News
BU NEIDL Scientists Featured in NOVA’s Special Coronavirus Episode
Nahid Bhadelia, Ronald Corley, and Robert Davey talk about COVID-19’s spread, how they’re studying it in the lab
Dept. of Education Issues New Title IX Rules
A Note to Our Readers: Beltway BUzz plans to publish intermittently when we have news on the federal government coronavirus response pertinent to BU. Please visit our website and Twitter account for timely updates.
BU IN DC
Roscoe Giles of the College of Engineering gave a presentation to the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Scientific Computing Advisory Committee on transitioning to new computing models on April 23.
DEPT. OF EDUCATION ISSUES NEW TITLE IX RULES
On Wednesday, the Trump Administration issued new rules under Title IX, the law governing how universities adjudicate sexual misconduct claims on their campuses. The rules, which will go into effect on August 14, will narrow the federal requirements for when colleges must respond to sexual misconduct, potentially change campus evidentiary standards, and require campuses to hold live hearings as part of the grievance process. The U.S. Department of Education received thousands of comments opposing the rules when they were initially proposed in 2018, but made few changes prior to issuing the final regulations this week. Advocates for victims of sexual misconduct are likely to file suit against the new rules, which could slow their implementation.
BUZZ BITS...
- On Monday, Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA) led 32 Senators in sending a bipartisan letter to the Senate leadership requesting at least $26 billion for federal research agencies in any future coronavirus relief legislation. The entire Massachusetts Congressional delegation signed a similar letter from 182 Members of Congress to the leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives last week.
- Public health experts testified before the House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday about the path forward for responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. The following day, leaders of the National Institutes of Health and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) testified at a Senate hearing about a "shark tank" approach to developing new tests for COVID-19.
- The National Science Foundation and the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine have launched the Societal Experts Action Network, a joint effort to connect policymakers with social scientists to assist in addressing COVID-19 issues impacting their constituents.
NIAID RELEASES COVID-19 STRATEGIC PLAN
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) released its strategic plan for research on COVID-19. The document provides a roadmap for NIAID's research priorities to address the virus through 2024. The document is organized by four strategic priorities:
- Improve fundamental knowledge of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19
- Support the development of diagnostics and assays
- Characterize and test therapeutics
- Develop safe and effective vaccines.
Federal Aid for Students
A Note to Our Readers: As the nation deals with the coronavirus outbreak, The BUlletin will provide stories that may help policymakers respond. For more information, please contact BU Federal Relations. Follow us on Twitter for the latest updates from the University.
ON THE CHARLES RIVER
Federal Aid for Students
BU plans to distribute the nearly $15 million it received through the CARES Act as emergency grants to students impacted by the University's change in operations due to COVID-19. Get the details
COMMUNITY RESOURCE
Helping Chelsea, Epicenter of MA's COVID-19 Outbreak
BU School of Public Health research spurred local and state action after showing that Chelsea's rate of confirmed cases exceeds hard-hit New York City. See what comes next
FACULTY EXPERT
The Impact of COVID-19 on Domestic Violence
BU Professor Emily Rothman is using a state of the art survey to understand how stay-at-home policies are impacting both intimate partner violence and help-seeking by those experiencing violence. Get the details
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...
Thomas Perls of the BU School of Medicine warns that insufficient accounting of coronavirus deaths at nursing homes could dramatically impact national statistics in The Conversation... BU physician-scientist Joshua Barocas is researching the impact of coronavirus on substance use disorder while simultaneously treating vulnerable patients at Boston Medical Center... Looking to maintain mindfulness and self-care? BU students explain how bullet journalism helps... Jonathan Levy of the BU School of Public Health explains why Massachusetts communities with dirty air are coronavirus hotpots in The Boston Globe... Dreaming of a return to professional sports? BU research shows that baseball umpires make the wrong call 20 percent of the time, leading to a call for robot umpires in The Bleacher Report.
Q&A Explainer: Who Will Benefit from CARES Act Dollars—and Why
Students in need will come first, technology for online learning after that
Congress Focuses on Research Relief
A Note to Our Readers: Beltway BUzz plans to publish intermittently when we have news on the federal government coronavirus response pertinent to BU. Please visit our website and Twitter account for timely updates.
BU IN DC
Yannis Paschalidis of the College of Engineering participated in a National Science Foundation workshop on modeling the spread of COVID-19 on April 13.
School of Social Work Dean Jorge Delva participated in a Health Affairs briefing on how to better integrate health care and social services on April 16.
Kevin Gallagher of the Global Development Policy Center moderated a panel with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development on options for anequitable and sustainable global economic response for coronavirus recovery on April 16.
CONGRESS FOCUSES ON RESEARCH RELIEF
This week, Congress passed a $484 billion coronavirus relief bill (H.R. 266) that includes $1.81 billion for the National Institutes of Health. Within that amount, the National Cancer Institute will receive $306 million to develop serological testing and associated technologies and the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering will receive $500 million to develop point of care and other rapid testing. The President is expected to sign the "Stimulus 3.5" bill shortly.
Last week, Provost Jean Morrison responded to a request from the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee with BU recommendations to address the impact of COVID-19 on the federal research enterprise. Morrison's letter focused on supporting the future scientific workforce, particularly graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, and providing funding to help researchers restart their labs once the worst of the pandemic has passed.
BUZZ BITS...
- The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced that Dr. Anne Kinney will be stepping down as assistant director of the NSF Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) Directorate in order to become deputy director of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. MPS Deputy Assistant Director Sean Jones will oversee the directorate while NSF searches for a new assistant director.
- The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) is requesting input into NIDDK's five-year strategic plan. The request seeks advice on research, training, and dissemination priorities by July 31.
- President Donald J. Trump announced he would appoint two new members to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) and four more members to the National Science Board, the governing body for the National Science Foundation.
GRANTS NEWS YOU CAN USE
The BU Office of Research continues to update its list of funding opportunities related to COVID-19. Some recent federal opportunities include:
- The National Science Foundation (NSF) is soliciting proposals “to conduct non-medical, non-clinical-care research that can be used immediately to explore how to model and understand the spread of COVID-19." NSF encourages utilizing the Rapid Response Research (RAPID) funding mechanism for expedited funding, as well as existing funding programs.
- The Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is seeking research with “existing longitudinal studies that address key social and behavioral questions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
- The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering at NIH is requesting proposals and grant supplements "to develop life-saving technologies that can be ready for commercialization within one to two years.”
BU Aims to Cover $52 Million Shortfall
A Note to Our Readers: As the nation deals with the coronavirus outbreak, The BUlletin will provide stories that may help policymakers respond. For more information, please contact BU Federal Relations. Follow us on Twitter for the latest updates from the University.
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BU Aims to Cover $52 Million Shortfall
BU President Robert A. Brown announced salary cuts for the University's senior leaders, salary freezes for faculty and staff, and a freeze on nonessential capital projects in order to protect jobs and support students as the coronavirus pandemic lingers. Get the details
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT
A COVID-19 Contact Tracing App That Protects Privacy
BU cybersecurity experts are working on a smartphone app that could let people know if they have come in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, while protecting the privacy of all parties. Follow their progress
ADVOCACY RESOURCE
What Happens to the Next Generation of Scientists?
In response to an inquiry from the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee about the impact of COVID-19 on the scientific enterprise, BU is urging Congress to support graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and international scholars in a future stimulus package. See what we're proposing
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...
BU engineers are developing better, faster COVID-19 testing and improved medical equipment... BU's Center for Anxiety & Related Disorders launched a call-in support line for nurses at the frontlines of the COVID-19 fight... Danielle Citron of the BU School of Law explains in The Washington Post why she is wary of the Administration's health surveillance plans... Last week, the new graduates of the BU School of Medicine reflected on becoming a doctor in the middle of the coronavirus epidemic... Hyeouk "Chris" Hahm of the BU School of Social Work will investigate the mental health toll of the epidemic on millennials and Generation Z... Kevin Gallagher of the BU Global Development Policy Center hosted a panel on options for an expanding the financial safety net for developing countries during the coronavirus crisis... Peter Fox-Penner of the BU Institute for Sustainable Energy says the crisis provides a very green opportunity in The Boston Globe... BU School of Public Health Dean Sandro Galea argues that COVID-19 calls for a Marshall Plan for health in The Hill.
Five Things COVID-19 Might Do to Young Adults’ Mental Health
BU social worker will probe how COVID-19 hits the mental health of America’s future workforce, and what makes some people more resilient
BU Offers Residence Hall to Homeless Shelter Employees
A Note to Our Readers: As the nation deals with the coronavirus outbreak, The BUlletin will provide stories that may help policymakers respond. For more information, please contact BU Federal Relations. Follow us on Twitter for the latest updates from the University.
COMMUNITY RESOURCE
BU Offers Residence Hall to Homeless Shelter Employees
The University will temporarily house 75 employees of the Pine Street Inn, providing a nearby refuge for those helping Boston's homeless during the coronavirus pandemic. See how we're doing it
FACULTY EXPERT
Pandemic Myths that Deserve to Disappear
From ventilator use to medical malpractice, BU medical ethicist George Annas debunks six pervasive myths about health care during the COVID-19 outbreak. Learn the facts
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT
"See the Enemy": Making Headway on COVID-19 Research
Scientists at BU’s National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL) have dropped everything else to work on the novel coronavirus. Follow their progress
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...
Wendy Mariner of the School of Public Health talks about civil liberties during a pandemic with USA Today... George Murphy of the BU School of Medicine discusses the obstacles research labs face in developing COVID-19 diagnostics in Nature... BU engineer Muhammad Zaman's book is featured in WBUR's list of 8 books to read while you're social distancing... David Jernigan of the BU School of Public Health warns that increased drinking rates during social distancing may lead to other health problems later on in The Conversation... Wired interviews Elaine Nsoesie of the BU School of Public Health on how to spot fake coronavirus experts online.
Massachusetts Schools Focus on Fourth Stimulus
A Note to Our Readers: Beltway BUzz plans to publish intermittently when we have news on the federal government coronavirus response pertinent to BU. Please visit our website and Twitter account for timely updates.
MASS. SCHOOLS FOCUS ON FOURTH STIMULUS
As Congress puts together a fourth stimulus package to address the impact of COVID-19, BU joined Harvard, MIT, Northeastern, and Tufts to urge lawmakers to help students and researchers dealing with the continuing fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. The Massachusetts Congressional delegation successfully secured financial aid flexibility for students and stabilization funds for colleges in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that was signed into law in March. Now the higher education community is asking lawmakers to build on the foundation in the CARES Act with more support for students' financial needs, the research enterprise, and tax relief for students and schools. Congressional action is expected within the next few weeks.
BUZZ BITS...
- The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced that Dr. Kelvin Droegemeier will serve as NSF's acting director until the U.S. Senate confirms Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan as the permanent director. Dr. Droegemeier will also remain in his current role as head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently released a report that identified malign foreign influence in the peer review process at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The inquiry found that the agency has taken steps to protect the confidentiality of peer review, but needs to do more.
- Last week, the U.S. Department of Education issued proposed new rules to govern how colleges and universities conduct online education. The Department said the new regulations, which the Department had worked on for over a year, were necessary in light of the rapid transition to remote learning due to the coronavirus pandemic.
GRANTS NEWS YOU CAN USE
The Office of Research continues to update its list of funding opportunities related to COVID-19. Some recent federal opportunities include:
- The National Institute on Aging is providing research supplements for work to "improve prevention of disease transmission among older adults and mitigation of disease severity and mortality in older adults with COVID-19.”
- The Department of Defense has launched the Newton Award for Transformative Ideas During the COVID-19 Pandemic for investigators who develop "novel conceptual frameworks or theoretical approaches to addressing outstanding or emerging challenges facing the scientific community." Proposals can be for research unrelated to coronavirus.
Spraying, Wiping, and Cleaning
A Note to Our Readers: As the nation deals with the coronavirus outbreak, The BUlletin will provide stories that may help policymakers respond. For more information, please contact BU Federal Relations. Follow us on Twitter for the latest updates from the University.
ON THE CHARLES RIVER
Spraying, Wiping, and Cleaning
BU's remarkable custodial crew is tirelessly working to disinfect buildings for the hundreds of students who needed to remain on campus -- and you can't do that over Zoom. Be inspired
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT
Helping Deaf Children Learn in Coronavirus Isolation
The BU Wheelock College of Education & Human Development has compiled a bilingual, online library of learning materials for deaf children to continue their studies while living in COVID-19 seclusion. See how they did it
FACULTY EXPERT
Will the Coronavirus Lead to Food Shortages?
Arzum Akkas of the BU Questrom School of Business explains why the United States is unlikely to run out of food and other essentials during the pandemic. Learn why
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...
Julia Raifman of the BU School of Public Health has created a database that tracks every state's response to coronavirus... the BU Pardee School of Global Studies is producing a video series on the global challenges and opportunities we may face in our post-coronavirus future... Peter Fox-Penner of the BU Institute for Sustainable Energy says that the coronavirus crisis may slow, but not stop, the global shift to renewable energy in The Conversation... Thomas Perls of the BU School of Medicine offers his recommendation on whether or not to wear masks in public.