News

NASA; Book Promotion; DOE Early Career

BU IN DC

Anthony Jack of the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development addressed the American Council on Education (ACE) annual meeting on February 27th.

Mary Churchill of the Wheelock College of Education & Human Developmentattended the ACE Women's Network Leadership Conference on February 27th and 28th.

Leslie Dietiker of the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development attended the LEARN Coalition spring meeting on March 3rd.

Christine Slaughter from the College of Arts & Sciences spoke at a Peopling Politics symposium on March 5th.

BUZZ BITS...

• The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee unanimously advanced bills to renew NASA and the weather research activities of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Wednesday. The House Science, Space, and Technology Committee previously passed similar bills and the two chambers will need to negotiate final versions before they can be sent to the President.
• On Friday, the Department of Education released a report on the future of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the research arm of the agency. The report recommends IES "focus on the most urgent education challenges that are informed by state and district leaders" and "prioritize multi-state awards to help scale the most promising interventions, resources, and policies." The Department's press release indicates it will review the recommendations and consider its next steps.
• Dr. Lindsey Criswell's appointment as director of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases at the National Institutes of Health was not renewed. Criswell had served in the role since February 2021.

EVENT NEWS YOU CAN USE

Are you ready to learn how to amplify a book launch and build a positive media presence? Join Kevin Anselmo from Experiential Communications on March 12th at 12 p.m. for a dynamic, remote 90-minute workshop where you’ll discover how to navigate both promoting an upcoming book and enhancing awareness of a book already in print. The event is part of the Strategic Communications series cosponsored by BU Public Relations | Social Media and the Office of Research. From podcasting to working with the media to building an online persona, these events allow BU’s research community to hone their communication skills and promote their work.

Register today

GRANT NEWS YOU CAN USE

The Department of Energy has released the 2026 solicitation for its Early Career Research Program, which provides grants of up to $875,000 over five years to exceptional scholars within ten years of earning their doctorate. The DOE supports research in fields such as computing, biological and environmental sciences, physics, and energy. Recent awardees include Boston University faculty with appointments in Chemistry, Physics, and Astronomy. Mandatory pre-applications are due no later than March 24th.

Learn more

State of the Union; NSF Director; DARPA Biological Technologies Office

BU IN DC

Vice President and Associate Provost for Research Kenneth Lutchen, Roscoe Giles and Yannis Paschalidis of the College of Engineering, and Lloyd Munjanja of Research Development participated in the Department of Energy Genesis Mission Summit on February 18th.

Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer Nicole Tirella attended the 2026 Summit on Higher Education Finance and the Economy on February 19th and 20th.

Noel Vest of the School of Public Health met with Congressional offices during the College on Problems of Drug Dependence Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill on February 17th.

Kevin Outterson of CARB-X discussed antimicrobial resistance with Congressional offices on February 25th.

STATE OF THE UNION HIGHLIGHTS AI, MEN'S HOCKEY

President Donald J. Trump delivered the annual State of the Union address to Congress on Tuesday night, saying the "golden age of America is upon us." He highlighted the Presidential AI Challenge, which invites young people to develop AI-based solutions to address community problems, as well as the First Lady's leadership on AI safety. Trump also recognized the U.S. men's Olympic hockey team, which includes five Terriers, following their gold medal win. After the speech, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon released a statement touting the Department of Education's progress in "restoring accountability in education."

Watch the address

BUZZ BITS...

• The White House confirmed the President intends to nominate Jim O'Neill to serve as the director of the National Science Foundation. O’Neill is a health care venture capitalist who recently stepped down as acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The nomination has not yet been sent to the U.S. Senate for consideration.
• The National Institutes of Health (NIH) shared an update this week on the "core tenets" of the NIH Unified Funding Strategy: "scientific merit assessed during peer review, alignment with the NIH mission, program balance, career stage, geographic balance, and stewardship of available funds." The post reiterates that NIH's institutes and centers will not publish paylines and urges applicants to "connect with NIH program staff regularly about your research ideas."
• On Monday, the Department of Education (ED) announced that the Department of State will review foreign gifts and contracts to universities through a new interagency agreement. The State Department is expected to "review and assess [colleges'] compliance" with Section 117 of the Higher Education Act, which requires schools to report foreign gifts to ED.

EVENT NEWS YOU CAN USE

Are you interested in doing research at the leading edge of science and technology? The Biological Technologies Office (BTO) within the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) leverages advances in biology, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to develop technologies that protect warfighters, strengthen logistics and supply chains, and accelerate transformative science across the biological spectrum. In a virtual presentation to the BU research community on Thursday, March 5th at 11:00am, BTO Director Dr. Michael Koeris will provide an overview of DARPA and the BTO, and highlight BTO’s current research thrusts. Faculty will leave the talk with a better understanding of how to share their research with DARPA program managers and the types of research DARPA is interested in supporting.

RSVP today