House proposes small boost to Department of Energy science funding

House appropriators released their Energy-Water bill last week, which includes a modest funding boost for research. The bill was advanced by its subcommittee on Friday and will be considered by the full appropriations committee on Wednesday. The bill would provide $8.5 billion for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, a 1% increase that contrasts with the 15% cut proposed by the White House. Detailed, program-level numbers are not yet available. However, a summary released alongside the bill says it would increase funding for AI and quantum research at the Office of Science in support of the Genesis Mission. It also promises boosts to fusion energy science, experimental user facilities, and the national labs. The bill would provide $27 billion for the National Nuclear Security Administration, a 6.6% increase that still falls well short of the $32.8 billion requested by the White House. The bill proposes a 40% cut to DOE’s Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation Office (formerly Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy), reducing its budget from $3.1 billion to $1.85 billion, while the White House would cut the office to $1.1 billion. The bill proposes flat or nearly flat funding for DOE’s Nuclear Energy, Electricity, and Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy offices. It proposes $300 million for the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy, a cut of $50 million. Ranking Democrats on both the Appropriations Committee and the subcommittee criticized the bill, highlighting its proposed cuts to CMEI, radioactive waste clean-up programs, and NNSA’s nonproliferation account.

Republicans raise research security concerns over CCP collaboration

Republicans in Congress made several moves last week to elevate their concerns about U.S. scientific collaboration with China. Republicans on the House CCP Committee introduced legislation that aims to further restrict U.S.-funded scientists from collaborating with Chinese entities. That committee also released a report identifying hundreds of cases in which NASA “potentially” violated a ban on bilateral research with China. Republicans on the House Education and Workforce Committee sent a letter to nine U.S. universities demanding information on “attempts by foreign entities aligned with the CCP and other adversaries to influence American universities.” Beyond Congress, Science reported last week that Trump’s recent firing of the National Science Board killed the publication of an essay that would have argued the U.S. is already behind China in several key scientific fields and that the U.S. will fall further behind without significantly increasing its spending on research.

Readouts from President Donald Trump’s state visit to China last week indicate research policy was largely absent from his discussions with China’s leader, Xi Jinping. The two leaders discussed several adjacent issues, such as AI regulations and export controls, but no concrete agreements were announced.

CBO’s Golden Dome estimate tops one trillion

The Congressional Budget Office recently published a report estimating that President Donald Trump’s Golden Dome plans will cost about $1.2 trillion to develop, deploy, and operate for 20 years. The CBO estimates acquisition costs for the system could total just over $1 trillion, 70% of which would be spent on the space-based interceptor layer. In recent public statements, the director of the Office of Golden Dome for America has estimated that the program will cost around $185 billion to deploy over the next decade, while President Trump’s 2027 budget request calls for the Golden Dome for America fund to receive around $15 billion per year for the next five years — both much lower than the CBO’s estimate.

Energy Secretary does not rule out explosive nuclear testing

Energy Secretary Chris Wright refused to rule out explosive nuclear testing in comments to Congress last week, stating that the decision is President Donald Trump’s to make. Wright did say, however, that “there is not a need for explosive testing” to assure the reliability of the weapons he oversees. The comments came at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing , where senators pressed the secretary to explain his stance on nuclear testing. “This year again, the leaders of the weapons laboratories and the Stratcom commander again certified our weapon stockpile as reliable from the non-explosive testing we do. I think our arsenal is ready to go,” Wright said, adding, “but there may be other reasons for which the Commander-in-Chief may want to engage in a nuclear test.”

President Trump last year called for the U.S. to conduct nuclear testing on an “equal basis” with other countries — a comment that was widely interpreted to mean he wanted the U.S. to resume explosive nuclear tests at the Nevada National Security Site. The U.S. has not conducted explosive nuclear tests since the early 90s.

Also on our radar

• The House Appropriations Committee advanced its spending bill covering NSF, NASA, NOAA, and NIST, and published the accompanying report with more detailed proposals.
• The Senate is scheduled to vote today on Arvind Raman’s nomination to be NIST director.
• DOE is inviting proposals on robotics and automation testbeds for scientific discovery. Teams must be led by a national lab and have “substantive” industry participation. DOE also issued a call last week for experts to review Genesis Mission funding applications.
• DOE is creating a critical minerals research hub in Oregon, a top agency official said last week.
• NSF has opened proposals for its X-Labs initiative, previously called Tech Labs, for two topics: quantum systems and scientific instrumentation for sensing and imaging. Proposals are due in July.
• House Science Republicans requested a briefing from the EPA on “foreign influence” in U.S. rulemaking, specifically regarding the use of the greenhouse gas protocol.
• House and Senate Democrats wrote separate letters to Trump on the firing of the National Science Board. The House letter demands that the fired board members be reinstated, while the Senate letter requests information on how NSF will approve major spending and the plan to appoint new members.
• DHS investigations have identified more than 10,000 cases of potential fraud associated with the Optional Practical Training program that allows foreign students to extend their stay post-graduation.

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All events are Eastern Time unless otherwise noted. Listings do not imply endorsement. Events beyond this week are listed on our website.

Monday, May 18

AGU: Astrobiology Science Conference (continues through Friday)

Stimson: Iran and the bomb: The origins and trajectory of the Iranian nuclear program
12:00 - 1:00 pm

National Academies: Reenvisioning the future of STEM research at emerging research institutions: Structures and models of success
2:00 - 3:30 pm

Tuesday, May 19

AIAA: ASCEND conference (continues through Thursday)

Hudson: Environmental agendas, geopolitical ends: Climate policy and great power competition
10:00 - 11:00 am

Senate: A review of the budget request for the Army
10:30 am, Appropriations Committee

Senate: Hearing on the posture of the Department of the Navy in review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2027 and the Future Years Defense Program
11:00 am, Armed Services Committee

NDIA: Tech 101: Radiation biology
1:00 - 2:00 pm

CNAS: US-China AI competition: A fireside chat with House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Brian Mast (R-FL)
2:00 - 2:45 pm

Senate: Examining science and technology priorities in review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2027 and the Future Years Defense Program
3:00 pm, Armed Services Committee

National Academies: Enabling DOE Regional Energy-Water Technology Pilots report release
3:00 - 5:00 pm

Carnegie: Is Europe in danger of becoming a US or China colony?
4:30 - 5:30 pm

AMS: E pluribus praevisio: Collaboration and the rise of the planetary commons
7:00 pm

Wednesday, May 20

National Academies: Understanding and scoping future research on disruptive innovation
9:00 am - 5:30 pm

House: Full committee markup of energy and surface transportation bills
10:00 am, Science Committee

House: Air Force FY27 budget request hearing
10:00 am, Armed Services Committee

NASA: Heliophysics Division virtual community meeting
11:00 am

MSBR: Maryland Space Business Roundtable luncheon with Victor Hall, NRC lead for space nuclear safety
11:30 am - 1:00 pm

Senate: Hearing on Department of Defense personnel policies and programs in review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2027 and the Future Years Defense Program
2:30 pm, Armed Services Committee

NSF: SECURE Center risk escalation tool feedback forum (repeats May 21 at 10:30 am)
3:00 - 4:00 pm

Issues in Science and Technology: How do Moon missions reflect changes in science’s social contract?
3:30 - 4:30 pm

Thursday, May 21

Senate: A review of the budget request for the National Institutes of Health
10:00 am, Appropriations Committee

Senate: A review of the budget request for the Navy
10:30 am, Appropriations Committee

Senate: Hearings to examine the posture of the Department of the Air Force in review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2027 and the Future Years Defense Program
11:00 am, Armed Services Committee

National Academies: Effective undergraduate STEM course design through technology
11:00 am - 1:00 pm

House: Research-driven resilience: Applying science to secure US water systems from cyber threats
2:00 pm, Science Committee

AAAS: Reversing the trend: Strategies for groundwater recovery
2:00 - 3:00 pm

Friday, May 22

No events.

Monday, May 25

Memorial Day.

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Deadlines indicated in parentheses. Newly added opportunities are marked with a diamond.

Job Openings

New York University: Associate director, research data management and security (ongoing)
FAS: Senior manager, climate tech and innovation (ongoing)
APLU: Assistant vice president for governmental affairs (ongoing)
AIP: Director of science policy news (ongoing)
◆NOAA: Program and policy analyst (May 19)
◆NSF: Criminal investigator, OIG (May 20)
◆NIST: Senior executive officer, Office of Financial Resources Management (May 20)
◆AAAS: Program manager, Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship and EPSCoR (May 22)
Navy: Associate director of research for systems, Office of Naval Research (June 3)
ANS: Congressional science and engineering fellowship (June 5)

Solicitations

NSF: Research security mentorship program interest form (ongoing)
◆DOE: Call for experts to review Genesis Mission RFAs (May 18)
NASA: RFC on NASA Front Door (May 19)
◆National Academies: Call for experts to serve on Committee on Radio Frequencies (May 20)
AAS: Call for Education Committee members (May 21)
◆National Academies: Call for experts, Decadal Survey for Earth Science and Applications from Space 2028-2037 (May 25)
NIH: RFC on NIH-wide strategic plan for fiscal years 2027-2031 (May 26)
NRC: RFC on regulation of byproduct material associated with fusion machines (May 27)
◆NSF: RFI to inform review of PAEMST and PAESMEM programs (May 28)
NRC: RFC on licensing requirements for microreactors (June 15)
AAS: Nominations for 2027 AAS prizes (June 30)
NASA: RFC on information collection, addressing DEI discrimination by federal contractors (July 6)

Know of an opportunity for scientists to engage in science policy? Email us at fyi@aip.org.

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Do you have a story to tell about how science policy is impacting you?

AIP’s research team is gathering first-hand accounts from scientists, engineers, students, and staff whose careers have been affected by policy and funding changes over the past year. Volunteers can submit their stories via this online form. Participants’ stories will be added to the Niels Bohr Library & Archives digital repository as searchable, citable records — with options for anonymity and a five-year embargo period. Read more about the initiative here.

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News and views currently in circulation. Links do not imply endorsement.

Congress

Politico: 1 of RFK Jr.’s biggest fans in the Senate wants Bill Cassidy’s job
CRS: Federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs): Background and issues for Congress (report)
Planetary Society: House Appropriators advance key NASA funding bill
New York Times: He offered a lawmaker’s aide quick cash. Was he spying for China?

Science, Society, and the Economy

Scholarly Kitchen: Restoring trust in science: What would make a difference? (perspective by Steve Smith)
Science, Technology, & Human Values: Managing the boundaries of citizen science: Reordering science–society relations
National Academies: US should substantially boost support for Manufacturing USA program, issue national industrial manufacturing strategy, says new report

Education and Workforce

Chronicle of Higher Education: A professor defended a postdoc who was deported. Now his lab has been suddenly locked down
Science: Chinese postdocs in US hit with a wave of prosecutions and deportations
New York Times: ‘It’s getting unfriendlier’: International students race to find jobs
Washington Post: Harvard has a defense-tech incubator. Pete Hegseth should visit it (perspective by David Ignatius)
Inside Higher Ed: Sharp decline in GOP support for higher ed began well before Trump, study finds
Stat: DOJ accuses Yale and UCLA medical schools of discriminating against white and Asian applicants
AAU: Leading research universities are making college costs more affordable and transparent (perspective by Barbara Snyder)

Research Management

Nature: NIH staffing shortage could slash number of new grants issued this year
NIH: An update on how NIH protects NIH-funded research from undue foreign interference
Chemical & Engineering News: Letters to the editor on scientific sleuthing and lab safety (perspectives)
Chronicle of Higher Education: AI will make the academic article obsolete (perspective by Kevin Smith)

Labs and Facilities

Fusion Industry Association: Madison in the running for next-gen fusion energy research facility
Chemical & Engineering News: Helium supplies are tight—and it could get worse
HPCwire: Oklo and Idaho National Laboratory to employ AI-enabled reactor design for advanced nuclear systems
Lawrence Livermore National Lab: Lawrence Livermore National Security now accepting applications for 2026 Community Gift Program

Computing and Communications

Nature: How to vibe code in science: Early adopters share their tips
MIT Technology Review: Three things in AI to watch, according to a Nobel-winning economist
National Academies: Securing AI systems: Experts consider research priorities at April event
The Information: Anthropic calls for tighter US chip restrictions on China
Politico: National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross is leading the effort to wrangle hyper-advanced AI. Some worry he’s not up to the task
NCSA: NCSA and CAPS highlight HPC’s role in processing next-gen astronomy data
Brookings: Pope Leo’s moral stance on AI could encourage greater oversight
HPCwire: Scale AI Signs MOU with DOE to advance the Genesis Mission

Space

Space Review: Flagships on a budget
AAU: NASA research advances science and innovation on behalf of the American people
SpaceNews: NASA retaining six-month ISS missions
NASA Watch: Insourcing at NASA Ames
Ars Technica: NASA provides some details about Artemis III, but hard decisions remain
ITIF: Comments to the FCC regarding spectrum abundance for ‘weird space stuff’
SpaceNews: Space is having its internet moment. Investors should act accordingly (perspective by Felix von Schubert)

Weather, Climate, and Environment

The Conversation: A deep-ocean climate plan wins rare EPA approval, but is sinking plants in the sea the answer? (perspective by Will Burns)
NPR: What scientists are learning about geoengineering from satellite pollution
E&E News: Trump DOJ urges court to halt Minnesota climate lawsuit
Issues in Science and Technology: The International Geophysical Year
Inside Climate News: What the US would lose if it eliminates the National Center for Atmospheric Research (interview with Steve Curwood)

Energy

DOE: $94 million awarded to American companies to help expedite the deployments of small modular reactors in the United States
AGU: AGU joins Energy Sciences Coalition letter rejecting cuts to the Department of Energy
Atlantic Council: Unlocking the next source of US energy security (perspective by Conner Prochaska)
Roll Call: Nuclear Regulatory Commission updates processes to meet new demands

Defense

CRS: Defense primer: Quantum technology
Space Review: Strategy is easy, but logistics is hard. Golden Dome proves it (perspective by Bharath Gopalaswamy and Daniel Dant)
Breaking Defense: US, close allies creating joint ‘orbital warfare’ plan: SPACECOM chief

Biomedical

Nature: Open data is key to genomics research — if the information can be kept safe (perspective by Shuhua Xu)
New York Times: RFK Jr. is driving a vast inquiry into vaccines, despite his public silence
Science: Virologist accused of starting COVID-19 will fight US ban on funding
Wired: A new hantavirus vaccine is in the works
The Guardian: ‘We’re not ready’: US lags on pandemic preparedness after COVID, experts say
Nature: Exclusive: NIH ousts infectious-disease leaders as COVID scientists face US charges

International Affairs

Export Compliance Daily: US, China talk chips, oil sanctions; Export control ceasefire expected to continue
American Nuclear Society: NNSA receives largest-ever HALEU shipment from Japan for use by US industry
Science|Business: Choose Europe for Science pilot winners share plans for postdoctoral researchers
Financial Times: Cambridge Science Park launches £3bn expansion plan
Science|Business: Call for EU to leverage academic freedom in global talent race
Research Professional: UK national security push ‘poses challenges for university research’
Science|Business: European Universities alliances welcome Council backing
Research Professional: Australian budget boosts medical research