Homeland Security proposes new student visa restrictions

The Department of Homeland Security issued a proposed rule on Aug. 28 that would end international students’ ability to stay in the U.S. for the duration of their academic program. Students whose academic program extends beyond four years would be required to file for an “extension of stay” and may be required to pay additional fees, submit more biometric data, and/or appear for an in-person interview with a DHS official.

The proposed rule would also prevent international undergraduate students from changing majors or transferring schools until they complete one academic year in their original program, and graduate students would be barred from changing programs entirely. After completing their program, international students would also be barred from starting another course of study at the same or a lower educational level.

In late 2020, under the first Trump administration, DHS proposed a similar rule that was never finalized. It was withdrawn by the Biden administration in July 2021. DHS is collecting public comments until Sept. 29 . The American Physical Society, along with several other science and education societies, is circulating a survey to assess the impact of this and future proposed rules on international students. (APS is an AIP Member Society)

House narrowly advances DOE budget proposal

The House passed its spending bill for the Department of Energy last Thursday. The bill is largely unchanged from the version revealed by the Energy-Water subcommittee earlier this summer. The proposal would increase DOE’s Office of Science budget for fiscal year 2026 by about 2% to $8.4 billion. Most departments within that office would see a 2-6% increase, though high-energy physics and biological and environmental research would be cut by 2% and 8% respectively. The Trump administration proposed cutting the Office of Science by 14% overall, including a 54% cut to biological and environmental research. The Senate has not yet released its equivalent proposal, with negotiations between top appropriators reportedly at a standstill. The House bill matches the Trump administration’s proposal to increase the National Nuclear Security Administration’s overall budget by 5%, to $25.3 billion, but proposes steeper cuts to defense nuclear nonproliferation.

Democrats criticized the bill in a press release, specifically calling out the bill’s 17% cut to NNSA’s nuclear nonproliferation programs and 50% cut to the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. The bill initially appeared to fail on Thursday, with most Democrats and six Republicans voting against it, but then passed 214-213 after two Republicans switched their no votes to yes. Three Democrats and one Republican did not vote.

House health and science budgets under consideration this week

The House Appropriations Committee is expected to advance two of its fiscal year 2026 budget proposals this week. The Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies subcommittee will hold a markup of its bill on Tuesday, and the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies subcommittee will do the same on Wednesday. The CJS bill includes level funding for NASA, a 6% ($387 million) cut to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and a 22% cut (more than $2 billion) to the National Science Foundation. The HHS bill proposes a 1% cut ($456 million) to the National Institutes of Health. The cuts in these bills, while significant, fall far short of those proposed in the Trump administration’s budget request.

Congress has until Sept. 30 to pass legislation to fund the government for the new fiscal year or face a government shutdown. Congress narrowly avoided a government shutdown earlier this year by passing a stopgap funding bill that kept budgets near fiscal year 2024 levels for 2025. Democrats in the House and Senate this week accused the Trump administration of illegally withholding billions of dollars in Congressionally-approved fiscal year 2025 funding that is set to expire at the end of this month.

Also on our radar

• A National Academies report on streamlining research regulations and policies, published last week, urges Congress to create a research policy board within the White House Office of Management and Budget or create a career role within OMB to coordinate research requirements across federal agencies. The National Academies issued a similar recommendation in 2016, and legislation passed that year required the creation of the research policy board, but it never materialized.
• Deborah Gracio will become the next director of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory on Oct. 1. Gracio, who currently oversees PNNL’s national security portfolio, will succeed Steven Ashby, who announced his intent to step down from the role earlier this year.
• Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended his decision to slash funding for mRNA vaccine research and force out CDC Director Susan Monarez during a heated Senate Finance Committee hearing last week. Following the hearing, Democrats on the committee called for RFK Jr.’s immediate resignation.
• The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will hold a hearing discussing how the “corruption of science” has impacted public perception of vaccines on Tuesday.

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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, September 8

National Academies: Key non-polar destinations across the Moon to address decadal-level science objectives with human explorers: Panel on Lunar and Planetary Sciences, meeting seven (continues through Wednesday)

NECX: Inaugural nuclear energy conference and expo (continues through Thursday)

Europlanet/AAS: EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2025 (continues through Friday)

Tuesday, September 9

National Academies: Assessment of the NIST Physical Measurement Laboratory (continues through Friday)

NIST: National Construction Safety Team Advisory Committee meeting

CSIS: Reauthorizing and reforming the Small Business Innovation Research Program
9:00 - 10:45 am

AMS: Are we preparing Earth System Science (ESS) practitioners for the trends of the future?
11:00 am

House: Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies FY26 markup
11:00 am, Appropriations Committee

National Academies: A vision for the Manufacturing USA program in 2030 and 2035
12:00 - 1:30 pm

Baker Institute: Science under siege: A conversation with Dr. Peter Hotez & Dr. Michael Mann
12:00 - 1:45 pm

New America: Open Technology Institute at 15
1:00 - 7:00 pm

Senate: How the corruption of science has impacted public perception and policies regarding vaccines
2:00 pm, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

House: Exploring the economic potential of the golden age of American energy dominance
2:15 pm, Natural Resources Committee

National Academies: Key non-polar destinations across the Moon to address decadal-level science objectives with human explorers: Panel on heliophysics, physics, and physical science, meeting five
4:00 - 5:30 pm

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Atomic echoes: Untold stories from World War II
4:00 - 5:30 pm

Wednesday, September 10

NTIA: 2025 Spectrum Policy Symposium
9:30 am - 12:30 pm

National Academies: Advancing university-philanthropy partnerships for sustainable research
9:30 am - 3:00 pm

House: Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies FY26 Appropriations Bill markup
10:00 am, Appropriations Committee

Senate: America’s AI action plan
10:00 am, Commerce Committee

House: Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2025
10:00 am, Science Committee

Senate: “Unleashing Indian Energy” - Examining federal programs at the Department of Energy
2:30 pm, Indian Affairs Committee

CSIS: The Big One: How We Must Prepare for Future Deadly Pandemics (book launch)
4:00 - 6:00 pm

NTI: Biosecurity and innovation in the age of AI: Safeguarding the future of US biotechnology
12:00 - 1:00 pm

Thursday, September 11

NIH: Council of Councils meeting (continues Friday)

National Academies: Evaluation of ARPA-E’s mission and goals, meeting seven (continues Friday)

Hoover Institution: The Arsenal of Democracy: Technology, Industry, and Deterrence in an Age of Hard Choices (book launch)
5:00 - 6:30 pm

Harvard Belfer Center: Arctic leadership with Fran Ulmer
5:30 - 7:00 pm AKST

Friday, September 12

Brookings: US-China trade wars: A conversation with Michael Froman
10:00 - 11:00 am

The Heritage Foundation: Taiwan’s strategy for peace, prosperity, and partnership with the US
10:30 - 11:30 am

Monday, September 15

Federal Demonstration Partnership: September meeting (continues through Wednesday)

NDIA: 2025 Undersea Warfare Fall Conference (continues through Wednesday)

AMS: The world through my eyes as a scientist with a service animal
11:00 am

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

On July 7, the Trump administration extended the federal hiring freeze into the fall.

Job Openings

Boston University: Director, policy engagement (ongoing)
Pacific Fusion: Head of governmental affairs (ongoing)
DOE: S&T fellowship in the DOE Office of Policy (ongoing)
MIT: Vice president for government affairs (ongoing)
University of Chicago: Executive director, Climate Impact Lab (ongoing)
Quanta: Physics editor (ongoing)
American Association for Cancer Research: Director, science and health policy and regulatory science and policy (ongoing)
◆Executive Office of the President: Policy analyst (Office of National Drug Control Policy) (Sept. 9)
Commerce: Director, Office of Technology Evaluation (Sept. 10)
◆APS: Science policy intern (Sept. 12)
AAAS: Associate or senior editor, Science Magazine (Sept. 22)

Solicitations

NIH: RFI on maximizing research funds by limiting allowable publishing costs (Sept. 15)
DOE: Notice of the Department of Energy Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) “still interested” inquiry (Sept. 15)
EPA: Reconsideration of 2009 endangerment finding and greenhouse gas vehicle standards (extended to Sept. 22)
OSTP: RFI for the National Strategic Plan for Advanced Manufacturing (Sept. 30)
NSF: RFC on the National Plan for Arctic Research (Oct. 15)
◆NSF: Call for proposals for the Foundations for Operating the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource: the NAIRR Operations Center (NAIRR-OC) (Dec. 15)

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

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

White House

Roll Call: Trump asks Supreme Court to quickly decide tariffs challenge
Bloomberg: Trump says ‘fairly substantial’ chips tariffs coming ‘shortly’
White House: President Trump’s AI, energy dominance agenda fuels $1B investment

Congress

E&E News: Appropriators push more fiscal 2026 bills as shutdown talks heat up
CBPP: 2026 appropriations must protect against further partisan cuts and illegal withholding of funds (perspective by Brendan Duke et al.)
E&E News: Rules could change within weeks to speed confirmations
Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA): On Senate floor, Senator Murray demands immediate firing of RFK Jr.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): Choices we make now will determine if America leads in space

Science, Society, and the Economy

New York Times: Trump administration broke the law in freezing Harvard’s funding, judge says
Science: Harvard victory leaves scientists feeling vindicated but uncertain
NSF: Membership of National Science Foundation’s senior executive service performance review board
E&E News: Interior revives science policy from first Trump administration
Boston Globe: If Trump wants to eliminate fraud at universities, why gut research integrity agencies? (editorial)
AAU: 2025 Golden Goose awardees announced; highlights curiosity-driven federally funded research that led to major breakthroughs

Education and Workforce

AAU: DHS proposes to limit how long international students can stay in the US
MIT Technology Review: How Trump’s policies are affecting early-career scientists—in their own words
The Atlantic: I’m a high schooler. AI is demolishing my education (perspective by Ashanty Rosario)
Stat: I’m one of the Ph.D. students caught up in the cancellation of ‘diversity’ grants. I’m heartbroken (perspective by Marissa Russo)
Chronicle of Higher Education: Even as classes begin, some foreign students are still in visa limbo

Research Management

MIT Technology Review: Why basic science deserves our boldest investment (perspective by Julia Greer)
Stat: Two former top NIH officials say they were forced out in retaliation for objecting to grant terminations
Nature: Europe’s largest paper mill? 1,500 research articles linked to Ukrainian network

Labs and Facilities

American Nuclear Society: General Atomics marks completion of ITER’s superconducting fusion magnet
GAO: National Nuclear Security Administration: Improvements needed for managing recapitalization of fusion facilities (report)
American Nuclear Society: DOE awards $35M to help commercialize National Lab technologies
Research Professional: Euratom funding of €9.8bn planned for next EU budget
Research Professional: UK missions approach ‘baked in’ to Diamond Light Source research

Computing and Communications

NSF: NSF National Quantum Virtual Laboratory speeds into the design phase
HPCwire: DARPA and New Mexico partner on framework to advance quantum computing
HPCwire: NVIDIA: Europe’s 1st exascale supercomputer, JUPITER, now live

Space

SpaceNews: NASA releases details on revised next phase of commercial space station development
NASA Watch: NASA GAO: Program costs and contracting metrics (report)
SpacePolicyOnline: Acting NASA Administrator Duffy: “I’ll be damned” if US doesn’t beat China back to the Moon
NASA Watch: Another “save NASA” protest at NASA HQ on Monday
SpaceNews: Sending astronauts to the moon and Mars must be more than a photo op (perspective by Bruce Jakosky and Scott Hubbard)
DefenseScoop: Derek Tournear departs as Space Development Agency director

Weather, Climate, and Environment

Ars Technica: GOP may finally succeed in unrelenting quest to kill two NASA climate satellites
E&E News: NOAA hearing features clash over Trump ocean mining plans
E&E News: Disaster experts call for an extreme weather safety board
The Conversation: AI is transforming weather forecasting − and that could be a game changer for farmers around the world
E&E News: Republicans probe National Academies’ ‘partisan’ climate review
E&E News: EPA suspends dissent letter signers

Energy

E&E News: Takeaways from the big Senate NRC hearing
E&E News: Why Dems are trying again to kill Trump energy emergency
E&E News: Spending bills highlight Republican energy rifts
Science|Business: Industry alliance backs research push for small modular nuclear reactors

Defense

CSIS: Parading China’s nuclear arsenal out of the shadows (perspective by Joseph Rodgers and Heather Williams)
Breaking Defense: Golden Dome: Tackling the myths and rumors around America’s new missile shield (video)
Inside Defense: Navy to establish new robotic and autonomous systems program office, consolidate existing efforts
DefenseScoop: Trump selects top military intel advisor to run the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

Biomedical

Stat: What is happening at the CDC? (video)
New York Times: Snubbing Kennedy, states announce plans to coordinate on vaccines
Stat: CDC’s vaccine information no longer entirely trustworthy, former director says
Nature: RFK Jr. slings accusations and defends public-health upheaval at fiery hearing
Stat: What happened at RFK Jr.’s Senate hearing in 300 words
Inside Higher Ed: Former NIH leaders allege retaliation for whistleblowing
Stat: Reforming NIH: A blueprint for 21st century medical research (perspective by Stuart Buck)
Stat: WHO declares end of global emergency over mpox outbreak

International Affairs

Research Professional: French universities face political turmoil in new academic year
Science|Business: How Germany is trying to poach researchers from the US
Research Professional: Innovation lagging despite strong research base, Bank of Italy warns
Research Professional: Liz Kendall to replace Peter Kyle as UK science secretary in reshuffle
Research Professional: Academy forecasts major shortfalls in Australian scientific capability
Science|Business: Max Planck inaugurates new center in Taiwan