CONTENTS:
- AAU Praises Senate for Increased FY19 Investments, Urges Congress to Complete Appropriations
- NIH Director Testifies Before Senate HELP Committee
- Senate Commerce Committee Hears from OSTP, NASA Nominees
- President to Nominate Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education
- NSF Announces New Head of Education and Human Resources Directorate
- RSVP: Golden Goose Award Ceremony and Reception
AAU PRAISES SENATE FOR INCREASED FY19 INVESTMENTS,
URGES CONGRESS TO COMPLETE APPROPRIATIONS
The Senate yesterday approved, 85-7, an $857 billion FY19 spending package that funds the departments of Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. The spending package would provide $39.1 billion for the NIH, a $100 increase to the maximum Pell Grant award, and significantly increase funding for Defense science and technology accounts.
AAU President Mary Sue Coleman today praised the Senate for their efforts and encouraged Congress to complete remaining FY19 funding decisions before the new fiscal year. The House has yet to pass its own version of the Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill (H.R. 6470). When House lawmakers return from August recess after Labor Day, there will be just 11 workdays left to negotiate a bicameral compromise before September 30. See AAU’s updated FY19 Funding Priorities table here.
NIH DIRECTOR TESTIFIES BEFORE SENATE HELP COMMITTEE
During yesterday’s Senate HELP hearing, Prioritizing Cures: Science and Stewardship at the NIH, Committee Chairman Alexander raised the issue of "foreign influence" on NIH-supported research in his opening remarks. NIH Director Collins responded by sharing NIH’s “Dear Colleague” letter advising over 10,000 NIH contacts of confidentiality and data security concerns and the formation of a special advisory group to suggest ways the agency can: improve accurate reporting of all sources of research support, financial interests, and affiliations; mitigate the risk to intellectual property security while continuing the NIH’s tradition of collaborations; and explore additional steps to protect the integrity of peer review.
Chairman Alexander reiterated his support for talented foreign researchers in the U.S. and expressed that NIH should continue to fund those researchers.
SENATE COMMERCE COMMITTEE HEARS FROM OSTP, NASA NOMINEES
Yesterday, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee held a nominations hearing for Dr. Kelvin Droegemeier to be Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy and Mr. Jim Morhard to be Deputy Administrator of NASA. Both Droegemeier and Morhard received bipartisan support for their respective nominations. Mr. Morhard, a former Deputy Sergeant at Arms for the Senate was introduced by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and lauded for his managerial expertise. Dr. Droegemeier was introduced by Senator James Lankford (R-OK) and recognized for his scientific expertise in severe storm research and his two consecutive terms of service on the National Science Board. During the hearing, Dr. Droegemeier testified that there are “an increasing number of threats to science and technology in America,” including unnecessary regulatory burdens and rising international competition, particularly from China. When asked what he would do to keep the U.S. at the forefront of science, Dr. Droegemeier cited the work already underway in Artificial Intelligence and quantum information science. Science’s Jeff Mervis details the hearing here.
The Committee is scheduled to vote on these and other nominations at 10:00 a.m. August 29.
PRESIDENT TO NOMINATE ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION
President Trump earlier this week announced he will nominate Robert King to serve as Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education at the Department of Education. Mr. King is the current president of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education and formerly served as president and CEO of the Arizona Community Foundation and chancellor of the State University of New York System. King earned his B.A. from Trinity College and J.D. from Vanderbilt University School of Law.
NSF ANNOUNCES NEW HEAD OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTORATE
The National Science Foundation on Tuesday announced Dr. Karen Marrongelle will serve as Head the Directorate for Education and Human Resources. NSF Director France Córdova said "...her vision for large-scale, transformative efforts that unite academia, the government, and the private sector will help NSF continue its work to enhance STEM education." Dr. Marrongelle previously served as the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Portland State University. She begins her appointment October 1.
RSVP: GOLDEN GOOSE AWARD CEREMONY AND RECEPTION
The 2018 Golden Goose Award ceremony and reception will be held September 13 at 5:30 p.m. at the Library of Congress in the Coolidge Auditorium. This year, the award honors three teams of distinguished researchers for their work, which was silly-sounding or obscure at its outset but has gone on to yield enormous societal impact. Awardees will be announced the day of the ceremony. RSVP no later than September 10 - space is limited.
Please visit us at www.aau.edu and follow AAU on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.