News
Guggenheim Fellowships Awarded to Six BU Researchers and Scholars
Winners, recognized as “visionary scientists, scholars, writers, and artists,” will use honor to support work on artificial intelligence, space science, American history, and more.
Boston Globe 2025 Sustainability Summit
United States Senator Ed Markey (Hon.’04, D-MA) spoke at the Boston Globe Sustainability Summit held in BU’s Duan Family Center for Computing & Data Sciences on Tuesday, April 15, 2025.
BU Backs Lawsuit to Block Department of Energy Research Cuts
University research on climate, wind energy, affordable fuel alternatives all at risk.
MA Universities Advocate; NEH; NSH Infrastructure
BU IN DC
Doctoral students Matilde Carrera and Emma Daily of the College of Arts & Sciences, Meagan Lauber and Sita Ramaswamy of the Avedisian & Chobanian School of Medicine, and Dora Balog of the College of Engineering attended the American Association for the Advancement of Science Catalyzing Advocacy in Science and Engineering (CASE) workshop and discussed science policy with Congressional offices between April 6th and 9th.
Koritha Mitchell of the College of Arts & Sciences attended a Johns Hopkins University Press Board meeting on April 11th.
MA RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES ADVOCATE FOR STUDENTS, SCIENCE
Boston University, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Tufts University sent a memorandum urging lawmakers to invest in student aid and research as they craft spending bills this year.
The memo shared the institutions’ joint federal budget priorities, which include funding for Pell Grants, Federal-Work Study, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the National Endowment for the Humanities, among others. In particular, the schools raised the importance of the federal government and university partnership as a "cornerstone of the U.S. competitive advantage."
BUZZ BITS...
- The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed a fiscal year 2025 concurrent budget resolution on Thursday, laying the groundwork for lawmakers to enact a package of tax cuts this year. The resolution passed the U.S. Senate last week and instructs the Congressional education committees to find up to $330 billion in education-related savings, such as from federal student loans, to help offset the cost of the tax cuts.
- On Wednesday, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee held a hearing on the nomination of Jared Isaacman to lead the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Isaacman, a commercial astronaut and founder of a payment processing company, faced questions about his ties to Elon Musk and the Administration's focus on Mars exploration. Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) asked Isaacman to pledge to restore climate data removed from the NASA website.
- The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) recently terminated more than 1200 grants, including awards to cultural organizations, individual scholars, and all state and jurisdictional humanities councils. Several dozen NEH employees have been placed on leave, and The New York Times reports that the Trump Administration plans to eliminate 70 to 80 percent of the agency's staff.
- The House Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions held a hearing on Tuesday entitled "Game Changer: the NLRB, Student-Athletes, and the Future of College Sports." Witnesses, including two former student athletes, were divided on whether college athletes should be considered employees with the right to bargain collectively.
EVENTS NEWS YOU CAN USE
The Office of Research is hosting two upcoming events.
Professors Margarita Guillory and Wesley Wildman will host "AI and the Humanities" on Wednesday, April 16th at 4 p.m. in the Kilachand Center. This Research on Tap will feature BU faculty delivering microtalks on their research examining artificial intelligence’s societal and cultural impacts while highlighting its innovative applications in the humanities, from natural language processing to reasoning machines.
On Monday, April 28th, the BU community can join a virtual event entitled "Unlocking NSF Funding Opportunities for Infrastructure and Instrumentation." Join Dr. Alicia Knoedler, head of the Office of Integrative Activities at the National Science Foundation (NSF), as she discusses the range of funding opportunities for research infrastructure across the NSF. Whether you’re preparing your first proposal or refining your approach, Dr. Knoedler will share perspectives on building strong NSF partnerships, crafting compelling proposals, and navigating the funding process.
A NOTE TO OUR READERS
Beltway BUzz will temporarily pause publication during the Congressional District Work Period. Please visit our website, follow us on LinkedIn, or visit the University's Frequently Asked Questions about Federal Actions page for updates.
Alum, a Former Peace Corps Leader, Fetes BU Pardee at 10th Anniversary Celebration
Carrie Hessler-Radelet (CAS’79, Hon.’16) says global turmoil offers a chance to do foreign assistance better.
Resource Guide: Everything BU International Students and Faculty Need to Know Right Now
Amid challenging times, Boston University is supporting its international community with resources and info ranging from visas to travel to their legal rights. “We are stronger because we come from so many different backgrounds and have different experiences,” President Melissa Gilliam says.
Investing in Students, First Generation, Boston Medical Center
BU IN DC
BU Urges Lawmakers to Invest in Students and Research
Boston University, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Tufts University urge lawmakers to invest in student aid, research, and the humanities as they craft spending bills this year.
STUDENT LIFE
How BU Became a National Model and Destination for First-Generation Students
A generous gift and two impassioned leaders in Executive Director Maria Erb and Professor Anthony Jack helped give rise to Boston University’s Newbury Center. Students say it’s been life-changing.
ON THE CHARLES RIVER
BU President and Boston Medical Center Health System CEO on Their Shared Vision, Optimism, and Overcoming Turbulence
Melissa Gilliam and Alastair Bell discuss their partnership, the outsized role of Boston Medical Center — Boston’s essential hospital and BU’s teaching hospital — the search for a new medical school dean, and headwinds and challenges.
Listen in on their conversation
THOUGHT LEADERS
In Case You Missed It...
Rory Van Loo of the BU School of Law testified before a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee about Big Fixes for Big Tech... Mark Williams of the BU Questrom School of Business discussed tariffs and the potential for a recession in Newsweek... The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's new report entitled "Identifying Midlife Social Exposures That Might Modify Risks of Cognitive Impairment Associated with Early Life Disadvantage" features work by BU School of Public Health Professor Jennifer Weuve and BU Center for Innovation in Social Science Director Deborah Carr... ABC Newsfeatured the new Older Adult Re-Entry Unit at the Middlesex County Jail designed by researchers at BU Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Science... Matt Motta of BU School of Public Health talked to NPR about vaccine skepticism and its impact on pandemic preparedness.
Civil Rights Reviews; NIH Changes; Harassment Summit
BU IN DC
Rory Van Loo of the School of Law testified at a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights hearing entitled "Big Fixes for Big Tech" on April 1st.
ADMINISTRATION UPDATES: CIVIL RIGHTS REVIEWS, SCIENCE PRIORITIES, DEFENSE SCIENCE LEADER
- The Trump Administration recently announced it is reviewing several universities for compliance with federal civil rights laws, including a review of contracts and grants awarded to Harvard University and its affiliates by the Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism; a review of the admissions policies of the University of California (UC) Berkeley, UC Irvine, UCLA, and Stanford University by the Department of Justice; and a review of the admissions policies of “a major medical school” in California by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
- On Thursday, President Donald J. Trump directed the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to focus on securing America's "position as the unrivaled world leader in critical and emerging technologies — such as artificial intelligence, quantum information science, and nuclear technology."
- On Monday, the President nominated Dr. Joseph Jewell as assistant secretary of defense for science and technology. Jewell is currently an associate professor in aeronautical and astronautical engineering at Purdue University.
NIH IMPACTED BY LAYOFFS AND LEADERSHIP CHANGES
The leaders of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and National Human Genome Research Institute were placed on administrative leave from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on Monday night, followed by a round of employee layoffs in NIH's communications, procurement, and human resources offices on Tuesday.
Tuesday also marked Dr. Jay Bhattacharya's first day as NIH Director. His first note to NIH employees referenced the "streamlining" happening at all agencies under the umbrella of the HHS and identified his priorities for the agency: population health, reproducibility and rigor, innovation and collaboration, safety and transparency, and academic freedom.
EVENT NEWS YOU CAN USE
The BU Sexual Assault Response & Prevention Center (SARP) is hosting a Gender Harassment in Science and Academia Summit on April 14th at 6:00 pm in the GSU Metcalf Ballroom. The Summit is a space for the BU community to define and develop a framework to address power dynamics and the culture contributing to gender harassment. Ahead of the Summit, SARP is asking the BU community to complete and share a climate survey to assess the research environment and help shape future policies and initiatives that foster a more inclusive and supportive academic culture.
Big Fixes for Big Tech
Professor Rory Van Loo from BU School of Law testifies before the Senate Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights about legal reforms for big tech on Tuesday, April 1, 2025.
Research Meets Policy: Engaging with Federal Lawmakers
BU Federal Relations and the Office of Research hosted a workshop on how to effectively share your research with policymakers on Monday, March 31, 2025.