Catherine Devlin<\/strong>, an undergraduate at the BU Center for the Humanities,\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Eric Schmidt, <\/strong>assistant director of the African Studies Center<\/strong>, advocated for federal support for the humanities and international education during the virtual Humanities Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill on March 15th.<\/p>\n Rena Conti <\/strong>of the Questrom School of Business <\/strong>testified before a Senate Finance Committee\u00a0hearing<\/a> on lowering drug prices in Medicare on March 16th.<\/p>\n Cecilia Han Springer<\/strong> of the Global Development Policy Center<\/strong> testified<\/a> before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission on China’s energy plans and practices on March 17th.<\/p>\n Mary Churchill<\/strong> of the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development\u00a0<\/strong>attended a meeting<\/a> of the Learner Success Laboratory at the American Council on Education, where she serves as an adviser, on March 17th and 18th.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Read the letter<\/a><\/p>\n 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.\u00a0A priority for both NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan and Congress, TIP will support use-inspired\u00a0research 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\u00a0Gianchandani, who previously worked in the agency’s Computer Information Science and Engineering Directorate, will serve as TIP’s inaugural leader.<\/p>\n
\nBU WEIGHS IN ON COMPETITIVENESS BILL<\/h2>\n
\nNSF LAUNCHES NEW TECHNOLOGY DIRECTORATE<\/h2>\n