending the University on Menino Scholarships and Community Service Awards.
Campus Free Speech; NAIRR; Instagram
BU IN DC
Dean Penny Bishop and Leslie Dietiker of the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development discussed investments in education research at the LEARN Coalition meeting on September 18th and 19th.
Rena Conti of the Questrom School of Business testified before a Senate Finance Committee hearing on lowering health care costs on September 17th.
Roscoe Giles of the College of Engineering presented an update on behalf of the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource Pilot Subcommittee at the National Science Foundation Advisory Committee for Cyberinfrastructure Fall Meeting on September 13th. He co-chairs the Subcommittee.
HOUSE PASSES BILLS TO REGULATE COLLEGE FREE SPEECH, PARTNERSHIPS ABROAD
On Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed the End Woke in Higher Education Act (H.R. 3724), which would restrict public colleges' ability to determine security and space usage plans for campus events and require universities to allow single-sex social organizations, such as fraternities and sororities. The Senate has no plans to take up the measure, which was offered during a series of legislative activity that House Republicans dubbed Woke Week. "Woke Week" followed "China Week," during which the House passed a bill to curb colleges' partnerships with Chinese organizations. While that bill is also unlikely to be adopted by the Senate, the measures were intended to demonstrate House Republicans' policy views in advance of the November elections.
BUZZ BITS...
- Representatives Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) and Kevin Kiley (R-CA) sent a letter to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights requesting the agency brief Congress and issue recommendations for Congress and the Administration to address antisemitism on college campuses. Twenty-three Members of Congress signed the letter, including BU alumna Representative Lois Frankel (D-FL).
- The House Space, Science, and Technology Committee recently passed the Creating Resources for Every American To Experiment with Artificial Intelligence (CREATE AI) Act (H.R. 5077), which would authorize the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR). The NAIRR, a testbed for AI research, is currently being piloted by the National Science Foundation. A Senate committee has passed a companion measure, increasing the chances that a NAIRR bill could be completed before the end of the year.
- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently issued updated rules governing research misconduct in federally-funded medical research. The rules, last updated in 2005, clarify how grantee institutions should investigate and disclose scientific misconduct.
EVENT NEWS YOU CAN USE
The Office of Research and Public Relations | Social Media will host "Instagram Insights: Exploring Strategy, Timing, and Creative Success for Researchers" on Thursday, October 17th at 1 p.m. Suzanne Whitby, founder of SciComm Success, will explain how researchers can effectively use Instagram’s visual platform to connect with new audiences and showcase their work. The virtual workshop will cover hashtag strategy, posting techniques to beat the algorithm, finding or creating the perfect visuals for content, and managing content to stay consistent without feeling overwhelmed. The event is part of the popular Strategic Communications series that helps BU researchers hone their communication skills and promote their work.
BU Celebrates Melissa L. Gilliam’s Inauguration as President
Weeklong lineup includes musical performances, community parties, and Friday’s momentous ceremony at Agganis Arena.
University, RA Union Agree to 3-Year Contract, with Vote Pending
Includes $1,700 stipend per semester, free meals, and continued free housing.
Healthcare Costs
Professor Reni Conti from BU Questrom School of Business testifies before the Senate Finance Committee about prescription drug pricing on Tuesday, September 17, 2024.