- Budget and Appropriations Update
- White House Releases FY21 Budget Proposal
- House Appropriations Committee Sets Member Submission Deadlines
- TFAI Urges Congress to Increase Scientific and Engineering Research Funding in FY21
- Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research Recommends $44.7 BN for NIH in FY21
- Congressional Sign-on Letter Urges DHS to Expand Outreach to Higher Education
- CGS Report Finds International Graduate Student Enrollment Up
- Upcoming Events
BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS UPDATE
The White House released its FY21 budget proposal on Monday. The proposed budget prioritizes some areas of research – such as artificial intelligence and NASA Space Technology – but also contains deep funding cuts and policy proposals that could harm America’s position as the world’s leader in research, science, and higher education. The White House’s FY21 budget proposes $590 billion for nondefense discretionary spending, a 7 percent cut to the $634.5 billion FY21 level set under the two-year budget deal lawmakers agreed to in August 2019.
According to Politico Pro, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-CA) said the Senate “plan[s] to respect the $634.5 billion funding cap set under the two-year budget deal, H.R. 3877 (116), signed last summer.” Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) also indicated the House will adhere to the spending caps in the two-year budget deal, saying "we’re going to write our bills according to the agreement that we have with the administration, as we did this year.”
RESOURCES AVAILABLE: AAU President Troubled by Cuts to U.S. Innovation and Research Funding in White House FY21 Budget Proposal | AAU Letter to Appropriators Urges Robust Investments in Science for FY21 302(b) Allocations
The House Appropriations Committee has released FY21 member submission instructions and deadlines for each subcommittee. Senate Appropriations deadlines are forthcoming.
TFAI URGES CONGRESS TO INCREASE SCIENTIFIC AND ENGINEERING RESEARCH FUNDING IN FY21
The Task Force on American Innovation, of which AAU is a member, yesterday issued a press release encouraging Congress to increase funding for scientific and engineering. The Task Force noted the White House’s FY21 budget proposal recommends deep cuts to: NIST, NSF, NASA, Defense basic research, and Defense science and technology programs. These cuts, the group says, “greatly harm our country’s ability to remain a leader in innovation and will likely have negative impacts on America’s economy, national security and global competitiveness.”
AD HOC GROUP FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH RECOMMENDS $44.7 BN FOR NIH IN FY21
The Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research, which includes AAU, recently released a statement recommending Congress fund NIH at $44.7 billion in FY21. The group noted that the White House’s FY21 budget proposal’s 7 percent funding cut to NIH would “devastate the agency’s ability to pursue promising new science to improve and save lives.” The requested $44.7 billion would increase the base NIH budget while accounting for inflation and would help NIH take full advantage of “unprecedented scientific opportunity, renew our global leadership in science and technology, and strengthen our national security.”
CONGRESSIONAL SIGN-ON LETTER URGES DHS TO EXPAND OUTREACH TO HIGHER EDUCATION
Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and Ralph Norman (R-SC) led a bipartisan group of fifty-one Members of Congress on a dear colleague letter urging DHS to use its Homeland Security Academic Advisory Council to “expand outreach to institutions of higher education.” Formed in 2012 and reestablished in 2018, the HSAAC has been “a forum for the Department and the higher education community to discuss mutual areas of concern.” The letter encourages DHS to use the Council to advance “efforts to protect against undue foreign influence or illicit access to research,” and address colleges’ and universities’ concerns about “changes and delays in visa processing that undermine their ability to continue attracting the best and brightest from around the world.”
CGS REPORT FINDS INTERNATIONAL GRADUATE STUDENT ENROLLMENT UP
The Council of Graduate Schools' annual International Graduate Admissions Survey finds new international graduate student enrollment increased 4 percent and international graduate student applications increased by 3 percent, after a sustained decline for the 2017 and 2018 admissions cycles. The survey finds that between fall 2018 and fall 2019, graduate applications increased in arts and humanities (6 percent), health sciences (7 percent), mathematics and computer sciences (7 percent), and biological and agricultural sciences (14 percent). By contrast, applications in engineering (-2 percent) and business (-3 percent), two of the largest broad fields of study, decreased. Chinese nationals were the largest share (37 percent) of international graduate students with more than 271,000 graduate students enrolled at participating institutions in fall 2019.
UPCOMING EVENTS
FEBRUARY 26 75TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF “ SCIENCE – THE ENDLESS FRONTIER;” 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. ET, National Academy of Sciences, 2101 Constitution Avenue NW. More information here, registration here.
FEBRUARY 28 LUNAR SURFACE CONSORTIUM KICKOFF; 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. ET, The Kossiakoff Center, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, MD. More information and registration here.
MARCH 8 – 10 NHA ANNUAL MEETING AND HUMANITIES ADVOCACY DAY; Washington Court Hotel, 525 New Jersey Avenue NW. Sunday, March 8, 1:00 p.m. ET – Tuesday, March 10, 5:00 p.m. More information and registration available here.
MARCH 30 – 31 COSSA SOCIAL SCIENCE ADVOCACY DAY; Spire Conference Center, 750 1st Street NE. More information and registration available here.
APRIL 28 AAU/APLU 2020 UNIVERSITY INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP SHOWCASE; Rayburn Cafeteria, Rayburn House Office Building, 45 Independence Avenue, SW. 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. ET. Applications will be considered until February 27. More information available here.