What’s Ahead

Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), whose state is home to Los Alamos and Sandia National Labs, is a leading proponent of including a large role for the Department of Energy in the Endless Frontier Act.

(Image credit – Randy Montoya / Sandia National Labs)

Endless Frontier Feud Reaches Senate Floor

The Senate will vote Monday to begin debate on the Endless Frontier Act , which advanced out of committee last week on a 24 to 4 vote despite a major clash over how to structure the national R&D initiative the bill proposes. The committee retained the bill’s centerpiece proposal for creating a technology directorate in the National Science Foundation. However, it cut the target five-year budget for the directorate from $100 billion to $29 billion, in part through an amendment by Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) that added $17 billion for the Department of Energy to conduct complementary R&D. The bill’s lead Republican sponsor, Sen. Todd Young (R-IN), called the amendment a “poison pill” and declared he would seek to restore funding for the NSF directorate on the Senate floor. Agencies beyond NSF and DOE may also factor into the floor debate over the bill. For instance, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) has argued the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is better suited than NSF to pursue the bill’s goals, asserting the agency has a stronger record on research security.

Senators Entertaining Strict Research Security Measures

The Senate plans to consider major research security proposals during the floor debate on the Endless Frontier Act. Republican senators have insisted that if the U.S. does vastly expand spending on science agencies, it must put more stringent protections in place to prevent rival governments from exploiting the R&D they fund. One candidate bill for inclusion is the Safeguarding American Innovation Act , which would grant the State Department greater authority to deny visas and lower the threshold at which universities are required to report foreign gifts and contracts from $250,000 to $50,000, among other provisions. University associations are seeking major changes to the bill, arguing for instance that it appears to undercut the longstanding fundamental research exemption in export control policy and could be used to unduly deny visas to students and scholars in STEM fields.

Another potential addition is the Strategic Competition Act , which would empower the government to block universities from accepting certain foreign gifts and contracts valued at more than $1 million that relate to “critical technologies.” Universities have opposed the measure as lacking justification and representing an unprecedented extension of government control over research projects not funded by the government. Certain security provisions already added to the Endless Frontier Act may also face pushback. For instance, the bill would implement government-wide restrictions on science agencies funding researchers who are participating in “talent recruitment programs” supported by the governments of China, Russia, Iran, or North Korea. Some agencies have already explicitly prohibited their own employees from participating in such programs and the Department of Energy has extended the restrictions to its contractors, but no science agencies have applied a blanket policy to grantees.

Senate Moving Ahead With Lander, Spinrad, and Melroy Nominations

The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee will hold a vote on Thursday to advance the nomination of geneticist Eric Lander as director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. At his nomination hearing late last month, Lander faced pointed questions from both Democratic and Republican committee members about various incidents from his nearly two decades as director of the Broad Institute, a leading human genetics research center he founded. However, no members indicated they planned to oppose his nomination. Pending the committee’s approval, Lander still faces a vote from the full Senate before he can take up his position.

Immediately following its vote, the committee will welcome Rick Spinrad and Pam Melroy , President Biden’s respective nominees to be head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and deputy head of NASA. In his answers to the committee’s pre-hearing questionnaire, Spinrad said the top three challenges facing NOAA are developing “a full portfolio of environmental products and services, especially in the context of the changing climate”; advancing initiatives such as the “new blue economy” that seek to balance environmental sustainability and economic development; and diversifying NOAA’s scientific and technical workforce. In her answers to the same question about NASA, Melroy listed solidifying plans for NASA’s “Moon-to-Mars” agenda, improving the agency’s contracting mechanisms, and planning for microgravity research beyond the lifespan of the International Space Station.

Hearings to Spotlight NASA Earth Science and DOE Computing

On Tuesday, the House Science Committee is holding a hearing to discuss NASA’s role in advancing Earth science and climate change research with NASA officials Karen St. Germain, director of the Earth Sciences Division, and Gavin Schmidt, acting Senior Climate Advisor. Robbie Schingler, co-founder of the Earth observation company Planet, and University of Arizona researcher Riley Duren, CEO of Carbon Mapper, will also testify. The following day, the committee is holding another hearing to discuss the Department of Energy’s scientific computing programs. Acting Office of Science Director Stephen Binkley will testify alongside computing experts from Oak Ridge National Lab, the University of Texas at Austin, Brown University, and IonQ, a quantum computing company. The hearings are part of a series being held to inform reauthorization bills the committee is developing for NASA and the DOE Office of Science .

House Appropriators to Explore NASA Budget Priorities

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson is appearing before House appropriators on Wednesday to discuss the agency’s budget request for fiscal year 2022. The principal subject is apt to be the Artemis lunar exploration program, which recently sparked controversy when SpaceX’s in-development Starship vehicle was selected as the lander for the first crewed mission to the lunar surface. The other two contenders for the contract, Dynetics and a multi-company team led by Blue Origin, have already lodged protests against the decision. Blue Origin has specifically argued NASA should have revised the terms of the competition when cost became a principal selection criterion after Congress provided far less than the agency’s requested budget for the project. An amendment attached to the Endless Frontier Act in the Senate by Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Ranking Member Roger Wicker (R-MS) now calls for a larger appropriation for the lander project and for a second design to be chosen. Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL), the House’s top Republican appropriator for NASA, has already said the decision to award the contract solely to SpaceX “raises a lot of questions.” Blue Origin and Dynetics are respectively headquartered in Cantwell’s and Aderholt’s states.

Congressional Work on DOE Budget Turns to Nuclear Security

The Senate Armed Services Committee is holding a hearing on Wednesday to discuss budget needs for the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration, Naval Reactors program, and Office of Environmental Management. Questions concerning NNSA will be fielded by its acting administrator Charles Verdon, a holdover from the Trump administration who was formerly a senior official at Lawrence Livermore National Lab. Over the past five years, NNSA’s budget has increased by more than 50% as efforts to modernize the U.S. nuclear warhead stockpile have ramped up . While Congress and the Biden administration will continue to pursue modernization efforts, it is expected there will be some changes in their scale and scope. The House Energy and Commerce Committee is also holding a hearing on Wednesday with Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, which will address the DOE’s budget as a whole. Granholm is also scheduled to appear before the House Science Committee on May 27.

Armed Services Committee Reviewing Defense R&D Programs

The House Armed Services Committee is holding a subcommittee hearing on Thursday to discuss the Department of Defense’s early-stage R&D programs. Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Barbara McQuiston will lead the witness panel, which also includes the deputy assistant secretaries responsible for R&D programs in the Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. The hearings the committee holds this time of year typically lay groundwork for its draft of the annual National Defense Authorization Act, which it releases publicly in late spring or summer. In recent years, the legislation has had a heavy focus on matters such as emerging technologies, DOD’s relations with private-sector innovators, and protecting research from exploitation by foreign governments. This week’s hearing is likely to offer some indication of what sorts of provisions committee members are considering for inclusion this year.

Senate Appropriators Examining Military’s Climate Resilience

The Senate Appropriations Committee is holding a hearing on Wednesday to discuss the resilience of military infrastructure against the changing climate. Senior officials responsible for military installations and environmental matters at the Department of Defense and the three military departments will testify. In recent years , Congress has prodded DOD and intelligence agencies to improve their assessments of the threats that climate change and extreme weather events pose to military activities and global stability. Now, the Biden administration is making the matter a high priority. In March, DOD established a working group dedicated to climate change, and last month the department initiated a yearlong assessment of climate hazards across all its installations.

House Voting on Bundle of STEM Bills

The House is scheduled to vote on several science-focused bills this week, many of which aim at broadening participation in STEM:

The STEM Opportunities Act , a bill long championed by House Science Committee Chair Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), would expand collection of demographic data on federal research grant applicants and promote the identification and dissemination of best practices for increasing diversity in STEM.
The Rural STEM Education Research Act , introduced by Science Committee Ranking Member Frank Lucas (R-OK) and Johnson, would direct the National Science Foundation to expand support for curriculum development and training for STEM educators in rural regions. Sens. Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) introduced a version in the Senate in April.
The MSI STEM Achievement Act , introduced by Johnson and Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL), would direct NSF to support research on the contributions of Minority Serving Institutions to the STEM workforce and award grants that help build their research capacity and competitiveness.
The Combating Sexual Harassment in Science Act , introduced by Johson and Lucas, would direct federal science agencies to require grantee institutions to report back findings of sexual harassment against grant personnel as well as “administrative actions” taken related to ongoing sexual harassment investigations. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced a version of the bill in the Senate in April.
The Supporting Early-Career Researchers Act , introduced by Johnson and Lucas, would direct NSF to create portable two-year fellowships for early-career scientists who may face diminished job opportunities in academia due to the pandemic. Blumenthal introduced a Senate version of the bill in March.
The COAST Research Act , introduced by Reps. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) and Don Young (R-AK), would direct the development of an interagency strategic plan for research on ocean acidification and its coastal impacts and require the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to develop standards for data collection and establish an open-access archive of relevant research data.

If passed, each of these bills will head to the Senate, which has already incorporated its versions of the rural STEM education, sexual harassment, and early-career researcher bills into the Endless Frontier Act. The House is also voting this week on the Senate-passed version of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act , which aims to expedite the review of such cases, increase incident reporting, and reduce discriminatory descriptions of the coronavirus’ origins.

NSF Board Delves Into Diversity Initiatives

The National Science Board, the governing body of the National Science Foundation, is holding a two-day meeting beginning on Tuesday, where it will hear updates on several of the agency’s diversity initiatives. The board is holding a plenary session to discuss NSF’s latest biennial report on the participation of women, minorities, and people with disabilities in STEM, released last month, and a panel discussion on “Lessons from Minority Serving Institutions.” NSF will also brief the board on EPSCoR (Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research), which allocates grants to designated states that historically have received a lesser share of NSF funds. The board has indicated it is taking a “fresh look” at the program as it considers “ways to develop the nation’s STEM talent and expand the geography of innovation.” Senators have proposed to dramatically expand EPSCoR through the Endless Frontier Act, which would require NSF and Department of Energy programs authorized through the bill to allocate at least 20% of their budgets to institutions in EPSCoR states. NSF currently spends about $200 million on EPSCoR, or about 2% of its budget.

APS Holds Centenary Celebration of Activist Physicist Andrei Sakharov

The American Physical Society is holding an online event on Friday to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Russian physicist Andrei Sakharov. After working on the Soviet Union’s fission and hydrogen bomb projects, Sakharov became active in arms control negotiations during the 1960s and later gained worldwide recognition as a political dissident. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1975. Panels at this week’s event will spotlight Sakharov’s scientific work in nuclear fusion, energy, and astrophysics. In addition, physicist arms control experts Dick Garwin, Frank von Hippel, and Siegfried Hecker will join policy analyst Susan Eisenhower for a discussion of Sakharov’s contributions to nuclear diplomacy. Sakharov’s daughter Tatiana Yankelevich Bonner and granddaughter Marina Sakharov-Liberman will participate via a video recording.

In Case You Missed It

House Research and Technology Subcommittee Chair Haley Stevens (D-MI) leads a virtual hearing on the panel’s NSF for the Future Act.

(Image credit – Office of Rep. Stevens)

House NSF Expansion Bill Sails Through Subcommittee

At a meeting last week, the House Research and Technology Subcommittee unanimously approved the NSF for the Future Act, which recommends Congress roughly double the National Science Foundation’s budget over five years in part through the addition of a directorate focused on “societal challenges.” Prior to the meeting, the lead House sponsor of the Endless Frontier Act, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), had said he was “optimistic” the panel would align its legislation with his, but the committee continued to pursue its own course. Subcommittee Chair Haley Stevens (D-MI) stressed the panel’s caution in expanding NSF’s mission, remarking, “While I am excited about the prospect of unleashing the agency to do more of what it does best and to take on new challenges, I feel strongly that our top priority should be to do no harm.” Committee Ranking Member Frank Lucas (R-OK) criticized the Endless Frontier Act as offering an unsustainable vision for NSF and attracting tangential amendments in the Senate, though he told National Journal he believes a compromise can be reached. The bill has also faced criticism in the House from outside the Science Committee, with the Republican Study Committee branding it as the “Endless Pork Act.”

White House Scientific Integrity Review Panel Begins Work

The White House convened the first meeting of its Scientific Integrity Review Panel last week, kicking off its work to implement the memorandum on scientific integrity that President Biden issued in January. The panel comprises 46 members from across government agencies and is co-chaired by Francesca Grifo, the Environmental Protection Agency’s designated scientific integrity official; Anne Ricciuti, deputy director for science at the Department of Education; Craig Robinson, director for the Office of Science Quality and Integrity at the U.S. Geological Survey; and Jerry Sheehan, deputy director of the National Library of Medicine. Convened by White House Office of Science and Technology Policy deputy directors Alondra Nelson and Jane Lubchenco, the panel discussed the assembly of working groups that will “review lapses of scientific integrity and ways to remedy them” and also “create avenues for external engagement, including a virtual stakeholders’ summit and a request for information.” The task force is set to meet again in two weeks.

Top NASA Career Official Retires as Nelson Emplaces New Leaders

NASA Associate Administrator Steve Jurczyk, the highest-ranking civil servant at the agency, retired last week after 34 years on its workforce. Before taking on his most recent position three years ago, he held a series of leadership roles, including as head of the agency’s Langley Research Center and its Space Technology Mission Directorate. He also served as the acting head of NASA between the end of the Trump administration and the confirmation of NASA Administrator Bill Nelson late last month. Jurczyk’s successor is Bob Cabana, a former naval aviator and astronaut who has been director of Kennedy Space Center since 2008. Cabana has known Nelson since 1985, when Nelson undertook astronaut training for a space shuttle mission he flew on while a congressman. Nelson has also recently brought in Susie Perez Quinn and Jackie McGuinness, who were respectively his chief of staff and press secretary when he was a senator, to fill those same roles for NASA.

Pressure Mounts to Solve Directed-Energy Attack Mystery

Members of the Senate Intelligence Committee are urging the Biden administration to more rapidly investigate mysterious episodes that have led to chronic headaches and brain injuries among U.S. government personnel, which some allege may be caused by a kind of directed-energy weapon. Last week, the New York Times reported that officials now say more than 130 people, including U.S. diplomats, intelligence personnel, and soldiers, have been affected. While most of the incidents occurred overseas, first in Cuba and then in China, at least two incidents were reported near the White House in late 2020. Officials told lawmakers that they have ramped up their investigations in recent weeks and that all 18 federal intelligence agencies are now addressing the matter. Without ruling out alternative mechanisms, such as psychological effects, a National Academies study released in December determined that “directed pulsed radiofrequency energy … appears to be the most plausible mechanism” behind the injuries. However, other scientists continue to cast doubt that such a directed-energy weapon is feasible.

Events This Week

Monday, May 17

United Nations: “Facilitating Multilateral Dialogue on the Development of Norms, Rules and Principles of Responsible Behavior in Outer Space”
(continues through Friday)

DOE: “Better Buildings, Better Plants Summit”
(continues through Thursday)

National Academies: “Panel on Assessment of Selected Divisions of NIST’s Physical Measurement Laboratory”
(continues through Thursday)

National Academies: “Merits and Viability of Different Nuclear Fuel Cycles and Technology Options and the Waste Aspects of Advanced Nuclear Reactors,” meeting five
(continues Tuesday)

Wilson Center: “The Arctic in 25 Years: First Annual International Youth Symposium”
(continues Tuesday)

CSIS: “Sam Nunn: Statesman of the Nuclear Age”
11:00 am - 12:00 pm

National Academies: “Enhancing the U.S. Chemical Economy Through Investments in Fundamental Research in the Chemical Sciences, Information Gathering Meeting”
12:00 - 2:00 pm

National Academies: “Mars Mission Bioburden Requirements,” meeting five
1:30 - 5:30 pm

National Academies: “Earth Resources for the Energy Transition”
2:00 - 4:30 pm

Arms Control Association: “Smarter Options on U.S. Nuclear Modernization”
2:00 - 3:30 pm

Brookings: “A National Strategy for AI Innovation”
2:15 - 3:15 pm

Tuesday, May 18

NSF: National Science Board meeting
(continues Wednesday)

National Academies: “U.S. Army Synthetic Biology Roundtable,” kickoff
(continues Wednesday)

National Academies: “Frontiers in Synthetic Moiré Quantum Matter: A Workshop”
(continues Wednesday)

Senate: Hearing to consider nomination of Tanya Trujillo to be assistant secretary of interior for water and science
10:00 am, Energy and Natural Resources Committee (366 Dirksen Office Building)

New America: “Climate Security: Building a Community of Practice”
10:00 am - 11:30 am

House: “NASA’s Earth Science and Climate Change Activities: Current Roles and Future Opportunities”
11:00 am, Science Committee

American Chemical Society: “Scientific Espionage, Open Exchange, and American Competitiveness”
2:00 - 3:00 pm

Hudson Institute: “Advanced Batteries and America’s National Security”
3:00 - 4:00 pm

Wednesday, May 19

Belfer Center: “New Data Solutions for the China S&T Challenge”
(continues Thursday)

Asia Society: “Executive Roundtable on How to Preserve a Secure and Compatible Global Semiconductor Industry”
8:00 - 9:00 am PDT

Foundation for the Future: “Unraveling the Complexity: Federal Appropriations and the Future of Space Development”
8:30 - 10:00 am

Senate: “Examining Biodiversity Loss: Drivers, Impacts, and Potential Solutions”
10:00 am, Environment and Public Works Committee (G-50 Dirksen Office Building)

House: “Global Climate Finance”
10:00 am, Appropriations Committee

Senate: Hearing to review CDC’s budget request for fiscal year 2022
10:00 am, Appropriations Committee (138 Dirksen Office Building)

House: Hearing to review DOE’s budget request for fiscal year 2022
10:30 am, Energy and Commerce Committee

National Academies: “Assessment of High Energy Density Science,” kickoff meeting, day two
11:00 am - 3:00 pm

National Academies: “Planetary Science Decadal Survey: Panel on Venus,” meeting 17
11:00 am - 5:00 pm

House: “Accelerating Discovery: The Future of Scientific Computing at DOE”
11:00 am, Science Committee

ITIF: “Energizing Innovation: Federal Energy RD&D in FY22 and Beyond”
11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Federal Laboratory Consortium: “Army Open Campus Overview / Lessons Learned”
1:00 - 2:00 pm

National Academies: “Airborne Platforms to Advance NASA Earth System Science Priorities: Assessing the Future Need for a Large Aircraft”
1:00 - 2:00 pm

C2ES: “Building for Tomorrow: Jobs, Climate, and Resilient Infrastructure”
1:00 - 2:30 pm

AAAS: “Engaging the Public with Social Media”
1:00 - 4:00 pm

House: Hearing to review NASA’s budget request for fiscal year 2022
2:00 pm, Appropriations Committee

Senate: “COVID-19 Part II: Evaluating the Medical Supply Chain and Pandemic Response Gaps”
2:30 pm, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (342 Dirksen Office Building)

Senate: “Military Infrastructure and Climate Resilience”
3:00 pm, Appropriations Committee (192 Dirksen Office Building)

Senate: Hearing to review DOE’s atomic defense activities and programs
4:30 pm, Armed Services Committee (232A Russell Office Building)

Thursday, May 20

National Academies: Radio Frequencies Committee spring meeting
(continues Friday)

CSIS: “The Role of Human Capital in U.S.–China Competition”
9:00 - 10:15 am

John Hopkins University: “Green Technology Innovation and Climate Cooperation Between the U.S., China, and Beyond”
9:00 - 10:15 am

House: “Powering Up Clean Energy: Investments to Modernize and Expand the Electric Grid”
9:30 am, Climate Crisis Committee

Senate: Hearing to consider the nominations for NOAA administrator and NASA deputy administrator and advance the nomination for OSTP director
10:00 am, Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee (216 Hart Office Building)

Senate: “Federal, State, and Private Forestlands: Opportunities for Addressing Climate Change”
9:30 am, Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee (301 Russell Office Building)

Senate: “Forest Management, Forest Products, and Carbon”
10:00 am, Energy and Natural Resources Committee (366 Dirksen Office Building)

World Resources Institute: “Open Data Strategies for Climate Action”
11:00 am - 12:00 pm

House: “Reviewing DOD S&T Strategy, Policy, and Programs for Fiscal Year 2022: Fostering a Robust Ecosystem for Our Technological Edge”
11:00 am, Armed Services Committee (2118 Rayburn Office Building)

National Academies: “Priming the Pump to Meet Government Needs for High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium”
11:00 am - 1:30 pm

Hudson Institute: “Maintaining U.S. Semiconductor Leadership”
11:00 am - 12:00 pm

National Academies: “Disaster Response During a Pandemic”
12:00 - 3:30 pm

Aerospace Corporation: “Challenges of the U.S. Space Industrial Base”
1:00 - 2:00 pm

National Academies: “A Mid-Term Assessment of NSF Progress on the 2015 Strategic Vision for Antarctic and Southern Ocean Research,” meeting six
1:00 - 4:00 pm

National Academies: Aeronautics Research and Technology Roundtable meeting
1:00 - 5:00 pm

National Academies: “When Geo Professionals Influence Decision Makers: Considerations for Our Practice”
1:30 - 3:30 pm

National Academies: “Climate Conversations: Solar Geoengineering”
3:00 - 4:00 pm

NSPN/ESEP: Science policy happy hour
7:00 - 8:30 pm

ESAL: “Acting Locally to Advance Equity”
8:00 - 9:00 pm

Friday, May 21

National Committee on U.S.-China Relations: “Higher Education and U.S.–China Relations”
9:30 - 10:45 am

National Academies: “Workshop on Geospatial Needs for Environmental Justice”
11:00 am - 5:00 pm

Commerce Department: Emerging Technology Technical Advisory Committee meeting
1:00 - 3:00 pm

National Academies: “Planetary Science Decadal Survey: Panel on Ocean Worlds and Dwarf Planets,” meeting 28
1:00 - 4:00 pm

National Academies: “Assessing Causality from a Multidisciplinary Evidence Base for National Ambient Air Quality Standards”
3:30 - 6:00 pm

Monday, May 24

DOE: ARPA–E Energy Innovation Summit
(continues through Thursday)

Federal Demonstration Partnership: May meeting
(continues through Thursday)

National Academies: Space Studies Board and Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board meetings
(continues through Thursday)

National Academies: “Federal Agency and Congressional Priorities for Water Science, Technology, and Policy”
(continues Tuesday)

NNCI: National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure Earth and Environmental Science Workshop
(continues Tuesday)

National Academies: “Community College of Philadelphia Virtual Town Hall: Successes in STEM Education, Research, and Workforce Preparedness”
10:00 am - 1:00 pm

NSPN: “Wargaming Part I: Workshop and Introduction”
7:00 - 8:30 pm

Opportunities

Export Control Advisory Panels Recruiting New Members

The Department of Commerce is recruiting candidates to serve on the seven Technical Advisory Committees that inform its development and administration of export controls for dual-use technologies. One of the committees is focused on identifying “emerging” and “foundational” technologies that should be candidates for control, pursuant to a 2018 law . Nominations are due Sept. 30.

Day One Project Hiring S&T Policy Directors and Associate

The Day One Project, an initiative to identify actionable S&T policy ideas, is hiring a policy director for each of its four verticals: innovation and entrepreneurship, national security, science, and technology policy. Responsibilities include “orchestrating policy accelerators to engage a broader community in the policy focus area” and helping to disseminate the proposals to current policymakers,” among other duties. Applicants should have a minimum of six to eight years of professional experience. The organization is also hiring a project associate to oversee the entire policy proposal pipeline, among other duties. Applications for both positions will be accepted until filled.

Low-Dose Radiation Study Seeking Members

The National Academies is accepting nominations for individuals to serve on a ~10 person study committee that recommends a long-term strategy for low-dose radiation research in the United States. Nominees should have expertise in radiation safety, radiation research, economics, and risk communication. Nominations are due May 27.

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 .