News
COMPETES Act, Tribal Lands, Long COVID
ADVOCACY RESOURCE
BU Supports Pending Research Competitiveness Legislation
BU President Robert A. Brown urges Congress to pass a competitiveness bill that robustly funds federal research agencies, broadens participation in science, and retains international talent.
NOTABLE ALUMNI
Protecting Tribal Lands
JoAnn Chase (COM '85), a citizen of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, was taught to revere the Earth. Now she's working with tribal leaders to protect human health and the environment across their lands as director of the EPA's American Indian Environmental Office.
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT
Researchers Race to Understand Long COVID in National Study
BU researchers are leading a National Institutes of Health-supported effort to understand who is at risk for long COVID, how recovery varies in different people, and what can be done to prevent the condition and treat patients.
See what they hope to accomplish
THOUGHT LEADERS
In Case You Missed It...
President Joe Biden nominated BU Professor Jonathan Woodson to be vice chair of the Asset and Infrastructure Review Commission at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs... The BU Initiative on Cities Menino Survey of Mayors finds that a majority of mayors are worried about the racial wealth gap in their cities... Catherine Klapperich of the BU College of Engineering calls for wastewater surveillance to better track COVID surges in The Boston Globe... Janine Bempechat of BU Wheelock College of Education & Human Development touts the benefits of homework in U.S. News and World Report... A new United for Medical Research report finds that there is an exponential return on investment for research funded by the National Institutes of Health.
ARPA-H, Misinformation RFI, Boston Public Schools
BU IN DC
School of Law Dean Angela Onwuachi-Willig attended the Senate Judiciary Committee's hearing on Judge Kentanji Brown Jackson's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Count on March 23rd.
Michael Woldemariam and Eric Schmidt of the African Studies Center discussed international education and foreign language programs with Congressional staff on March 24th.
Christina Lee of the School of Social Work addressed a National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism webinar on reducing stigma around alcohol use disorder in minority communities on March 21st.
Senior Vice President for External Affairs Steve Burgay and Vice President of Marketing & Creative Services Amy Hook attended the Association of American Universities Public Affairs Network meeting from March 20th to March 22nd.
CONGRESS GRAPPLES WITH ARPA-H
Congress recently provided the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services with $1 billion to create the Advanced Research Projects Agency - Health (ARPA-H), giving a green light to President Joe Biden's proposal to stand up a new federal agency tasked with rapidly driving medical breakthoughs for diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's disease. However, significant questions still remain about how the agency will work. Last week, a Senate committee passed a bill that would make ARPA-H a unit within the National Institutes of Health (NIH), as the President had proposed. The following day, a subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing to discuss its own legislation which would make the agency independent of NIH. Despite these areas of disagreement, both the House and the Senate agree that the ARPA-H director should have a finite leadership term and that the agency should be staffed by a time-limited group of rotating program managers.
BUZZ BITS...
- The National Science Foundation and the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development National Coordination Office are requesting input on research priorities for addressing misinformation. The agencies are seeking feedback on how the federal government can enable research on understanding the information ecosystem, preserving information integrity, and mitigating the impact of information manipulation. Responses are due by May 15th.
- Last week, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Dr. Nasser Paydar as assistant secretary for postsecondary education at the U.S. Department of Education. Dr. Paydar is the former chancellor of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.
- The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) met on Thursday to discuss improving science communication and detecting, tracking, mitigating, and preventing wildfires. This was the group's first meeting with Acting Science Advisor to the President Francis Collins serving as co-chair.
EVENTS NEWS YOU CAN USE
Are you interested in including Boston youth or the Boston Public Schools (BPS) in your research? The Office of Research is hosting a virtual workshop on April 6th at 3 p.m. with an expert panel of BU faculty who will share stories from their research and practice with BPS students, teachers, and staff. Led by BU Wheelock Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives and Community Engagement Mary L. Churchill, the group will offer advice and reflections on engaging communities with consistency, seeding lasting and meaningful partnerships, and understanding the challenges and benefits of engaging with the Boston Public Schools.
COMPETES & BU, NSF Changes, Media Training
BU IN DC
Catherine Devlin, an undergraduate at the BU Center for the Humanities, and Eric Schmidt, assistant director of the African Studies Center, advocated for federal support for the humanities and international education during the virtual Humanities Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill on March 15th.
Rena Conti of the Questrom School of Business testified before a Senate Finance Committee hearing on lowering drug prices in Medicare on March 16th.
Cecilia Han Springer of the Global Development Policy Center testified before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission on China's energy plans and practices on March 17th.
Mary Churchill of the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development attended a meeting of the Learner Success Laboratory at the American Council on Education, where she serves as an adviser, on March 17th and 18th.
BU WEIGHS IN ON COMPETITIVENESS BILL
BU President Robert A. Brown sent a letter to the Massachusetts Congressional delegation on Tuesday outlining the University's priorities for research competitiveness legislation currently being negotiated by both chambers of Congress. Brown asked lawmakers to keep portions of the America COMPETES Act (H.R. 4521) that recommend robust funding for science agencies, broaden participation in science, support graduate students, and update immigration policies to retain international talent. He urged them to oppose a Senate proposal to reserve 20% of the National Science Foundation budget for the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research program, which is closed to scientists in Massachusetts and other states with significant research volume. Congress is expected to begin final negotiations on a comprehensive innovation and competitiveness bill in the coming weeks.
NSF LAUNCHES NEW TECHNOLOGY DIRECTORATE
On Wednesday, the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced the launch of the NSF Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP), the agency's first new directorate in over 30 years. A priority for both NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan and Congress, TIP will support use-inspired research and technologies that address grand societal challenges and broaden participation in science. The new entity is expected to support large, regional innovation hubs and programs to spur faster adoption of key emerging technologies, as well as oversee some existing NSF programs such as the Convergence Accelerators. Dr. Erwin Gianchandani, who previously worked in the agency's Computer Information Science and Engineering Directorate, will serve as TIP's inaugural leader.
EVENTS NEWS YOU CAN USE
Back by popular demand, the Office of Research and Public Relations | Social Media will host Brad Phillips of Throughline for a virtual, interactive media training and messaging workshop to help researchers deliver a message that audiences will remember, act upon, and share. Participants will learn how to develop memorable messages that resonate with reporters and stick with audiences, boil complex topics down into meaningful takeaways, and navigate challenging questions. The training takes place on March 31st at 3:00 p.m.
China’s Energy Plans
Dr. Cecilia Han Springer of the BU Global Development Policy Center testifies on Capitol Hill on March 17, 2022.
Dr. Philip Root from DARPA Visits BU
On March 16, 2022, Dr. Philip Root visited Boston University and discussed how to work with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
Prescription Drug Price Inflation: An Urgent Need to Lower Drug Prices in Medicare
Boston University Questrom School of Business Professor Rena Conti testifies before the Senate Finance Committee on March 16, 2022.
BU’s Institute for Sustainable Energy to Focus on Equity and Justice in the Climate Change Fight
Transitioning the world to sustainable energy without leaving marginalized communities behind is a top priority for new leadership team, including director Benjamin Sovacool.
Heat & Mental Health, New World Monetary Rules, Bullying
FACULTY EXPERT
Why the World Monetary System Needs a New Set of Rules
BU Global Development Policy Center Director Kevin Gallagher says revamping outdated financial, trade, and development agreements could help fight climate change, inequity, populism -- even future pandemics.
Understand how to meet the challenge
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT
Summer Heat Can Drain Mental Health
A new BU School of Public Health study finds extremely hot summer days, more common with climate change, increase emergency room visits for mental health crises related to substance use, anxiety, stress, and more.
Learn how to prepare
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT
Bullying Fell during the Pandemic
Research from the BU Wheelock College of Education & Human Development found that all forms of bullying declined dramatically during COVID-19. Could changes to the school day protect more kids?
See what the experts say
THOUGHT LEADERS
In Case You Missed It...
NOAA Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Fisheries Kelly Kryc (GRS '03) joined BU alumni for a conversation on illegal fishing and conserving the health of our oceans... The U.S. Senate confirmed BU alumnus David Young (STH '87, Pardee '88) as ambassador to Malawi... Julia Raifman and Eleanor Murray of the BU School of Public Health argue that the CDC's new mask guidance will make it harder to quickly respond to the next COVID surge inThe Washington Post... Jonathan Calvillo of the BU School of Theology explains what type of political ideology may resonate with Latino evangelicals in The Los Angeles Times... Roscoe Giles of the BU College of Engineering decries the insufficient efforts to diversify the physics field in Science... Douglas Hannah of the BU Questrom School of Business describes how a simple box saved lives during the pandemic and revealed the power of grassroots innovation in The Conversation.
Budgets Finalized, ARPA-E, Research Collaborators
BU IN DC
Ambassador Mark Storella led a group of Pardee School of Global Studies graduate students who met with officials at government agencies and international organizations from March 6th through 9th.
Nahid Bhadelia of the Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases Policy & Research announced she is a Visiting Fellow for pandemic preparedness policy and response at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy on March 7th.
President Joe Biden nominated Jonathan Woodson of the Questrom School of Business, the School of Medicine, and the School of Public Health to be vice chair of the Asset and Infrastructure Review Commission at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on March 9th.
CONGRESS BOOSTS RESEARCH, FINANCIAL AID PROGRAMS
Five months after the start of fiscal year 2022, Congress passed the annual spending bills that determine federal agency budgets. The final spending package approved by both chambers of Congress this week would increase science and student aid funding as follows:
- National Institutes of Health: $45.2 billion, a 4.7% increase
- National Science Foundation: $8.84 billion, a 4.1% increase
- Department of Energy Office of Science: $7.5 billion, a 6.4% increase
- NASA Science: $7.6 billion, a 4.3% increase.
- Department of Defense Basic Research: $2.8 billion, a 3.4% increase
- Pell Grant maximum award: $6,895, a 6.2% increase
- National Endowment for the Humanities: $180 million, a 7.5% increase
- Advanced Research Projects Agency-Health: creates a new $1 billion agency to spur medical breakthroughs
President Joe Biden is expected to sign the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022 shortly.
BUZZ BITS...
- On Tuesday, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Dr. Evelyn Wang as director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency- Energy (ARPA-E). Dr. Wang is currently the head of the mechanical engineering department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
- Last week, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) asked the public for feedback on how federal agencies can implement sound scientific integrity policies and practices. OSTP has asked for comments on how scientific integrity policies can address diversity, equity, and inclusion and how to evaluate the policies. Comments are due by April 4th.
- The House Small Business Committee held a hearing on Tuesday to examine the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Programs. This is the third in a series of hearings as the Committee seeks to renew the programs, which provide grants to commercialize scientific advancements.
EVENTS NEWS YOU CAN USE
In our rapidly changing world, collaborative and interdisciplinary scientific approaches can strengthen research and scholarship by enabling new knowledge and real-world solutions. Yet finding potential collaborators remains a challenging and time consuming process. The Office of Research is hosting a virtual workshop on Thursday, March 24th at 1 p.m. to highlight the suite of resources at BU to help you identify collaborators for your research. Joe Farmer, Program Manager and Data Analyst in the Office of Research, will provide an overview of available tools, including SciVal, Dimensions, the BU Experts database, and BU Profiles, as well as techniques for using these tools to build valuable relationships.
State of the Union, Potential Pandemic Pathogens, DARPA
BIDEN STATE OF THE UNION HIGHLIGHTS PELL, RESEARCH
President Joe Biden delivered his first State of the Union address before Congress on Tuesday night, focusing on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, entering a new phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, and reviving the U.S. economy. Biden said, "We used to invest almost 2 percent of our GDP in research and development. We don’t now." He urged Congress to pass the innovation legislation it is currently debating -- which creates a path for larger budgets at the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy Office of Science -- in order to create "jobs of the future." The President also asked Congress to increase the Pell Grant award for low-income students, invest in Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and support community colleges. Biden closed the address by reiterating his call to "end cancer as we know it" and urged Congress to fund his proposed Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to "drive breakthroughs in cancer, Alzheimer's, and diabetes."
BUZZ BITS...
- On Monday, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) charged the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) with conducting a review of current policies for research with enhanced potential pandemic pathogens (PPP) and Dual Use Research of Concern. The NSABB had previously been charged with recommending how to balance security and transparency when sharing the results of PPP research in January 2020, but that effort was paused at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- BU alumnus David Young (STH '87, Pardee '88) was unanimously confirmed as U.S. ambassador to Malawi on Wednesday. Young is a career diplomat who had been serving as the interim Chargé D'Affaires for Zambia.
- The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on the Department of Energy (DOE) Science for the Future Act (S. 3699) on Tuesday. Committee members questioned DOE Undersecretary for Science and Innovation Geraldine Richmond on quantum computing, climate change, and broadening participation in DOE's research programs.
EVENTS NEWS YOU CAN USE
The BU Office of Research is hosting Dr. Phillip Root, acting director of the Defense Science Office (DSO) at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), on March 16th at 4 p.m. The DSO identifies and pursues high-risk, high-payoff research initiatives across science and engineering disciplines and transforms them into important, new game-changing technologies for national security. Current DSO themes include frontiers in math, computation and design, limits of sensing and sensors, complex social systems, and anticipating capabilities for current and future threats. In this virtual presentation, Dr. Root will provide an overview of how to work with DARPA and DSO, give faculty a better understanding of how to share their research with DARPA program managers, and share the types of research DARPA DSO is interested in supporting.