China committee proposes rewarding universities for strong research security

The House CCP Committee’s top member suggests prioritizing funding to universities with enhanced research security practices. “Universities that proactively strengthen their research security programs should have an opportunity to benefit from doing so rather than viewing enhanced safeguards solely as an additional compliance burden,” Chair John Moolenaar (R-MI) wrote in a report last week that argues in favor of tighter security restrictions on federally funded research. The report also recommends that federal agencies suspend or debar universities that violate research security policies and fail to comply with award terms, without first requiring a conviction in court.

Moolenaar also used the report to promote his Securing Innovation and Research from Adversaries (SIRA) Act, which would prohibit federal grantees from collaborating on their research with individuals with ties to a US government-restricted entity. Separately, Moolenaar also asked the Department of Defense earlier this month to designate more than 100 additional Chinese institutions as national security risks.

DHS proposes changing prior status deference

Prior approval of a noncitizen’s employment visa won’t figure in extension requests, under a proposed US Department of Homeland Security rule. The change would affect H-1B, L-1, and other work-related visas. Regulations now instead require immigration officials to defer to past approvals unless the facts of the past classification have changed. The policy move would shift the obligation to the petitioner to justify a visa extension.

“Overall, the deference regulation and policy risk undermining program integrity,” the agency says, by limiting the visa holder’s need to justify their extended status. More than 2 million petitions are eligible for this deference, according to DHS, about 30% of visas approved under I-129 petitions. The proposal could lengthen waits and add costs for companies filing extension petitions, the Financial Express noted. Comments on the rule are being accepted until Nov. 13.

The proposed change follows efforts to impose $100,000 fees for H-1B visas and other noncitizen employment programs heavily used in technical fields. In September, a federal judge blocked a DHS rule that would limit foreign students to a four-year stay in the US instead of the full duration of their education.

NIH considers hiding peer review scores

The National Institutes of Health is reviewing comments on its proposal to largely replace peer reviewer scores on grant applications with three broad categories. Applicants and program officers would only see whether proposals are “most competitive” for the top 25%, “competitive” for the next 25%, or “not discussed.” The comment period was supposed to remain open until midnight last Tuesday, but the system apparently shut down hours before that deadline, drawing complaints from scientists. NIH may publish a revised or finalized rule in the coming months. In posted comments, several scientific societies urged the agency to continue sharing peer reviewer scores with applicants and program officers. The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology said the scores “let the agency show it funds the most meritorious science” and help researchers improve future applications. The Association of American Medical Colleges recommended the agency add two more impact categories, for the top 5% and top 15% of proposals, to better distinguish top applications.

Also on our radar

• Senate Appropriations Democrats asked the Department of Education to “reverse” its forward-funding of grants, which they say has “dramatically reduced” the number of recipients. Researchers have similarly criticized forward-funding at science agencies such as NIH and NASA.
• Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee questioned Meta over a report that the software company claims billions of dollars in research tax breaks on its data centers.
• Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), House Science Committee’s top Democrat, accused the EPA of ignoring oversight requests related to staffing levels, the endangerment finding rescission, and delays to agency research products.
• NIH proposes creating a dedicated AI office to “establish clear organizational leadership for an emerging NIH-wide priority.”
• The UN body for assessing climate science discussed delaying its global assessment report, currently expected in 2028. The US announced its withdrawal from the group early this year.
• Eleven researchers issued an annual “state of the climate” report targeted at policymakers and the public.

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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.

The House and Senate are in recess and will return Nov. 9.

Monday, October 19

Society of Rheology: Annual meeting (continues through Friday)

ESPI: 20th annual conference (continues Tuesday)

Tuesday, October 20

National Academies: Space studies board (continues Wednesday)

National Academies: Life sciences and biotechnology program area fall meeting (continues Wednesday)

AEI: Toward a new golden age of science: A conversation with Michael Kratsios, director of OSTP
3:30 - 5:30 pm

Columbia SIPA: AI data centers: Is space the next frontier?
5:00 - 6:00 pm

Wednesday, October 21

National Academies: Board on Physics annual meeting (continues Thursday)

National Academies: Action collaborative on preventing sexual harassment in higher education: 2026 public summit (continues Thursday)

FLC: Federal laboratories as engines of economic development
12:00 - 1:00 pm

CSET: Unlocking S&T insights
1:00 - 4:00 pm

National Academies: Human exploration across the Moon: Public briefing seminar
1:00 - 2:30 pm

Politics and Prose: Kyle Harper — The last animal: Human history and the fate of life on Earth from the Ice Age to the Sixth Extinction
7:00 pm

Thursday, October 22

COGR: October membership meeting 2026 (continues Friday)

National Academies: Committee on National Statistics 163rd meeting (continues Friday)

National Academies: Agentic AI and the future of the Department of War’s materials science & technology enterprise - meeting 1
11:00 am - 1:00 pm

NASA: Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel
1:30 - 3:00 pm

ESA: Briefing following the 350th ESA Council meeting
2:00 pm CEST

Issues in Science and Technology: Making sense of biosecurity in the age of AI
3:00 - 4:00 pm

Friday, October 23

NASA: Update on the Artemis program
2:00 pm

Monday, October 25

AAS: The 58th annual Division for Planetary Sciences meeting (continues through Friday)

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

Job Openings

APS: Head of scientific programs (ongoing)
AAMC: Senior director, science policy and regulation (ongoing)
AAF: Technology and innovation policy analyst (ongoing)
MIT: Senior advisor, science and innovation policy advocacy (ongoing)
MIT: Senior policy advisor (ongoing)
ASCB: Executive director, Coalition for the Life Sciences (ongoing)
◆ITIF: Policy fellow, broadband, spectrum, and space (ongoing)
◆ITIF: Public policy manager (ongoing)
◆National Academies: Research associate, Science and Engineering Education and Workforce program, Center for Advancing Science and Technology (ongoing)
◆National Academies: Research associate, Physical Sciences, Systems, and Infrastructure program (ongoing)
◆AAAS: Chief government affairs officer (ongoing)
◆NASA: Chief counsel, John Glenn Research Center (Oct. 21)
◆NIST: Associate director for management resources (Oct. 21)
◆NIST: Award administration program manager, CHIPS (Oct. 30)
AAAS: Pathways to Policy Fellowship (Nov. 1)
AIP: Science policy fellowship, Congress (Dec. 1)
LBNL: LBNL Nonproliferation fellow (through January)

Solicitations

FAS: Public Impact S&T Initiative open call (ongoing)
HHS: RFI on electromagnetic fields, radiofrequency radiation, and wireless radiation exposure (Oct. 21)
◆National Academies: Call for experts for the large-scale basic energy sciences user facilities committee (Oct. 26)
NSF: RFC on notice of intent to integrate three NCSES workforce surveys (Oct. 27)
◆NIH: RFC on proposal to establish the Office of the NIH Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer (Oct. 28)
NSF: RFI on identifying the next generation of X-Labs topics (Oct. 30)
National Academies: Call for committee members for study evaluating DOE’s Milestone-Based Fusion Development program (Oct. 30)
DHS: RFC on proposed rule eliminating the discretionary 60-day grace period for H-1B and other visa holders (Nov. 10)
USGS: Call for nominations to the National Geospatial Advisory Committee (Nov. 16)
Commerce: RFI regarding the digitization and modernization of the NTRL (Nov. 16)
NIST: RFI on future needs for medical metrology and standards for medical imaging, devices, diagnostics and therapy (Nov. 30)

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.

White House

FedScoop: Supreme Court to decide if DOGE records will stay hidden
Stat: Former FDA officials blast DOGE as ‘one of the biggest disasters in American history’
Politico: Microsoft’s president warns White House against skilled immigration crackdown
Stat: As White House shifts focus toward AI and tech, US science leaders defend role of the American university

Congress

Politico: New Democrat PAC hits GOP on AI in tight midterm races
New York Times: A public health-minded senator asks: What comes after Trump and Kennedy?
Senate Democrats: Letter to CDC Director Erica Schwartz
Wired: Democrats are gearing up to investigate the Trump administration. It won’t be easy
Inside Higher Ed: Congressional Democrats condemn MSI funding transfer
Stat: Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) favors boosting US biotech over targeting China
Senate Appropriations Democrats: As families pay more & more for energy, reports show Trump Energy Department withholding billions and playing politics
Politico: El-Sayed backs AI kill switch, safety agency

Science, Society, and the Economy

Stat: Americans trust science more than peers around the world, survey shows
Scientific American: Scientists vote to end leap seconds, redefining how the world keeps time
Research Policy: Contested credibility: Public perceptions of scientists as experts
Chemical & Engineering News: Why chemists should not bet on clinical trials (perspective by Jesse Harris)
Physics World: The unsavoury rise of ‘populist physics’: Here’s how best to respond (perspective by Robert Crease)

Education and Workforce

Nature: What’s the secret sauce for happy scientists at work? These eight countries offer some clues
Stat: How many ways can the Trump administration clamp down on international researchers?
Physics World: Why supporting international colleagues is everyone’s responsibility (perspective by David Dlaka and Holly Monroy Caskie)
Nature: Whistleblowing in universities is ‘extraordinarily risky’: stronger protections are needed (perspective by Wyn Evans)
APLU: APLU response to proposed changes to optional practical training
Issues in Science and Technology: On being a scientist in a disrupted research landscape (perspective by Mitul Luhar et al.)

Research Management

Nature: Preserve research data for tomorrow’s AI-enabled integrity checks (perspective by Qingde Shi et al.)
Science|Business: Elsevier commits to accelerate AI-driven science across Europe
Nature: ArXiv versus AI slop: Will capping preprint submissions work?
Science: NSF backs choice of new Antarctic contractor despite concerns by government watchdog and researchers
Nature: Will my lack of country-specific grants limit my chances of employment abroad?
Scientific American: New ‘First Proof’ exam reveals how AI-powered math is a pay-to-play sport
The Economist: Could AI help scientists with their paperwork?
Wired: AI came for math. Now it’s chasing the rest of science
Science News: Can math stay human in the age of AI?

Labs and Facilities

HPCwire: Fifteen US universities form Southeast AI Computing Consortium
Science|Business: University of Bologna to build adaptive optics system for the world’s largest optical telescope
HPCwire: ORNL commissions new center for quantum, materials and energy research
Nature: IceCube just won a Nobel prize. Protect astroparticle physics projects with the same potential
DOE Office of Science: Energy Department awards $36 million to strengthen energy research across 21 states and Puerto Rico
HPCwire: FSU’s Weikuan Yu named NSF program director for advanced cyberinfrastructure

Computing and Communications

The Information: Trump administration plans to move AI testing agency officials to White House
Bloomberg: Moderna, Google DeepMind, Biocon on AI in science
Bloomberg: Former Commerce Secretary Raimondo says AI challenges need governance framework (video)
Scientific American: Scientists worry AI is stealing their ideas
Lawfare: The many open questions about the Trump administration’s new de facto AI model licensing system
The Economist: AI companies want to become frontier scientific researchers
Bloomberg: Nvidia, Anthropic weigh in on AI safeguards
HPCwire: Danaher collaborates with NVIDIA to advance autonomous science
The Information: OpenAI’s math breakthroughs rattle cryptography leaders
Chemical & Engineering News: CAS and Novartis collaborate to advance access to reaction data and AI research
Chemical & Engineering News: Google DeepMind AI crystallography database includes near-duplicate structures and unrealistic compounds
GAO: Artificial intelligence: Actions and opportunities to implement responsible use in DOD (report)
The Guardian: Could AI ‘change the stakes’ in the development of bioweapons?

Space

Space Review: After the ISS: What happens when humanity loses its shared home in space? (perspective by Alex Kennedy)
Ars Technica: NASA issues long-awaited call to industry for private space stations
CSIS: Could Russia be poised to use an on-orbit weapon against a commercial satellite?
BBC: US senators call for investigation into Ukraine Starlink restrictions
War on the Rocks: Golden Dome is technologically and financially infeasible (perspective by Frederick Lamb and Laura Grego)

Weather, Climate, and Environment

Wired: They war-gamed dimming the sun. It went even worse than you think
AGU: Scientists reaffirm ‘incontrovertible’ evidence of human influence on climate
EurekAlert!: Global resolve to halt nature loss- no exceptions, no delays (editorial)

Energy

Washington Post: State officials offered to store nuclear waste. Then residents found out
Inside Climate News: What happened to Pennsylvania’s hydrogen hubs?
American Nuclear Society: Germany launches its own fusion milestone program
Fusion Industry Association: Germany invests €500 million in fusion
Fusion Industry Association: Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party plans to introduce legislation calling on the government to clarify safety standards for fusion power generation
Financial Times: West in nuclear fusion race with China, says UK atomic energy body
GAO: Nuclear waste: Future land use planning at selected DOE cleanup sites (report)

Biomedical

New York Times: NIH Hospital board rebukes Kennedy over new vaccine injury clinic
Stat: In DOGE’s aftermath, federal health workers bristle at new performance reviews
MedPage Today: Trump administration advances plan for peptides favored by RFK Jr.
GAO: Research security: NIH action needed to strengthen foreign interference risk management (report)
The Guardian: As a scientist, here’s what worries me about the suspected Russian plague victim | Devi Sridhar
Washingtonian: ‘They want to have their hands in everything’: An NIH insider on how Trump is politicizing biomedical science
Politico: ‘It’s time to get a vaccine in place’: RFK Jr.’s views helped stall bird flu plan
New York Times: HIV research networks face uncertain future amid funding delays
Stat: Biotech leader, leading lab leak theorist no longer in consideration for top infectious disease role
New York Times: Inside the plague research labs at the heart of a Russian mystery
The Conversation: Cystic fibrosis patients got their ‘miracle drug’ thanks to federal research funding – new Trump administration rules may cut future miracles short

International Affairs

Export Compliance Daily: Analyst: No BIS update to advanced tech license exception causing uneven treatment for allies
Science|Business: Research community to appeal to national governments over planned EU budget cut
Science|Business: Is the EU research budget actually increasing?
Science|Business: JST: Science agencies of Japan and Vietnam sign deal on joint research funding
Export Compliance Daily: Researchers call for clearer EU export control rules, creation of classification database
Science|Business: UCD launches Ireland’s first university-led AI research institute
Nature: China’s AI research is booming: What it’s like to be on the front line
Nature: China’s extraordinary rise in science and how it will change the world
Science|Business: EU research commissioner defends research budget proposal
Bloomberg: US-China locked in ‘unwinnable’ war on AI, NYU’s Marcus says
Financial Times: China unveils draft export controls on AI technologies and chips