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), the National Science Foundation for the Future Act (H.R. 2225), the Department of Energy Science for the Future Act (H.R. 3593), and other related measures.
The letter expresses support for measures that authorize additional funding and new initiatives for crucial science agencies, including a new NSF directorate focused on translating scientific discoveries to the marketplace, 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.