What’s Ahead
Boosters and Scientists Convene for Mars Exploration Summit
The advocacy organization Explore Mars is holding its annual Humans to Mars Summit Monday through Thursday in a virtual format. Sessions will explore issues such as potential mission architectures, biomedical challenges, utilization of in situ resources, and methods of providing surface power on the Moon and Mars. A number of sessions will also explore the social and political dimensions of interplanetary exploration. One on “Black lives in the space industry” will feature a panel of prominent figures including former NASA Administrator Charles Bolden; another will focus on improving the inclusion of women in Mars exploration endeavors. Other sessions will address issues such as engagement through social media and maintaining political support for crewed deep-space efforts. Separately, NASA’s technology, innovation, and engineering advisory committee is holding a meeting on Tuesday that will include an update on the agency’s nuclear technology portfolio , which is expected to play a significant role in enabling lunar and Mars exploration.
Academies Launches New Planetary Protection Committee
The Planetary Protection Committee , a new long-term panel set up under the National Academies Space Studies Board, is holding its first meeting on Friday. The committee’s purpose is to guide NASA as it updates policies for protecting Earth and extraterrestrial planetary environments from cross-contamination. The agency has increased its attention to this problem in recent years in view of planetary science’s growing emphasis on astrobiology and sample return missions, new plans for crewed deep-space exploration, and burgeoning international and commercial space activity. Last year, an independent review board proposed requirements for new protection policies and NASA issued two interim directives in July. The new Academies committee will provide more continual feedback as updates continue, satisfying a recommendation in the Academies’ response to NASA’s independent review. Former Space Studies Board Director Joseph Alexander, who chaired that response, is leading the new committee as well.
Computer Scientist to Take Helm of DARPA
The Department of Defense announced on Monday that computer scientist Victoria Coleman is the new director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which manages a $3.5 billion portfolio spanning from fundamental research to technology development. Coleman currently serves as a senior advisor at the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society within the University of California System and as a member of the Defense Science Board and DARPA’s Microsystems Exploratory Council. Coleman earned a doctorate in computer science from the University of Manchester in 1988 and has worked at a number of technology companies, including SRI International, Intel, Samsung, Nokia, HP, and Yahoo!. DARPA has been led by Peter Highnam on an acting basis since Steven Walker stepped down as director in January.
Gender Gap in Science Project Members Discussing Findings
The National Academies is hosting a webinar on Tuesday on the results of a three-year international project to measure and reduce gender disparities in the STEM workforce. The project consisted of a global survey of more than 30,000 scientists, a study of publication patterns by gender, and development of a database of best practices to address the issue moving forward. Four of the contributing authors will discuss the project and next steps at the webinar: Susan White, interim director of AIP’s Statistical Research Center; Helena Mihaljevic, a professor of data science at the University of Applied Science Berlin; Merrilyn Goos, director of the National Centre for STEM Education at the University of Limerick in Ireland; and Mei-Hung Chiu, a professor of science education at the National Taiwan Normal University.
In Case You Missed It
DOE Establishes Five Flagship Quantum Research Centers
The Department of Energy announced last week it will establish quantum information science research centers based at five national laboratories, implementing a centerpiece provision of the National Quantum Initiative Act of 2018 . The centers will each receive $115 million over five years, subject to congressional appropriations, and involve contributions from dozens of universities and companies, who have together committed an additional $340 million:
- The Next Generation Quantum Science and Engineering Center led by Argonne National Lab in Illinois will focus on developing secure quantum communication links and networks of sensors. The center will also create two “national foundries” for standardized quantum materials and devices, one at Argonne and one at SLAC National Accelerator Lab.
- The Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Center led by Fermilab in Illinois will work to lengthen the lifetime of quantum states, known as the coherence time, in order to develop next-generation quantum computers and sensors. The center will leverage Fermilab’s expertise in building superconducting radiofrequency cavities with record coherence times for particle accelerators.
- The Co-design Center for Quantum Advantage led by Brookhaven National Lab will design software and components for quantum computers, leveraging materials characterization facilities at Brookhaven’s Center for Functional Nanomaterials and the National Synchrotron Light Source II.
- The Quantum Systems Accelerator led by Lawrence Berkeley National Lab will develop new ways to control quantum computing platforms and design algorithms that are tailored to solving scientific problems.
- The Quantum Science Center led by Oak Ridge National Lab will explore the use of topological materials in quantum computers, test algorithms for quantum computers and sensors, and develop sensors for discovery science applications.
White House Stands Up National Quantum Initiative Advisory Panel
Shortly after DOE awarded its quantum centers, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy announced the 23 inaugural members of the National Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee, which will be co-chaired by Charles Tahan, director of the National Quantum Coordination Office, and Kathryn Ann Moler, dean of research at Stanford University. Of the other members, 10 are from universities, eight from industry, and three from federal labs. Congress directed the president to establish the committee through the National Quantum Initiative Act, which charges it with periodically assessing implementation of the initiative, trends in quantum information science and technology, and opportunities for international collaboration.
NSF Announces Inaugural AI Research Institutes
Alongside DOE’s quantum center awards, the National Science Foundation announced last week it will provide $100 million over five years to establish a network of artificial intelligence research institutes. Five NSF-led institutes will receive $20 million each to advance AI research across a broad range of topics:
- The Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Fundamental Interactions led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will explore how AI can help address fundamental questions in physics, and how physics knowledge can improve AI algorithms.
- The Institute for Molecular Discovery, Synthetic Strategy, and Manufacturing led by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will use AI to accelerate the synthesis of small molecules.
- The Institute for Research on Trustworthy AI in Weather, Climate, and Coastal Oceanography led by the University of Oklahoma will work to improve the reliability of Earth system predictions.
- The Institute for Student-AI Teaming led by the University of Colorado Boulder will develop “AI partners” that offer individualized instruction in classrooms.
- The Institute for Foundations of Machine Learning led by the University of Texas at Austin will work to understand how deep learning algorithms function and improve their efficiency.
Two additional research centers will be jointly sponsored with the Department of Agriculture: the Institute for Next Generation Food Systems at the University of California, Davis and the Institute for Future Agricultural Resilience, Management, and Sustainability at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, which will each receive $20 million over five years. NSF plans to make additional awards in the coming years, with a projected total investment of around $300 million by next summer across all the institutes.
Fresh Scientific Integrity Scandals Hit COVID-19 Response
Two U.S. public health agencies came under fire last week as actions they took came under immediate suspicion of being politically motivated. On Aug. 23, the Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization to convalescent blood plasma as a COVID-19 treatment, which President Trump hailed as a “historic breakthrough” at a press conference that day, on the eve of the Republican National Convention. Both Trump and FDA head Stephen Hahn cited statistics about the survival rates of patients who receive the treatment, which experts quickly blasted as contrary to published data. Hahn recanted the statistics the next day, and, in a reported bid to shore up its credibility, FDA removed its new chief spokesperson, who was previously a journalist at a right-wing news outlet. Although plasma therapy is generally considered safe, top officials at the National Institutes of Health had resisted the authorization on the grounds that evidence for the therapy’s efficacy for COVID-19 is limited.
In a separate incident, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention came under fire for revising its COVID-19 testing guidelines to state that asymptomatic individuals “do not necessarily need a test,” even though the disease is understood to transmit asymptomatically. The change reportedly originated with Assistant Secretary for Health Brett Giroir, a Trump appointee, who has said it was aimed at prioritizing testing for individuals more likely to have the disease and not motivated by instructions from the White House. However, the move raised suspicions that political considerations were at play, particularly because Trump has incorrectly blamed high levels of testing for the higher numbers of reported COVID-19 cases in the U.S. versus other countries. Many state and local public health authorities indicated they would not follow the revised guidelines and the agency has since updated them again to state that individuals who have had close contact with an infected individual should be tested.
Astronomers Chart Impacts of Large Satellite Constellations
The American Astronomical Society and the National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab released a report last week summarizing the outcomes of a workshop they convened earlier this summer to assess the impact of large constellations of low Earth orbit satellites on optical astronomy. With tens of thousands of satellites expected to be deployed in the next few years, astronomers are concerned bright trails of reflected sunlight will severely contaminate astronomical observations, potentially threatening to undermine the work of current and planned ground-based observatories. The report warns no combination of actions will fully eliminate the problem, but recommends various mitigation strategies for both satellite operators and astronomers. These include keeping satellites below 600 kilometers, designing satellites to be less reflective, providing astronomers with open access to precise information on satellite orbits, and developing software to remove trails from images. At a press conference to mark the report’s release, workshop organizers praised the willingness of the company SpaceX, which has already launched hundreds of satellites, to modify them to address the issue. (AAS is an AIP Member Society.)
Senate Democrats Release Strategy to Address ‘Climate Crisis’
Senate Democrats’ Special Committee on the Climate Crisis released a 255 page report last week outlining spending and policy plans for the U.S. to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The report arrives less than two months after Democrats on the House Climate Crisis Committee released a detailed legislative framework to achieve the same goal. Among its proposals, the Senate report broadly states that the U.S. “needs an innovation agenda that explicitly supports industrial decarbonization,” calling for the federal government to “substantially increase and better target appropriations and grant funding, loans, and tax incentives to support clean energy and other climate-related RD&D and deployment.” The committee was established in March 2019 and, unlike its House counterpart, is an initiative of the Senate Democratic caucus with no Republican members.
Input Sought on Export Controls for ‘Foundational Technologies’
On Aug. 27, the Commerce Department released a long-awaited advance notice of proposed rulemaking for its plans to strengthen export controls on “foundational technologies,” in accord with the National Defense Authorization Act For Fiscal Year 2019 . The department seeks public comment by Oct. 26 on how foundational technologies should be defined, the criteria for determining whether stricter export controls are warranted for particular technologies, and how such controls might impact technology development in the U.S., among other issues. Specific technology areas of interest mentioned in the notice include semiconductor manufacturing tools, lasers, sensors, and underwater systems. The department states it does not intend to apply new controls to technologies that are not currently subject to the Export Administration Regulations , including “fundamental research.” The department released an analogous request for input on export controls for “emerging technologies” in late 2018.
Research Association Presents Pandemic Impact Assessment Model
The Council on Governmental Relations, an association of almost 200 U.S. universities and research institutes, released a report on Aug. 25 presenting a model for quantifying the cost impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on research activities. Called the “research impact metric,” the model is designed to account for factors such as reduced work, lost laboratory supplies, and inability to travel under differing impact and recovery scenarios. The report uses five case studies to illustrate the state of research under what it terms the “pandemic normal,” noting that, expressed in terms of money, reductions in research output at individual institutions are apt to range between 20% and 40%. It also appeals to policymakers and research institutions to provide “new and sustained investment,” which it argues is needed to prevent a weakening of U.S. research capabilities and the dispersal of the current cohort of graduate students and postdocs.
Events This Week
Monday, August 31
FLC: Federal Laboratory Consortium National Meeting (continues through Thursday) Explore Mars: Humans to Mars Summit (continues through Thursday) National Academies: “Sustainability and The World in 2050” 11:00 am - 12:30 pm The Hill: “Science and American Advancement” 1:00 - 3:00 pm National Academies: “Assessment of NASA Aeronautics University Leadership Initiative,” meeting seven 2:00 - 5:30 pm NASEO: “Innovation Nation: A 2020 Vision for a Clean Energy Economy, Job Growth, and Technology Acceleration” 3:00 - 4:00 pm
Tuesday, September 1
NASA: Outer Planets Assessment Group meeting (continues through Thursday) IUPAC: “Measuring and Reducing the Gender Gap in Science” 11:00 am - 12:30 pm NASA: Technology, Innovation, and Engineering Advisory Committee meeting 11:00 am - 3:30 pm American Physical Society: Science Policy Career Panel 1:00 pm State Department: “The Innovation Station: Four Corners” 1:00 - 3:30 pm National Academies: “Assessment of the SBIR and STTR Programs at NIH,” meeting five 5:00 - 6:00 pm
Wednesday, September 2
National Academies: “Educational Pathways for Blacks in Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Exploring Barriers and Possible Interventions: A Workshop” (continues Thursday) CSIS: “Rethinking U.S. Industrial Policy and Innovation Strategy” 9:00 - 9:45 am CSIS: “Toward a More Proliferated World?” 11:00 am - 12:00 pm National Academies: “Key Goals and Innovations Needed for a U.S. Fusion Pilot Plant,” meeting two 12:00 - 2:00 pm National Academies: “Discussion Draft of the Preliminary Framework for Equitable Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccine” 12:00 - 5:00 pm American Nuclear Society: “Black Racial Justice in the Nuclear Community” 1:00 - 2:30 pm NNSA: Public scoping meeting on new Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement 6:00 - 8:00 pm, PDT
Thursday, September 3
Arms Control Association: “75 Years After the Trinity Explosion: The Taboo Against Nuclear Testing and the Legacy of Past Nuclear Tests” 9:30 - 11:00 am
Friday, September 4
National Academies: Planetary Protection Committee kickoff meeting 11:45 am - 5:00 pm
Opportunities
NASA Accepting Science Ideas for Artemis Mission
NASA is accepting white papers proposing science work to be accomplished with the human crew it is aiming to land on the Moon’s South Pole in 2024 through its Artemis program. The solicitation notes the two-member crew will conduct multiple walking excursions, which can involve collecting lunar samples, using cameras, and deploying payloads. Submissions are due Sept. 8.
NSF Hiring Large Facilities Advisor
The National Science Foundation is seeking a large facilities advisor to support the Large Facilities Office in the agency’s Office of Budget, Finance, and Award Management. The advisor will be responsible for developing “policies and procedures for all major facility lifecycle stages, with a primary focus on design and construction” as well as assisting with external reviews of project cost, scope, schedule, and performance, among other duties. Applications are due Sept. 15.
Draft Geospatial Data Strategy Open for Comment
The Federal Geographic Data Committee is seeking comments on its draft strategic plan for the National Spatial Data Infrastructure. The Geospatial Data Act of 2018 defined this infrastructure to encompass “the technology, policies, criteria, standards, and employees necessary to promote geospatial data sharing throughout the federal government, state, tribal, and local governments, and the private sector (including nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher education).” Comments are due Sept. 17.
For additional opportunities, please visit www.aip.org/fyi/opportunities . Know of an opportunity for scientists to engage in science policy? Email us at fyi@aip.org .
Know of an upcoming science policy event either inside or outside the Beltway? Email us at fyi@aip.org .
Around the Web
News and views currently in circulation. Links do not imply endorsement.
White House
- New Trump pandemic adviser pushes controversial ‘herd immunity’ strategy, worrying public health officials (Washington Post)
- Inside Trump’s pressure campaign on federal scientists over a COVID-19 treatment (Washington Post)
- Trump has launched an all-out attack on the FDA. Will its scientific integrity survive? (STAT)
- White House trade adviser Peter Navarro’s push for plasma treatment goes further than FDA scientists (Politico)
- The FDA must stand up for itself and for science, not politics (Washington Post, perspective by Margaret Hamburg and Joshua Sharfstein)
- Are US medical experts being influenced by the Trump administration? (PBS NewsHour, interview with Thomas Frieden)
- How Mike Pence slowed down the coronavirus response (Politico)
- Fauci says Pence listens to him even though he’s ‘the skunk at the picnic’ (The Hill)
- Trump’s second term energy plan? ‘Continue what we’re doing’ (E&E News)
Congress
- White House backs spending stopgap as part of coronavirus aid package, chief of staff says (Roll Call)
- With release of climate report, Senate Democrats want to build a coalition that can take on the Kochs (Vox, interview with Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI))
- To counter China, some Republicans are abandoning free-market orthodoxy (Washington Post)
Political Engagement
- Heal the country? Disease specialists running for Congress (AP)
- New guide for scientists on how to participate in elections and political campaigns (Climate Science Legal Defense Fund)
- APS pushes back on White House executive actions that threaten international students (APS News)
- #ScholarStrike: Professors are planning a work stoppage and virtual, public teach-in on police violence and racism next mont (Inside Higher Ed)
- A Chinese physicist reflects on her introduction to American politics and shares her hopes and concerns for this election (SupChina, perspective by Yangyang Cheng)
Science, Society, and the Economy
- The rise and fall of the industrial R&D lab (Works in Progress, perspective by Ben Southwood)
- Increases in US federal R&D needed in a global crisis (AAAS)
- The APS Forum on Physics and Society (APS News)
- Following the science: Lessons from a 19th century showman (Financial Times)
- Public health leaders deserve more respect (NPR, perspective by Angela Hart)
- Black Americans have less confidence in scientists to act in the public interest (Pew Research Center)
Education and Workforce
- Chinese diplomats helped military scholars visiting the US evade FBI scrutiny, US says (Wall Street Journal)
- NASA-funded researcher arrested for false statements and wire fraud in relation to China’s talents program (DOJ)
- Chinese national charged with destroying hard drive during FBI investigation into the possible transfer of sensitive software to China (DOJ)
- Do H-1B visas help or hurt American workers? (Bloomberg, perspective by Rachel Rosenthal and Noah Smith)
- The pandemic could derail a generation of young scientists (Wired)
- In search of equity (Optics and Photonics News)
- Skewed student demographics distort physics education studies (Physics Today)
- Physics departments ditch the GRE in bid for equity (APS News)
- Racism in academia, and why the ‘little things’ matter (Nature, perspective by Kevin Laland)
- She claimed to fight for survivors of sexual harassment in science. But for many, she added to the pain (BuzzFeed News)
Research Management
- Strengthening scientific integrity at federal agencies: Recommendations for 2021 and beyond (Union of Concerned Scientists, report)
- New NIH Office of Research Integrity leaders look to bring oversight into the digital age (Chemical & Engineering News)
- ‘Journal of Trial and Error’ seeks to normalize research failure (Times Higher Education)
- Confusion over Europe’s data-protection law is stalling scientific progress (Nature, perspective by Robert Eiss)
- Challenge to scientists: Does your ten-year-old code still run? (Nature)
- IOP Publishing report reveals continued global imbalance in distribution of peer review (Institute of Physics)
- Recap of the CHORUS forum on open access policies and compliance in a global context (CHORUS)
- Springer Nature update on transformative agreements fails to quell concerns over library budgets (Research Professional)
- Audit of NSF’s monitoring of government-owned equipment purchased on NSF awards (NSF OIG, report)
Labs and Facilities
- Negotiations start with Bechtel-led industry team to support design and build of Versatile Test Reactor (Idaho National Lab)
- Intel slips, and a high-profile DOE supercomputer is delayed (New York Times)
- DOD orders two AI-focused supercomputers from Liqid (HPCwire)
- The Arecibo telescope is damaged — and that’s a big deal (NPR)
- Critical science plan for the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (SpaceRef)
- Summary of visit by secretary of energy to MIT’s Lincoln Lab (DOE)
- The Electron-Ion Collider: A new frontier in nuclear physics (Jefferson Lab, perspective by Doon Gibbs and Stuart Henderson)
- Expanding testing capacity for Sandia weapons modernization programs (Sandia National Labs)
Emerging Technologies
- The quantum internet will require bigger quantum science (APS News, perspective by Christoph Simon and Maria Spiropulu)
- Air Force to craft a quantum information science strategy — and wants help (Nextgov)
- Largest molecular quantum computation performed (Chemical & Engineering News)
- Cosmic rays may soon stymie quantum computing (MIT News)
- AI and national security (CRS, report)
- Eric Schmidt: China could be AI’s superpower if we don’t act now (Fast Company)
- Europe has an AI skills shortage (Bruegel, perspective by Julia Anderson, et al.)
- Can AI solve the rare earths problem? Chinese and US researchers think so (Defense One)
Space
- NASA just announced in a blog post that SLS will cost 30% more (Ars Technica)
- Robyn Gatens named acting director for International Space Station (NASA)
- NASA puts solicitation for commercial free-flyer station on hold (SpaceNews)
- The future of space tourism (CRS, report)
- NASA funds five concept studies for new space environment mission (NASA)
- The National Aeronautics and Space and Arms Control Administration? (Space Review, perspective by Dwayne Day)
- To Senate Democrats: Stand against China, protect US space programs (SpaceNews, perspective by Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO))
- Interplanetary probes from behind the Iron Curtain: The Soviet Venera program (Astronomy)
Weather, Climate, and Environment
- US officially joins global trillion tree planting initiative (The Hill)
- Racism and harassment are common in field research — scientists are speaking up (Nature)
- EPA’s big announcement on coronavirus disinfectant questioned by scientists (Washington Post)
- Planning a sustainable future for Earth’s oceans (Eos, perspective by Jordan Van Stavel, et al.)
Energy
- Collaboration between start-ups and federal agencies: A surprising solution for energy innovation (ITIF, report)
- Raising the bar: 2020 at ARPA–E (ARPA–E, perspective by Lane Genatowski)
- NuScale Power small modular reactor receives first-ever Nuclear Regulatory Commission design approval (NuScale)
- If Trump and Biden agree there shouldn’t be a nuclear waste site at Yucca Mountain, can’t we all? (Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, perspective by David Klaus)
- ITER celebrates milestone, still at least a decade away from fusing atoms (IEEE Spectrum)
- The way ahead for fusion (Nature Physics, editorial)
- World’s first fossil-free, hydrogen-powered steel plant ready for operation in Sweden (H2 View)
- Innovations in energy-storage technology are a mainstay of China’s bid to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels (Nature)
Defense
- A call for antiracist action and accountability in the US nuclear community (Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, perspective by Katlyn Turner, et al.)
- Trump administration sends mixed signals on nuclear weapons budgeting (Defense News)
- Surplus plutonium disposition (NNSA)
- Feds to ship toxic radioactive metal out of South Carolina after years of disputes with the state (The State)
- UN again calls for full ratification of nuclear test-ban treaty (UN)
- A Russian nuclear energy agency released formerly classified footage of the Soviet Union’s 1961 Tsar Bomba test (New York Times)
- The potential costs of expanding US strategic nuclear forces if the New START Treaty expires (CBO, report)
- Missiles are changing so quickly that their names need to change, report finds (Washington Post)
- Armaments consortium launches new path to field high-tech prototypes (Defense News)
- DIU making transformative impact five years in (DOD)
Biomedical
- NIH establishes Centers for Research in Emerging Infectious Diseases (NIH)
- Group whose NIH grant for virus research was revoked just got a new grant (NPR)
- Why the US is having a coronavirus data crisis (Nature)
- Developing safe and effective COVID vaccines — Operation Warp Speed’s strategy and approach (JAMA, perspective by Moncef Slaoui and Matthew Hepburn)
- Here’s how the US could release a COVID-19 vaccine before the election — and why that scares some (ScienceInsider)
- Fauci warns against emergency coronavirus vaccine approval before widespread testing (The Hill)
- Poll: Most Americans believe the COVID-19 vaccine approval process is driven by politics, not science (STAT)
- Moderna failed to disclose federal funding for vaccine patent applications, advocates say (STAT)
- Biogen meeting in Boston seeded tens of thousands of infections, study finds (New York Times)
- Encouraging participation and cooperation in contact tracing: Lessons from survey research (National Academies, report)
- NCI, Cancer Research UK launch Cancer Grand Challenges partnership to support bold new ideas for cancer research (NIH)
International Affairs
- China again boosts R&D spending by more than 10% (ScienceInsider)
- Xi Jinping: China must strive for early breakthroughs in key technologies (CGTN)
- US and China battle for supremacy in hot research areas (Times Higher Education)
- Tech war chronicles: How a Silicon Valley chip pioneer landed in China (Reuters)
- China’s semiconductor drive stalls in Wuhan, exposing gap in hi-tech production capabilities (South China Morning Post)
- China revises list of technologies banned, restricted for export (Reuters)
- Gender gaps in Chinese politics and science are still massive (SupChina)
- How China can show the US that its Thousand Talents Plan has nothing to hide (South China Morning Post, perspective by David Zweig and Kang Siqin)
- Failure by WHO team to visit Wuhan sparks concerns over virus probe (Financial Times)
- Australian researchers condemn ‘groundless vilification’ of their work with China (The Guardian)
- ‘Determined’ MEPs begin attempt to raise EU R&D budget (Research Professional)
- Paint the town green: Horizon Europe moonshot draws up ‘fast and radical’ plan for sustainable cities (Science|Business)
- Former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown launches ‘pro-jobs, pro-science’ campaign to support joining Horizon Europe (Science|Business)
- How France created a university to rival MIT (The Economist)
- Marie Curie researchers ‘betrayed’ by commission’s refusal to extend costs (Science|Business)
- Swiss researchers gear up for crunch immigration vote, fearing return to scientific exile (Science|Business)
- The vaccine and the satellite: A tale of two Sputniks (Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, perspective by Matt Field)
- APS engagement around the world (APS News)