What’s Ahead

Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Heidi Shyu is testifying before Congress this week on the president’s latest budget request for defense science and technology programs. (Image credit – Eric Dietrich / U.S. Air Force)

Budget Hearing Season Entering Full Bloom

Congressional hearings on President Biden’s fiscal year 2024 budget request will be moving at full speed this week and are scheduled to continue throughout the spring. Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Heidi Shyu is appearing before the House Armed Services Committee on Thursday to discuss the administration’s proposals for defense science and technology programs. Combined funding for basic research, applied research, and advanced technology development would be cut 20% to $17.8 billion under the request, although that amount is nearly $1.4 billion higher than the administration’s previous request. Committee members may also take the opportunity to broach policy areas they are interested in addressing through the annual National Defense Authorization Act. Also on Thursday, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm is appearing before the House appropriations subcommittee that handles the Department of Energy’s budget, which will be the first hearing led by the panel’s new chair, Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN). In the Senate, appropriators have set out a tentative schedule for their budget review hearings, with science agency officials mostly set to testify in April and May. Off Capitol Hill, Missile Defense Agency Director Jon Hill is discussing the budget request for his agency at an event on Friday marking the 40th anniversary of President Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative, a high-profile effort to develop a space-based system for destroying nuclear missiles that was later abandoned.

Committees Look to Shore Up Energy Infrastructure

The House Science Committee is holding a hearing on Thursday to inform three draft bills that would guide the Department of Energy’s research, development, and demonstration programs focused on hydrogen fuel , pipelines , and grid security . Among its other provisions, the hydrogen bill would direct the DOE Office of Science to stand up a national “Hydrogen Innovation Center” at a national lab, university, federal agency, or multi-institutional collaboration. Testifying at the hearing are representatives from Idaho National Lab, Pacific Northwest National Lab, Pipeline Research Council International, the energy innovation advocacy group ClearPath, and the Energy Emissions Modeling and Data Lab at the University of Texas at Austin. Also on Thursday, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee is meeting to discuss cybersecurity vulnerabilities of U.S. energy infrastructure with the director of DOE’s cybersecurity office. Just beforehand, the committee will vote to approve its subcommittee rosters for the new Congress.

ARPA–E Holds Annual Innovation Summit

The Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy is holding its yearly Energy Innovation Summit just outside Washington, D.C., this Wednesday through Friday, with an array of policymakers participating. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and former Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz will speak, as will the first ARPA–E Director Arun Majumdar and current presidential science adviser Arati Prabhakar. Senior White House adviser John Podesta, who is overseeing implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act, will also participate in a one-on-one discussion. Members of Congress making an appearance are Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and the respective chairs of the House Appropriations Committee’s subpanel for the Department of Energy and the House Science Committee’s subpanel for DOE, Reps. Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN) and Brandon Williams (R-NY). Science Committee Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) will address the summit by video. A separate event, Carnegie Mellon University’s Energy Week , is also taking place this week and will feature a keynote address by National Energy Technology Lab Director Brian Anderson.

National Quantum Initiative Advisers Convening

The National Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee is meeting on Friday and will hear updates from its subcommittees focused on science and infrastructure, security and international affairs, and workforce and industry. The committee was created in 2019 to oversee the interagency National Quantum Initiative and President Biden re-established it late last year, retaining its co-chairs Stanford University physicist Kathryn Ann Moler and National Quantum Coordination Office Director Charles Tahan. Among other ongoing NQI activities, the Department of Energy Office of Science is currently soliciting input from institutions of higher education on approaches to preparing students for careers in QIS, including ways the DOE national labs can support the development of the QIS workforce. Congress is also expected to revisit the 2018 law creating the initiative, which authorized activities up through the current fiscal year.

In Case You Missed It

Antony Blinken at Applied Materials — Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the company Applied Materials last October to discuss semiconductor supply chain security. (Image credit – State Department)

State Department Rolls Out Plans for CHIPS Act Fund

The State Department announced last week how it plans to use the $500 million the CHIPS and Science Act is providing over five years for a new International Technology Security and Innovation (ITSI) Fund. ITSI-supported efforts will include activities to diversify the mining, processing, and recycling of critical mineral inputs to semiconductor production, as well as diplomatic initiatives aimed at improving the resilience and security of global semiconductor supply chains. Such initiatives will involve collaborating on export controls and licensing restrictions, coordinating policy for industrial incentives and easing supply-chain disruptions, and identifying “key regulatory and policy levers” to encourage development of chip assembly, testing, and packaging capacity in the Indo-Pacific region and the Americas. Another portion of the funding will support efforts to bolster the security and trustworthiness of telecommunications and information technology networks.

China Reorganizing R&D System in Push for ‘Self Reliance’

The Chinese government issued a plan last week for restructuring its Ministry of Science and Technology and creating a high-level commission to steer the country’s R&D system. Chinese state media outlet Xinhua stated the commission’s aim is to enhance “centralized and unified leadership over the work of science and technology,” with specific duties such as “pushing forward the building of a national innovation system and structural scientific and technological reform.” According to reporting by Reuters, the government attributed the moves to “the severe situation of international scientific and technological competition as well as external containment and suppression,” and stated it aims to more quickly achieve “scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement.” The U.S. government is currently leading a multilateral campaign to restrict exports of certain advanced technologies to China, such as semiconductors, and it is closely scrutinizing joint R&D efforts and cross-border investment in technology companies, arguing the country has been systematically exploiting U.S. capabilities.

NSF Watchdog Suggests Anti-Harassment Measures for Antarctica

The National Science Foundation Office of Inspector General published a white paper earlier this month recommending measures to combat the pervasive sexual harassment at Antarctic research facilities that an NSF-commissioned study documented last year. The office for instance questions whether the Antarctic station manager is the appropriate person to field sexual assault allegations and suggests NSF consider having on-site personnel who are trained in sexual assault investigations. It also recommends the agency consider implementing a “graduated reporting” system whereby personnel can report harassment without notifying law enforcement, in order to encourage more victims to seek assistance as they consider pursuing legal action. House Science Committee Chair Frank Lucas (R-OK) and Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) highlighted the white paper in a joint statement on March 17, remarking that it “raised important questions about victim resources and whether the U.S. Antarctic Program’s law enforcement needs are being sufficiently met to ensure the safety of our researchers.” They added that the committee will continue to exercise oversight on the issue, following up on a hearing it held late last year. Members from both parties questioned at the hearing whether Leidos, the contractor managing operations in Antarctica, is doing enough to remedy the situation.

ARPA–H Previews Plans for Three Regional Headquarters

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health marked its first anniversary with several major announcements, including its first call for research proposals and new details about the structure of its headquarters. The agency intends to split its operations across three main hubs. The first will be in the Washington, D.C., metro area and will focus on stakeholder engagement and regulatory and legislative affairs. The second will be a “customer experience hub” focused on “user testing, adoption, access, and trust of ARPA–H projects.” The third will serve as an “investor catalyst” to support commercialization of new technologies and services. The agency said the hubs will have a “light footprint,” with the D.C.-area location housing between 85 and 100 employees, and that it expects to announce the locations by early fall. The agency also announced it has hired its first two program managers: Paul Sheehan , who is moving from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and oral surgeon Ross Uhrich .

DOE Solicits Proposals for Infrastructure Act Hydrogen R&D Projects

The Department of Energy announced a funding opportunity last week for R&D projects related to lowering the costs of hydrogen production methods that produce “zero or next-to-zero” carbon emissions. Cooperative agreements totaling $750 million will be awarded for periods of between two and five years to teams that may span academia, industry, and the national labs. The funding will be drawn partly from $500 million the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is providing for R&D and demonstration projects related to clean hydrogen manufacturing and recycling and partly from $1 billion the act is providing specifically for clean hydrogen electrolysis. DOE has already opened a competition that will fund between six and 10 “hubs” for producing and commercializing clean hydrogen, which will together receive $7 billion of the $8 billion the infrastructure act is appropriating for that purpose.

Events This Week

All times are Eastern Standard Time, unless otherwise noted. Listings do not imply endorsement.

Monday, March 20

Hudson Institute: “Forty Years after President Reagan Unveiled the Strategic Defense Initiative”
10:00 - 11:00 am

ITIF: “U.S. Spectrum Allocation Needs Reform: Lessons From the C-Band Controversy”
10:00 - 11:30 am

NOAA: Space Weather Advisory Group meeting
11:00 am - 3:00 pm

National Academies: “Decadal Survey for Solar and Space Physics: Panel on the Physics of the Sun and Heliosphere,” teleconference 18
1:00 - 2:45 pm

CSIS: “The Future of Quantum - Building a Global Market”
2:00 - 3:00 pm

NSF: Polar Programs Advisory Committee meeting
2:00 - 3:00 pm

Princeton University: “Reagan Science Policy Versus the Atari Democrats: Bipartisan Convergence Around Industrial Policy and Technology Policy, 1983-1984”
3:00 - 4:30 pm

OSTP: Public listening session to inform the 2023-2028 federal STEM strategic plan
3:00 - 5:00 pm

CSIS: “Future of U.S. Climate and Energy Leadership: Address by National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi”
4:00 - 5:15 pm

Tuesday, March 21

Carnegie Mellon University: Energy Week
(continues through Friday)

National Academies: Air Force Studies Board spring meeting
(continues Wednesday)

DOD: Defense Science Board closed meeting
(continues Wednesday)

P5: Particle Physics Project Prioritization Panel town halls at Fermilab and Argonne National Lab
(continues through Friday)

National Academies: “Committee on Elementary Particle Physics: Progress and Promise - Fermilab Town Hall”
9:00 am - 12:35 pm CDT

BIS: Regulations and Procedures Technical Advisory Committee meeting
9:00 am

Wilson Center: “The Arctic Ocean and Climate Change in a Time of Tension,” with Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME)
11:00 am - 12:30 pm

JSPG / APS: “Policy and Governance on Science and Technology”
12:00 - 1:00 pm

National Academies: “Decadal Survey for Solar and Space Physics: Panel on the Physics of the Sun and Heliosphere,” teleconference 19
1:00 - 2:45 pm

Harvard Belfer Center: “National Security and Investment Screening in the 21st Century: A Conversation with Treasury Assistant Secretary for Investment Security Paul Rosen”
1:30 - 2:30 pm

NSF: National Medal of Science call for nominations webinar
3:00 - 4:00 pm

Wednesday, March 22

DOE: ARPA–E Summit
(continues through Friday)

National Academies: “Future Directions for Southern Ocean and Antarctic Nearshore and Coastal Research,” open session two
(continues Thursday)

NASA: Aeronautics Advisory Committee meeting
8:30 am - 2:30 pm PDT

Senate: “Risky Business: How Climate Change is Changing Insurance Markets”
10:00 am, Budget Committee

Senate: EPA budget request hearing
10:00 am, Environment and Public Works Committee

Senate: “DOD Small Business Tools for Enhancing the Industrial Base”
2:30 pm, Armed Services Committee

Senate: HHS budget request hearing
2:30 pm, Appropriations Committee

OSTP: Public listening session to inform the 2023-2028 federal STEM strategic plan
4:00 - 6:00 pm

Thursday, March 23

National Academies: “Future of the Nation’s Laboratory Systems for Health Emergency Response: A Workshop”
(continues Friday)

The Economist: “Commercialising Quantum US”
(continues Friday)

NSF: “EPSCoR workshop on Quantum Computing, Information, Science, and Engineering”
8:00 am - 5:00 pm

CSIS: “U.S. Missile Defense and Extended Deterrence, with Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab’s James Miller”
9:30 - 10:15 am

CSIS: “Innovation for Resilience,” report release event
9:00 am - 12:00 pm

US-China Commission: “China’s Global Influence and Interference Activities”
9:00 am - 3:35 pm

Senate: Meeting to appoint subcommittee members for the 118th Congress
10:00 am, Energy and Natural Resources Committee

Senate: “Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities to the U.S. Energy Infrastructure”
10:00 am, Energy and Natural Resources Committee

House: DOD budget request hearing
10:00 am, Appropriations Committee

House: “Advanced Air Mobility: The Future of Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Beyond”
10:00 am, Science Committee

Heritage Foundation: “Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative, 40 Years Later”
10:00 - 11:00 am

World Resources Institute: “Carbon Removal at Scale: A Call to Action from the IPCC Report”
10:00 - 11:30 am

House: DOE budget request hearing
10:30 am, Appropriations Committee

NASA: Science Mission Directorate Budget Community Town Hall
10:30 - 11:30 am

National Academies: “Confucius Institutes at U.S. Institutions of Higher Education” meeting 14
1:00 - 2:30 pm

USRA / GWU: “Cis-Lunar Space: Research for Today, Training for Tomorrow”
1:00 - 5:00 pm

House: “Unleashing American Power: The Development of Next Generation Energy Infrastructure”
2:00 pm, Science Committee

House: “Science, Technology, and Innovation at DOD”
3:30 pm, Armed Services Committee

Friday, March 24

White House: National Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee meeting
9:00 am - 1:00 pm

CSIS: “Missile Defense at 40: Marking the 40th Anniversary of Reagan’s Speech Announcing the Strategic Defense Initiative”
9:00 am - 2:00 pm

National Academies: Space Technology Industry-Government-University Roundtable spring meeting
10:00 am - 5:00 pm

ITIF: “Preserving a Virtuous Cycle: The Economics of Biopharmaceutical Innovation”
12:00 - 1:00 pm

National Academies: “Decadal Survey for Solar and Space Physics: Panel on the State of the Profession, teleconference 6
2:00 - 4:00 pm

OSTP: Public listening session to inform the 2023-2028 federal STEM strategic plan
2:00 - 4:00 pm

Monday, March 27

National Academies: “Policies and Practices for Supporting Family Caregivers Working in Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Symposium Two”
12:00 - 5:00 pm

OSTP: Public listening session to inform the 2023-2028 federal STEM strategic plan
6:00 - 8:00 pm

Opportunities

NSF Hiring Physics Division Director

The National Science Foundation is hiring a director for the Physics Division within its Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate. Candidates should have a doctoral degree in physics or a closely related field and a history of substantial contributions to research. Applications are due May 15.

NSF Hiring Chief Officer for Research Facilities

The National Science Foundation is hiring a chief officer for research facilities, who will advise agency leaders on policy issues related to research infrastructure and oversee the construction and operations of the agency’s major and mid-scale research facilities. Candidates must have demonstrated experience managing scientific programs or facilities and an advanced degree, preferably a doctorate, in a STEM field. Applications are due April 17.

NTIA Seeks Input on National Spectrum Strategy

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration is seeking input from developers and users of spectrum-based technologies on plans for a National Spectrum Strategy. The agency is specifically seeking comments on the three proposed pillars of the strategy: creating a “spectrum pipeline” to facilitate repurposing of spectrum bands, developing a long-term spectrum planning process, and supporting new technologies for spectrum management. Comments are due April 17. NTIA also plans to collect input at listening sessions on March 30 and April 11.

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 .