- From Mary Sue’s Desk: AAU Expanding Fight Against Sexual Misconduct on Campus
- Budget and Appropriations Update
- House Begins Minibus Consideration
- Senate Leaders Discuss Budget Caps with White House Officials
- AAU, Associations Support Amendment to Protect Fetal Tissue Research
- House Armed Services Committee Advances NDAA
- NIH Working Group Releases Recommendations for Addressing Sexual Harassment
- House Committee Holds Sexual Harassment Hearing
- ACTION ITEM: Survey Seeks Feedback on NSF Website
- Energy Dept Bans Personnel from Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs
- Education Dept Proposes College Accreditation Overhaul
FROM MARY SUE’S DESK: AAU EXPANDING FIGHT AGAINST SEXUAL MISCONDUCT ON CAMPUS
President Coleman yesterday released a new blog about how important fighting sexual misconduct on campus is to AAU. The blog outlines AAU member institution’s efforts to reduce the incidence of sexual misconduct, harassment, and gender discrimination on campus and address its consequences.
With help from your campuses, AAU has created the Advisory Board on Sexual Harassment and Gender Discrimination. Composed of 22 campus experts, the board is working to identify and share best practices, shape federal policy, and design future research to help our campuses respond to the ever-evolving issue of sexual harassment and gender discrimination in the academic workplace.
BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS UPDATE
The House Appropriations Committee Tuesday completed markup of all 12of the FY20 spending bills, approving the $63.8 billion Homeland Security and the $24.9 billion Financial Services measures.
The House Wednesday began debate on the $985 billion “Minibus” package, H.R. 2740. The measure includes FY20 appropriations for Defense, Labor-HHS-Ed, Energy-Water, and State-Foreign Operations bills. The measure includes an amendment that would block the administration’s restrictions on research involving fetal tissue. Introduced by Representative Mark Pocan (D-WI), the amendment was adopted on a largely party-line vote of 225 to 193. The administration Tuesday released a statement of policy opposing the Minibus, citing increases to deficits and national debt.
A manager’s amendment to the FY20 Agriculture-Rural Development-FDA funding includes $460 million for AFRI, a $15 million increase from the subcommittee’s initial proposal of $445 million. This would be an increase of nearly 11 percent over FY19 levels and is above AAU’s funding recommendation.
RESOURCE AVAILABLE: FY20 Budget and Appropriations Resources
After a one day delay Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Richard Shelby (R-AL) Wednesday met with White House acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin to discuss a plan to raise the Budget Control Act’s budget caps. After the meeting, Shelby said the group was “making progress” toward a deal to raise the budget caps. If Congress and the administration fail to reach a deal the administration supports, then FY20 and 21 discretionary spending will face cuts of $225 billion.
AAU, ASSOCIATIONS SUPPORT AMENDMENT TO PROTECT FETAL TISSUE RESEARCH
AAU, along with 67 other associations and research institutions, yesterday sent a letter to the co-sponsors of an amendment to H.R. 2740, the “minibus” package of several FY20 appropriations bills, which would overturn HHS restrictions on research using fetal tissue. The letter asserts that the amendment will “protect America's investment in biomedical research and in cures for countless diseases that affect American families.”
RESOURCE AVAILABLE: AAU, AAMC, and APLU Troubled By Limits on Fetal Tissue Research
HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE ADVANCES NDAA
The House Armed Services Committee Thursday advanced the $733 billion FY20 National Defense Authorization Act. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) offered the “Securing American Science and Technology Act of 2019” as an amendment during the markup, and it was adopted by voice vote as part of a package of en bloc amendments. An amendment requiring a list of foreign entities that pose a threat to critical technologies, offered by Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), was also included. Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) included an amendment that would direct DOD to report Chinese and Russian academic institutions with a history of research espionage activities under the direction of their armed forces or intelligence agencies.
The Senate last month completed markup of its version of the FY20 NDAA and will reportedly consider the legislation Tuesday. As of today, 383 amendments have been submitted.
RESOURCES AVAILABLE: Department of Defense Research Funding Table FY20 | Update: Securing American Science and Technology Act of 2019
NIH WORKING GROUP RELEASES RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADDRESSING SEXUAL HARASSMENT
The NIH Working Group on Changing the Culture to End Sexual Harassment yesterday met to discuss their preliminary recommendations for preventing sexual harassment in the scientific workplace. The group recommended the NIH: treat professional misconduct as seriously as research misconduct; require principal investigators to attest that they will not violate their institutional code of conduct; establish systems for restorative justice and to recapture lost talent; and develop approaches to address hierarchical mentor relationships.
AAU will continue to engage with the group’s leadership and will closely monitor the recommendations for any unintended consequence. The working group will report final recommendations in December.
HOUSE COMMITTEE HOLDS SEXUAL HARASSMENT HEARING
The House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Wednesday held a hearing titled “Combating Sexual Harassment in Science.” Witnesses include GAO Managing Director John Neumann, Wellesley College President Paula A. Johnson, Boston University Provost and CAO Jean Morrison, and University of California, Davis, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Phillip H. Kass. During the hearing Chair Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) emphasized the importance of addressing the challenge of sexual harassment in the scientific community, noting, “the public investment in research needs to draw on all of our nation’s talent to return the best possible science for the benefit of society.”
During his testimony, Vice Provost Kass discussed the new AAU Advisory Board on Sexual Harassment and Gender Discrimination. Kass said the board, which is composed of 22 campus-based experts, creates a good venue for identifying best practices and discussing ways campuses can work together to combat sexual harassment.
ACTION ITEM: SURVEY SEEKS FEEDBACK ON NSF WEBSITE
The NSF this week announced a survey to solicit feedback on website’s business functionalities to help improve the processes researchers use to submit proposals, manage awards, and conduct business with the NSF. The survey will close on July 1, 2019.
ENERGY DEPT BANS PERSONNEL FROM FOREIGN TALENT RECRUITMENT PROGRAMS
The Energy Department Monday issued an order to ban department-funded researchers from participating in recruitment programs sponsored by foreign governments. The order requires department personnel to disclose connections to recruitment programs designed by foreign governments. Energy Department Deputy Secretary Dan Brouillette has said the order will prevent the Chinese from taking “technology and research that is paid for by the American taxpayer that in many cases has dual-use applications” in both commerce and defense.
EDUCATION DEPT PROPOSES COLLEGE ACCREDITATION OVERHAUL
The Education Department Tuesday proposed changes to current rules that would ease federal standards for college accreditors. These rules would make it easier for accreditors to approve new programs and extend compliance deadlines for accreditation standards. Of the rules, Secretary Betsy DeVos said, “With these reforms, our nation’s colleges and universities can spend more time and effort on serving students and less time, energy, and money focused on bureaucratic compliance.”
If department publishes the rules by November 1, they will take effect July 2020.