News
Climate Change Battle Must Include Environmental Justice
Senator Ed Markey (Hon.’04) touts $60B in government funding at BU Center for Antiracist Research Symposium.
Seven BU Latinx Researchers Making a Difference
From social work to astronomy to the law, these leaders are pushing scientific and scholarly boundaries—and lifting up the next generation of Latinx academics.
Sustainability, Health Equity, and Antiracism
Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) discussed climate justice with the BU Center for Antiracist Research on Friday, September 30, 2022. The symposium was chaired by Monica Wang, chair of narrative at the BU Center for Antiracist Research and an associate professor of community health sciences at the School of Public Health.
Presley & Lynch, SBIR, Research Toolkit
BU IN DC
Benjamin Sovacool of the Institute for Global Sustainability gave a presentation at the U.S. Department of Energy's Justice Week celebration on September 15th. Madison Condon of the School of Law discussed environmental, social, and governance fund disclosures at a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Investor Advisory Committee meeting on September 21st. Ibram X. Kendi of the Center for Antiracist Research spoke with Congresswoman Cori Bush (D-MO) at a Washington event hosted by The Emancipator to commemorate Banned Books Week on September 22nd. Stephanie Ettinger de Cuba of the School of Public Health and Megan Sandel and Thea James of the School of Medicine attended the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health on September 28th. 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 September 30th.
REPS. PRESSLEY AND LYNCH TO VISIT BU
The BU community is invited to hear from Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) and Congressman Stephen Lynch (D-MA) as they join the Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences (CDS) for a discussion on inequities in access to online currencies on Tuesday, October 4th at 1p.m. The Members of Congress have introduced the Electronic Currency and Secure Hardware (ECASH) Act, legislation that would implement an electronic version of the U.S. dollar in order to enable greater financial inclusion. The Representatives will provide an update on their bill and the CDS faculty will discuss their research on cryptography and privacy. RSVP today
BUZZ BITS...
- Congress is poised to pass a continuing resolution to keep the government operating at current funding levels through December 16th. The current fiscal year expires today, but lawmakers will not finalize the fiscal year 2023 budgets for research agencies and student aid programs until after the November midterm elections.
- On Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation to renew the Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR), which provides grants to small companies spun out of federally-funded research. The bill imposes new requirements on SBIR applicants to disclose any ties to a foreign country of concern and prohibits funding for companies with a relationship with China. The U.S. Senate passed the bill unanimously and President Joe Biden is expected to sign the measure into law.
- The House Science, Space and Technology Committee held a hearing on Thursday to discuss how to manage the risks posed by artificial intelligence (AI). Witnesses from government, industry, and academia discussed steps the scientific community should take to ensure that the ethical implications of AI technologies are considered throughout the research and development process.
EVENTS NEWS YOU CAN USE
The Office of Research is accepting RSVP's for several "How-To" events in October to help faculty develop their research toolkit:The Strategic Communications Workshop: Using Twitter and LinkedIn Effectively to Promote Your Research will be hosted in partnership with Public Relations | Social Media on October 12th at 3 p.m. Kevin Anselmo of Experiential Communications will hold a remote, interactive workshop to learn how to share your key messages on Twitter and LinkedIn so they resonate with the public and help achieve your communications objectives.DARPA, ARPA-E, and ARPA-H: How to Work with the ARPAs will be hosted in partnership with Federal Relations on October 13th at 3 p.m. During a virtual webinar, experts from Lewis-Burke Associates LLC, a federal lobbying and consulting firm in Washington, DC, will explain how federal Advanced Research Projects Agencies (ARPAs) operate and how they’re different from other federal funding agencies. BU faculty who have successfully worked with DARPA and ARPA-E will also share lessons they have learned on engaging with ARPAs.
A Note to Our Readers: Due to the Congressional District Work Period, Beltway BUzz will pause regular publishing until after the November 8th midterm elections, unless there is breaking Washington news to share. Please continue to visit our web site and follow us on Twitter in the meantime.
As Supreme Court Starts New Term, Some Cases to Watch
On the docket this fall: affirmative action, election practices, more.
The Lifelong Friendship behind Astonishing $100 Million Gift to BU’s Medical School
Alumni clarinetist’s philanthropy and humility results in the BU Aram V. Chobanian & Edward Avedisian School of Medicine.
Boston University Partners with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to Recruit Top Research Talent
BU is currently one of only 18 university partners nationwide to offer joint appointments with NREL.
Anger, Pride, Fear: BU’s Iranian Students React to Mahsa Amini’s Death
“This is not what the Middle East deserves” and “This is a revolution,” students say, responding to the killing of a young Iranian woman over her hijab.
Afghan Women, NEIDL Director, Boston Public Schools
BU IN DC
US State Department Partners with BU to Empower Afghan Women
At the United Nations last week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the launch of the Alliance for Afghan Women's Economic Resilience, a collaboration with the BU Pardee School of Global Studies to support Afghan woman economically.
FACULTY EXPERT
Nancy J. Sullivan, Ebola Vaccine and Treatment Pioneer, Named New NEIDL Director
A renowned infectious diseases expert and chief of biodefense research at the national Vaccine Research Center, Dr. Sullivan plans to focus on global engagement, strong science, and diversity, equity, and inclusion as she takes over BU's National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories.
ON THE CHARLES RIVER
BU Supports 2022 Boston Public Schools Graduates
More than 100 Boston Public Schools graduates are joining BU this fall as Thomas M. Menino Scholars and recipients of Community Service Awards -- some of the University's most significant financial aid awards and partnerships with the city of Boston.
THOUGHT LEADERS
In Case You Missed It...
BU Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences Dean Christopher Moore will retire at the end of the academic year... Sarah Sherman-Stokes of the BU School of Law says transporting migrants across state lines under misleading pretenses comes "perilously close to human trafficking" in The Washington Post... Christopher Rick, Jonathan Buonocore, and Chad Milando of the BU School of Public Health are studying the traffic, health, and environmental consequences of the MBTA Orange Line closure... The BU Global Policy Development Center tells Reuters that poorer nations are facing rising debt service costs... BU historian Arianne Chernock explains how how American fascination with Queen Elizabeth II dates back to the 1950's in The Conversation.
Research Security, OSTP Director, Dimensions
BU IN DC
Joyce Wong of the College of Engineering attended a meeting of the National Advisory Council for Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, of which she is a member, on September 13th.
Jessica Stern of the Pardee School of Global Studies attended the White House United We Stand Summit on countering "hate-fueled violence" on September 15th.
Associate Provost for Graduate Affairs Daniel Kleinman and Simone Gill of Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences spoke on a panel during a meeting of the Association of Graduate Schools from September 18th through 20th.
Nathan Jones of Wheelock College of Education & Human Development spoke at a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine symposium on equity-oriented education research on September 20th.
SENATORS DISCUSS RESEARCH SECURITY MEASURES
On Thursday, the Senate Intelligence Committee held a hearing on protecting federally-funded science from malign foreign influence. Witnesses with experience working in government, industry, and academia spoke about the steps each sector is taking to prevent the misuse of federally-supported research and technologies by adversarial countries. Dr. Kevin Gamache, associate vice chancellor and chief research security officer for the Texas A&M University System, credited the federal government with prompting universities to implement policies and procedures that require faculty to disclose collaborations with peers overseas. When questioned about why universities have been slow to implement research security protocols, Dr. Gamache noted that the wide range of capabilities and resources at different institutions impacts progress. He further emphasized that it is important to properly calibrate the balance between security and open collaboration in order to maintain U.S. scientific leadership.
WHITE HOUSE SCIENCE OFFICE TAKES ACTION
- On Thursday, the U.S. Senate confirmed Dr. Arati Prabhakar as the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) by a 56-40 vote. Prabhakar, who will also serve as President Joe Biden's science adviser, previously led the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency during the Obama Administration. Biden nominated her in June.
- OSTP is soliciting public input on a federal evidence agenda for LGBTQI+ equity. OSTP is seeking feedback on the barriers to collecting data on sexual orientation and gender identity and how to protect privacy while also advancing civil rights among the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex community. Responses are due by October 3rd.
- OSTP is also seeking input on a draft national microelectronics research strategy, which will inform how research agencies prioritize investments. The agency is seeking feedback regarding microelectronics workforce development and the areas that are ready for rapid deployment to industry. The deadline to respond is October 17th.
EVENTS NEWS YOU CAN USE
The BU Office of Research will host a webinar covering the basics of Dimensions, an online publication database with a wide range of metrics and highly customizable search interface that allows for detailed investigations into a topic, author, or institution. Dimensions can assist researchers in identifying emerging trends and pinpointing underrepresented areas of research, deciding where to publish research findings, and comparing journals, funders, authors, and research institutions. The webinar will be held on October 6th at 1:00 pm.