News

Antisemitism Hearing, Foreign Gifts, Heliophysics Director

BU IN DC

Associate Provost for Computing & Data Sciences Azer Bestavros discussed artificial intelligence research with staff for the House New Democrat Coalition and attended a meeting of the National Science Foundation Computer & Information Science & Engineering Advisory Committee, of which he is a member, on December 6th and 7th.

Emma Zheng of Professional Development & Postdoctoral Affairs attended a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine workshop on scientific leadership for responsible research on December 4th.

HOUSE COMMITTEE GRILLS UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS ON ANTISEMITISM

House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) announced Thursday she plans to investigate Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology about their response to antisemitism on campus after a contentious committee hearing on Wednesday featuring the presidents of the three institutions. The presidents spoke about keeping students safe and upholding free speech ideals, while Republican lawmakers grilled the leaders on their response to student protests, the lack of conservative students and employees on campus, and the influence of foreign donors. Committee Democrats also shared their concerns about antisemitism while advocating for increased funding for the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights to conduct investigations into shared heritage discrimination.

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HOUSE PASSES HIGHER ED FOREIGN INFLUENCE BILL

On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would require colleges to report foreign gifts of more than $50,000 to the U.S. Department of Education, significantly lower than the current $250,000 threshold. The Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions (DETERRENT) Act (H.R. 5933) would require the Department to approve any university partnerships with China and other countries determined to pose a national security risk. It would also require schools to post a public database detailing individual gifts to faculty and staff from entities abroad. The higher education community opposed the bill since it duplicates existing statutes and threatens the privacy of university employees. A companion bill has been introduced in the U.S. Senate but is not currently scheduled for a vote. 

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BUZZ BITS...

• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced the selection of Dr. Joseph Westlake as NASA's next heliophysics division director within its Science Mission Directorate (SMD). Dr. Westlake, a researcher at the John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, succeeds Dr. Nicola Fox, who was tapped to lead SMD earlier this year. He begins his position in January.
• The U.S. Department of Education announced Wednesday that it would delay the release of its final Title IX gender equity in education rules until March 2024. While a proposed set of rules was issued in 2022, the Biden Administration has repeatedly delayed the release of final rules that would modify the Trump-era regulations currently governing how campuses adjudicate cases of sexual misconduct.
• The House Science, Space, and Technology Committee passed the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act (H.R. 6213) last week. The bill would make funding and policy recommendations for federal investments in quantum computing research, development, and workforce education.

National Cancer Institute, Social Sciences, Government Rotators

BU IN DC

Eugene Declercq of the School of Public Health spoke on a panel during a Federal Communications Commission and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services roundtable on the intersection of broadband connectivity and maternal health on November 17th. 

BUZZ BITS...

• President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Dr. Kimryn Rathmell as the next director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Dr. Rathmell is an oncologist at Vanderbilt Medical Center. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, she will succeed Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, who was confirmed as director of the National Institutes of Health last month.
• The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced Renée Ferranti as special assistant to the NSF Director for sexual assault and harassment prevention and response implementation. Ferranti previously led the sexual assault response and prevention program at the Peace Corps. She started at the NSF on November 5th.
• NSF also announced that Dr. Dilma Da Silva will serve as acting director of the NSF Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate (CISE) when current director Dr. Margaret Martonosi steps down in December. Dr. Da Silva is a computer scientist from Texas A&M University who currently serves as CISE's division director for computing and communication foundations. A search for a permanent director is currently underway.

GRANTS NEWS YOU CAN USE

Are you looking for research support in the social and behavioral sciences or the humanities? An updated version of the popular Lewis-Burke Associates compendium of federal funding opportunities in the behavioral and social sciences, arts, and humanities is now available on the BU Federal Relations website. The document provides detailed information on research support available from a range of federal agencies, including the National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Justice, Department of Education, and National Endowments for the Arts and the Humanities. New this year is the NSF’s Research Infrastructure in the Social and Behavioral Sciences program, which supports computational and data tools that enable social science research.

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EVENTS NEWS YOU CAN USE

The Office of Research recently posted the recording and slides from a webinar explaining how faculty can temporarily serve in positions with the federal government, ranging from White House policy advisor to scientific agency program officer. BU faculty Joshua Goodman of the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development, Nahid Bhadelia of the Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases Research & Policy, and Sarah Gordon of the School of Public Health discussed the highlights and drawbacks of their recent government rotations and how their experience has impacted their work at BU. They also outlined the logistics of taking a temporary position, including arranging a leave of absence from BU, travel considerations, and complying with federal ethics rules.

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Campus Antisemitism, Federal Budget, Health Data Science

BU IN DC

Ayse Coskun of the College of Engineering attended the Computing Research Association's Leadership in Science Policy Institute on November 16th and 17th.

Anthony Jack of the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development addressed a meeting of the Association of American Universities Education Deans, which was also attended by Dean David Chard, on November 9th.

Rachel Thrasher of the Global Development Policy Center participated in a briefing for the U.S. Trade Representative on November 7th.

LAWMAKERS ADDRESS CAMPUS ANTISEMITISM

Amid concerns over the rise in antisemitic incidents on college campuses, lawmakers have recently hosted forums to hear from students, advocates, and scholars about the causes and impacts. Congressional Republicans used the events to criticize college leaders and the Biden Administration, while the U.S. Department of Education issued a fact sheet with resources for universities to address antisemitism and Islamophobia. Congressional activity included:

• On Tuesday, the chairman of the House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development blamed campus diversity and equity offices for promoting anti-Jewish sentiment.
• Last week, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee asserted that universities stifle conservative speech.
• On Wednesday, the House tax-writing committee held a hearing "Investigating the Nexus Between Antisemitism, Tax-Exempt Universities, and Terror Financing."
• During a bipartisan roundtable discussion last week, the senior Republican on the U.S. Senate, Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee criticized the Biden Administration for not ensuring that schools responsibly handle antisemitic incidents.

BUZZ BITS...

• The President signed into law a continuing resolution to extend current funding for government agencies through early next year, with some agencies funded through January 19 and others through February 2nd. The extension provides additional time for Congress to work through their appropriations process and negotiate final spending legislation for fiscal year 2024, which began on October 1st.
• Dr. Monica Bertagnolli was sworn in as the new director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on November 9th after her nomination was approved by a 62-36 vote of the U.S. Senate. President Joe Biden nominated Dr. Bertagnolli, the former head of the National Cancer Institute, in May. NIH had been without a Senate-confirmed leader since December 2021.
• Congressman Gabe Amo (D-RI) was sworn in as the newest member of the Rhode Island Congressional delegation on Monday after winning a special election earlier this month. Rep. Amo is the first person of color to represent the state and previously served in both the Obama and Biden administrations. He will serve on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

EVENTS NEWS YOU CAN USE

The BU Office of Research will host the last Research on Tap of the semester on Wednesday, November 29th at 4 p.m. in the Kilachand Center. Hosted by Debbie Cheng of the School of Public Health, the event will feature microtalks from BU health data scientists embedded in departments across BU — from statisticians and computer scientists to a wide range of domain area experts studying ethics, climate change, neuroscience, HIV/AIDS, and more. The new Population Health Data Science program will offer seed funding awards to event attendees who apply by December 13th. A networking reception will follow the event.

RSVP today