What’s Ahead
Budget Deadline Looms as Congress Aims to Finalize FY17
Congressional leaders and the White House are negotiating to finalize fiscal year 2017 spending by a Friday deadline, when the current continuing resolution expires and funding is set to dry up. After weeks of behind-the-scenes negotiations, the appropriations bills that fund the science agencies are nearly complete, but a number of issues, such as funding for a U.S.- Mexico border wall and Obamacare insurance subsidies, remain unresolved. Republicans, who control the House, Senate, and White House, will need support from some Senate Democrats to pass a spending package. If there is no agreement by Friday, the government could shut down or Congress could extend the current continuing resolution to buy more time for negotiations.
Extraterrestrial Life Search in House Spotlight
On Wednesday, the House Science Committee is holding a hearing to learn about the latest progress in the search for life in the galaxy. Witnesses include Thomas Zurbuchen, head of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate; Adam Burgasser, a UC San Diego physics professor; James Kasting, a Penn State geosciences professor and organizer of the recent National Academies workshop “Searching for Life Across Space and Time” ; and Seth Shostak, an astronomer at the SETI institute. Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) is an astrobiology enthusiast and referred to his “special interest” in the subject at a hearing earlier this year.
National Academy of Sciences Kicks Off Annual Meeting
On Saturday, the National Academy of Sciences commences its 154th annual meeting , which runs through May 2. The meeting is only open to NAS members and their guests, but some sessions will be webcast , including NAS President Marcia McNutt’s inaugural address and a symposium on deep learning and artificial intelligence. Prior to the meeting, the academy is holding a public memorial event on Friday for former NAS President Ralph Cicerone, who passed away last year.
House to Discuss New Path to Yucca Mountain
On Wednesday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee will meet to discuss draft legislation that aims to help resolve the decades-long stalemate over whether to store nuclear waste inside Nevada’s Yucca Mountain. Among its provisions, the bill would establish various incentives for Nevada, such as priority access to certain grants and a requirement that “any economic benefits derived from the retrieval of spent nuclear fuel” be shared with the state. Last year, the committee discussed how bolstering nuclear R&D in Nevada could play a role in garnering local acceptance for the repository.
NRC-DOE Advanced Nuclear Reactor Workshop Convenes
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Department of Energy are holding a free two-day workshop in Rockville, Maryland, on advanced nuclear reactor licensing. This is the third in a series of workshops the agencies have organized to receive stakeholder input as they work to regulate and help develop non-light water reactor designs. Congress is currently advancing legislation which would require NRC to establish a process for licensing such reactors. Several presentations that will be delivered at the workshop are already posted here .
NASA Astrophysics and NOAA Advisory Committees to Meet
NASA’s newly formed Astrophysics Advisory Committee will meet for the first time Monday and Tuesday to hear updates on various programs of the agency’s Astrophysics Division. This committee replaces the Astrophysics Subcommittee of the NASA Advisory Council. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Science Advisory Board will also meet on Monday and Tuesday. Among its agenda items, the board will hear updates from Craig McLean, assistant administrator of the NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and acting chief scientist, and it will discuss a proposal for creating a standing working group on high-performance computing.
In Case You Missed It
Hundreds of Thousands March for Science Around the World
Scientists and supporters gathered in over 600 cities around the world on April 22 for the March for Science. Although it was a rainy day in Washington, D.C., thousands attended a rally near the Washington Monument with over 50 speakers before marching toward the Capitol. The marches received widespread media coverage, including front page mentions in the New York Times and the Washington Post . The organizers are encouraging all interested individuals to participate in post-march events, which can be found on their website .
Many Democratic politicians applauded the marches and some attended in person. Congressional Republicans were largely silent about the event, with the notable exception of House Science Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX), who issued a neutral statement on the march. In addition, former Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY), who chaired the committee from 2001 to 2006, attended a march in Utica, New York.
President Trump has not commented on the march, but a statement he issued on Saturday in commemoration of Earth Day referenced science:
Rigorous science is critical in my Administration’s efforts to achieve the twin goals of economic growth and environmental protection. My Administration is committed to advancing scientific research that leads to a better understanding of our environment and of environmental risks. As we do so, we should remember that rigorous science depends not on ideology, but on a spirit of honest inquiry and robust debate.
Flow of Energy Research Funding Slows — and Some Freezes
According to an analysis by E&E News, since Jan. 20 the Department of Energy has made $117 million available through three funding opportunity announcements (FOAs), compared to $533 million offered through dozens of FOAs last year during the same time period. DOE has also reportedly halted funding for some ARPA–E grants that were approved during the Obama administration. Asked about the freeze, a DOE spokeswoman said that the department is “applying good governance principles to how these programs are being executed.”
Trump Signs First Comprehensive Weather Policy Update Since 1992
President Trump signed the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act into law on April 18, bringing a close to a four-year effort that represents the first comprehensive legislative update to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s weather programs since 1992. Among the law’s changes to NOAA’s weather research, forecasting, and observations programs are authorizations for a new seasonal forecasting program, a greater focus on research-to-operations, and measures to improve coordination across the U.S. weather enterprise. FYI’s analysis and section-by-section summary of the law is available here .
Science Committee Chair Suggests NSF Focus on Reproducibility
In an April 21 article in the Daily Caller, House Science Committee Chair Lamar Smith (R-TX) expanded on his views concerning the reported inability of researchers to reproduce large swaths of scientific research results. He has cited the issue in advancing legislation to restrict what research the Environmental Protection Agency can use in writing new regulations, in questioning the legitimacy of climate research, and in exploring policy issues facing the National Science Foundation. Smith proposes four steps NSF could take to foster reproducibility: 1) setting aside three percent of research funds for reproducibility studies, 2) enforcing the requirement that data generated by federally funded research be made publicly available, 3) taking the lead in establishing a database to enable public access to research data, and 4) encouraging scientific journals to publish reproducibility studies and establish consistent retraction policies.
Eight Senators Urge Trump to Fill Science Posts
Eight Democratic members of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee sent a letter to President Trump on April 21 urging him to fill science positions in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and federal agencies. The Commerce Committee has jurisdiction over the five OSTP positions that require Senate confirmation: its director (who typically also serves as the president’s science advisor) and four associate directors. President Trump has yet to nominate individuals for these roles, although U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director Michelle Lee is reportedly being considered for the director position. Trump interviewed two scientists for the position in January, Yale computer science professor David Gelernter and Princeton physics professor William Happer, but the administration has not mentioned them since.
Lab-Directed R&D Program Gets High Marks in Official Review
The Department of Energy’s Laboratory-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program received a strong endorsement from an advisory panel that reviewed the national laboratories’ procedures for allocating the money and assessing its impact. In their draft final report , the panel concludes that the labs employ rigorous processes for managing the funds — currently over $500 million annually across the lab system — and that the program is critical to attracting and retaining a high-quality workforce, especially at the weapons labs. They also stress that the funds help the labs foster creativity, perform higher-risk exploratory research, and support “bottom-up” proposals alongside “top-down” strategic initiatives. The panel does however recommend that the labs implement a more structured approach to tracking the long-term impacts of the program and consider scaling up best practices and informal coordination mechanisms employed at some labs.
New Interactive Tool Depicts STEM PhD Employment Trends
The National Science Board has launched an interactive infographic that depicts the career pathways of U.S. science, engineering, and health (SEH) Ph.D. graduates using survey data from 1993, 2003, and 2013. The tool allows users to explore trends in how many of these graduates are working in federal and state governments, industry, and academic positions. According to the infographic, consistently over the past 20 years more than 55 percent of SEH doctorates have taken positions outside of the academic sector within 10 years of graduation.
Events This Week
Monday, April 24 NASA: Astrophysics Advisory Committee Meeting
(continues Tuesday)
9:30 am – 5:00 pm, Mon.; 9:00 am – 4:00 pm, Tue.
NASA headquarters (300 E St. SW, DC)
Webcast available
White House: Videoconference call with astronautsaboard the ISS
10:00 am, Webcast available
President Trump and Ivanka Trump will be speaking with astronaut Peggy Whitson
NOAA: Science Advisory Board Meeting
(continues Tuesday)
9:45 am – 5:45 pm, Mon.; 9:00 am – 12:00 pm, Tue.
DoubleTree Hilton (Silver Spring, MD)
Wilson Center: “General George C. Marshall and the Atomic Bomb”
4:00 – 5:30 pm, Reagan International Trade Center (1300 Pennsylvania Ave., DC)
Tuesday, April 25 STEM on the Hill: STEM on the Hill Congressional Visits Day (continues Wednesday)
NRC: NRC-DOE Workshop on Advanced Reactors
(continues Wednesday)
8:30 am – 5:00 pm, Tue.; 8:30 am – 3:30 pm, Wed.
Bethesda North Marriott Hotel (Bethesda, MD)
NSF: Biological Sciences Advisory Committee Meeting
(continues Wednesday)
8:30 am – 5:00 pm, Tue.; 8:30 am – 12:00 pm, Wed.
NSF headquarters (Arlington, VA)
ADDED -- Senate: “Intellectual Property – Driver of Innovation: Making Our Lives Healthier, Safer, and more Productive”
10:00 am, Judiciary Committee (226 Dirksen Office Building)
Webcast available
University of Maryland: Events with former ARPA-E Director Ellen Williams
— “Lessons Learned from ARPA-E”
12:00 – 1:15 pm, Van Munching Hall (College Park, MD)
— “Scientific Innovation and the Energy System”
4:00 – 5:00 pm, Physical Sciences Complex (College Park, MD)
Wednesday, April 26 DOD: Defense Science Board Task Force Meeting
(continues Thursday)
Closed to the public
House: “Advances in the Search for Life”
10:00 am, Science Committee (2318 Rayburn Office Building)
Webcast available
House: “Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2017”
10:00 am, Energy and Commerce Committee (2123 Rayburn Office Building)
Webcast available
Senate: “Reopening the American Frontier: Reducing Regulatory Barriers and Expanding American Free Enterprise in Space”
10:00 am, Commerce Committee (253 Russell Office Building)
Webcast available
NOAA: Unified Modeling Task Force Overview
11:00 am – 12:00 pm, Webinar
House: “China’s Technological Rise: Challenges to U.S. Innovation and Security”
2:30 pm, Foreign Affairs Committee (2172 Rayburn Office Building)
Webcast available
Thursday, April 27 No events starting today
Friday, April 28 National Academies: “Honoring the Life of Ralph J. Cicerone”
2:00 pm, National Academy of Sciences building (2101 Constitution Ave. NW, DC)
Webcast available, registration required
Saturday, April 29 National Academy of Sciences: 154th Annual Meeting
(continues through Tuesday)
Webcast available for certain sessions
Monday, May 1 NSF: Large Facilities Workshop
(continues through Wednesday)
Renaissance Baton Rouge Hotel (Baton Rouge, LA)
AMS: “Better Information for Better Decisions: Scientific Assessments to Support Risk Management and Solutions”
4:00 – 5:00 pm, AAAS headquarters (1200 New York Ave. NW, DC)
Opportunities
AMS Seeking Policy Program Assistant
The American Meteorological Society is currently accepting applications for a policy program assistant. The individual will be responsible for supporting the operations and activities of AMS’ Policy Program, including coordinating communication efforts and planning meetings and events. Applicants that have a bachelor’s degree and relevant experience are encouraged to apply.
Space Studies Board Seeking Associate Program Officer
The National Academies’ Space Studies Board is currently seeking applicants for an associate program officer position. Qualified applicants must have at least a bachelor’s degree in a related field and three years of related work experience.
Know of an upcoming science policy opportunity? Email us at fyi@aip.org.Know of an upcoming science policy event? Email us at fyi@aip.org.
Around the Web
News and views currently in circulation. Links do not imply endorsement.
White House
- Hiring freeze or thaw? What OMB’s memo really says (Federal News Radio)
- Trump administration to continue White House science fair (CBS News)
- Science not a priority in Trump White House, says physicist John Holdren (Phsyics World)
- These are the S&T policy jobs Trump still hasn’t filled (Vice)
Congress
- For Congress, March for Science is a Democratic event (ScienceInsider)
- Why we will march for science (The Hill, opinion by Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL))
- The truth about the war on science (The Hill, opinion by Rep. Jerry McNernery (D-CA))
- Beyer enlists scientific experts for ‘fact-check project’ to correct the record on misstatements made during House Science Committee hearings (House)
Budget
- Showdown looms as Trump demands funding for wall on US-Mexico border (Washington Post)
- Atom-smashing scientists are unnerved by harsh Trump budget (Washington Post)
- NSF director hopes for a fair budget (Eos)
Political Engagement
- 21 of the best March for Science protest signs (Politico)
- Meet the 30-somethings behind the March for Science (ScienceInsider)
- Scientists and activists look beyond the March for Science (New York Times)
- Demonstrators take to the streets in support of science (Wall Street Journal)
- Historians say the March for Science is ‘pretty unprecedented’ (Washington Post)
- How the March for Science splits researchers (Nautre)
- Scientists consider running for office (PBS NewsHour video)
- Republican scientists negotiate the Trump era (Nature)
- Science’s role in society is threatened. Protest is the right response (Guardian, opinion by John Holdren)
- A physicist’s take on the March for Science (Fox News, opinion by Michael Guillen)
- Science under the populist gun (Scientific American, opinion by Michael Lubell)
- How the March for Science misunderstands politics (The Atlantic, opinion by Andrew Jewett)
Science and Society
- It’s not a war on science (Issues in Science and Technology, opinion by Clark Miller)
- Can we survive curiosity? (Minutephysics video)
- Science in America (StarTalk Radio, opinion video by Neil deGrasse Tyson)
- Scientists, stop thinking explaining science will fix things. It won’t. (Slate, opinion by Tim Requarth)
- What all those scientists on Twitter are really doing (Nature)
Education and Workforce
- Ranks of scientists aging faster than other workers (New York Times)
- Physics bachelors: initial employment (American Institute of Physics report)
- Trump to seek changes in visa program to encourage hiring Americans (Reuters)
- Trump’s new order on visas could make American colleges less appealing overseas (Chronicle of Higher Education)
- Can grade-skipping close the STEM gender gap? (The Atlantic)
Research Management
- Scientists don’t view reproducibility as ‘risky business’ (Chronicle of Higher Education, opinion by Marcia McNutt)
- ‘Ethical ambiguity’: When scientific misconduct isn’t black and white (Retraction Watch)
- Survey of USDA scientists regarding scientific integrity (USDA IG report)
- More scientists should emphasize reproducibility (Wired, opinion by Megan Meyer)
- How agencies are turning scientific breakthroughs into jobs (Government Executive)
Space
- Flat NASA budgets pose risk to researchers (SpaceNews)
- Bridenstine has second interview for NASA post (CQ Roll Call)
- With an eye on growing cost, NASA aims for 2025 launch of next ‘great observatory’ (Spaceflight Now)
- NASA IG: Journey to Mars cost $26 billion through FY2016, future costs unclear (SpacePolicyOnline)
- Sam Ting’s last tease (Science)
- Inside NASA’s plan to protect the planet from a massive asteroid (Defense One)
- Thousands of tiny satellites are about to go into space and possibly ruin it forever (Washington Post)
Energy
- Announcement of new national laboratory collaborations with 38 small businesses (DOE)
- Time for leadership, time for new path through INL nuke research stalemate (Idaho Statesman editorial)
- American energy policy (Harvard Belfer Center report)
- The children of Fukushima return, six years after the nuclear disaster (New York Times)
- Changes to DOE websites downplay renewables as a replacement for fossil fuels (Washington Post)
- New tool to help plan research reactor decommissioning (IAEA)
Weather, Climate, and Environment
- President signs commercial satellite weather bill (SpaceNews)
- Is it ok to engineer the environment to fight climate change? (New York Times Magazine)
- The growing case for geoengineering (MIT Technology Review)
- Report identifies grand challenges for scientific community to better prepare for volcanic eruptions (National Academies report)
- A ‘red team’ exercise would strengthen climate science (Wall Street Journal, opinion by Steven Koonin)
- Will the US live up to its climate promises? Countries begin putting on the pressure (InsideClimate News)
Defense
- Relationships between NNSA and weapons labs are works in progress (Physics Today)
- PNNL’s new national security role — to trace nuclear bombs, terrorism (Washington Tri-City-Herald)
- The Nuclear Posture Review is underway. Here’s what to look for. (DefenseNews)
- With nuclear warheads showing their age, Perry faces major test (Houston Chronicle)
- US nuclear modernization programs put at risk by yearlong continuing resolution (DefenseNews)
- Obama’s hidden Iran deal giveaway (Politico)
- Scientists and strategists contemplate the increasing odds of nuclear war (Undark)
Biomedical
- The March for Science could save lives (Washington Post editorial)
- Federal funding for basic research led to the gene-editing revolution. Don’t cut it. (Vox, opinion by Jennifer Doudna and Alex Marson)
- More surgeons must start doing basic science (Nature editorial)
- Biomedical researchers need better work–life balance to succeed and flourish (STAT, opinion by Robert Lechler)