News
President-Elect Melissa L. Gilliam Names New Provost, Fills Key Senior Staff Posts
Gloria Waters will be BU’s new provost; a new Office of Strategy & Innovation is being created.
The Solar System May Have Passed through Dense Interstellar Cloud 2 Million Years Ago, Altering Earth’s Climate
In a new BU-led paper, astrophysicists calculate the likelihood that Earth was exposed to cold, harsh interstellar clouds, a phenomenon not previously considered in geologic climate models.
Antisemitism Investigations; Women’s Health Research; Military Health
BU IN DC
Jennifer Gómez of the School of Social Work and Suzanne Kennedy of the Office of the Provost attended a meeting of the National Academies Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education on May 22nd and 23rd.
Dean Mariette diChristina of the College of Communication moderated a virtual panel entitled "Trust in Science: Understanding the Trends and Implications for Science Communication" at the National Academies on May 30th.
HOUSE CONTINUES FOCUS ON COLLEGE ANTISEMITISM
On Monday, six committee chairs in the U.S. House of Representatives wrote to ten universities to emphasize that the committees are investigating the schools' use of federal funds and their learning environments in the wake of allegations of "an environment hostile to Jewish students." The committees' letter was sent to the leaders of Barnard College, Columbia University, Cornell University, Harvard University, MIT, Northwestern University, Rutgers University, University of California - Berkeley, University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA), and the University of Pennsylvania. House committees have also recently taken the following actions:
- During a May 23rd hearing, members of the House Education and the Workforce Committee questioned the leaders of Northwestern, Rutgers, and UCLA about their responses to pro-Palestinian campus demonstrations.
- The Committee announced it will conduct transcribed interviews with the leaders of Yale University and the University of Michigan in June and August, respectively.
- Republican leaders of the House Energy and Commerce and Education Committees wrote to the Secretary of Health and Human Services to inquire whether the National Institutes of Health is "[holding] grantees accountable for antisemitism arising on their campuses." The letter notes that grantees who do not comply with federal civil rights laws can lose federal funding.
BUZZ BITS...
- The National Institutes of Health (NIH) released a five-year NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for Research on the Health of Women. The plan identifies five goals, including furthering research into the multiple factors influencing women's health, improving data science and management related to women's health, and advancing women scientists' career development. The Biden Administration issued an executive order in March to foster women's health research across government agencies.
- Dr. Darío Gil, Senior Vice President and Director of IBM Research, is the new chair of the National Science Board (NSB). The NSB guides the activities of the National Science Foundation; Gil will be the Board's first industry leader in more than three decades.
- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently released a five-year DHS Innovation, Research, and Development (IRD) Strategic Plan. The plan outlines eight cross-cutting Strategic Priority Research Areas (SPRAs), including advanced sensing, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, climate change, communications, cybersecurity, data methods and tools, and digital identity and trust.
EVENT NEWS YOU CAN USE
The 2024 Military Health System Research Symposium (MHSRS) is tentatively scheduled for August 26th to 29th at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Kissimmee, Florida. The MHSRS is the Department of Defense’s (DOD) premier medical research meeting; it offers an opportunity for researchers to engage with program managers and DOD officials, who are often hard to reach, on military biomedical and health-related research topics. Registration for the event is expected to open in early July.
AI Bias, How to Save, Life Journey
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT
Is AI Biased Against Some Groups and Spreading Misinformation and Extreme Views?
BU computer scientists will use support from a first-of-its-kind federal artificial intelligence (AI) pilot program to scrutinize AI for “socially undesirable behavior."
Learn about the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource
FACULTY EXPERTS
How to Save for Retirement—and Why Most of Us Haven’t (or Can’t) Save Enough
Whether it’s because of a broken Social Security benefits system, pervasive economic inequality, or poor retirement advice, not everyone’s later years will be so golden.
See how to save
ON THE CHARLES RIVER
"I'm Excited to Embark on This Journey We Call Life"
For graduating senior Yadira Cabrera, Commencement marked a chance to build on everything she's learned about herself at BU.
THOUGHT LEADERS
In Case You Missed It...
Jonathan Feingold of the BU School of Law explains the impact of last summer's Supreme Court decision on affirmative action... Deborah Carr and Ian Sue Wing of the BU College of Arts & Sciences explain how the rise in heat waves can be deadly for older adults in The Conversation... The National Science Foundation shows how BU and Harvard researchers are using soft, wearable robots to help people with Parkinson's disease walk further and faster... Elizabeth Bettini of the BU Wheelock College of Education & Human Development discusses why special education teachers are quitting and what schools are doing about itwith Education Week... BU is removing the Myles Standish name from a residence hall.
Leading Womanist Ethicist and Theologian Named New MLK Professor of Religion and Black Studies at STH
Emilie Townes says she hopes to foster conversations in an increasingly polarized culture.
Is AI Biased against Some Groups and Spreading Misinformation and Extreme Views?
BU computer scientists will use support from first-of-its-kind federal AI pilot program to scrutinize artificial intelligence for “socially undesirable behavior”.
Karen Antman Stepping Down as BU’s Medical School Dean and Medical Campus Provost
Transformational leader oversaw new facilities and faculty, and a new school name.
BU Celebrates 7,600 Graduates at Buoyant 151st Commencement
Ceremony includes small student walkout over war in Gaza and a farewell to President ad interim Kenneth Freeman.
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.
A Note To Our Readers: Beltway BUzz will temporarily pause publication for the Memorial Day holiday. Be sure to check our website or follow us on LinkedIn or X for updates.