What’s Ahead
Trump Nominee for OSTP Director Heading to the Hill
The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee will meet Thursday to discuss President Trump’s nomination of Oklahoma meteorologist Kelvin Droegemeier to lead the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. In his responses to a pre-hearing questionnaire, Droegemeier details his research career and long history of engagement with policy. He also offers his perspective on OSTP’s role in serving the president and stewarding the nation’s research enterprise. Committee member Jim Inhofe (R-OK) has praised Trump’s choice and there have been no signs that Droegemeier’s nomination will encounter resistance.
NASA Deputy Administrator Nominee Will Also Testify
At the same hearing, the committee will also review President Trump’s nomination of James Morhard to be deputy administrator of NASA. Morhard is currently the Senate’s deputy sergeant-at-arms, and was a long-time Republican staff member before spending a decade as a private consultant. He may face tough questions from Ranking Member Bill Nelson (D-FL), who opposed Trump’s selection of Jim Bridenstine as NASA administrator in part because he believes the agency should be led by a space professional rather than someone with a political background. Supporters of Morhard’s nomination point to his experience working for the Senate appropriations committee as evidence he is a good fit for the deputy role. In responses to the committee’s advance questions, Morhard also cites his experience reviewing R&D budgets for the Navy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as qualifications for the position.
NIH Director to Testify on ‘Prioritizing Cures’
National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins will testify at a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing on Thursday titled “Prioritizing Cures: Science and Stewardship at the NIH.” Committee members may ask about NIH’s progress in implementing the 21st Century Cures Act , a major law enacted at the end of 2016. Committee Chair Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) played leading roles in developing the legislation. Murray could also press Collins on what the agency is doing to address sexual harassment at NIH-funded institutions. In an Aug. 8 letter to Collins, Murray asked if NIH plans to implement recommendations of a recent National Academies study on sexual harassment. She also asked if the agency will consider steps similar to the National Science Foundation’s recently implemented requirement that the institutions it funds report all findings of sexual harassment and other misconduct from investigations against grant recipients.
Acting DHS S&T Director Faces Confirmation Hearing
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will meet Wednesday to consider President Trump’s nomination of William Bryan to be under secretary for science and technology at the Department of Homeland Security. If confirmed, Bryan will lead DHS’s Science and Technology Directorate, which conducts applied R&D in areas such as cybersecurity, explosives detection, border security, and disaster response. Bryan has been serving in the role in an acting capacity since May 2017. The Trump administration has proposed cutting the directorate’s current budget of $841 million by 31 percent for fiscal year 2019, but the House and Senate have advanced spending bills that would set its budget at just over $800 million.
National Academies Holding Nuclear Incident Preparedness Workshop
On Wednesday and Thursday, the National Academies is hosting a workshop on medical and public health preparedness for nuclear incidents. Federal and state officials will discuss assumptions about the threat environment that underlie current incident response plans, the capacity of public health systems to respond to incidents, and the readiness of the medical and emergency response workforce, among other subjects. A session on federal planning efforts will include panelists from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Departments of Energy, Homeland Security, and Health and Human Services.
In Case You Missed It
Physical Sciences Benefiting from NSF Budget Boost
Last week, Anne Kinney, the head of the National Science Foundation’s Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) Directorate, delivered a presentation showing the directorate received a substantial portion of the agency’s recent 5 percent overall budget increase . Presiding over the first full meeting of the MPS advisory committee since she took the helm of the directorate in January, Kinney explained that much of the increase went toward research facilities, mid-scale infrastructure proposals, and NSF’s Quantum Leap initiative — one of the agency’s ten “big ideas” for future investment. Her presentation includes a list of strategic questions about the big ideas that NSF is seeking feedback on and identifies a set of potential future big ideas focused on post-quantum cryptography, exosolar planetary atmospheres, sustainable chemistry, opioids, precision measurement, the math of deep learning, and synthetic materials biology. Kinney stressed these ideas are “very preliminary.”
Survey Finds Federal Scientists Have Mixed Views of Trump Administration
Scientists across the federal government hold a wide range of views on impacts the Trump administration is having on scientific decision-making, according to a survey conducted by researchers at Iowa State University and the Union of Concerned Scientists, a non-profit advocacy group. Of the 4,211 total responses received, half agree that “the level of consideration of political interests hindered the ability of their agencies to make science-based decisions” and a fifth identified the “influence of the White House” or “influence of political appointees in your agency or department” as a key challenge to science-based decision-making. However, a majority of scientists say agencies are adhering to their scientific integrity policies and that they have received training on these policies and whistleblower protections. UCS sent the survey to over 60,000 employees across 16 agencies that “have a history of scientific integrity issues,” such as the Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and U.S. Geological Survey. The survey did not poll scientists at NASA, the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy Office of Science, or National Institutes of Health.
ARPA–E Nominee Expresses Appreciation for the Agency
At his confirmation hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Aug. 16, Lane Genatowski discussed how his long experience in energy sector finance has prepared him to lead the Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy. He said he has managed engineers as well as bankers and lawyers and that his job has been to help “translate” scientists’ work into marketable products. He explained ARPA–E’s role is to support projects that are scientifically viable and have long-term market potential but that also entails large uncertainties, remarking, “If 100 percent of ARPA–E’s experiments end up in the marketplace, they’re not doing their job, they’re really just doing a job for industry.” Asked several times about the Trump administration’s proposals to terminate ARPA–E, Genatowski said he supports the president’s budget but assured committee members he sincerely wants to lead the agency and be an advocate for it. Pointing to the recent National Academies assessment of the agency’s progress, he said, “It seemed to me they’re doing their job and they should be continued for that reason.” Asked if the administration had told him his role would be to oversee the agency’s dissolution, he replied, “Not one minute was I talked to about closing it up.”
New Director Chosen for Intelligence R&D Agency
On Aug. 14, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats announced the selection of Stacey Dixon as director of the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA). Dixon holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech and has previously held positions with the Central Intelligence Agency’s Directorate of Science and Technology, the House Intelligence Committee, and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. She has been serving as IARPA’s deputy director since January 2016 and succeeds Jason Matheny, who is completing his three-year term in the position. Modeled on the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), IARPA invests in high-risk R&D projects that address challenges faced by the Intelligence Community.
Events This Week
Monday, August 20 American Chemical Society: “National Meeting and Expo: Nanoscience, Nanotechnology, and Beyond”
(continues through Thursday)
(Boston, MA)
IAU: 30th General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union
(continues through Aug. 31)
(Vienna, Austria)
USTR: Hearing on proposed tariffs on Chinese products
(continues through Aug. 27)
U.S. International Trade Commission (500 E St. SW, DC)
Senate: “Oversight Field Hearing on Repeated Flooding Events in Ellicott City, MD: Reviewing the Federal Role in Preventing Future Events”
1:00 pm, Environment and Public Works Committee (Ellicott City, MD)
Tuesday, August 21 NDIA: Army S&T Symposium and Showcase
(continues through Thursday)
Walter Washington Convention Center (Washington, DC)
Wednesday, August 22
National Academies: Workshop on “Exploring Medical and Public Health Preparedness for a Nuclear Incident”
(continues Thursday)
8:00 am - 5:45 pm, Wed; 8:00 am - 1:00 pm, Thu
National Academies (2101 Constitution Ave. NW, DC)
Senate: Hearing to consider Trump’s nominations for DHS S&T director and FEMA deputy administrator
10:00 am, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (342 Dirksen Office Building)
Senate: Subcommittee markup of the “Helium Extraction Act” and 13 other bills
10:00 am, Energy and Natural Resources Committee (366 Dirksen Office Building)
National Academies: “Committee on A Research Agenda for a New Era in Separations Science,” meeting three
(continues Thursday)
12:30 - 5:45 pm, Wed; 9:00 am - 12:00 pm, Thu
Keck Center (500 5th St. NW, DC)
Webcast available
National Academies: “Review of USGS’s Laboratories: Processes, Procedures, and Best Practices to Meet National Needs,” meeting two
(continues Thursday)
Open session: 1:00 - 5:00 pm
USGS National Training Center (Denver, CO)
Thursday, August 23 National Academies: Colloquium on quantum sensing and communications
8:00 am - 12:30 pm, National Academies (2101 Constitution Ave. NW, DC)
Webcast available
Senate: “Prioritizing Cures: Science and Stewardship at NIH”
10:00 am, Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (430 Dirksen Office Building)
POSTPONED -- Senate: Business meeting to consider Trump’s nominations for ARPA-E director and DOE general counsel
10:00 am, Energy and Natural Resources Committee (366 Dirksen Office Building)
Senate: Hearing to consider Trump’s nominations for OSTP director and NASA deputy administrator
10:15 am, Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee (253 Russell Office Building)
The Mars Society: 21st Annual International Mars Society Convention
(continues through Saturday)
Pasadena Convention Center (Pasadena, CA)
Secure World Foundation: “It’s Not Just Rocket Science: Careers in Space Policy”
6:00 - 8:00 pm, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (1779 Massachusetts Ave. NW, DC)
Friday, August 24 No events start today.
Monday, August 27 NASA: NASA Advisory Council Science Committee meeting
(continues Tuesday)
8:00 am - 5:00 pm PDT, Mon; 8:00 am - 2:45 pm PDT, Tue
Ames Research Center (Moffett Field, CA)
Webcast available
Opportunities
FYI Hiring Science Policy Analyst
AIP is accepting applications for a science policy analyst to join the FYI team based in College Park, Maryland. The analyst will closely follow developments in federal science policy and contribute to multiple FYI products as part of an editorial team. The position is for a one-year term with the possibility of extension pending the outcome of an in-progress, organization-wide strategic review. Strong writers with a bachelor’s degree and at least two years of science policy experience are encouraged to apply.
NASA Seeking Policy Analysts
NASA’s Science Mission Directorate is accepting applications for program planning specialists in its Strategic Integration and Management Division in Washington, D.C. Responsibilities include providing policy guidance on NASA’s science programs and managing relationships with external stakeholders, among other duties. Applications are due Aug. 24.
AGU Seeking Policy Research Fellow
The American Geophysical Union is accepting applications for a research fellow in the Shifting Landscapes program, which aims to “strategically respond to societal forces affecting the Earth and space scientific enterprise.” The fellow will conduct research and develop communication materials for two policy reports related to Earth and space science, among other responsibilities. Interested individuals with a Ph.D. in a scientific field and at least one year of related science policy experience 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
- Dr. Droegemeier goes to Washington? What could happen when a respective scientist joins Trump’s White House (The Conversation, perspective by Daniel Sarewitz)
- The Senate will accelerate Droegemeier’s nomination. That’s a good thing (Union of Concerned Scientists, perspective by Michael Halpern)
- Science advice to the president and the role of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (Baker Institute, report)
- The National Nanotechnology Initiative supplement to the president’s FY19 budget (NSTC, report)
Congress
- Plenty of congressional hearings are not circuses. Here’s how we know. (Washington Post)
- Interview with former Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ) about his experience as a scientist in Congress (ASBMB, audio)
- An organic act for NOAA (Aerospace Corporation, report)
Political Engagement
Science, Society, and the Economy
- 8 movies that really got science wrong (STAT)
- TV and the Bomb (Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, perspective by Reba Wissner)
- What can science learn from the humanities? (Physics World, perspective by Lincoln Carr)
- The struggle to realize societal benefit from S&T (Living on the Real World)
Education and Workforce
- Survey of US government scientists finds range of attitudes toward Trump policies (ScienceInsider)
- Nonimmigrant visas: Outcomes of applications and changes in response to 2017 executive actions (GAO, report)
- The importance of international scholars (Michigan State University, perspective by Jade Feng)
- If they think immigrants aren’t welcome, tech’s future leaders might never come to America (Recode, interview with Andrew Moore)
- Girls Who Code encourages STEM, one coding class at a time (CNET)
- Closing diversity gaps in patenting is essential to innovation economy (The Hill, perspective by Holly Fechner)
- Don’t lose race-conscious policies (Science, perspective by Liliana Garces)
Research Management
- Top tips for building and maintaining international collaborations (Nature)
- How Unpaywall is transforming open science (Nature)
- How freely should scientists share their data? (Scientific American)
- Funders must be wary of industry alliances (Nature, perspective by Linda Bauld)
- Hundreds of researchers from Harvard, Yale, and Stanford were published in fake academic journals (Vice)
- The researcher at the center of an epic scientific fraud remains an enigma to the scientists who exposed him (Science)
- Are you liable for misconduct by scientific collaborators? What a recent court decision could mean for scientists (Retraction Watch)
- Billion-dollar telescopes could end up beyond the reach of US astronomers (Nature, perspective by Matt Mountain and Adam Cohen)
Labs and Facilities
- Review of the NNSA report on the Sandia contract competition (GAO, report)
- The Sandia National Laboratories silicon fabrication revitalization effort (DOE Inspector General, report)
- More plutonium approved for LANL facility (Albuquerque Journal)
- Perry digs into research at National Renewable Energy Lab, emphasizes importance of partnerships (NREL)
- NREL acquires powerful new high-performance computing system (DOE)
- Arecibo Observatory to get $5.8 million upgrade to expand view (University of Central Florida)
- Excavation begins on GMT site in Chile (Giant Magellan Telescope)
- LHC physicists embrace brute-force approach to particle hunt (Nature)
- ICARUS neutrino detector installed in new Fermilab home (Fermilab)
- Beefing up X-rays at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (Physics World)
Energy
- In Trump’s Washington, Rick Perry lays low (Houston Chronicle)
- Rick Perry’s unlikely third act (Weekly Standard)
- Idaho nuclear power plant ‘game changing’ for Utah? (Deseret News Utah)
- Nuclear energy: Overview of congressional issues (CRS, report)
- Fusion start-ups hope to revolutionize energy in the coming decades (Chemical and Engineering News)
- A push for a battery leap to eliminate ‘blood cobalt’ (Axios)
- Carbon capture and sequestration in the US (CRS, report)
Quantum Science and Computing
- European quantum-technologies roadmap is updated by leading physicists (Physics World, interview with Rob Thew)
- The race is on to dominate quantum computing (The Economist)
- Look out, IBM. A Duke-led group is also a player in quantum computing (Raleigh News Observer)
- Quantum bill can drive US ahead (Electronic Engineering Times, perspective by Jim Clarke)
Space
- NASA deputy administrator nominee seeks focus on managerial and acquisition issues (SpaceNews)
- What’s another $7 billion when you’re exploring the universe? (Bloomberg, perspective by Faye Flam)
- Project that spots city-killing asteroids expands to Southern Hemisphere (Nature)
- An asteroid named Aretha (The Atlantic)
Weather, Climate, and Environment
- World’s first wind-mapping satellite set to launch (Nature)
- Scientists are raising the alarm that upcoming USDA overhaul will slash research funding (Washington Post)
- Industry trumps peer-reviewed science at US environment agency (Nature)
- Critics pan EPA plan for evaluating studies of toxic chemicals (ScienceInsider)
- Science, health leaders lay out evidence against EPA’s ‘secret science’ rule (InsideClimate News)
- Fuzzy math could doom Trump’s attack on Obama climate rule (Politico)
- US Interior Secretary Zinke’s school friend blocking climate research, scientists say (The Guardian)
- Ryan Zinke says human role in climate change is unknown (Axios)
- Trump says blazes ‘not a global warming thing’ (E&E News)
- When’s a good time to talk climate change? Trump officials say: Not during a natural disaster (Washington Post)
Defense
- R&D special report: Federally funded research labs (National Defense Magazine)
- How the Pentagon joins forces with Silicon Valley startups (PBS NewsHour)
- If you want more defense innovation, spend less on legacy platforms (War on the Rocks, perspective by Peter Levine)
- Space-based laser weapons could ultimately take out missile threats in boost phase (DefenseNews)
- Annual report on military and security developments involving the People’s Republic of China (DOD)
Biomedical
- We want your feedback about results reporting for basic science studies involving human participants (NIH)
- Of course the NIH can strong-arm universities if they really want to (Drugmonkey)
- FASEB shares concerns about National Academies report on the next generation of biomedical researchers (FASEB)
International Affairs
- This week, for the first time in 18 years, the Office of the Science and Technology Advisor to the Secretary of State went dark (The Hill, perspective by Frances Colón)
- Iranian students protest US visa slowdown (Nature)
- Call made for Germany’s Helmholtz Association to boost diversity (Physics World)
- Doctoral students at Germany’s Max Planck Society say recent troubles highlight need for change (ScienceInsider)
- India delays second mission to the Moon (Nature)
- What Pakistan’s new government means for science (Nature)
- New head of IARPA warns that China is attracting top research talent (CBS)
- A century on, China still lacks the drive for scientific truth, says outspoken editor (South China Morning Post)