- AAU President Applauds “Endless Frontier Act” for Substantive Investments in Research
- AAU Joins Associations to Request $46.6 Billion to Address Campus Financial Needs
- AAU, Associations Urge Lawmakers to Enact Temporary, Targeted COVID-19 Liability Protections
- AAU, COGR, APLU, and AAMC Recommend Extension of OMB Administrative Relief for Federal Grant Recipients
- Senate Armed Services Committee Announces NDAA Schedule
- AAU Joins Letter to Urge White House to Avoid Restricting Nonimmigrant Visas
- President Issues “Executive Order on Regulatory Relief to Support Economic Recovery”
- AAU JOB ANNOUNCEMENT: Executive Assistant for Policy
AAU PRESIDENT APPLAUDS “ENDLESS FRONTIER ACT” FOR SUBSTANTIVE INVESTMENTS IN RESEARCH
On Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Sen. Todd Young (R-IN), Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), and Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) announced the introduction of S. 3832 and H.R. 6978 , the bipartisan “Endless Frontier Act.” The legislation would make a $100 billion investment in science and technology research and development and provide another $10 billion to establish regional technology hubs to “launch new companies, revive American manufacturing, and create new jobs to jumpstart local communities.”
AAU President Mary Sue Coleman applauded the legislation in a press release, saying that the legislation “makes a bold and sustained investment in America’s security, health, and economic growth through funding crucial research” in a time when other nations threaten to overtake America as the scientific and economic leader on the world stage.
AAU JOINS ASSOCIATIONS TO REQUEST $46.6 BILLION TO ADDRESS CAMPUS FINANCIAL NEEDS
Today, AAU joined ACE and 81 other higher education organizations on a letter to congressional leaders to reiterate their April 9 request for an additional $46.6 billion to address near-term financial needs on campus. The funding will help address the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on revenue losses stemming from campus closures, enrollment declines, and increasing need-based aid for students, the organizations say. The letter says that this funding will “serve as a lifeline for students and campuses into the fall,” and help to bolster the innovative solutions campuses are exploring to serve their students during this crisis.
AAU, ASSOCIATIONS URGE LAWMAKERS TO ENACT TEMPORARY, TARGETED COVID-19 LIABILITY PROTECTIONS
Yesterday, AAU joined ACE and 75 other higher education organizations on a letter to congressional leaders urging them to “quickly enact temporary and targeted liability protections related to the COVID-19 pandemic.” Colleges and universities are facing unprecedented challenges as they work to resume campus-based operations with the paramount goal of keeping their students, employees, visitors, and local communities safe. At the same time, the potential for substantial costs associated with COVID-19-related lawsuits is likely to have a chilling effect on decision-making related to reopening campuses, the organizations explain.
AAU, COGR, APLU, AND AAMC RECOMMEND EXTENSION OF OMB ADMINISTRATIVE RELIEF FOR FEDERAL GRANT RECIPIENTS
AAU, together with COGR, APLU, and AAMC, on Wednesday sent a letter to the Office of Management and Budget urging the office to extend until September 30 the flexibilities outlined in OMB memo M-20-17, “Administrative Relief for Recipients and Applicants of Federal Financial Assistance Directly Impacted by the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) due to Loss of Operations.” The organizations say that extending the memo to coincide with the end of the federal fiscal year would allow the office to reassess the needs of institutions as they respond to COVID-19.
RESOURCE AVAILABLE: AAU, Organizations Recommend OMB Expand Federal Financial Assistance Administrative Relief
AAU, APLU, AAMC, AND ACE URGE SENATE TO PROVIDE AT LEAST $26 BILLION FOR RESEARCH IN NEXT COVID-19 RELIEF MEASURE
AAU Wednesday joined APLU, AAMC, and ACE on a letter to Senate leaders and the leaders of the Senate Appropriations Committee to urge them to provide at least $26 billion in supplemental appropriations for federal research agencies in the next COVID-19 relief measure. According to the associations, this relief will help mitigate the harmful impacts to the nation’s research enterprise, including disruptions, delays, indefinite shutdown of some federally funded research, and extraordinary strains on the research workforce that potentially put the nation at risk. “At a time in which we are in a global race for talent, this agency funding will directly support graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and early career faculty in completing their studies and ensure career stability for America’s future researchers,” the letter says.
The letter also includes a breakdown of recommended funding levels for the major federal research agencies, and notes that without relief funding “the consequences for our nation’s university research and scientific enterprise are dire.”
RESOURCE AVAILABLE: AAU, AAMC, APLU, ACE COVID-19 Research Recommendations
SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES NDAA SCHEDULE
On Tuesday, the Senate Armed Services Committee announced it will consider its version of the National Defense Authorization Act June 10, with subcommittee markups scheduled for June 8 and 9. All proceedings will be closed to the public except for the Personnel subcommittee’s markup. The House Armed Services Committee has not yet announced plans for considering its version of the bill.
AAU JOINS LETTER TO URGE WHITE HOUSE TO AVOID RESTRICTING NONIMMIGRANT VISAS
AAU recently joined a coalition of 256 employers and 67 associations on a letter to the White House about the importance of the high-skilled, college-educated science and engineering workforce to America’s economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic. The letter urges the administration to avoid restrictions of any employment-authorization terms, conditions, or processing of L-1, H-1B, F-1, or H-4 nonimmigrants. “Constraints on our human capital are likely to result in unintended consequences and may cause substantial economic uncertainty if we have to recalibrate our personnel based on country of birth,” the coalition says.
PRESIDENT ISSUES “EXECUTIVE ORDER ON REGULATORY RELIEF TO SUPPORT ECONOMIC RECOVERY”
Last week, the president issued an executive order on “Regulatory Relief to Support Economic Recovery.” The order encourages agencies to “address this economic emergency by rescinding, modifying, waiving, or providing exemptions from regulations and other requirements that may inhibit economic recovery, consistent with applicable law and with protection of the public health and safety, with national and homeland security, and with budgetary priorities and operational feasibility.” The order goes on to say that agencies should “give businesses, especially small businesses, the confidence they need to re-open by providing guidance on what the law requires; by recognizing the efforts of businesses to comply with often-complex regulations in complicated and swiftly changing circumstances; and by committing to fairness in administrative enforcement and adjudication.”
AAU JOB ANNOUNCEMENT: EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT FOR POLICY
AAU is seeking applicants for the position of executive assistant for policy. The position provides executive support for AAU’s vice president for policy and serves as the lead administrative assistant supporting the activities of the AAU policy department. A description of the position and application requirements is available here. To be considered, please send by a cover letter, salary requirements, and resume to [email protected] by June 5.