News
BU’s National Biomechanics Day Event for Upward Bound Math Science High Schoolers
BU Graduate Women in Science and Engineering hosted a three-day event for students from BU Upward Bound Math Science on April 23-25, 2025.
NSF Director; Accreditation; DOE F&A Caps
BU IN DC
Indara Suarez of the College of Arts & Sciences met with Congressional offices to discuss the importance of investing in physics research as part of the U.S. Large Hadron Collider Users Association (USLUA) visit to Capitol Hill on April 24th.
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION DIRECTOR RESIGNS
National Science Foundation (NSF) Director Sethuraman "Panch" Panchanathan announced yesterday that he is stepping down as leader of the agency, 16 months before the end of his six-year term. Panch joined the agency in 2020 after being appointed by President Donald J. Trump in 2019. His decision comes on the heels of the Trump Administration dissolving the agency's advisory committees and announcing the termination of NSF grants that do not align with the Administration's priorities. NSF did not announce an interim leader.
TRUMP ISSUES HIGHER EDUCATION EXECUTIVE ORDERS
On Wednesday, President Donald J. Trump issued several executive orders pertaining to higher education. They include:
- The "Reforming Accreditation to Strengthen Higher Education" order directs the Secretary of Education to monitor accrediting agencies for compliance with civil rights laws, urges the Secretary to recognize new accreditors, and criticizes law and medical school accreditors for prioiritizing diversity.
- The "Transparency Regarding Foreign Influence at American Universities" order directs the Secretary to require colleges to disclose more specific information about foreign gifts and to make the information public.
The Department of Education will decide how to implement each order, including the specific steps required.
JUDGE BLOCKS DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY RESEARCH CUTS
Last week, a district court judge issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting the Department of Energy from moving forward with its planned 15% cap on reimbursements for facilities & administrative (F&A) costs for university grantees. A coalition of universities sued to stop the Trump Administration's April 11th action, which would apply to both current and future college and university grants. The Administration had previously proposed a similar cap on F&A reimbursement for National Institutes of Health grants; that cap is on hold due to a permanent nationwide injunction.
BU Launches an Open-Source Infectious Diseases Monitoring Tool Powered by AI and Human Experts
The Biothreats Emergence, Analysis and Communications Network (BEACON) is slated to become a global hub for critical information about emerging outbreaks.
The Rise of a Powerhouse BU Department: Economics
Notable alums—from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to the prime minister of Iceland to President Trump’s chief economic advisor to the Illinois secretary of state—have all helped boost the department’s notoriety, while talk about tariffs has made its subject matter all the more timely.
How Could the SAVE Act Impact Young Voters and Married People Who’ve Changed Their Name?
BU political scientist Christine Slaughter says that changing the electoral process can deter people from the polls.
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.