News
Youth Mental Health, Rep. Pressley, LGBTQ+ Literature
ON THE CHARLES RIVER
US Surgeon General Sounds the Alarm on Harmful Social Media Use among Youth during Visit to BU
Talking with Senator Edward Markey (Hon.'04), Vivek Murthy says smartphones and social media apps exacerbate young people's mental health challenges.
COMMUNITY RESOURCE
In Conversation With Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-MA)
Congresswoman Pressley joined BU School of Public Health Dean Sandro Galea for a Public Health Conversation Starter that covered topics ranging from a holistic approach to advancing health and health equity to political engagement.
FACULTY EXPERT
This Queer Japanese Novelist Disrupted Beliefs about Sexuality, Love, and Friendship
BU literature scholar Sarah Frederick says that Nobuko Yoshiya’s work from early 20th-century Japan takes on a new sense of importance as book bans target LGBTQ+ literature.
Celebrate Pride Month by reading about her impact
THOUGHT LEADERS
In Case You Missed It...
President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate BU alumnus Jeffrey Prescott (CAS '93) as ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture... New research coauthored by Sarah Lipson of the BU School of Public Health finds that transgender and gender-diverse college students have an increased risk of developing eating disorders... BU School of Law Dean Angela Onwuachi-Willig praises a recent court ruling that dismisses the "equal opportunity harasser" theory in Bloomberg... Kevin Gallagher of the BU Global Development Policy Center weighs in on a New York state proposal to make global development financing greener in The New Republic.
Research Security, Behavioral Health, Education Research
BU IN DC
Diane Baldwin of Sponsored Programs attended a Council on Governmental Relations meeting on June 8th and 9th.
Roscoe Giles of the College of Engineering participated in a meeting of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Scientific Computing Advisory Committee, of which he is a member, on June 12th and 13th.
Lindsay Newall, Michael DiFabio, and David Robbins of Campus Planning & Operations toured the Federal Relations and BU Washington offices on June 13th.
BU WEIGHS IN ON RESEARCH SECURITY
The Office of Research recently submitted comments to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) regarding the Biden Administration's proposed research security requirements for grantees. OSTP released the proposal earlier this year as the Administration works to implement National Security Presidential Memorandum-33, a policy issued during the Trump Administration to address concerns regarding improper foreign interference in federally-funded research. The letter affirms BU's commitment to both research security and openness and urges OSTP to utilize a risk-based assessment when determining how to implement potential new travel disclosure and cybersecurity policies. It also recommends making new policies uniform across federal science agencies in order to avoid conflicting requirements for researchers.
BUZZ BITS...
- The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that Dr. Wendy B. Smith is serving as acting director of the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, which has been without a permanent director since the fall of 2021. She replaces Dr. Christine M. Hunter, who retired in May. Dr. Smith is an experimental psychologist who has worked at NIH in a variety of capacities since 1990.
- The National Institute of Standards and Technology announced last week that Dr. Lora Weiss (CAS '85) will serve as director of the CHIPS for America Research and Development Office. Dr. Weiss had been the vice president for research at Pennsylvania State University. Weiss will oversee the National Semiconductor Technology Center, the National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program, new Manufacturing USA institutes dedicated to semiconductors, and the CHIPS R&D Metrology Program.
- President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Jeffrey Prescott (CAS '93) as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture. Mr. Prescott is currently the deputy to the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
GRANTS NEWS YOU CAN USE
The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) within the U.S. Department of Education issued a notice inviting applications for two new National Center for Education Research (NCER) competitions. The first competition is on the use of “longitudinal data to support State education policymaking,” while the other will focus on “transformative research in the education sciences.” These programs are meant to provide reliable data and information on educational practices that are supporting and advancing academic achievement and accessibility. Applications for both are due no later than August 17.
A Note To Our Readers: Beltway BUzz will briefly take a publishing break and resume in July. Please visit our website or follow us on Twitter for updates.
Leading Texas Scholar Is New Dean of BU School of Social Work
Barbara Jones says that leaving one state ranked dead last in access to mental health services for a state ranked second will be a refreshing change.
Budget Caps, Senator Markey, NIH Common Fund
BU IN DC
Diane Baldwin and Ryan Russell of Sponsored Programs attended a Federal Demonstration Partnership meeting on May 25th and 26th.
Jeanne Kelley of the International Students & Scholars Office discussed the visa process for students with staff for Congressman Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) while attending the NAFSA: Association of International Educators annual conference from May 30th through June 2nd.
Megan Macgarvie of the Questrom School of Business spoke at an Information Technology & Innovation Foundation forum on the importance of the innovation ecosystem on May 31st.
Joshua Semeter of the College of Engineering attended a meeting of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Independent Study committee, of which he is a member, on May 31st.
Maria Dykema Erb of the Newbury Center visited the BU Washington program to talk about internship opportunities for first-generation students on June 5th.
Associate Provost for Computing & Data Sciences Azer Bestavros discussed digital privacy policy with staff for Rep. Lori Trahan (D-MA) and attended a meetingof the National Science Foundation Computer & Information Science & Engineering Advisory Committee, of which he is a member, from June 7th through 9th.
Ibram X. Kendi of the Center for Antiracist Research and Joel Christian Gill of the College of Fine Arts participated in a conversation about their new book at Busboys and Poets on June 7th.
FISCAL AUSTERITY AHEAD AFTER LAWMAKERS AVERT U.S. DEFAULT
President Joe Biden signed into law last week the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (Public Law 118-5), which raises the nation's debt ceiling limit. Under the agreement negotiated by Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), the new law also caps discretionary federal spending for the next two years, making it more difficult to increase spending on scientific research and student aid through fiscal year 2025. The law also rescinds $40 million for research on pandemic-related learning loss from the Institute of Education Sciences budget and prohibits the Biden Administration from extending the student loan repayment pause beyond August 2023.
BU HOSTS WASHINGTON VISITORS
- The School of Public Health hosted Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) and U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy for a conversation on youth mental health on June 5th. The Senator and the Surgeon General discussed the causes of youth anxiety, the impact of social media on mental health, and what parents can do to support children experiencing mental health challenges.
- School of Public Health Dean Sandro Galea welcomed Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) during the latest installment of his Public Health Conversation Starters series on May 1st. Congresswoman Pressley discussed the importance of a holistic approach to advancing health, health equity, and political engagement.
- Sustainability hosted Congressional staff from the offices of Massachusetts Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey and Reps. Ayanna Pressley, Jake Auchincloss, and Katherine Clark for a tour of the Center for Computing & Data Sciences on Tuesday. The staff learned about the building's environmental sustainability, met with BU students at BU Spark!, and visited researchers in the Cyber Physical Systems Lab.
GRANTS NEWS YOU CAN USE
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Common Fund released a request for information soliciting responses from relevant stakeholders to address NIH-wide challenges and opportunities that may be of interest to the Common Fund. The Common Fund supports bold scientific programs that are not traditionally supported by any individual NIH institute or center and that have the potential to catalyze discovery across the biomedical and behavioral research enterprise. The NIH invites investigators to submit cross-cutting, high-impact ideas for research challenges and emerging opportunities that have the potential to become new Common Fund programs. Responses are due by August 11th.
Youth Mental Health
Boston University School of Public Health hosted Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy on Monday, June 5, 2023.
Youth Mental Health, Climate & Health, Climate Misinformation
YOU'RE INVITED
Promoting Public Health Among Children and Youth
Join the BU School of Public Health online today at 11:30 a.m. for a conversation with U.S. Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) and U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy about youth mental health.
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT
Human Health Is Suffering Because of Climate Change
BU and Harvard public health researchers received a $6.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to diversify and expand the global network of climate and health scientists to reach better solutions.
ON THE CHARLES RIVER
Tweets, Ads, and Lies: Researchers Are Fighting against Climate Misinformation
BU scholars recently shared their research findings on how climate misinformation permeates social media platforms and how misleading advertising in mainstream media spreads climate lies.
Learn how to separate climate fact from fiction
THOUGHT LEADERS
In Case You Missed It...
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky, and U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine each imparted words of wisdom for graduates attending BU's 2023 Commencement ceremonies... Kate Saenko of the BU College of Arts & Sciences discusses the carbon footprint of artificial intelligence applications like ChatGPT in The Conversation... Cutler Cleveland of the BU College of Arts & Sciences asks whether the U.S. Department of Energy's spending is aligned with the nation's needs... Bloomberg reports on research from the BU Global Development Policy Center indicating that a debt crisis may be looming for poorer nations most vulnerable to climate change.
Human Health Is Suffering Because of Climate Change
Public health experts at BU and Harvard are teaming up to diversify and expand the global network of climate and health researchers to reach better solutions.
College of Engineering Dean Kenneth Lutchen Named Interim BU Provost
Professor Elise Morgan will lead ENG during his appointment.
USDA Research, Sen. Markey, Equipment Grants
BU IN DC
Assistant Vice President and Assistant Provost for Research Development and PhD and Postdoctoral Affairs Sarah Hokanson gave a presentation on inclusive STEM teaching practices at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on May 22nd.
BUZZ BITS...
- The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) issued a request for information on national priorities for artificial intelligence (AI) research and development. OSTP is interested in feedback related to the ethical deployment of AI and how the technology can be safely used to improve society. OSTP will use the input it receives by July 7th to inform a forthcoming national AI strategy.
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently published the USDA Science and Research Strategy, 2023 - 2026, highlighting research priorities that align with the agency's broader strategic plan released last year. The USDA research strategy highlights innovative technologies, climate solutions, nutrition security and health, resilient ecosystems, and putting research into action as its five priorities over the next three years.
- The BU Office of Research has a new website that allows BU researchers to more readily find information to support their scientific endeavors. The site provides easy access to tips, forms, policies, trainings, and all aspects of the research project lifecycle.
EVENT NEWS YOU CAN USE
The School of Public Health will host a conversation with Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) and U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy on youth mental health on June 5th at 11:30 a.m. in person and online. As concerns grow over youth mental health, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, policymakers are seeking input from the academic community on how best to support children and teens. Participants will learn about the issues Congress and the Biden Administration are tackling and how scholars can play a role in improving youth mental health. RSVP today
GRANTS NEWS YOU CAN USE
The Federal Relations web site has a new resource for the BU community: an analysis of federal funding opportunities that support infrastructure and equipment awards. Compiled by Lewis-Burke Associates, the document includes competitive opportunities from the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Department of Defense, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Economic Development Administration. Federal Relations is available to answer any questions about the programs highlighted in the document and provide guidance on navigating the different application processes. Read the document
A Note To Our Readers: Beltway BUzz will take a break from publishing during the Memorial Day Congressional District Work period. Be sure to check our website and Twitter feed for updates.