Sociologist Alondra Nelson is leaving the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy after two years leading its Science and Society team, which was created at the outset of the Biden administration. She also served as the office’s interim director for much of 2022. (Image credit – Argonne National Lab)
Alondra Nelson, who leads the Science and Society team at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, is stepping down on Friday. The first person to hold such a position at the office, President Biden announced her appointment in January 2021 alongside his choice of Eric Lander to be his science adviser and the office’s director. She will now return to her position as a sociologist at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, having been on a two-year leave of absence. During her time at OSTP, Nelson has led the office’s efforts to promote diversity and equity in the sciences and to imbue equity considerations into science and technology policy deliberations, such as in the “bill of rights” it developed for artificial intelligence. Nelson also served as acting OSTP director for seven months last year after Lander resigned when reports emerged he was verbally abusive toward office staff members. In addition to working to reconstruct the office’s culture , during her interim leadership she released a major policy memorandum that sets up a requirement that articles stemming from federally funded research and certain underlying data be freely available upon publication. Nelson’s exit adds to the number of current leadership vacancies at OSTP, which include the deputy directors for national security and health and life sciences, as well as the U.S. chief technology officer, which has been vacant throughout the Biden administration.
The House Science Committee is holding an organizational meeting on Wednesday to adopt the governing rules and oversight priorities of the new Republican majority. Republicans have now filled 19 of their 22 seats on the committee, excluding scandal-enmeshed first-term Rep. George Santos (R-NY), who has recused himself from committee assignments, citing investigations he is facing for alleged campaign finance fraud. The Republicans have also announced staff leads for the panel’s five subcommittees but have not yet assigned subcommittee chairs. Democrats filled their two remaining open seats on the committee last week, reappointing Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL) and welcoming Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA), who has become active on policy for artificial intelligence and marked his appointment with a press release written by an AI chatbot . Two Democrats who held subcommittee leadership roles in the last Congress were not reappointed despite wanting to remain on board: Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), who chaired the space subcommittee, and Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL), a former Fermilab physicist who chaired the oversight subcommittee. A spokesperson for Foster told FYI in an email that Democratic leadership denied the waiver he has previously received allowing him to serve on both the Science Committee and the Financial Services Committee. (Correction: Last week, FYI incorrectly stated Democrats had three open seats left on the committee.)
Various other committees are also holding organizational meetings this week now that their rosters have been finalized. Senate Republicans announced their full slate of committee appointments last week, following Senate Democrats’ appointments last month. Many committees have just announced their subcommittee leaders or are expected to do so imminently. Keep up to date on leadership assignments with FYI’s Federal Science Leadership Tracker .
The National Academies is releasing a technical assessment this week of capital facility needs at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which has main campuses in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and Boulder, Colorado. NIST stated in its latest budget request that its facilities are “in an accelerated rate of decline and need extensive work to reverse the trend,” and that “critical-level incidents … are increasing exponentially.” Congress substantially increased funding for NIST facilities in its fiscal year 2023 appropriation after years of flat funding, but much more would be needed to resolve the agency’s maintenance backlog, which is estimated to exceed $800 million. The Academies is holding a briefing on the assessment on Tuesday, featuring Ross Corotis, the chair of the assessment committee and an engineering professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, as well as Eric Dillinger, an executive at engineering consulting firm Woolpert, and Kent Rochford, chief executive officer of SPIE and former head of NIST’s laboratory programs. The Academies completed a similar assessment of National Institutes of Health capital facility needs in 2019.
The main advisory panel for the National Institute of Standards and Technology is meeting on Wednesday and Thursday. The agenda includes a discussion of the new National Academies assessment of the agency’s capital facility needs and an update from former Idaho National Lab Director Mark Peters, who is charing a new safety commission for NIST. The commission, which held its first meeting in January, was empaneled in the wake of events such as a radiation incident in 2021 at NIST’s research reactor and a fatal fall last year at its National Fire Research Laboratory. The advisory panel will also hear from senior NIST officials about the agency’s administration of the semiconductor initiatives funded through the CHIPS and Science Act. A separate advisory committee of industry stakeholders that NIST created to gather input for those initiatives is meeting on Tuesday.
NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan and India’s ambassador to the U.S. Taranjit Singh Sandhu signed an “implementation arrangement” on Jan. 31 to streamline projects jointly funded by the U.S. and India. (Image credit – Lily Le / NSF)
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval hosted the inaugural meeting of the U.S.–India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) in Washington, D.C., last week. The initiative, which the two countries agreed to launch last May, is part of a U.S. effort to strengthen ties in the Indo-Pacific region, including in science and technology , in part to offset China’s influence. Areas for planned work include establishing an “Indo–U.S. Quantum Coordination Mechanism,” launching an “innovation bridge” to connect U.S. and Indian defense technology startups, and expanding cooperation between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization, such as through NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. As part of the meeting, the National Science Foundation also signed an “implementation arrangement” with India to streamline jointly funded projects. In coordination with government-led efforts, the Association of American Universities announced it is organizing a task force to expand partnerships between universities in the U.S. and India. In addition, the Semiconductor Industry Association and the India Electronics and Semiconductor Association announced another task force focused on building up public-private collaborations in developing the global chipmaking ecosystem.
Last week, House Democratic leadership appointed Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) as their ranking member on the newly created Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. Announcing his selection, Krishnamoorthi stated , “The Chinese Communist Party poses serious economic and security threats to the United States and to democracy and prosperity across the globe, illustrated by its threats against Taiwan’s democracy, its weaponization of TikTok, and its theft of hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of American intellectual property. … That said, at a time when anti-Asian hate and violence are on the rise, it’s essential that this committee focuses its vital work on protecting all Americans from the threat posed by the CCP, while avoiding dangerous rhetoric that fuels the types of xenophobia that have endangered members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.” Committee Chair Mike Gallagher (R-WI) stated he is “thrilled” to work with Krishnamoorthi. Among their first joint actions, they condemned China’s flight of a surveillance balloon over the U.S., which the Air Force shot down on Feb. 4. Of the other 10 Democratic members appointed to the panel, two are also leading members of the House Science Committee: Reps. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) and Haley Stevens (D-MI) . None of the 13 Republican members are also on the Science Committee.
Deputy Energy Secretary David Turk appeared before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee last week to field questions about the Department of Energy’s implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. Turk said DOE has already received $37 billion of the $62 billion the law is providing to the department. He also noted the law has required the department to set up 60 new programs and expand 12 others. The department has set out to hire 1,000 employees for what it is calling a Clean Energy Corps and Turk reported that to date it has hired more than 400 new staff members. He expanded in his written testimony that DOE has issued 50 requests for information to guide program design as well as 38 funding opportunity announcements, and that some funding awardees have already been selected , including 20 battery materials companies to receive a total of $2.8 billion. Responding to criticisms that one of those companies, Microvast, has extensive operations in China that expose it to intellectual property vulnerabilities, Turk clarified that DOE is still negotiating an award with it, which involves conducting additional “due diligence” before disbursing funds.
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Columbia University: “Lecture Series on Science Policy for Scientists”
(continues through March 27)
UN: Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, Scientific and Technical Subcommittee meeting
(continues through Feb. 17)
P5: Particle Physics Project Prioritization Panel kickoff meeting
Closed to the public
National Academies: “Workshop on the State of the Art in Smart Manufacturing”
10:00 am - 5:00 pm
National Academies: “Opportunities and Challenges for Digital Twins in Engineering”
(continues Thursday)
National Academies: “Supporting IP and Tech Transfer to Advance U.S. Research Competitiveness”
(continues Wednesday)
House: “Combatting the Economic Threat from China”
10:00 am, Financial Services Committee
House: “The Pressing Threat of the Chinese Communist Party to U.S. National Defense”
10:00 am, Armed Services Committee
House: Hearing to discuss 17 energy policy bills
10:00 am, Energy and Commerce Committee
NIST: Industrial Advisory Committee meeting
10:00 am - 3:00 pm
National Academies: “Technical Assessment of the Capital Facility Needs of NIST,” report release webinar
2:00 - 3:00 pm
NSF: Office hours on new requirement to submit Safe and Inclusive Work Environments Plan as part of certain grant applications
3:30 - 4:30 pm
NSPN: “Journal Club: Reforming Graduate Student Well-Being”
7:00 - 8:00 pm
State of the Union
9:00 pm
UN: Open Science Conference 2023
(continues through Friday)
NIST: Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology meeting
(continues Thursday)
NIST: Earthquake Hazards Reduction Advisory Committee meeting
(continues Thursday)
FAA: Annual Commercial Space Transportation Conference
(continues Thursday)
House: “The Federal Response to COVID-19”
10:00 am, Energy and Commerce Committee
House: “Unleashing America’s Energy and Mineral Potential”
10:00 am, Natural Resources Committee
House: Hearing to discuss five satellite communications bills
10:30 am, Energy and Commerce Committee
House: “State of the Defense Industrial Base”
11:00 am, Armed Services Committee
USPTO: “Innovation Driven by Artificial Intelligence”
11:00 am to 3:00 pm CST
ANS: “
Intro to #Atomic Allies”
5:00 - 6:30 pm
National Academies: “Future Directions for Southern Ocean and Antarctic Nearshore and Coastal Research Community”
(continues Friday)
House: “The Future of War: Is the Pentagon Prepared to Deter and Defeat America’s Adversaries?”
8:30 am, Armed Services Committee
House: “Dependence on Foreign Adversaries: America’s Critical Minerals Crisis”
9:00 am, Natural Resources Committee
Economic Development Administration: National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship meeting
9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Secure World Foundation: “Space Exploration Investments: Turning Uncertainty into Measurable Risk and Benefits”
9:30 am - 4:30 pm
Energy Futures Initiative: “Unveiling the U.S. Hydrogen Demand Action Plan”
10:00 am
Senate: “The People’s Republic of China’s High Altitude Surveillance Efforts Against the US”
10:15 am, Appropriations Committee
Senate: “Evaluating U.S.
-China Policy in the Era of Strategic Competition”
10:30 am, Foreign Relations Committee
American Enterprise Institute: “Metascience for the Public: Policy Solutions to Flagging Productivity”
1:00 - 2:30 pm
EESI: “Public Polling on Climate Change,” congressional briefing
2:00 - 3:30 pm
Wilson Center: Conversation with Canada’s minister of innovation, science, and industry
9:15 - 10:15 am
NSF: National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee meeting
11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Exchange Monitor: Nuclear Deterrence Summit
(continues through Wednesday)
National Academies: “Foundational Research Gaps and Future Directions for Digital Twins,” information gathering session two
11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Belfer Center: “DOE Deputy Secretary David Turk on Powering the Clean Energy Future”
12:00 - 1:15 pm
National Academies: “Decadal Survey for Solar and Space Physics: Panel on the Physics of the Sun and Heliosphere,” teleconference nine
1:00 - 2:30 pm
NSF: Polar Programs Advisory Committee meeting
2:00 - 3:30 pm
The Department of Energy is requesting stakeholder input on potential opportunities in place-based innovation. DOE is particularly interested in ideas leveraging its national laboratories and sites that would catalyze innovation ecosystems and contribute to department activities in energy technology, environmental remediation, and national security. Submissions are due March 28.
The U.S. Geological Survey has issued a request for public comment on the risk of disruptions to helium supplies, such as from geopolitical developments, and on the potential effects in different sectors, including scientific applications. The agency states that, although helium did not meet the criteria for inclusion on its most recent list of critical minerals, it still regards helium as “a commodity that warrants watching.” Responses are due March 16.
The National Academies is calling for nominations of experts to participate on a study panel that will develop a plan to promote defense research at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other Minority Institutions. The panel will follow up on the work of a previous one that issued a report last year on the status of defense research at such institutions. Relevant forms of expertise include but are not limited to experience as administrators or academic leaders at a minority-serving institution, understanding of Defense Department grants and contracts, and knowledge of workforce development strategies. Nominations are due Feb. 16.
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 .
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Roll Call: White House budget set for early March delivery
Washington Post: Biden announces departure of Brian Deese from top economic job
White House: Biden announces appointments to the President’s National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee
White House: Biden announces appointments to National Cancer Advisory Board
MeriTalk: OSTP loading up on tech experts
Roll Call: At ‘fun’ House Science Committee, Chair Frank Lucas (R-OK) sees CHIPS aid as potential model for AI, quantum computing (interview)
Oklahoma City News9: Rep. Lucas optimistic about work of Science Committee (interview)
House Science Committee: Republicans press for documents related to DOE labs targeted by Russian hackers
House Energy and Commerce Committee: Republicans launch E&C’s COVID-19 origins investigation
House Oversight Committee: Republicans probe John Kerry’s secret negotiations as special presidential envoy for climate
E&E News: Congress’ ‘biggest fight’ over climate? It’s the farm bill
Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL): Illinois Democrats introduce resolution to name Fermilab research center after physicist Helen Edwards
The Economist: America’s government is spending lavishly to revive manufacturing
America’s Frontier Fund: AFF launches Strategic Innovation Group to support fund’s mission of advancing frontier technologies in America
Brookings Institution: How Indiana competes for human capital (audio interview with Gov. Eric Holcomb (R))
NASA: NASA spinoffs bolster climate resilience, improve medical care, more (report)
National Conference of State Legislatures: Lawmakers are teaming up with scientists, researchers to create data-driven policy
Science for Policy: Undead models of science advice (audio interview with Carina Keskitalo)
Nature: Why we have nothing to fear from the decolonization of mathematics (editorial)
Science: A pair of historians explain how market fundamentalism leads to science denial (book review)
E&E News: NSF staffers revolt over Panchanathan’s pay plans
E&E News: Under pressure, NSF scraps plan to limit staff raises
Science: Salary mandates in California and Washington leave many lab heads scrambling
Nature: Postdoc survey confirms widespread dissatisfaction among US researchers
Physics Today: Consulting can be stimulating and lucrative for physicists
AIP: New astronomy PhDs: What comes next (report)
ScienceInsider: David Sabatini, biologist fired for sexual misconduct, lands millions from private donors to start new lab
Boston Globe: Whitehead Institute sexual harassment allegations: Inside the fall of David Sabatini
Boston Globe: Fallout from David Sabatini sexual harassment allegations shakes Whitehead Institute
Asian American Scholar Forum: AASF raises concerns around increased airport enforcement and border harassment
What’s New Under the Sun: Innovators who immigrate: Big impacts for people who move to countries where science is happening (perspective by Matt Clancy)
Stat: Disruptive science is leaping forward, not limping along (perspective by Juergen Eckhardt and George Church)
Scholarly Kitchen: Are we providing what researchers need in the transition to open science? (perspective by Erika Pastrana and Simon Adar)
Times Higher Education: Top HBCUs team up with research universities to promote equity
Medical Physics: The DOE and NIH collaboration: Medical care advances via discovery in physical sciences (paper by Cynthia Keppel, et al.)
ProPublica: Is it forensics or is it junk science?
NBER: Do conflict of interests disclosures work? Evidence from citations in medical journals (paper by Christian Leuz, et al.)
Physics World: UK kicks off design work for an X-ray free-electron laser
Chicago Magazine: A powerful new supercomputer at Argonne National Lab could help solve some of the most pressing questions of our time
Exchange Monitor: NNSA’s 10-year plan for weapons-fusion experiments could include National Ignition Facility addition, LLNL official says
LLNL: Benjy Grover appointed as transformation officer for Lawrence Livermore National Lab
Berkeley Lab: Paul Adams named Berkeley Lab’s associate director for biosciences
Brookhaven National Lab: DOE Office of Science director visits Brookhaven National Lab
Bloomberg: Intel cuts pay across company to preserve cash for investment
China Talk: Where will the shovels hit the ground for the National Semiconductor Technology Center?
Washington Post: Raimondo needs a narrow focus on semiconductor subsidies (perspective by George Will)
Politico: Britain’s semiconductor plan goes AWOL as US and EU splash billions
Chemical and Engineering News: Why chemists are excited by exascale computing (audio)
The Economist: The race of the AI labs heats up
DARPA: DARPA collaborates with commercial partners to accelerate quantum computing
SpaceNews: China to build satellite ground stations in Antarctica
South China Morning Post: Why Starlink and China’s internet satellite groups need to talk to each other
Planetary Society: The White House’s Matt Daniels on the new US cislunar strategy (audio interview)
Physics Today: Astronomy from space after the JWST (perspective by Fiona Harrison and Robert Kennicutt)
Physics Today: Accelerating astrophysics with the SpaceX Starship (perspective by Martin Elvis, et al.)
NASA: Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe successfully completes critical design review
NASA: Perseverance rover completes Mars sample depot
SpaceNews: NASA changes landing site for Peregrine lunar lander
NASA: Juno team assessing camera after anomaly worsens on 48th flyby of Jupiter
NASA: Webb’s NIRISS returns to full operations after software glitch
SpaceNews: NASA hits limits of space station utilization
Space Review: Our solar system is filled with asteroids that are particularly hard to destroy (perspective by Fred Jourdan and Nick Timms)
SpaceNews: House passes commercial remote sensing bill
EPA: Request for nominations to the EPA Science Advisory Board
Weather Geeks: Interview with the new director of NOAA’s National Severe Storms Lab (audio interview with DaNa Carlis)
E&E News: Climate scientist Kim Cobb is evaluating America’s spy programs
NOAA: Agreement with American Society for Civil Engineers prepares nation for climate-ready infrastructure
Real Clear Science: The USGS is holding back earthquake prediction (perspective by Tim Gallaudet and Pierre-Richard Cornely)
Federal News Network: Checking in with the newly confirmed director of the ARPA–Energy (interview with Evelyn Wang)
SSTI: DOE encourages 33 groups to proceed on hydrogen hubs
Wall Street Journal: China has proposed slapping export controls on key solar-panel manufacturing technology
Nature: Could solar panels in space supply Earth with clean energy?
Space.com: Rolls-Royce unveils early-stage design for space nuclear reactor
Science|Business: EU details plan to protect its net-zero industry — but questions remain
Nature: India pledges $4 billion for green energy to cut carbon emissions
Ars Technica: Why would the Chinese government be flying a large stratospheric balloon over the US?
Wall Street Journal: Prior Chinese balloon incursions over US went undetected, officials say
Washington Post: US accuses Russia of not complying with key nuclear arms treaty
Financial Times: White House optimistic on tech sharing for AUKUS security pact
Exchange Monitor: Los Alamos will have equipment to make 30 nuclear warhead cores by 2030, according to DOE memo
Washington Post: US nuclear sites face hacking and espionage threats
Exchange Monitor: DNFSB complains to Congress that NNSA is slow delivering requested information
Outrider: Could a chatbot teach you how to build a dirty bomb? (perspective by Matt Korda)
Breaking Defense: Pentagon’s ‘strategic capital’ office focusing on ‘deep tech’ startups through Small Business Investment Company initiative
Congressional Budget Office: US hypersonic weapons and alternatives (report)
GAO: Technologies, challenges, and policy options to support pandemic origins investigations (report)
Science: The NIH-led research response to COVID-19 (perspective by Francis Collins, et al.)
Science: Managing sources of error during pandemics (perspective by Simon Cauchemez, et al.)
Stat: How the Biden administration’s COVID preparedness policies could narrow America’s political divide (perspective by Steven Phillips, et al.)
GAO: HHS should plan for medical countermeasure development and manufacturing risks (report)
Center for American Progress: How the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity can respond to the health threats of the climate crisis (report)
GAO: Supply chain resilience: Agencies are taking steps to expand diplomatic engagement and coordinate with international partners (report)
CSET: US outbound investment into Chinese AI companies (report)
Politico: The Commerce Department needs its own intel officers to take on China (perspective by Jonathan Panikoff)
Times Higher Education: Beijing’s call for foreign R&D investment ‘a signal’ to West
New York Times: In China’s COVID fog, deaths of scholars offer a clue
Science|Business: Canadian security services block more than 30 grant proposals
Science|Business: Global tensions are changing the way science interacts with economic and security policy in Japan (perspective by Yuko Harayama)
Research Professional: European Commission appoints new head of R&D department
Science|Business: Here’s what the first two years of Horizon Europe look like in numbers
The Guardian: Brexit causes collapse in European research funding for Oxbridge
BBC News: How a tiny radioactive capsule was found in Australia’s vast outback
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