News
Behind the Scenes at BU’s Photonics Center
Video reveals the engineering feat that allows this research hub to carry out sensitive experiments despite proximity to the Mass Pike.
As Book Bans Increase Across the Country, a BU Scholar is Fighting Back
Wheelock’s Christina Dobbs is providing teachers with ammunition to continue teaching controversial titles.
Research & Student Aid Boosts, ARPA-H, Catalyzing Advocacy
BU IN DC
Loretta Lees and Katharine Lusk of the Initiative on Cities attended the winter meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors between January 17th and 20th.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Thursday that alumnus Hugh T. Clements, Jr. (MET '05) has been tapped to lead the Community Oriented Policing Services office.
SPENDING PACKAGE BOOSTS STUDENT AID AND RESEARCH BUDGETS
President Joe Biden signed into law an omnibus spending bill for fiscal year 2023 on December 23rd, approving significant budget increases for the programs and agencies which support students and research. Highlights of the new law include:
- National Institutes of Health: $47.5 billion, a 5% increase
- National Science Foundation: $9.87 billion, an 11.7% increase
- Department of Energy Office of Science: $8.1 billion, an 8.4% increase
- NASA Science: $7.8 billion, a 2.4% increase
- Department of Defense Science & Technology: $22.4 billion, an 18.5% increase
- National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities: $207 million each, a 15% increase for both agencies
- Pell Grant maximum award: $7,395, a 7.2% increase
Read an analysis of the new budget
BUZZ BITS...
- Dr. Susan Monarez has been named Deputy Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency - Health (ARPA-H). Monarez has held leadership roles with the Health Resources and Services Administration, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
- Dr. Evelyn Wang was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E). Wang previously led the mechanical engineering department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
- Tsione Wolde-Michael has been chosen as the executive director of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. The committee of leaders from around the country is tasked with advising President Biden on policies impacting the arts, humanities, and libraries. Wolde-Michael was previously the founding director of the Smithsonian’s Center for Restorative History.
EVENT NEWS YOU CAN USE
BU Graduate Affairs is now accepting applications from graduate students who would like to attend the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) science policy training in Washington, DC, in March. The AAAS Catalyzing Advocacy in Science and Engineering workshop educates PhD students in STEM disciplines about the role of science in policy-making, introduces them to the federal policy-making process, and empowers them to become a voice for basic research throughout their career. The University will sponsor attendance for up to four students. Applications are due by 9 a.m. on February 6th. Share the information with graduate students
US Mayors Address the Climate Crisis in New Report from BU’s Initiative on Cities
2022 Menino Survey of Mayors finds city leaders are eager to invest in electric vehicles, less likely to restrict fossil fuels use.
BU Strikes Tentative Deal to Sell Four LA Apartment Buildings, Keeping Tenants in Their Homes
Land trust would own structures that were bequeathed to the University by alum and benefactor Frederick Pardee.
Q&A: BU Deaf Student on the Impact of Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids
Anna Lim, a Wheelock doctoral student, talks about accessibility and healthcare equity in the hearing-impaired community.
Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)
BU Foundation Relations and Federal Relations hosted a workshop on funding opportunities for clinical effectiveness research on Thursday, January 12, 2023.
NEIDL Researchers Discover New SARS-CoV-2 Weak Spot—Which Could Inspire Improved Vaccines
Nature publishes BU-led COVID study that made international headlines; scientists find viral protein called NSP6, not just spike, responsible for making Omicron less dangerous than past variants.
NIH Peer Review, PCORI, Language Training
BU IN DC
Associate Provost for Computing & Data Sciences Azer Bestavros attended a virtual meeting of the National Science Foundation’s Computer & Information Science & Engineering Advisory Committee, of which he is a member, on December 16th.
BUZZ BITS...
- Congress passed a continuing resolution this week that keeps the federal government operating for one week while legislators try to finalize a spending package for fiscal year 2023. BU Federal Relations will report on the details of any agreements pertaining to research and student aid in January.
- The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is requesting feedback on the proposed simplification of the NIH's peer review criteria. The NIH intends to consolidate its current five review criteria into three: importance of the research, rigor and feasibility, and expertise and resources. The revised criteria are based on nearly three years of consultation with the extramural research community; comments are due no later than March 10, 2023.
- On Monday, the White House announced the launch of the STEMM Opportunity Alliance, a coalition of more than 90 organizations -- including the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine -- committed to advancing equity in science. The Administration also touted its own initiatives to advance STEMM equity at the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, and other agencies.
EVENTS NEWS YOU CAN USE
The Office of Research, Foundation Relations, and Federal Relations are cohosting a webinar to help acquaint BU researchers with the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) on January 12th at 12:00 pm. PCORI is an independent, nonprofit research organization that funds comparative clinical effectiveness research in the U.S., with a focus on the assessment of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment options.This workshop will provide an overview of PCORI’s mission, funding priorities, grant programs, application cycles, and evaluation processes.
GRANTS NEWS YOU CAN USE
Federal Relations has recently posted an overview of federal grant programs which support foreign language education and cultural research. This comprehensive resource contains information about funding competitions through the U.S. Departments of Education, State, and Defense, as well as the National Science Foundation. The report features opportunities open to institutions of higher education, individual investigators, and undergraduate and graduate students.
A Note To Our Readers: Beltway BUzz will take a break for Intersession. Thank you to our readers. We wish you happy holidays and will see you in the New Year!