AAU President Barbara R. Snyder sent a letter to House and Senate leaders outlining priorities for several key provisions that Congress is discussing as part of the conference process for the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (S. 1260) and the America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing, Pre-Eminence in Technology, and Economic Strength (COMPETES) Act (H.R. 4521). The letter cites AAU's August 2021 correspondence on the differences between the Senate USICA and the House National Science Foundation for the Future Act, Department of Energy Science for the Future Act, and other House-passed bills.
The letter expresses support for provisions that authorize additional investments in federal research, STEM education, and innovation programs, and urges Congress to ensure that all new activities authorized by the bills are accompanied by sufficient funding. The letter also emphasizes America’s leading research universities’ commitment to promoting research security while raising significant concerns about some of the science and security provisions in the bills.