What’s Ahead
National Science Board Convenes for August Meeting
The National Science Board will meet all day Tuesday and Wednesday to address a range of policy issues facing the National Science Foundation. On day one, the board will hear from NSF Director France Córdova and Board Chair Maria Zuber, who will provide highlights from board members’ recent Capitol Hill visits. The board will survey last year’s trends in merit review, and the NSF inspector general will present a report on the agency’s requirement that awardee institutions provide research integrity training to students and postdoctoral fellows. At the end of the day, the board will go into closed session to discuss contract awards related to the management and operations of the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory and National Ecological Observatory Network and hear a status update on divestment plans for NSF astronomy facilities, including the Arecibo Observatory and the Green Bank Telescope. On day two, the board will discuss in open session the skilled technical workforce and examine NSF’s “no cost overrun policy” that requires projects to adhere to cost estimates made during preliminary design review or face a reduction in project scope. The full meeting agenda is available here , and the event will be webcast here .
In Case You Missed It
Two DOE National Labs Announce Workforce Reductions
Last week, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), both Department of Energy national laboratories, announced plans to reduce their workforces by approximately 7 percent and 6 percent , respectively, over the next few months. To meet its goal, ORNL will cut up to 350 positions, including 250 overhead and 100 R&D positions, while BNL will cut up to 175 positions total. Both labs are implementing voluntary separation programs but have indicated that layoffs will occur if targets are not met.
ORNL Director Thomas Zacharia justified the reduction measures to employees in an email last week as allowing the lab to “be able to maintain competitive chargeout rates while freeing resources for discretionary investments that will modernize Lab infrastructure and maintain core research capabilities in the mission areas assigned to ORNL.” Zacharia indicated that reductions will be made primarily to staff who charge to indirect or overhead accounts, but also to research staff from programs that were affected by fiscal year 2017 funding cuts who were not placed into other lab programs, including the fusion energy program and ITER office. Both labs have said that the reductions are not related to the proposed deep cuts to the Office of Science and other DOE offices included in the administration’s fiscal year 2018 budget request.
USGCRP Climate Science Review Stirs Anxieties
On Aug. 7, the New York Times published a draft of the U.S. Global Change Research Program’s Climate Science Special Report. When complete, the report will serve as an official update on the physical climate science presented in the Third National Climate Assessment, released in 2014. The National Academies released its review of the draft earlier this year, which described it as “impressive.” The Times reports , though, that some scientists who worked on the document fear possible interference from White House and federal agency officials, who are currently conducting their review of it.
Following its publication, the Times story quickly drew criticism for incorrectly implying that the draft had not been made public and could be suppressed, when in fact it had already been made available for comment in December. On Aug. 8, House Science Committee Chair Lamar Smith (R-TX) criticized both the Times’ reporting and the draft, saying, “We should treat this document for what it is, an unfinished draft that requires serious revision.” He also reiterated his view that projecting temperatures for the distant future “goes against the principles of scientific integrity.” The committee’s ranking member, Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), and two other senior Democratic members, released statements in support of the draft report. On Aug. 9, the Times issued a correction, stating it had been unaware of the draft’s earlier release.
Senators Channel Water Security Concerns at Hearing
Earlier this month, members of the Water and Power Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing to examine how to increase water security and drought preparedness through infrastructure, management, and innovation. While Subcommittee Chair Jeff Flake (R-AZ) intended to use the hearing to “build on last year’s [Western Water Supply and Planning Enhancement Act] legislation to try and address critical water needs,” much of the discussion centered around proposed cuts to water modeling and forecasting in National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s budget request for fiscal year 2018. Subcommittee Ranking Member Angus King (I-ME) and Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) voiced concerns over the cuts, with King saying “if we don’t have the data, don’t have the predictability, it’s simply going to aggravate this problem [with water security].”
National Academies Committee Examining Citizen Science
The National Academies Board on Science Education kicked off a 24-month study earlier this year to examine “how citizen science projects can be designed to better support science learning.” Chaired by the Raj Pandya, director of the American Geophysical Union’s Thriving Earth Exchange, the committee is tasked with developing a report that will “lay out a research agenda that can fill the gaps in the current understanding of how citizen science can support science learning and enhance science education.” On Aug. 9, the committee convened for its second meeting to hear from speakers on topics including frameworks for designing learning opportunities in citizen science and K–12 participation in citizen science projects.
Bipartisan Open Access Bill Reintroduced in the Senate
Earlier this month, Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) reintroduced the “Fair Access to Science and Technology Research Act,” a bill that would require all federal agencies with extramural research budgets of more than $100 million to implement policies for increasing public access to publications resulting from the research they fund. A version of the bill has been introduced by the same sponsors in the previous two congresses, as have prior versions of a counterpart bill that was introduced in the House last month. A key difference between the House and Senate versions is that the Senate bill would require manuscripts resulting from federally funded research be made publicly available online no later than 12 months after publication, while the House bill’s requirement is a more demanding six months. The Senate provision aligns with the 12-month embargo standard set under a 2013 White House Office of Science and Technology Policy directive outlining requirements for agencies to create and implement open access plans.
Events This Week
Monday, August 14 No events.
Tuesday, August 15 NSF: National Science Board meeting
(continues Wednesday)
Open sessions: 8:00 am - 1:45 pm, Tue.; 8:30 - 10:15 am, 1:00 - 2:30 pm, Wed
NSF headquarters (4201 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA)
Webcast available
MSBR: Maryland Space Business Roundtable event with UCAR president
11:30 am, Martin’s Crosswinds (7400 Greenway Center Dr., MD)
Registration required
Wednesday, August 16 No events.
Thursday, August 17 No events.
Friday, August 18 No events.
Sunday, August 20 American Chemical Society: 254th annual meeting
(continues through Wednesday)
Washington Convention Center (801 Mt. Vernon Place, NW, DC)
- Chemistry’s Impact on the Global Economy, 3:00 – 6:00 pm, Sun.
- Chemistry in an Evolving Political Climate: Research Priorities and Career Pathways in Public Policy, 8:30 am – 4:00 pm, Mon.
- Working in the Public Sector: Running for Elected Office, 1:00 – 5:00 pm, Mon.
- NSF Funding Meet and Greet, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm, Tue.
- National Academies’ Frontiers of Materials Research Decadal Survey, 11:30 am - 3:00 pm, Tue.
Opportunities
NSF Seeking Senior Advisor for Facilities Management
The National Science Foundation is accepting applications for a senior advisor for facilities planning and management in the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences. Interested individuals with a doctorate and at least six years of experience in a related science and engineering field are encouraged to apply by Sept. 1.
APS Forum on Physics and Society Seeking Media Editor
The American Physical Society is currently seeking a volunteer media editor for its Forum on Physics and Society quarterly newsletter. Among other duties, the individual will work with the editor and members of the APS team to increase the electronic and social media presence of the forum and newsletter. Individuals should contact Oriol Valls (otvalls@umn.edu ), the newsletter’s editor, if interested in the position.
National Academies Higher Ed Board Seeking Program Officer
The National Academies is accepting applications for a temporary associate program officer position with its Board on Higher Education and Workforce. The individual will assist with projects related to STEM education, minority-serving institutions, and research university convocations. Individuals with a bachelor’s degree and three years of experience in a related field are encouraged to apply.
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
- Trump has no science adviser. Will that politicize climate? (E&E News)
- Physicist uncle taught Trump about fire and fury (Bloomberg, perspective by Timothy O’Brien)
- Here are draft materials from the White House’s technology summit (Vice)
Congress
- Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) statement on 10th anniversary of the America COMPETES Act (House)
- State of the Congress: Staff perspectives on institutional capacity in the House and Senate (Congressional Management Foundation, report)
Political Engagement
- Lessons from the March for Science (APS Forum on Physics & Society, perspective by Dan Pomeroy)
- District days series: My experience having my congressman visit my laboratory (American Geophysical Union, perspective by Susan Kaspari)
Science and Society
- From boy geniuses to mad scientists: How Americans got so weird about science (Collectors Weekly, perspective by Lisa Hix)
- Automatic jargon identifier for scientists engaging with the public and science communication educators (PLOS One, paper by Tzipora Rakedzon, et al.)
- Where to find the unsung engines of innovation and economic growth (Citylab)
- Science funding crucial to economic growth (Nebraska Lincoln Journal-Star, perspective by Timothy Gay)
Education and Workforce
- Advancing minorities and women to the PhD in physics and astronomy (APS Forum on Physics & Society)
- NSF grant: AGU and partners aim at gender issues in geosciences (Eos)
- US universities draw the brightest minds from across the world. Let’s stop sending them home after they graduate. (Washington Post, perspective by Peter McPherson)
- New data hammers home problems with H-1Bs and outsourcing firms (IEEE Spectrum)
- We asked 3 experts: Should scientists leave the US? (Axios)
- The human cost of the pressures of postdoctoral research (The Guardian)
Research Management
- Lawyers take on another Trumpian task: Stopping science suppression (Slate)
- Elsevier is becoming a data company. Should universities be wary? (Chronicle of Higher Education)
- German universities take on Dutch publishing giant Elsevier (Chemistry World)
- Half of papers searched for online are free to read (Nature)
- Cash bonuses for peer-reviewed papers go global (Retraction Watch)
- Step up for quality research (Science, perspective by Naomi Schrag and G. Michael Purdy)
- The future of peer review (Scientific American, perspective by Andrew Preston)
- Shake up conferences (Nature, perspective)
- Secretary Ross should stop charging the public for the government’s scientific data (Center for Data Innovation)
- SI units need reform to avoid confusion about dimensionless units (Nature, editorial)
Labs and Facilities
- ORNL names chief scientist of Global Security Directorate (Oak Ridge Today)
- New NCAR supercomputer seen as big boost for science, Wyoming (AP)
- Large Synoptic Survey Telescope on a roll to first light (Optics.org)
Energy
- Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) drafting DOE overhaul over break (E&E News)
- Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) proposes revamp to DOE (Williston Herald)
- Perry on his unlikely job: ‘God has a sense of humor’ (E&E News)
- Manchin emerges as possible pick for Energy Department (Bloomberg)
- Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) speaks at energy summit (Idaho Post Register)
- In the shadow of a nuclear plant, the US government lays out an unusual mission: teach the locals to trust science (STAT)
- Analysis highlights failings in US’s advanced nuclear program (Phys.org)
- The Idaho National Lab created a ‘wonder fuel.’ Now, it’s radioactive waste that won’t go away (LA Times, perspective by Ralph Vartabedian)
Space
- The National Space Council gets to work (The Space Review)
- A dim future for the National Space Council? (The Space Review, perspective by Roger Handberg)
Weather, Climate, and Environment
- Climate report could force Trump to choose between science and his base (New York Times)
- Climate report’s deadline poses test for Trump administration (Wall Street Journal)
- Science Says: Trump team garbles climate science (AP)
- ‘Dodgy’ greenhouse gas data threatens Paris accord (BBC)
- To stop global warming, should humanity dim the sky? (The Atlantic)
- USDA is censoring use of term ‘climate change,’ emails reveal (The Guardian)
- Scott Pruitt is carrying out his EPA agenda in secret, critics say (New York Times)
- Trump’s attack on science isn’t going very well (Washington Post, perspective by Robert B. Richardson)
- Pruitt climate science challenge splits conservative allies (Politico)
- Climate reports may slow Trump’s push to undo Obama-era rules (Bloomberg)
- US court rejects Obama-era plan to eliminate some potent planet warming chemicals (E&E News)
Defense
- Former Pentagon acquisitions chief belittles reorg plan (Government Executive)
- Perconti assumes responsibilities of Army Research Lab (Army)
- Mattis: Impact of industry innovation will continue to grow at DOD (DOD)
- Mattis, Hill Republicans clash over potential DIUx future (DefenseNews/AP)
- Pentagon considering ‘mini-nukes’ for maximum deterrence (Washington Examiner)
- America desperately needs to modernize its nuclear weapons (The Hill, opinion by Michaela Dodge)
- The GOP’s dangerous plan to build more nukes (Politico, perspective by Tom Collina and Rose Blanchard)
- Trump: America’s nuclear arsenal is ‘more powerful than ever before’ (Politico)
- Trump claims undue credit for revamping nuclear arsenal (New York Times)
- Lack of real-world testing raises doubts on US missile defenses (Reuters)
- South Carolina sues US for $100M over failure to remove plutonium (AP)
Biomedical
- Academic biomedical research community should take action to build resilience to disasters (National Academies, report)
- FDA puts new restrictions on hiring of foreign scientists, documents show (STAT)
- Researchers petition to bring back NIH grant caps (The Scientist)
- Drug approval needs a helping hand (Nature, editorial)
International
- Brexit is quietly strangling science (Bloomberg, perspective by Simon Parkin)
- The toll of short-term academic contracts in France (Science)
- BRICS link arms on innovation for growth (*Research)
- Russia wants innovation, but it’s arresting its innovators (New York Times)
- Chinese scientists aim to launch more quantum satellites (Xinhua)
- Spat over design of new Chinese 12-meter telescope goes public (ScienceInsider)
- Thousands across India march in support of science (Nature)